Problems · by component
2015 Toyota Prius C service brakes problems
52 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Prius C cite service brakes, 39% of all 132 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
52
39% of all complaints
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The ABS, BREAK, and Traction Control, suddenly turned on when I was traveling on the freeway in mild traffic. I was traveling at about 60-65 mph. I attempted to use the breaks and could feel a substantial difference in how much and how hard I had to push in order to stop. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center. The vehicle was inspected by my brother in law who works on cars frequently. There were no warning symptoms prior to the problem. The problem first occurred on Saturday November 1st at about 12:30. According to my brother in law, it was the break pump that failed; you can hear air escaping when you push on the break pedal.”
“Brake booster failed. ABS lights on. Brake light on. Traction control light on. Was sitting at stop with foot gently on brake when lights turned on. Attempted to restart car to clear lights, lights would not turn off after normal restart x3. Brake no longer function correctly, and the factory installed ABS are no longer functioning. Braking distance greatly increased, and no longer as safe to operate.”
“While driving my Prius on the highway, the ABS and traction control warning light suddenly came on. The brakes started feeling different right away, and it didn’t feel safe to drive. I took it to a Toyota dealership, and they found that the brake booster and pump had failed. I looked online and saw that many other Prius owners had the same issue, so it doesn’t seem like an isolated case.”
“2015 Toyota Prius ABS warning light came on . Went to car mechanic . Brake Actuator & Pump code leaking. It happen on 7/27/25 under 100,000 miles. Currently Anti Sway and ABS braking disable.”
“omponent/System Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC ⸻ Make: Toyota Model: Prius Year: 2015 Mileage: 155,470 VIN: [XXX] ⸻ What happened: My 2015 Toyota Prius is experiencing brake failure symptoms related to a known defect addressed in Toyota’s Warranty Enhancement Program ZJB. The vehicle has triggered DTC codes C1256 and C1391, which indicate failure of the brake booster and master cylinder — a problem widely reported by Prius owners. The defect causes decreased brake effectiveness and increased stopping distance. My Prius is just 5,470 miles over Toyota’s 150,000-mile coverage cap, and despite confirming the exact codes, the dealership refused to repair unless Toyota pays first. Toyota Corporate opened Case #[XXX], but has not offered a resolution. This is a safety-critical issue that Toyota acknowledges in internal service bulletins, but they are denying assistance based on a technicality, despite my vehicle having the exact failure their program is designed to address. I am filing this complaint because I believe Toyota is avoiding responsibility for a dangerous manufacturing defect affecting braking performance and safety.”
“Failure of brake pump and brake cylinder assembly system, resulting in reduced braking ability and stiff brake pedal. Per Toyota's diagnostic: trouble code C1391 is present, abnormal leak in accumulator, replaced brake ABS actuator assembly, along with brake master cylinder, and bleed the brake hydraulic system. No warning lamps or safety indicators prior to failure. Upon failure (while on freeway going 50+ MPH) the ABS, Brake, and traction control warning lamps illuminated. The failure resulted in no accident or injury, however it did occur while on the freeway going freeway speeds, and resulted in difficulty in braking, which was dangerous. Took Prius into Toyota dealer for diagnostic and repair, was told that part was known to fail in this model of Prius, and had a manufacturer designated extended warranty for 10 years or 150,000 miles. However, despite prius being under 150,000 miles, it passed ten years since purchase in march 2025, meaning I had to pay in full for the repair ($3,631.96). The car gave no indication of needing the repair until the day of the failure, which was on June 18th 2025. If the vehicle had given some prior indication of brake pump…”
Showing 6 of 52 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.