What 684 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Prius C

I took my vehicle in to the Toyota dealership last month because of a brake related noise that was concerning and a loss of brake sensitivity. The diagnostic showed that the brake booster was showing signs that is would fail soon. I was informed that there was a warranty program (ZJB) for it but the warranty required that a specific error code must be present (C1391), regardless of the obvious symptoms. They were unwilling to honor the no cost replacement even though everything but the error code was present. Fast forward to just under a month after the warranty period expired (16 APR 2022 was the expiration date, today is 13 MAY 2022) and the vehicles brakes nearly fail and the error code, which was required for the warranty replacement is now present. Toyota is unwilling to assist me in the slightest with the cost regardless of the inspection prior to expiration of the warranty showing that is was approaching failure and the error code showing shortly after expiration of the warranty. I never received a notice that there was even a warranty for the part in the first place, I was only informed when it took it in the first time, before the warranty expired.

NHTSA ODI 11464575

The vehicle was traveling on the interstate at cruising speeds around 70 MPH when the braking system suddenly lost nearly all function. The dashboard began displaying multiple brake system warnings. There was no warning about potential failure. It was sudden and started when the brake pedal was not engaged. Some braking power remained, but it required full activation of the pedal. The vehicle was then driven very slowly to the next exit and later towed to the Toyota dealership for repair and inspection. The dealer has confirmed that this is the same error described in Toyota's Customer Support Program ZJB. Two adult passengers and one infant inside the vehicle and all other vehicles in the vicinity were at risk of suffering a high-speed crash.

NHTSA ODI 11463505

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost brakes and power steering functionality. The traction control, ABS, and braking system warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with brake booster failure. The vehicle remained at the dealer and was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes). The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463354

ABS dashboard light and loss of brake efficiency originally occurred on 2/23/22 and it has stayed lit every time vehicle is driven since then - and brake efficiency is affected since then. The ability to brake on demand is of paramount safety concern to the driver and passengers of our vehicle and also to those around our vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle was confirmed to have the same issue called out in the Toyota Customer Support Program (CSP) (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10181800-9999.pdf): replace Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies. The vehicle had some of the same DTC codes mentioned in the CSP and a few more. I have a photo from 2/24/22 proving ABS lights came on. This falls within the CSP by date (10 year from being put in service for this vehicle would be on 3/2/22) and just 3k over by miles. We are a loyal Toyota household - this is one of 3 Toyota vehicles we have owned (two Prius and Sienna) - and are in the market for an EV, and are excited about Toyota's new entry BZ4X in EV market. Toyota looking other way is an insult to brand loyalty and also violates the "spirit" of such CSPs (as opposed to Recalls, where I would have gotten this repair done timely before this failure happened). Also, equivalent CSP for a different Prius model (Prius C) (announced in May 2021 - 8 months after Prius V program was announced in Sep 2020) allows for the same Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assembly issue to be covered up to Nov 30, 2022 and unlimited miles. How does it make sense that a 2012 Prius C owner experiencing the exact same problem on the exact same components on the exact same date would be covered while a 2012 Prius V owner would be denied the benefit? I would like NHTSA to work with Toyota to extend the CSP program officially to cover more vehicle owners like us and not live them stranded. That is not we expect from a company that prides in quality workmanship, customer-centricity.

NHTSA ODI 11463366

Faulty brake and ECU assembly failure. A safety issue when driving. Was told by mechanic NOT to drive car as it could suddenly stop. Took car in 9/11/15 for software update for motor generator ECU and power management ECU as recall letter suggested. This is apparently common and needs to be corrected without cost to driver.

NHTSA ODI 11463050

Brakes started making leaking sound when stopped at lights. Went to get diagnosed and was told I needed to have brake booster (toyota PN 47050-47180) and related pump assembly (Toyota PN 47070-47060) replaced. The specific cause note given by the technician: "FOUND BRAKE PUMP AND BOOSTER ASSEMBLY TO BE LEAKING INTERNALLY CAUSING PUMP TO ACUATE MORE THAN NORMAL WHICH WILL CAUSE THESE NOISES" Found out researching online that this is a common issue with the brake booster/master cylinder assembly affecting multiple models and model years of Toyota vehicles and a pending class-action lawsuit in Texas for it. Was told there was no recall but there was an extended service option. I was not made aware of this extended service option which they indicate in the program notes would be mailed to vehicle owners, and was told when the issue was diagnosed that my vehicle does not qualify for it.

NHTSA ODI 11460943

Bought the car from a dealership in january 2022 with 158,000 miles and heard buzzing noise that I was told was normal with hybrid cars.no codes showing on car and passed dealer inspection.Driving down a highway and heading to a stop brakes are hard to mash and caused skidding. No brake lights or abs lights are on. Couple days later brake lights and traction lights come on and then went back off. Take to Tires Plus and I am told I have to schedule appointment with toyota dealer as they do not have the software to diagnose. Take to toyota dealership to see codes 1391c for brake system. After searching issue there was a recall/customer warranty extension for replacement of this part for 150,000 miles /march 19,2022 whichever comes first. This did not show up on a report for dealer to inspect before selling vehicle and causes a huge safety concern to people that did not own this car before 150,000 miles. If a less experienced driver would not have known to reduce brake pressure applied it could have slid and caused collision or if brakes would have been needed during an emergency situation. Car is now sitting at toyota dealership and advised not to drive as brake pressure was lowered while being diagnosed. After talking with toyota they cannot provide assistance due to car being slightly over the 150,000 mile mark. Also if the brake pedal is mashed for an extended period of time the dash lights for brake system and traction control go off and will not come back on until it is driven for awhile

NHTSA ODI 11459170

The brakes are not working (ABS) I have to pamp brake

NHTSA ODI 11458094

a warning light came in on my dashboard brakes regarding the Brake pump accumulator. It feels like my brakes are not working right, not stopping like they always did.I was scared I almost hit someone in front of me at a red light because after applying the appropriate notes due on the brake pedal I noticed a delay in the car stopping. I had the brakes checked by a mechanic and they are ok. This is very dangerous. Can the manufacturer be required to repair this defect? Thank for your help.

NHTSA ODI 11457814

The Brake Booster pump assembly in the car has failed. Toyota issued a Customer Support Program to provide coverage for brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies, However, there are parameters limiting the age of the vehicle and mileage on the vehicle that exclude our car from the campaign. Therefore, the consumer is subject to pay for the entire cost of the repair, which can exceed $4,000. The malfunction occurs over time, and the part fails at a steady pace. Unfortunately, I was unaware of the issue until my ABS light came on, and the breaks became subject to malfunctioning. I took my car to the Toyota Dealership on January 29, 2022, and the dealership made no mention of the Safety Campaign which directly impacts my vehicle. In my opinion, Toyota has demonstrated negligence in regards to this issue. A full recall should be issued for this part. A Safety Campaign simply fails to completely resolve the issue at hand.

NHTSA ODI 11455216

.The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the ABS, brake lights, and traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had exceeded the 150,000 warranty. The failure mileage was 152,900.

NHTSA ODI 11454088

My 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid: the brakes failed on 12/30/21 with virtually no warning which was very scary and could have caused fatalities and a crash. Luckily I was able to pull of the road and put on the e brake to stop the car but if the failure had happened about 10 mins earlier, I might have died because I was going 50 mpg coming down a large hill. I did some research and see that Toyota has KNOWN the brake booster assembly is bad on this model Prius yet they did not issue a full recall and are putting peoples' lives at risk! I am outraged, I was told by my local Toyota dealer that I could qualify for this "customer support program" but only after I had the break line (which also blew out) fixed so I spent $1,100 to fix the brake line then the booster/pump was still malfunctioning but then Toyota changed their tone and told me my vehicle has too many miles to qualify for the booster/pump replacement and then quoted me $4,500 to replace it !! This is an OUTRAGE, Toyota knows this is an issue but is skirting the issue and putting people in danger. It doesn't get much worse then brakes failing on a vehicle. I hope the government forces Toyota to do the right thing and slap them with a huge fine to teach them a lesson. This is not okay!

NHTSA ODI 11450088

******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER PLACED THE REQUEST*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

NHTSA ODI 11449870

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the ABS, traction control, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel as the brake pedal became spongy. The contact initially drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her of a service bulletin related to the failure; he then instructed her to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be covered under a warranty related to the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and confirmed that her vehicle was no longer covered under warranty; a case was filed with the manufacturer. The contact agreed to have the vehicle repaired by the dealer and the vehicle remained in their possession. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11449745

Loud noises coming from braking system. Diagnosed by Toyota service technician as a failure of the brake booster and booster pump assemblies. This specific issue is acknowledged by Toyota per a Customer Support Program ZJB. My vehicle, a 2012 Prius with 130,000 miles, qualifies for coverage under the CSP, however Toyota is denying coverage as the vehicle has not displayed a warning light or code associated with the problem, despite a Toyota service tech confirming the issue. Toyota wants me to drive a vehicle with brakes that may completely fail at any given moment. The Toyota Brand Engagement team has been no help in trying to get the repairs covered under the CSP. Class action lawsuits appear to be filed in several states as Toyota has refused to issue a full recall.

NHTSA ODI 11448199

The brake master cylinder/accumulator has failed causing multiple codes as well as dash lights for the brake and abs systems. I took the vehicle to the local Toyota dealership after reading about this problem in all other models of the Prius. I have just purchased the vehicle. They covered this issue with a free warranty replacement up until August of 2021. They had extended the warranty with restrictions until this next year. Reading about other models of the same car, the warranty still covers regardless of mileage. It's the identical part as other models that are still being covered. This is a $3000 dollar repair made in some vehicles for the identical part, but not in others. This is terrible customer service for an unsafe issue by Toyota. This issue does effect the braking in the vehicle and it is unsafe to drive. The regenerative braking also no longer is functioning changing the entire handling and characteristics of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11446279

My brakes gave out while driving with my infant child luckily I was almost home and made it without hitting anyone or seriously hurting myself and my child. Had car diagnosed error code c1256. Local dealership won’t repair because I “missed “ recall and my car has salvage title. I cannot afford to fix on my own and I’m shaking as I drive with my child to work everyday praying to get there in one piece because I have to work…

NHTSA ODI 11445845

Vehicle has issue with brake booster and accumulator, making it dangerous to drive on the road as brakes would intermittently go out not allowing me to stop. Toyota Corporate had agreed to fix the vehicle originally based on good faith and acknowledgement of the defect under their "Customer Support Program" yet coerced me to go to the local dealership to get the repair, and now disclaims responsibility to cover the repair/parts costs. Toyota Corporate did call the dealer to authorize the repair on 12/14, but since then, have not paid for any of the repairs so my vehicle is being held hostage at the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11444217

I have a ABS alarm on my car. Toyota ABS C1391 (1/1) Current Abnormal Leak of ACC Press I tried to Talk to the Toyota I left a message with the service writer At Avondale Toyota In Arizona and left a message about my car problem They never returned a call to me! I have bought 4 new cars from Avondale Toyota. You would think they should return my call to talk about my cars brake problems I haven't received any return calls

NHTSA ODI 11443452

Toyota did not inform us about a half recall on our family's Prius car. My wife driving yesterday with kids Christmas shopping and the brake pedal stopped working. She was able to thankfully to have space to let car slow down and pull off to side of road. People with a Toyota Prius need to know the brake pedal could stop working at any moment. The Toyota dealership says the repair is $2900 and they will not cover it. They advised I call Toyota so I did and spoke to 3 people advised and they said they would not. The half recall states online, which I dug and found after the dealership advisor told me about it, states that cars up until 8/31/2021 with unlimited milage are covered. After, then its 10 years from purchase and drops from unlimited milage to 150K. We are a few months from Sept and they would not make an exception and do the right thing. The cars is past the 150K milage BARELY, but still under 10 years. If the breaks had gone out in August 31st and a major accident happened would Toyota been liable? HAs this happened and people don't know? It's not right, not ethical, we were not informed of this at any point or even the last time I took the car into the dealership. The idea that others could have this happen to them or even get hurt out there is insane to imagine as a possibility actually a reality as it happened to us. Toyota headquarters brand representative (Monica supervisor) on phone told me that if my wife had the break pedal and system go out in August and died Toyota would have covered it. I almost dropped the phone. Others need to know about this. Do you know anyone with a Toyota Prius? or a Toyota? Please tell them the brake pedal could stop working at any moment and cause an accident. Please help us and together help others know about this. Toyota should have done the right thing, but they didn't. Toyota needs to alert others of this before someone gets hurt. The National Safety board needs to force to a full recall to REPLACE THEM

NHTSA ODI 11443299

ABS/Brake Actuators on these cars are faulty! Not able to apply adequate pressure on the brakes to stop the car confidently. Brake actuator hissing notating that pressure is being lost. Brakes feel like they are skipping, and also making a loud "quack/screeching" noise. Brakes were inspected on my vehicle, and the pads had over 60% life left, and no damage to the rotots, so its the brake actuator at fault. A very common issue on 3rd generation prius models, and a $3000+ repair through toyota. Customer support program ZJB issued. Its not a recall, but instead an "extended warranty". Toyota will not fix the problem without dash warning lights on, so my car is just waiting to break down or cause an accident. I worry about my life and the brakes failing at some point. Ive taken it to two different mechanics and they both noted its a well known problem that toyota is trying not to pay out for.

NHTSA ODI 11440733

I write to report that I asked for help at TOYOTA on the repair of the brake booster pump program. On August 19th, 2021 I took my Toyota Prius 2012 to my nearest dealer, in this case, Toyota of Homestead in Florida, US (I have a screen capture of the appointment); because the brake pump was pumping continuedly every 15 seconds regardless of the vehicle was in motion or stop parked; also the breaking felt like spongy and hesitant. I explained that to the Toyota dealer employee and he told me that the pump running every 15 seconds is not normal and agree that something was not right with my car's brake, but if there is not a MIL light ON, they can not replace my brake booster under the Toyota Program, and I have to pay $170.-first to "scan" the vehicle and make a diagnostic, well I told him that was too much money just to scan the vehicle since there was no light on in the dash the Toyota employee told me I will need to pay for the full brake pump replacement. That was unfair because the Toyota employee agree that definitely the brake was bad, but can not do anything. Took my car home and a few days later September 2nd, the brake lights came on. Well, my wife uses this car daily to transport our kids to school and to do the shopping necessary for food and supplies, and definitely, the cars do NOT break AS IT SHOULD. Toyota employee told me the repair will cost between $3000.- to $4000.-, I took the car to the Dealer when was covered under the Customer Support Program, but the light on the dash should NOT be the main factor to determine that the brake booster needs to be replaced. To be fair TOYOTA should recall all those vehicles. The Toyota dealer employee witness that there was a problem with the pump, and anybody with common sense that know this cars should immediately notice that the sound of the pump going on every 15 seconds is NOT NORMAL. This is my second Prius (My first one was a Toyota Prius C 2014) and I detect almost immediately with something is WRONG.

NHTSA ODI 11436977

ABS Actuator and Booster Assembly failing. No recall was issued but a safety bulletin to the dealer with a cutoff date and nothing issued to consumer to know it needs to be replaced. Now I am outside their service bulleting window with a 3,000 repair that should be covered indefinitely by toyota

NHTSA ODI 11436300

Brake Booster assembly has failed on my car preventing the regenerative braking to function normally and it could potentially lead to the brakes failing all together. Upon further research it seems to be a common issues with these vehicles and Toyota has a "Customer Support Program" under the code "ZJB" that will replace the faulty brake booster assembly. My car is still technically covered under the service bulletin that Toyota sent out but when I called several dealers and Toyota corporate, they notified me that my car was ineligible due to mileage. I was quoted over $3,000 at various dealers to replace the part to what amounts to a basically very expensive brake job. I am concerned for my safety in terms of the brakes failing while driving. This is my only vehicle and I have started to resort to driving on the city streets as opposed to the freeway.

NHTSA ODI 11425979

The brake, abs, and stability control light come on and the brakes require more pressure to function. The problem is intermittent, but has been happening more often and for longer. The rotors, pads, and brake fluid were looked at within the last month and have no issues. I am getting a code C1391 Abnormal Leak in the Accumulator. The symptoms, as well as my car year and make match this recall, but I was never informed of this recall and there are no open recalls associated with my VIN. https://toyotatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ZJB-Phase-2-.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1I91f2ohQk73kYnbBYOlOi-yYlpgVNQ0leI3N8uWbg7V4IMKgULdG7F10

NHTSA ODI 11424821