2013 Toyota Prius

The break pump for my 2013 prius is going out and is a known issue with Toyota. I contacted toyota and they have stated because it is past the extended warranty they can not repair it and aren't liable for it. I bought the car used and was unaware that it has been a known issue for years. The previous owner did not have it replaced as they were probably unaware as well. It is a highly unsafe issue and has caused my breaks to suddenly go our while driving recently with my toddler. It is also $3000-$5000 to fix it and is almost more than the cars value. I need help resolving this as it isn't "normal wear and tear" or a mileage issue. It is a known, very public defect that toyota has admitted and I have been able to easily find information on all over Google. The warning lights came on out of no where on the freeway today.

I purchased a 2013 Toyota Prius from a reputable dealership in Omaha (O'Daniel Honda). 5 days after purchase the ABS, BRAKE, and Traction Control lights came on in the evening. When I took it to the dealership the next day they had cycled off and the dealership couldn't find anything wrong. A few days later it happened again so I got into the dealer right away and they said Toyota had issued a service bulletin C1391 in 2019, and that I would have to replace the brake booster, brake cylinder, and brake pump assembly. I'm still fighting with the dealership to make this right, because they should have caught this during their inspection before putting the car for sale on their lot. The indicator lights keep cycling on and off. Something that effects the braking system should be a recall and not a service bulletin.

My vehicle has 105492 miles and ABS light, Trackion and Brake light went on. I could hear a buzzing sound from the brake actuator every 5 seconds. The brake actuator and master cylinder was failing. According to the dealership failure of brake actuator and master cylinder is a common safety issue with Toyota Prius. The failure of the actuator can lead to failure in the braking system and a crash. Online research shows that several customers have reported this issue. The Claremont Toyota quoted me $3646 to fix this issue. I contacted Toyota of America and they informed that they cannot cover these repairs case number 260515002576.I took my vehicle to a private mechanic. I paid $2312 for parts and labor to fix this safety issue. I would like to file a complaint against Toyota for not addressing this critical safety issue.

I am the first owner of a Toyota 2013 Prius that I purchased in Baltimore, MD, in 2013. I moved Georgia in 2014. The car currently has 130000 miles. I heard there were recalls on this vehicle type few years ago, but I was never notified. The brake has failed recently with code C1391. I spent $3,500 recently and the car is still in the repair shop.

Code 1391 / power brake booster failure. Know defect by Toyota in which they extended warranty, vehicle is within mileage warranty but past the date warranty. Therefore Toyota will not assist in repairing. Very troubling in that this is a high risk recall or safety issue well known and instead of repairing extended. Repairs cost more than half the value of the vehicle and we are heavily reliant on this car and cannot afford 4k repair nor would sell knowing the saftey issue. Apparently there was notices sent for voluntary repairs in which I never received, had I received and reviewed I would have had repaired. My car had been to Toyota dealership and was never notified of this recall. Toyota offered voluntary programs (such as ZJB or model-specific extensions like 21TE01 for certain 2012–2014 Prius c vehicles) to replace failing brake boosters and pump assemblies.

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a catastrophic brake component failure on my 2013 Toyota Prius, occurring at less than 83,000 miles. The vehicle’s Brake Master Cylinder/Actuator Assembly has suffered an internal hydraulic pressure leak, causing the electric booster pump to run continuously to prevent a total loss of braking assist. This is a well-documented manufacturing defect that directly compromises passenger safety, drastically increases stopping distances, and threatens a complete loss of power assist while driving. Toyota explicitly acknowledged this inherent design flaw through its Customer Support Program (ZJB). However, they limited coverage to a strict 10-year expiration date from the first date of use. Because my vehicle has exceptionally low mileage and was driven gently, the component took longer to degrade, causing it to fail just outside Toyota's arbitrary time limit. Limiting safety coverage based on time rather than mileage penalizes owners of low-mileage vehicles for an engineered factory defect.

On June 20, 2026 while driving the Toyota Prius I experienced a sudden brake failure. Initially I thought I might have pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. But then pressing the brake I found the car did not stop and the ABS brake, brake lights, and other lights lit up on the dash board. The car had only 61,150 on the odometer. I called on Toyota for their warranty coverage but they declined saying that the vehicle is no longer covered. This brake failure should have been under Recall. AAA auto service has pulled C1391 vehicle code - requiring removing and replacing brake booster pump assembly with master cylinder, etc.

There have been several reports of this matter and a ton of recalls due to the Brake Booster issues with all Prius makes and models from 2010 on. The recall was issued and ended before I purchased this vehicle and never fixed. The brake booster has recently began having trouble in my vehicle. I purchased it in February of 2024, the recalls all show they quit honoring them in 2023.