Toyota Prius V Complaints

479 consumer complaints on file.

#11692778October 11, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, SUSPENSION
ABS and brake lights suddenly turned on and brake pedal effectiveness changed dramatically. When pressing brake pedal the brakes barely work now. Just got quoted $5161 for ABS accumulator repair, $2336 for major suspension concern, and total $8386 estimate for repairs from Toyota service department. I see many similar complaints from Toyota owners online, this seems to be a common issue with Prius vehicles. The Kelly blue book value is only $5450 for trade-in and $7318 for sale to private owner, so the repair doesn’t even seem worthwhile given a replacement would be cheaper, and the ABS failure happens so frequently in this vehicle, and could happen again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692218October 8, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
After 13 years and 112,000 the brake booster and brake booster pump went out on my car. Toyota extended the warranty to 10 years because of this issue. Now just outside of the 10 yr mark my car has this issue and Toyota will not cover it. This is a huge expense and also a major issue with this year and model of car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689707September 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Upon inspection, our mechanic determined that the master cylinder assembly and the actuator assembly require replacement (error code C1391). It is currently available for inspection, but will need to be repaired soon. Our safety and the safety of others is at great risk, because there is impending brake failure if driven and the end result could be catastrophic. On 09/13/25, the BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, ABS and ((!)) lights came on about 10 minutes from home. We drove home, parked the car and did not drive it again until we took it to our mechanic on 09/15/25. During this incident, the brakes failed to respond properly, which could have led to a serious accident. We took the car to a local mechanic and repairs are currently pending. The estimated cost for the necessary parts is approx. $3,000 and the labor costs are estimated to be between $1,100 and $2,000. Our local Toyota dealership was also contacted and they confirmed the presence of code C1391. Please reference Toyota Service Bulletin POL18-03, which addresses issues related to the braking system in certain Toyota models, including the Prius V. This bulletin indicates that various brake system-related warning lamps may illuminate due to internal malfunctions within the brake system, and it outlines affected parts that may require replacement. Additionally, please reference Toyota Customer Support Program 20TE07, which provides extended coverage for certain brake system repairs. It is concerning that, despite this well-known, very serious problem, Toyota has not issued a recall. While our vehicle currently has 116,975 miles, we are aware that the warranty period ended 10 years from the first date of use or 150,000 miles. However, this malfunction not only endangers our safety, but also that of other drivers on the road. We urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly and consider the implications for a potential recall for this model, because Toyota is well-aware of this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686967September 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
I have a Prius v 2012, and the lights for abs turned on and when I checked on internet Toyota was repairing the part for 150k miles and 10 years but this is a safety feature my car is now at 149922, And while I was on road suddenly the signs came up and I the brakes were hard, and this is a problem for my safety and for others too since It doesn’t brake well
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685360September 5, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
All ABS, Brakes light on, code 139. Its been making a buzzing noise for a couple of years, the noise got shorter over time, and finally was coming on every 5 second, and finally the dash brake lights came on. I've cleared a couple of times, but the lights come back on after a few miles. The brake pedal has to be pushed down hard to stop. The problem is the brake part is $1500, and 1500 to install.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685008September 4, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
I have a 2014 Prius V with 92,000 miles. My anti-skid, brake and ABS idiot lights went off approximately 1 week ago. (August 25, 2025) Scheduled an appointment at my Toyota dealer (September 3, 2025) and was told there was an abnormal leak in the accumulator and that the brake booster pump and brake pump assembly needed to be replaced. Cost $5715. Not related to the brakes, but they also said I had to replace the rear shock absorbers as they are leaking and needed to be replaced and then realigned. Cost $1363. This should have been a recall not a mileage or 10 year limit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684153August 31, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Prior to issue, noticed a buzzing sound from engine compartment, later known to be the ABS accumulator pump, occurring more frequently - first multiple times when braking, then later continuously while driving. Dashboard eventually lit all brake-related warning lights ("BRAKE", TSC, ABS) and brake pedal behavior changed markedly. This occurred after parking in my driveway while engaging the parking brake. Brake behavior during and after this period was wildly inconsistent and impossible to predict. At times the brakes would perform normally, but most often the first portion of brake pedal travel would have no braking effect, and actual required force on the pedal to brake was greatly increased. The need to press further and with more force created a dangerous situation as it delayed how quickly I could slow or stop. The inconsistency in performance created a dangerous situation as the vehicle may (and did) sometimes stop more suddenly than expected. Additionally, the failure resulted in loss of traction control and ABS resulting in greatly increased risk in wet road conditions and terrible danger in sudden-stop situations. Self scanner & Toyota service center confirmed presence of C1392 code and recommended replacing brake actuator and brake pump assemblies, quoting over $4,500. Service was declined and replacement parts bought from Toyota and self-installed to resolve issue. Both Toyota service center and Toyota customer support line confirmed that this issue was described in an existing Customer Support Bulletin but that coverage was denied due to age of the vehicle. Vehicle was approximately 15,000 miles below listed mileage cap but approximately 12 years old, with Toyota denying service for vehicles over 10 years old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683055August 26, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
C1391 - Abnormal Leak of ACC Pressurization. Bad Brake booster assembly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679420August 8, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Toyota has a break issue that they extended the warranty for 10 years or 150000 miles and now a few months pass the 10 years I have a problem with the actuator giving warnings and my daughter went into a skid when applying the breaks. She was lucky and didn’t hit anyone. If Toyota knows there is a problem that is a safety concern they should fix it I did get a Toyota dealership to give an estimate to fix it and was told $4300.00 I think that’s too much for a defective part. It should be a safety recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678972August 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving on the highway, all the Brake-Related Warning Lights appeared on the dashboard. This was accompanied by a frequent electric buzzing noise (every 15-20 seconds, lasting two seconds each time). The brakes became difficult to press, almost spongy, and required more pressure to function. Upon taking it to the dealer, I was told that the vehicle (a 2013 Prius V with 181k miles) needed a new ABS pump and brake actuator, totaling roughly $4100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675955July 24, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS Brake pump actuator booster failed. It is available for inspection. While driving, I started hearing a hissing sound from my brakes. I tried to slow down and my several diagnostic lights (ABS, traction control, brake, check engine, etc.) flashed on while my brakes failed to work properly. I turned on my hazard lights immediately. I was in the middle of the road with my toddler in the car and I almost rammed into the car in front of me. Luckily I was able to pull into a turn lane and pushed with all my might on the brakes and it finally was able to stop. My brakes failed and I could have hit the cars in front of me and hurt my child, myself and others. It was terrifying. Problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. The warning lamps only appeared WHILE the issue was happening and my brakes failed to work properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674897July 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The brake accumulator has failed on our 2013 Prius at 170K miles. The brakes are unresponsive and all brake-related indicator lights are on. The vehicle is unsafe. This is a known issue for this model and year Prius, yet Toyota did not issue a recall. Warranties were extended to 150K miles, but this issue is a serious safety risk - danger to us and others on the road. This issue should have resulted in a safety recall, not a "courtesy" warranty extension. Toyota needs to resolve this for all affected vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673861July 16, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car stalls randomly and does not enter fail-safe mode. The dealer says it is the transmission but the transmission has never shuddered or hesitated. I am reading that these vehicles have intelligent power modules in the hybrid inverter that fail and can cause stalling. I feel like the dealership is working with Toyota to avoid addressing the actual problem. In the meantime I was sent home in a vehicle that continues to stall randomly and does not enter fail-safe mode.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671768July 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2013 toyota prius v has 3 recalls for the same issues but my vin # says there isn't any recalls associated with it. I need help. It stalled on me on my way home from work luckily not on the high way now it's throwing code c1310 c1259 c1241 it won't crank all it does is click. I replaced 12v batterychecked all connectors.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671770July 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake light + ABS + traction light came on and the brake became harder to control. I was driving in the rain and briefly lost control. Fortunately, no accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668796June 24, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While braking on the interstate, this car threw error code C1391: Abnormal Leak of ACC PRESS. This is the brake system accumulator pressure - meaning lost all assistance to braking - it took a long time to slow down and come to a stop. Easily could have caused a serious crash had I been on a hill or coming up on stopped traffic. I did some research and found this is a KNOWN ISSUE with Toyota and SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL! Toyota skirted the issue by offering customers that encountered the problem a CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM where they would pay for a new brake pump and master cylinder. HOWEVER, Toyota put TIME and MILEAGE CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROGRAM, and it just so happened our car had exceeded those limits - so we had to pay full price for the repair of the 2 new brake parts - over $3,000! The 2014 Toyota PriusV that we bought new and had always serviced it properly was hardly worth that, but it was our only car, so we paid it. BUT will never buy another Toyota now - and NHTSA needs to fine Toyota for this poor brake system
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668719June 23, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving on the interstate I went to slow down to merge and my brakes failed. The following warning lights came on: Master Warning Light (yellow), Brake System Warning Light, Brake System warning light (red), ABS Warning Light, and the Slip Indicator light. My vehicle was towed to a Toyota Dealership and after running a diagnostic test, they confirmed that it was the "Break booster with accumulator c1391 stored internal leak of accumulator and need immediate attention" which they quoted at $4,295.68 to fix. After researching the issue saw A Customer Support Program 20TE07 was issued taking responsibility for the faulty Brake Booster Pump Assembly however only covered the repair for a two-year period and only if it was one of the identified diagnostic trouble codes listed in the CSP issued by Toyota but expired in Feb 2022. The code pulled from my vehicle 3 days ago was listed in this document, but the coverage only covers until Feb 2022. This is not a normal wear and tear issue, it is a faulty part that Toyota identified as a life and death safety concern but refuses to do anything about because mine didn't show an issue within their 2-year CSP timeframe. Toyota identified that there are roughly 118,950 2012-2014 model year prius V with a production period of late September 2010 to mid-November 2014 vehicles that this faulty part affects along with everyone else on the road with these vehicles as it causes failure of the brake booster pump assembly, which leads to a loss of braking assist and the deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system. For the safety and lives of the owners of these vehicles and all of the other lives of the drivers on the road that this could affect in the case of this faulty part should there be a catastrophic accident, like mine could have been, a nationwide recall on this part MUST be issued.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666163June 10, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Upon exiting the highway my brake system when engaged was completely unresponsive. I of course pushed down gently as would and upon realizing the brakes were not responding I started pounding on the brake pad. I had to ram the brake down for the vehicle to even slow. Thankfully no-one was in front of me at the light and I was able to pull into the nearest gas station having to ram brake to fullest extent to get the vehicle to stop moving. All lights within the braking system lit up including the Master Warning Light, Brake System Warning Light, ABS Warning light, and SLIP indicator as well as the warning siren. These warning lights did not come on til after* the brake system was engaged with failure*** NOT PRIOR. It was not indicative of an issue prior too, no former brake issue or warning lights. I turned the vehicle off and then back on again to see if the same lights still lit and issue was still malfunctioning. I called for a tow and had vehicle taken to the Adams Toyota Dealership (MO)The following diagnostic code C1391 was registered on my vehicle at dealership. Upon research (not disclosure) I found that the above code- C1391- "Brake booster and Brake Booster Pump Assembly" is a known issue that Toyota offered a Warranty repair from May 21-Nov 22' IF FAILURE Not a recall but a "if" brake system fails. Please see Customer Support Program 21TE01. I purchased vehicle in OCT 21 and was never informed, never provided this warranty letter, issue didn't show up on Carfax etc and I purchased directly from the Toyota Dealership. Upon research you will find that Toyota is currently in class action and individual lawsuits re this specific part failure with the above diagnostic code. They are denying replacement due the expired warranty time. The Parts should recalled* not just a "warranty issue" -unacceptable to leave buyers uninformed to such a major issue that can cause accident/death (IM PREGNANT I MAY ADD!) and unable to seek covered repairs unless it fails!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665760June 9, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving at normal highway speed, all of a sudden, my dashboard lights (4) lit up. Warning lights, Brake lights, Transaction lights and ABS lights all appeared at once. There was some traffic up ahead, so I applied my brakes but noticed that they weren't as responsive as normal so had to adjust for it by applying more pressure than normal to come to a stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665464June 7, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle stalled while driving 35 to 45 mph. Engine had no power but the brakes and power steering worked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Toyota Prius V