What 684 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Prius C

The brakes felt very spongy and the car was having a difficult time coming to a complete stop. The ABS, brake, and stability control lights turned on at the same time. Also, a whirring noise close to the passenger side started happening every 2-3 seconds. After some research I later learned that the noise is most probably coming from a brake pump assembly that has failed and is not able to keep pressure. The car is currently parked since I don’t feel safe to drive it. I contacted a local dealer to see if this part can be changed for free since this is not normal wear and is unsafe. I also learned in online Prius owner forums that there is a large group of Toyota Prius owners with the exact same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11419243

LIGHTS CAME ON AND CODE ARE C1252 AND C1253, BEEPING SOUNDED AND BRAKES WHEN TO FLOOR AND WOULDN'T STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11417885

BRAKE BOOSTER SLOWLY FAILING.... WHEN PRESSING BRAKES IT DOESN'T SMOOTHLY HOLD PRESSURE

NHTSA ODI 11408169

MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2012 WITH 95K MIL. ABS, TRACTION AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, THE BREAKING WASN'T LIKE USED TO BE, IT WAS MUSHY AFTER THE WARNING LIGHTS, TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THEY ESTIMATED $3500 FOR THE BRAKE REPLACEMENT THE FAULT CODES C1241, C1247, C1391 FOUND BREAK BOOSTER AND PUMP ASSY, NEEDED. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED BY TOYOTA, ITS SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE IT HAD 41K MILES AND REGULARLY MAINTAINED THE CAR THROUGHOUT MY OWNERSHIP PERIOD.

NHTSA ODI 11405593

ENGINE -ENGINE HAVE BROKEN HEAD GASKET. COOLANT RESERVOIR STARTED TO DRAIN. COOLANT SLOWLY LEAKS IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE DUE TO BROKEN HEAD GASKET. CAUSING SHAKING ENGINE BECAUSE COOLANT CANNOT COMBUST INSIDE THE ENGINE. -ALSO EGR COOLER WAS FULLY CLOGGED BY CARBON THAT CAUSED FAILURE OF CARBON AIR CIRCULATION. BRAKE SLOWLY FAILING BRAKE ACTUATOR IN THE PROCESS. WHEN PRESSING BRAKES, WHINING SOUND IS PRESENT AND BRAKES SLOWLY FAILS TO HOLD PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. -BRAKE SYSTEM WAS FULLY INSPECTED AND NO LEAKS WERE FOUND AND BRAKE FLUID HOLDS IN FULL LEVEL.

NHTSA ODI 11402958

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTREMELY HARD FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRYAN COLLEGE STATION TOYOTA (728 N. EARL RUDDER FWY, BRYAN, TX 77802, (979)776-0404) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE TECHNICIAN CHANGED THE OIL AND ONE WEEK LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED A SECOND TIME AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 220,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAIILABLE. ## VIN FAILED ## 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS ##

NHTSA ODI 11399716

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11395695

THE BRAKES BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED SINCE IT'S A MANUFACTURER ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11390946

ABS , TRACTION CONTROL,BRAKE LIGHTS ON. NO POWER ASSIST BRAKE, NO ABS, NO TRACTION CONTROL

NHTSA ODI 11374498

ON 11/3/2020, SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASH. AFTER RESEARCHING THE COMBINATION OF LIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL I DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR IS FAILING. PER MY RESEARCH, CONTINUING TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKING ASSISTANCE. OTHER TOYOTA PRIUS MODELS ARE COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTIES (REFERENCE ZJB), BUT THE PRIUS V MODELS, WHICH USE THE SAME ACTUATOR, ARE NOT. AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT HAS NOT YET OCCURED, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A HUGE CASE OF NEGLIGENCE ON TOYOTA.

NHTSA ODI 11372915

A RECENTLY PURCHASED USED TOYOTA PRIUS V WHICH WAS OWNED BY A DEALER A MATTER OF 2 MONTHS AGO WAS SOLD TO ME AND THE ABS/BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILURE BEGAN. THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF THE 150K/10YR WARRANTY THEY WANT TO COVER, HOWEVER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAS ALREADY NEARLY CAUSED ME TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE BRAKE POWER MASSIVELY FLUCTUATES. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE 75MPH FROM PHOENIX TO TUCSON APPROX 120 MILES. THE LIGHT CAME ON PART WAY THROUGH AND SUDDENLY THE BRAKES WENT FROM BEING SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO NEEDING A LOT OF PRESSURE APPLIED TO PROPERLY SLOW. WHEN A DIESEL BIG RIG SWERVED IN FRONT OF ME TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE THAT I WOULD EASILY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRAKE FROM TYPICALLY, I WAS NEARLY SLAMMED INTO THE BACK END OF HIM WITH VERY LITTLE POWER. THE LIGHT FLIPPED BACK OFF ABOUT TIME I MADE IT TO TUCSON, THEN WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION ON MY WAY THROUGH CITY STREETS HOME CROSSING KOLB AND VALENCIA (A SITE OF MANY AN ACCIDENT), I NEARLY WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM SUDDENLY CUT OUT AGAIN. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY I'D HAVE TO COVER 2500 TO REPLACE WHAT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE. THAT'S [XXX] AND DANGEROUS. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC

NHTSA ODI 11367058

THE ABS BRAKE PUMP EXPERIENCED AN "INTERNAL FAILURE" AT MILEAGE OF 113K. THERE IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTICE THAT COVERS 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS AND PRIUS PLUG IN FOR THE SAME ISSUE REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE UNTIL 2019, AND THEN UP TO 150K MILES AFTER THAT. HOWEVER, MY 2012 PRIUS V WAS NOT COVERED. THIS ABS BRAKE PUMP JUST SUDDENLY FAILED, THERE WEREN'T ANY LEADING INDICATORS. TOYOTA KNOWS IT SUPPLIED DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR THE ABS BRAKE PUMP. THERE IS ALREADY A LAWSUIT OF OTHER 2012 PRIUS V OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS NOT CORRECTED THEIR SERVICE NOTICE. THEY WON'T RELEASE THE DETAILS OF HOW THEY CAN JUSTIFY COVERAGE TO ALL OTHER 2012 PRIUS, AND PRIUS PLUG-IN, BUT NOT PRIUS V. THE REPAIR IS SIGNIFICANT ~ $3,500. ALSO, LAST YEAR MY ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANKFULLY, THIS HAPPENED ~ 80K MILES, SO IT WAS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT THIS FAILURE WAS SURPRISING FOR A TOYOTA. I HAD WONDERED WHY I HAD TO CHANGE THE OIL MORE QUICKLY THAN THE RECOMMENDED 10K, I WOULD CHANGE IT EVERY 5-7K, OR AT LEAST HAVE IT CHECKED. IT SEEMS THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR 2020 RAV 4S. I'M SURPRISED THEY HAVEN'T FIXED AN ISSUE FROM A 2012 VEHICLE YET BY 2020.

NHTSA ODI 11364848

TL-

NHTSA ODI 11351694

MY 2012 PRIUS WAS DIAGNOSED AT OUR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT NEEDS A BRAKE BOOSTER/SOLENOID. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT, IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO HUNDREDS OF CONSUMERS WITH PRIUS CARS FROM THE SAME ERA. IT IS A DEVASTATING $3,000 REPAIR. TOTAL INJUSTICE IF IT IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS IT SEEMS.

NHTSA ODI 11341979

MY ABS ACTUATOR HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. I WAS GETTING CODE C1391 WHEN I FIRST HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND RECENTLY IT FINISHED FAILING COMPLETELY. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT DID AND I SEVERELY LOST BRAKE PRESSURE AND ALMOST GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT. THIS ISSUE WAS RECALLED ON REGULAR PRIUS HATCHBACKS BUT BECAUSE THE PRIUS V'S ABS PUMP SYSTEM IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF THE PRIUS V, THE PRIUS V DOEST FALL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO HAVE THE ISSUE FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE THAT THE REGULAR PRIUS' HAVE BEEN HAVING WHICH THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON. IM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE TOYOTA HELPLINE TO REPORT THIS AND THEY SAY THAT THERES NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME AND THAT MY CAR IS JUST NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THE WARRANTY DIDNT APPLY TO PRIUS V'S EVEN THOUGH ITS THE SAME PART HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE BEEN QUOTED $4,000 TO HAVE THIS FIXED AND I CAN'T AFFORD THAT RIGHT NOW.

NHTSA ODI 11339229

THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER BROKE DOWN ON MY CAR. THE WARNING LIGHTS FINALLY CAME ON HOWEVER THE ISSUE WAS NOTICEABLE BEFORE THAT AS THE CAR BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS CREATED SLIGHT STUTTERING STOPS WHEN COMING TO THE END OF A COMPLETE STOP PLUS MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE NOTICED BRAKING WAS GETTING MORE DIFFICULT AT CERTAIN TIMES. THIS ISSUE IS CREATING A COST OF OVER $3000 TO REPAIR. NUMEROUS OTHERS EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THE PREVIOUS PRIUS MODEL (GEN 3) AND TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED IT AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO THOSE MODELS BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO BEEN HAVE CORRECTED WITH THE PRIUS V. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330661

THE ACTUATOR HAS BEEN MAKING NOISE FOR THE PAST YEAR . I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ABOUT FEB 2019 AND SINCE MY WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX. AND TODAY IT'S BEEN WORSE . EVERY TIME I AM AT A STOP IT MAKES TONS OF NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11328473

BRAKE LIGHT/TSC LIGHT ON DASH WAS ON. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO DIFFERENCE IN DRIVE-ABILITY, BUT THERE WAS A HUMMING NOISE PRESENT AT IDLE AND 20-30 MPH. TOOK CAR TO DEALER 4/30/2019 FOR CHECK. COGGINS TOYOTA IN JACKSONVILLE, FL DETERMINED THE CAUSE WAS A, ABNORMAL LEAK IN THE ACCUMULATOR. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY. AFTER THE NEW EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THE NEW PUMP ASSEMBLY HAD EXCESSIVE NOISE AND VIBRATION INTERNALLY SO ANOTHER REPLACEMENT PART WAS ORDERED. NEW PUMP ASSEMBLY BRAKE BOOSTER WAS INSTALLED AND CAR WAS PUT BACK IN SERVICE 5/19/2019. TOTAL COST OF THIS SERVICE WAS $2,745.11. WE LATER LEARNED THAT A CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM CSP ZJB WAS ISSUED BY TOYOTA FOR 'CERTAIN" 2010 PHD PRIUS, "CERTAIN" 2011-2015 PRIUS, AND "CERTAIN" 2012-2015 PHV PRIUS. AS PER THE CSP ZJB MAILING TO OUR RELATIVE WHO ALSO OWNS A PRIUS, THE PROBLEM WAS "WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLIES". ACCORDING TO DIANNE, CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WITH TOYOTA, THESE VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE CSP ZJB WERE PRODUCED BETWEEN OCTOBER 2010 TO NOVEMBER 2015 AND INCLUDED SOME 946,100 VEHICLES. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM AS THE VIN NUMBER DID NOT MATCH THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OUR VEHICLE THAT THE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED TO INCLUDE. UPON SUBMITTING A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM TOYOTA FOR THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH REPAIRS, IT WAS REJECTED. WE BELIEVE THE PROBLEM FOR WHICH THE SERVICE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IS THE SAME PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED AND OUR VEHICLE VIN SHOULD BE ADDED BY TOYOTA TO THE LIST OF AFFECTED VEHICLES SO THAT IT BECOMES ELIGIBLE FOR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11320682

1)INTERMITTENT REGEN BRAKING FAILURE CAUSING BRAKES TO BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO PRESS THUS HARDER TO STOP THE CAR IN A TIMELY MANNER. USUALLY WHEN THERE IS STOP AND GO DRIVING WILL THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING FAIL. 2) CLOGGED EGR VALVE CAUSING A LOUD ENGINE KNOCK RESULTING IN A BLOWN HEAD GASKET.

NHTSA ODI 11320724

ABS WARNING LIGHT INDICATING TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM, I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR STORE AND THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE CODES ON HIS COMPUTER AND RECEIVED 2 CODES THAT INDICATING THAT THE ABS PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST WOULD BE BETWEEN $3000 TO $5000. THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON WHEN I START THE CAR

NHTSA ODI 11318546

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2012 PRIUS V THAT I'VE NOTIFIED MY LOCAL DEALER AND TOYOTA ABOUT A POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE RELATING TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE PRIUS V IS CURRENTLY NOT INCLUDED IN THE ZJB CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE. BRAKE PEDAL FEELS VERY FIRM AND INCONSISTENT AND MUCH HARDER TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKES. THERE IS CONSTANT (EVERY FEW SECONDS) BRAKE BOOSTER ACTUATION/WHIRRING CONSISTENT WITH SYMPTOMS OF A LEAKING/DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER PER MY LOCAL DEALER. WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKE, ABS, STABILITY CONTROL, AND TIRE PRESSURE ARE ON.

NHTSA ODI 11318389

I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL MAIL REGARDING THE CAR. I USED AN INSURANCE TRACKING PLUGIN, AND ALL THE PROBLEMS STARTED.PCS ERROR MESSAGE ON MY DASHBOARD, DUE TO A LEAK IN BRAKE BOOSTER THEY SAID. MY DEALERSHIP WILL NOT TELL ME IT'S A RECALL, MADE IT SEEM LIKE THEY HELPED ME INSTEAD OF CHARGING AS HIGH AS $4000. I WAS NOT GIVEN A LOANER CAR FOR THE 4DAYS THEY HAD MY CAR, AND DID NOT GET ANY REFUNDS FOR THE RENTAL CAR I GOT

NHTSA ODI 11315510

BROUGHT CAR IN FOR RECALL J0V00D AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS THE ABS,TRACTION-CONTROL, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. THE LIGHTS WENT ON AND OFF AND THEN STAYED ON. WENT BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A $3800.00 REPAIR. WAS TOLD THAT CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS WERE AFFECTED, BUT NOT MY VIN#. NOT SURE HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE SINCE I AM READING ALL OVER THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR CAR ALSO? I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY US 19 IN CLEARWATER, WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI 11309518

UNLIKE OTHER 2011-2015 TOYOTA PRIUS VEHICLES THE PRIUS V IS NOT COVERED UNDER TOYOTA'S CSP-ZJB CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. MY 2012 PRIUS V HAS ALL THE INDICATIONS OF THIS BRAKE BOOSTER AND PUMP PROBLEM... MULTIPLE LIGHTS ON THE DASH (BRAKE, ABS, PCS ..... ON; CODES C1252 & C1256; AND BRAKE BOOST PUMP RUNNING EVERY 6-8 SECONDS PLUS A BRAKE PEDAL THAT YOU CAN PUSH TO THE FLOOR IN 4-5 SECONDS. IN HARD BRAKING I'VE HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET STOPPED. IT'S MY WIFE'S CAR BUT SHE WILL NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER WHO WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND STARTED TO HAVE IT FIXED AT THEIR EXPENSE UNTIL HE PUT THE VIN # IN HIS COMPUTER. HIS ESTIMATE WAS $2500+ TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED AFTER I PAID TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I DECLINED AND CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WHICH WAS A WASTE OF TIME...SORRY, YOUR CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND YOUR CAR DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WE WILL COVER. ON THE NET, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PRIUS V OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT STARTED IN 2008. UNTIL SOMEONE WITH A BIGGER STICK (NHTSA), TOYOTA IS SAYING THERE ISNOT A PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS V BRAKES.

NHTSA ODI 11309201

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WENT OUT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THE BRAKE BOOSTER IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE PRICE TO DO SO IS ABOUT $3,000 THEY ALSO SAID THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED AS IN SOME CASES YOU NEVER HAVE TO REPLACE A BRAKE BOOSTER NOR MASTER CYLINDER

NHTSA ODI 11302763