2013 Toyota Prius

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to slow for a traffic sign, the vehicle was not slowing down. The contact pumped the brake pedal several times before the vehicle slowed down. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster and brake actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The brake booster assembly (part number 47070-47060) on my 2013 Toyota Prius has failed. This component is critical to the proper functioning of the braking system. It is currently still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. As a result of the failure, the ABS warning light, traction control light, and brake warning light are all illuminated on the dashboard. The braking performance has noticeably declined — the pedal feels inconsistent and at times unresponsive. This has created a significant safety risk while driving, especially during sudden stops or in wet conditions, as it compromises the vehicle's ability to brake efficiently and predictably. The issue has been confirmed by a Toyota dealer (or independent mechanic if that’s the case — feel free to change this line accordingly). The dealer diagnosed the issue as a failure of the brake booster assembly, which aligns with known failures reported by many other 3rd-generation Prius owners. The vehicle has not been involved in an accident, and has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives. Toyota previously issued a Customer Support Program (CSP ZJB or ZG1) covering this part, but it has since expired. I only recently began experiencing symptoms and was unaware of the CSP until after contacting Toyota. Prior to the warning lights, I experienced intermittent symptoms such as a soft or delayed brake pedal, and an unusual sound from the brake system when the vehicle was turned off. The warning lights first appeared around [insert approximate mileage or date here], and have remained illuminated since then. Given the safety-critical nature of this component and the known defect history, I am requesting assistance from Toyota in the form of goodwill coverage or reimbursement, and would like this issue escalated for further review.

ABS, Brake, and Traction Control light came up had dealer review these and got error code C1391 and P0441. Initially they said its covered by Toyota customer service program which covered upto 150k miles as my vehicle only has 98k miles. Later they said only 10 years from the vehicle service which ended in 2023 and quoted $4500 to fix. Previously i asked them to check before expiration since it was not showing consistent light on they could not fix it. Reading through several forums it seems like consistent issue should have been included in recall not customer support program.

While driving on the highway at ~70 mph, the brakes just gave out and I narrowly escaped crashing into someone as I drove into the median having been unable to stop in the expected distance. The ABS light just came on and apparently it’s a very known issue that Toyota is refusing to fix or intimate owners. I have been going to the same dealership for 12+ years and never had this brought up by them.

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was involved in a head-on collision. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle had not been inspected for damages. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained injuries such as a fractured sternum and a fractured left foot. The contact received treatment and the local medical ctr for a total of four days and then transferred to a primary care facility. In addition, the contact was receiving continued treatment. A Police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,761.

It was raining when I drove my 2013 Prius to pick up my daughter from school on March 11, 2025. I suddenly felt the brake of the car was very weird, it was hard to stop at the stop sign, and when I stepped the brake paddle I had to make more effort to control the car to stop. The brake light and ABS light were both on. I drove the car to the local dealer next morning they said the brake booster with master cylinder & pump assembly need be replaced, and it was cost over $4000. I did research and found it was a common problem for Prius but Toyota did not do a recall, instead the customer repaired program has expired on 2023. It is very dangerous for this situation.

The brake actuator has stopped functioning properly in my 2013 Toyota Prius that has 124,000 miles. NHTSA is welcome to inspect my car. I took my car to a Toyota Service Center because of a noise that cycles every 15 seconds. The mechanic said the noise "is in fact coming from the accumulator of the brake boosters." He said it's kind of like a battery--it may go out tomorrow or next year and it would be $3,957 for the job, but recommended to wait until it completely goes out. I was shocked he said this when I later read online this is a very dangerous problem that should not be ignored and should be fixed right away. I learned that Toyota issued an extended warranty for this known problem yet my car is not eligible because it's been more than 10 years. No warning lamps or messages have appeared. I'm afraid to drive my car and would never have bought it if I'd known how frequently this happens in this generation of Prius. I can't even sell it in its current state because no one will want to pay a $4,000 repair cost.