Problems · by component
2005 Toyota Prius service brakes problems
82 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Toyota Prius cite service brakes, 8% of all 1,051 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
82
8% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“i had brake warning lights pop up on my dash..my brake actuator fail on my 05 prius.. this is a known issue with toyota prius. the brake actuator is a very important part of the braking system and vehicle is deemed unsafe with a failed actuator/module.. the dealer quoted over 3000 in repairs.. they were covering them for a while and now they are not.. the cost of the repair exceeds the value of vehicle due to the brake actuator being very expensive.. this is something that should have been recalled..”
“Brake actuator going bad. Safety is put at risk as brakes are slow to work and sometimes don't work at all for a couple of seconds, making sudden stops impossible. Has not been confirmed by dealer. Has not been inspected. ABS and TPMS light would briefly pop up for a couple of seconds on car startup before shutting off.”
“The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. In addition, the contact heard a squealing sound and the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the odometer was inoperable and failed to display the correct mileage. The contact stated that the odometer was stuck on 299,999.”
“This has been an on going issue with all of toyota hybrids, the abs actuator which control the brakes isn't safe to drive around when not functioning right. Dealership will not replace im suprise that this has no been a recall as its a safety hazard on the road not only for the driver but putting others in danger. My brakes sometimes is floored to the ground with minimal stoppage.”
“Prius have a LONG known problem w/ braking systems (over 15 years) defaulting to SOFT brake pedal that (will) kill any driver. Toyota decided to avoid a recall by paying off a few repair jobs, during warranty. They have created a new part to resolve the issue. $4000 to replace a brake pump. Most fail at 150k miles. . [XXX]”
“11 months ago I had a brand new Toyota ABS brake actuator installed on my 2005 Prius. Less than a year later, it is failing again. Since I've driven the car more than 12,000 miles Toyota will not replace the part under warranty. Toyota charges $1800 for the part alone. I had an abs brake actuator fail on a previous 2007 Prius as well. Toyota forums imply this is a too common problem.”
Showing 6 of 82 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.