Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the messages for the parking brake, tire pressure monitoring system, ABS, and VSC illuminated while driving. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the brake actuator and brake pump were faulty and needed to be replaced. The failure was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of the Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure however, the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 129,674.
I own a 2008 Toyota Prius. I bought it new 4/12/08 in bend, oregon I live in madras, oregon. The problem has happened 3 times, it happens on packed snow slick conditions. It happened 2 times making 90 deg turns at 20 MPH, I slow down into a right turn and half way thru I touch the gas and the car starts to slide and it will not come out of it. 1st time I hit the curb on the left side of road and went clear up on sidewalk. It did damage to left front tire. 2nd time same turn but there was now side walk I went off the road. 3rd time I was going into a left hand turn normal conditions would have been a easy 55 MPH corner. With packed snow I was going about 30 MPH I slowed into the turn and half way thru I touched the gas pedal and it instantly went into a slide and hit the snow bank on the right hand side and knocked me back into the road. …
I drive a 2008 Prius. When braking and driving over a pot-hole, bump, or other road work the anti-lock braking system engages, and the brakes release for an extended period of time (>1 second) causing the car to coast during this time. I drive on busy city streets and on highways with stop and go traffic, and this uncontrolled brake release represents a safety hazard. I have driven vehicles with anti-lock brakes before, and this kind of braking release is much longer and results in a much greater loss of vehicle control than in other vehicles I have driven. In a specific recent incident, I hit a car immediately in front of me. In the incident, I was driving over bumpy pavement and the car in front of me stopped abruptly. As I tried to brake sharply to avoid hitting the car in front, the braking released because the anti lock brakes engaged, and instead of stopping safely, I hit the car. …
My 2008 Toyota Prius brake system is very dangarous ,on the hi way speed of 55 I push the brake softly ,out of sadden car started acting like a wild horse slipping to the left and right and I am an experienced driver on ice,I lived in m ichigan for a long time ,so I survived , and all drivers around me stopped and there was no accident, I am afraid driving that car,I have called Toyota dealer, seems like use to be a recall but they have some hesitions to accept the faulty,dangarous brake system,I am going to complain to the ceo of the company.god help me,I was lucky my family and I survived ,my message to the Toyota Prius owners is please double check your VIN number and recalls,and insist to fix this common defect on Toyota Prius ,by the dealer with no charges.very very unsfe brake system. …
I purchased my 2008 Toyota Prius as a certified pre-owned vehicle in 2014. Every time the car goes over a bump in the road -- be it a man hold, railroad tracks -- the car traction control light illuminates and the car lurches forward for 1-2 seconds. This has happened countless times. It is a commonplace occurrence when going over any kind of uneven surface on the road. From what I have read, this is common in the 2008 Prius and I am wondering why this hasn't been investigated. On July 12th, I was driving in ky in heavy rain, going about 50 MPH. The traction control light came on, I began to hydroplane, and the car accelerated to 60mph and I almost drove off the road. I have been driving for sixteen years and have never hydroplaned. …
When I brake and also go over a bump my 2008 Prius lurches forward. The traction control light illuminates. The brakes become ineffective. This caused me to have an accident last night. The cars before me came to a sudden stop. I was driving 15-20mph but unfortunately I hit the brakes while unknowningly simultaneously going over a bump. The faulty traction control system sent me into a 1-2 second lurch forward with zero brakes. When I finally was able to have brakes I had to maneuver the vehicle to the left of the car ahead scratching the aura and denting my front right panel. This is not the first time the brakes have failed but it is the first time I was involved in an accident because of it. Toyota drivers need to leave a 4 sec. Space between cars to make up for the 2 sec. Lapse in brakes.
Was parked in line to pick up child from school. Turned car on and put it on drive, moved slowly when parking brake light, ABS warning light, traction control light all came on and then my brakes went limp. Had to push all the way to the floor and stopping was still hard to do. Almost hit the car in front of me when suddenly all lights went off and brakes jerked to a sudden stop. I'm terrified to drive my car at faster speed knowing my brakes basically went out. Pretty sure it's failing brake actuator and Toyota knows about this probably but didn't do a recall only extended warranties... I didn't own the car when those warranties we're going on in 2016. Headlights also will randomly turn off and I have to turn them off and back on constantly driving at night.
I was involved in a accident in my 2008 Toyota Prius. I was traveling east on greenback lane in citrus heights ca on dec. 24 2008 slight sprinkling at the time at about 35 MPH when the cars in front of me began to stop I couldn't get the car stopped and rear ended a van . The brakes didn't work for a second or so and I kept pressure on and finally they started to work but to late to avoid the collision. I hit a minivan and it pushed him into a 2005 Chevy trailblazer. I didn't realize at the time my car May be defective until all the news started to surface and now many others are having the same symptoms. Everyone else said they weren't injured at the time but now the driver in the trail blazer says he has whiplash injuries.
If I am applying the brakes when I hit a pothole or bumps in the road the brakes briefly stop working and don't re engage for several feet. Thus, if I am driving 30mph, the brakes won't re engage for about 15 feet. I took the car to the dealer twice and they claimed there was no problem. I checked online and found numerous complaints of the exact same problem by other 2008 Prius owners. I believe it is a programing problem with the interplay of the traction control system and the ABS system. Apparently there was a recall for a similar problem in the 2010 models but not the 2008 models. I have experienced this problem throughout the life of the car. Please look into this problem
I have reported this issue to this website in the past. The traction control disables the drive wheels inconsistently and arbitrarily under many circumstances, often resulting in a real safety hazard. It can happen when starting from a stop on dry or wet pavement or when hitting small bumps/holes at low speeds (25-45 MPH). This is extremely frightening when trying to pull into traffic from a stop on dry pavement - power is cut, slowing entry into moving traffic and increasing accident potential. The local Toyota dealer tells us that nothing can be done about it. Surely it's a serious enough hazard that needs to be addressed.
Traction Control complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2008 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2008 Toyota Prius, 5% of the model year's 1,497 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Prius traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2008 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 2008 Toyota Prius traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 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.