Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving the speed was unknown due to the instrument cluster being inoperable. On another occasion while driving approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate properly; however, on that occasion the instrument cluster was operating as designed. The vehicle stability control, ABS, and brake light warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with an actuator and brake booster failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 203,202.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving up a mountain at 20 MPH, the contact stated that the tires lost traction and the vehicle slid off a mountain curve and crashed into a ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the head and some deep tissue bruising. Medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. Due to the force of the crash, the seat belt remained buckled, but failed to restrain the contact. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The failure mileage was approximately 52,800.
I had a 2007 Toyota Prius that seemed to have issues whenever I would hit the brakes on slick\wet roads or sometimes when I would hit a bump. It felt as if the brakes would not apply and the car would feel like it accelerated forward instead of stopping. Usually the brakes would kick in after a second or two of this kind of slipping. However, in early November of this year while taking my son to karate on a wet day we hit a spot of repaired road that caused this to occur again, instead of correcting itself it felt like I had no control of the car and the car veered off to the side of the road, went up an incline and flipped the car onto its side. Fortunately in this case no one was injured at all as I was going fairly slow and the car quickly came to a stop when it went on it side. …
I was driving my Toyota Prius up my long and fairly steep driveway over about an inch of snow when the power suddenly kicked out because of "the trac" system and I slid backwards into a tree. It happened a second time with just a small dusting of snow. I guided it into the mountain but damaged the exhaust system running over a rock. I never had a problem with my previous car which was a Saturn sedan. The Toyota dealer said it was a safety feature where the engine cuts out if there is any wheel spinning and to get snow tires which I did (with studs). Still I rarely go out in the snow anymore. It still slips on occasion even with the studs. It would be especially dangerous if another car was behind me. Luckily the tree stopped me or I would have gone into a ravine. Other owners have complained to consumer affairs but Toyota has not acknowledged this safety problem.
While driving around a corner on city streets, braking suddenly became very difficult, and caused the vehicle to skid when brakes were applied. A high-pitched electronic squeal came from the dashboard, and the brake system light, ABS light, vsc light, and master warning light all turned on. These are all listed as symptoms of a failed brake actuator. After contacting a licensed Toyota dealership, I was directed to the Toyota customer care department. After being escalated to a supervisor, I was informed that Toyota is aware of this problem, but that the warranty extension they used to cover it expired in 2017, and they refused to cover the cost of replacement (~$3000). I believe this issue should be cause for a safety recall, as it happened suddenly and without warning while the vehicle was in motion. It was pure luck that this didn't result in a crash.
I read about the recall of the 2010 Prius concerning the ABS software. My 2007 Prius experienced the same problems recently when I ran over a curb at low speed and the car lurched forward at high speed after I applied the brakes and I hit a wall about 5 feet away. Damage to my car was a cracked bumper, slightly dented hood, cracked head light. I used to get 50 to 60 miles per gallon and I can not get over 41 miles per gallon now. I bought new tires and had them balanced and aligned but the mileage had not improved. Damages to the exterior of the car will amount to about 2 to 3 thousand dollars. My Toyota dealer says that my 2007 model is not part of the recall. I have read blogs where people with my model Toyota have had similar experiences. I believe that the ABS software is faulty in more than the 2010 priuses.
On Monday, April 12, 2010, in the morning, on a rainy day in sacramento, california, I was driving about 15 MPH when the traffic in front of me slowed. I was driving over railroad tracks with steel plates between the tracks in my 2007 Toyota Prius. I braked but the car did not stop. I had time to actually look down at my feet to confirm that it was definitely the brakes that I was applying major pressure to. I also noticed that the light was on indicating that the car did not have traction. I hit the car in front of me. The first words out of my mouth were, "I had no brakes, I'm so sorry, but I had no brakes." the initial estimate for my car is over $6,000, I have not heard what the estimate is for the other car. I did everything I could have done, the car failed me.
As I was coming back from livermore to san jose down the sunol grande last weekend, my dash lights suddenly went out meaning I had no speedometer or wait to tell how much gas I had and the ABS and stability control went out while going 65 miles an hour down a steep hill.luckily I was able to get home and don't ask me how I figured out to get the car to turn off. I called the one 800 Toyota number and it turns out there was a problem with something called the combo meter on these cars and it had an extended warranty for a total of nine years. My warranty expired they said April 2016. This seems like a serious safety issue that Toyota should cover if they are concerned about their customers safety.
Car did not stop and seemed to accelerate when brakes hit during turn into driveway. Hit curb. Lost steering control and car had to be towed because of significant damages to wheel and also possibly steering. Snowy road. I was already driving very slowly. No reason why this much damage to my car or this level of impact unless car suddenly accelerated beyond my current speed while I braked. Car seems to accelerate on slippery, uneven surfaces and evs light comes on, even when brakes applied. Acceleration is beyond that seen with normal slippage. It is not simply slippage but actual brief acceleration.
If I drive on the expressway or around town and I'm driving a half hour sometimes less my car makes a loud buzzing noise and my instrument panel the hazard lights go on and I lose my brakes. This was very scary. Thank goodness I wasn't going to fast toward the light and didn't hit anyone. I'm scared to drive the car because it does this all the time if I'm driving for a period of time 1/2 hour or more. My vehicle was on city street and on highway. I was in motion. On the highway 70mph and on city streets 35/40 MPH.
Traction Control complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2007 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2007 Toyota Prius, 3% of the model year's 2,003 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2007 Toyota Prius traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2007 Toyota Prius, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Toyota Prius traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 41,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to stability & traction control problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.