Toyota Prius Complaints (2012)

449 consumer complaints on file.

#11489347October 14, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My breakes failed when driving. I almost got in accident. Code C1391. Brake Actuaror Failure. car has 200,000 miles. Toyota is denying to repair the car. It is well known problem with that but still not fixing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486237September 24, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
While on the freeway, I was braking due to traffic and the car started shaking and the ABS light, "BRAKE" light and traction light all came on and remained on. The brake system did not operate properly, which nearly caused a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11484055September 12, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on highway & the vehicle stopped accelerating as I was pressing the gas. I put my hazards on & got to the side of the road. Then the eps light came on & the dash stopped showing the mph. The ac stopped blowing cold air & the windows were working slow. I turned car off then back on a couple of times then more lights came on. No lights were on prior to this & I haven’t had any problems w the vehicle before this. I just got this car & I feel like it has something to do with a recall but no one wants to take responsibility for the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11483106September 6, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
No problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11482683September 2, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
Driving approx 35 MPH. Traction, Brake, ABS lights all illuminated. Went to brake and brakes went almost to floor with little to no braking power. Car felt out of control and unreactive. Slowed down, pumped brakes (brakes worked but not normal) and pulled over. It was extremely scary and happened out of the blue with no warning, I thought I was going to crash as car felt "slippery" and unresponsive/no braking. If there was a red light or someone stopped in front of me, I would have crashed. Tested and found code of C1391 ABS Anti-lock Brake System Abnormal Leak of ACC PRESS. Researched and found customer bulletin from Toyota POL18-03 and Customer Support Program ZJB. Safety at risk - near accident, could have been a huge accident, no warning and no brakes. This should be a recall! No warning lights prior to failure, lit at time of failure. I was completely unaware of the potential brake failures. Toyota should issue a recall or cover repair. I have been tossed back and forth between corporate & local dealer. Customer coverage expired June 29, 2022 for my car (10 yrs after 1st use). The incident occurred barely one month later on August 16, 2022. It is under 150,000 miles. Toyota refusing to assist or take responsibility for repair coverage. I have been given the runaround by Toyota and attempting to get a call from a case manager is near fruitless. One case manager left me a voicemail indicating that they cannot help me until I take the car to a local dealership to diagnose. So I did. Forced to Toyota, we carefully drove on side streets to the dealership only to be charged $130 for diagnosis & attempt to "upsell" extra services. Vehicle inspected by Toyota. C1391 replace brake booster assembly master cylinder and brake pump almost $3,000. We drove home white-knuckled. After many more phone calls and unable to speak to a case manager, I rec'd a voicemail indicating they will not cover due to expired June 29, 2022. Same issue happening w/other models - pls recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11482113August 30, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
While commuting home by Prius has the traction control, ABS, brake light, and brake system indicator dash lights activate. I was able to make it to an autoparts store and the code C1391 was displayed. Researching this code points me to a safety issue that Toyota is aware of and their remedy ended in 2021. Toyota should warranty this known issue, especially for those people who were never notified of the failure of the brake accumulator and brake booster. I now am afraid to drive my vehicle due to potential failure of the brake system and the costs of the repairs are really expensive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11481174August 25, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
I bought a first generation Toyota Prius PHEV in 2012. Apparently a Customer Support Program notice was sent out two years ago which I never received. For the last year or so my Prius has made a hissing sound when I stepped on the brakes unless I push extra hard on the pedal. Didn’t think anything of it until last month several lights went off. I took it to Big O Tires and they added brake fluid and the lights went away. Next month it went off again, I took it back and they suggested taking it to a dealer. I take it to Tustin Toyota they diagnose it as a Brake Booster and Pump problem. My issue is that I never received a mailer or email like I did for previous recalls. I did transfer ownership to my wife a while back, so I don’t know if that DMV administrative change impacted the mailer. It is a safety concern as my wife drives our two kids and the brake had signs but we did not take it in to the dealer until the failure lights lit up 11 months after the expiration. Is there a chance that a Customer Support Program becomes a Recall if NHTSA receives enough complaints?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477997August 7, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was driving my 2012 Prius on the highway at around 55 MPH. The Hybrid System Warning came on and the car lost all power and immediately began to coast. I was fortunate not to have been in or caused an accident but cars behind me had to swerve to avoid hitting me. I was able to coast to a middle median lane. After waiting 15-20 minutes, the car never regained power. We were finally able to push it off the road and into a parking lot. It never regained power.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477933August 6, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
Seven days ago, the hazard lights on our 2012 Prius suddenly would not turn off. By the time we got home, the brake, ABS, and the traction warning lights all came on. Two hours later, the hazard lights stopped blinking but the other lights were still on. We brought the car into the Toyota dealer for service the next morning (8/1/2022) to have the issue checked, notified the service writer of the hazard light being the initial issue. Mechanic cleared the codes and the lights all were off and stayed off after what he said was 2 test drives. We asked him if the mechanic had tested the hazards, to be sure they didn't stay on. He said the mechanic had left and we agreed to leave the car overnight so he could check that again. The service writer gave us a list of other repairs/maintenance we should have done but none of them was the brake booster acuator. We declined the other service and went home. Car drove fine. Yesterday morning, we woke up to see the hazard lights flashing, even though we hadn't egnaged them since the previous Sunday. Our neighbor noted he noticed them flashing at 2 am. We brought the car back to the dealer and when my husband spoke directly with the manager, he (manager) said that they weren't aware of the hazards flashing. That is a lie. I told the service writer when it was brought in and then we discussed it again that afternoon. Manager calls us late yesterday to say that we need to replace the brake booster acuator at the tune of $3400+. The manager told us this morning that Toyota had a recall on it but they weren't notifying people unless the issue occurred. He said there was recall coverage, which Toyota extended, but it expired 7/24/2022. We never received any mail or email notification of a recall and have only had our car serviced at this dealer. Why did they not warn people? We are outraged and livid. How is this kind of greedy chicanery allowed?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477156August 2, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS system has malfunctioned- brakes lose pressure constantly (makes a barking noise when pressing on them or holding them down), and brakes feel very squishy. Car constantly makes whirring noise of actuator pump trying to function. Mechanic said on inspection that it was the abs actuator and potentially the master cylinder as well. Vehicle is unsafe to drive
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11473249July 10, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights are not functioning properly as a result of severe discoloration of the lens material. This creates unsafe driving conditions at night since the road is not properly illuminated, especially in areas with inadequate street lighting.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472719July 7, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
Faulty brake booster pump
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472602July 6, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
I have the same issue as every other Toyota Prius owner. My car has 177,000 miles and Toyota quoted me $3200.00 to replace ABS system that causes Brake Failure and risk of Crashing. All the ABS lights come on and the car almost loses all braking power.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466476May 27, 2022
AIR BAGS
The front and driver side air bags did not deploy (although the passenger side air bag did deploy). Initial impact came from behind, toward the passenger side, causing the vehicle to turn fully sideways, where the vehicle was then t-boned on the driver's side. The lack of driver side air bag deployment resulted in a lot of glass making it into the left side of the driver's head.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11465018May 17, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
MY brake warning lights have coming on for over 12,000 miles abs , vehicle stability off/ stability control and indicator and red brake light .Last week they came on and stay on .I took it to mechanic he told me there was a recall on them up to 150,000 miles .I don't see it on your site .The part is Toyota Brake Booster part Number - 47050-47180. I mention this to toyota in January and they said the light sometime just come on .I don,t know what the mileage should have anything to do about a recall
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464575May 13, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463505May 5, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463354May 4, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462921May 1, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The front windshield wiper no longer performs on high but does perform on the lower settings. We experienced very heavy rain yesterday for the first time in a while and needed the high setting to adequately visualize the road and vehicles. It once switched to high the wipers were inoperable and had to be reduced in speed to even function. This is a significant safety concern as it drastically compromises your visibility in heavy rain conditions, such as those we experienced. Yes it is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462967May 1, 2022
STEERING
THIS CAR HAS A STEERING WHEEL PROBLEM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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