Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, while coming to a stop on wet pavement, the vehicle failed to stop and crashed into the vehicle ahead of him. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that whenever the roads were wet, excessive force on the brake pedal was needed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 208,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated with an audible chime being heard. The contact's husband pulled over to the side of the road and depressed the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floorboard and the brakes started to respond as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact then towed the vehicle to the residence. …
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with brake system failure. The contact was informed that the braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for service. The contact was made aware of Customer Satisfaction Program: C1391. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with brake system failure. The contact was informed that the braking system needed to be replaced. …
Even though a related recall has already been performed 4 years ago, my vehicle is exhibiting the same brake safety symptoms: - 3 dashboard lights all illuminated: BRAKE, ABS, and traction control (anti-slip) - brake accumulator pump noise occurring at 5 second intervals - regenerative braking and ABS are non-functioning - error code C1391 appears via OBDII The above symptoms appeared two weeks ago (6/14/2023), and on 6/16 an independent service center that specializes in foreign vehicles (including Toyota) confirmed the symptoms and error code, and said that the vehicle is unsafe to drive due to impending brake system failure. Toyota dealer indicated newer brake system parts are available to address the issue, but would need to be installed at my cost. The symptoms appeared while driving the vehicle at freeway speeds commuting to/from work. …
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle lunged forward. On a most recent occasion, the contact was attempting to park the vehicle and after shifting into the park position, the vehicle lunged forward as the brake pedal was depressed causing a minor collision with a curb and another vehicle. The contact mentioned the brake pedal required excessive force in order to come to a stop and that there was an abnormal noise present. The contact was concerned that the failure would progress causing a severe accident. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS System failed and advised the vehicle be taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. …
The contact owns 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 72 MPH, she noticed several unknown warning lights illuminated on the vehicle and a beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed that whenever the beeping sound was present, it was very difficult to depress the brake pedal to slow the vehicle. The contact had to depress on the brake pedal all the way to the floor for the vehicle to slow down and for the contact to pull over to the side of the road. The contact waited for a minute before restarting the vehicle and continued to drive a short distance before the failure recurred. The contact was able to restart and slowly drive the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ABS pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started making a beeping noise. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into an apartment complex and while depressing the brake pedal the failed to respond. After driving over several speed bumps and using extra energy to depress the brake pedal the vehicle responded and slowed to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it remained. The contact stated the dealer informed her that the brake master cylinder and brake booster pump needed to be replaced. After researching the cause of the failure, the contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. …
First problem the light on my dashboard appeared. My braking is starting to not work properly. When i press the pedal it feels soft, and the brakes are not bitting well. Next thing my abs is not working, that i skid multiple times, and that cause me a few times to almost get into an accident. I had few fender bender issues, but no major damage collision. I end up paying for the repairs of my car, and have the receipt to prove it. Also before having all these issues, with the regenerative braking itself, if i happen to hit a pothole, even thou i'm pressing the brake pedals. It causes the car to accelerate. This only happens during traffic stops that i'm already pressing the brakes, but for some reason if i hit a pothole, like i mentioned above. That car accelerates, and thus cause me to almost hit the car in front of me. …
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard initially without warning. Over time, the brake pedal had become stiff upon depression with several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a code reader confirmed a defect with the braking system. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective brake booster. The mechanic then informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes) which was linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the ABS, the traction control, and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced reduced braking power and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that upon engaging the brake, the vehicle decelerated, and the contact pulled to the base of an inclined side street, where the vehicle was able to stop. The contact was able to safety park and inspected the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster and master cylinder had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Related recalls
Service brakes
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Prius vehicles manufactured March 31, 2009, through October 9, 2009; and model year 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured June 19, 2009, through October 9, 2009. Nitrogen gas from a component of the brake booster pump assembly could leak into the brake fluid.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected brake booster pump assemblies. The recall began on August 7, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Service brakes, air › Antilock › Control unit/module
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Toyota prius and Lexus hs250h passenger vehicles. Customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel after ABS actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough or slick road surfaces.
Remedy: Dealers will rewrite the programming of the ABS control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on March 3, 2010, and is expected to be completed in late March 2010.
NHTSA investigations
Braking Performance, Hybrid Vehicle
The subject vehicles are the first model year of a new design generation of the Prius model line.The vehicles are powered by a hybrid drive system that uses both a regenerative braking system, which converts vehicle momentum into electrical energy to be stored in onboard batteries, and a hydraulic brake system more typical of the brake system used on non-hybrid vehicles.As is the case for other similarly designed…
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights.
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support Programs ZJB and ZKK (subject CSP?s).
Brake complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 1,945 complaints about the brakes of the 2010 Toyota Prius, 69% of the model year's 2,823 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › control unit/module (122 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Prius brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-235 (service brakes, Jun 5, 2013); NHTSA recall 10V-039 (control unit/module, Feb 9, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Toyota Prius brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 77% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 123 crashes, 0 fires and 32 injuries and 1 death to brakes 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.