Disclaimer: Not affiliated with or endorsed by Toyota Motor Company. For informational purposes only. Full Disclaimer

Problems with 2009 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES

On average, the 2009 Toyota Prius starts to “feel” problems with the SERVICE BRAKES and its various aspects after 133 712 miles.

Recently reported SERVICE BRAKES problems on 2009 Toyota Prius

Upon starting the vehicle it makes a high-pitched beep, followed by a buzzing sound that repeats every five to eight seconds. the dashboard displays the tps, abs, vsc, and brake lights. when putting the vehicle in drive, the high-pitch sound returns for one to two minutes. during that time the brake pedal becomes impossible to depress. if the engaged, the vehicle does not stop until the brake pressure returns. once the sound stops, the brake pressure returns to normal. diagnosis from toyota shows: code c1256 = accumulator low pressure. code c1391 abnormal leak of accumulator pressure. estimate for repairs = $2,811.72. at present the vehicle is unsafe to operate as toyota advised, in the vehicle's current condition the brake system could fail at any time.

Brake actuator malfunctioned and caused me to hit a parked car in my driveway (backing up). even though i have less than 130k miles on my vehicle, it is a year after the extended warranty i am responsible for paying the $3k repair. the negligence by toyota in handling this recall is terrible and life threatening. there should be a class action suit against toyota for the hundreds of injuries and damages by their negligence.

Failing brake actuator assembly that toyota knew was defective. they extended warranty through 2017, but the issue happens around 200,000 miles. now that the extended warranty has expired toyota is charging $2300 to replace this known and defective part.

Brake pressure loss and constant noise from the brake actuator, read codes c1256 and c1391

I just found out yesterday after a visit to a toyota dealership service center that the abs brake actuator on my 2009 prius has failed and needs to be replaced. i was quoted at $1750 for the part and $605 for the labor, pre-tax. i did some additional research on this issue and found that there was a warranty enhancement program ' zg1 specifically for this part and issue. (https://toyotatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/t-cp-zg1-a110-d-1.pdf) in late 2018 i first reported clicking and knocking in my brakes, and last time i went for service (before today) i reported it to the service representative. the program was for 10 years after the date of original sale, which ended in april 2019. because the bad part lasted 6 months longer i don't feel that it is right for me to have to pay for the faulty workmanship in the vehicle from the factory when it first drove off the lot. the issue that i reported back then are the preliminary signs of the actuator going bad (https://priuschat.com/threads/brake-actuator-warranty-extension-from-toyota.168243/) had this issue been caught i would have been in the warranty enhancement window and would not be in the hole i am now where i am sitting at having to spend half the value of my car to fix it. my issue is that i do not feel that it is right for me to be on the hook for this part since toyota has itself confirmed the part was faulty when it was put on my vehicle and was honoring replacements. it seems a little unfair that toyota wouldn't acknowledge that my part is faulty and replace it as soon as it came to light. what can i do to get some relief for this matter because i need my car to be functional to get to work and pay my bills!

Abs pump went bad. also when braking hard, the car will let go of the brakes. turning on the car and immediately reversing the car brakes will not work until after everything is loaded in the car. making backing up dangerous.

Sometimes the brakes don't work. it happened to me as i was exiting a parking spot , i've put the gear in reverse with my foot on the brake but tha car kept moving and the brake pedal felt hard.

My abs, traction control, and master brake light came up on the dash. the problem is a failing brake actuator, which is a known issue by toyota. spoke to toyota a dwas told that i am out of their ten year extended warrenty for this issue and it would be a roughly $2700 repair. why this brake actuator was never placed as a recall is beyond me as a complete failure is an accident waiting to happen. toyota refuses to budge on their "extended" warrenty for a known defective part, that would cause a serious hazard if it failed while driving.

Abs actuator. the diaphragm in the brake accumulator fails. this is a known recall. however mine is beyond their extended warranty on the recall of both past ten years and past 175000. dealer estimate was $2500 to repair. this is an essential safety recall due to the fact that when it completely fails the vehicle loses powered braking leaving only emergency brakes and engine braking mode which are inadequate and not designed to stop the vehicle by themselves. this should be a lifetime warranty recall not an extended warranty recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. while driving 25 mph, the brake pedal seized when it was depressed and all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact managed to pump the brake pedal three times and the vehicle came to a complete stop. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake assembly failed and needed to be replaced. the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to toyota of braintree (210 union st, braintree, ma 02184, (781) 848-9300). a second diagnostic test was conducted, which rendered the same outcome. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included in a recall. the failure mileage was approximately 84,500.

Zg1 known issue with brake actuator assembly. warranty enhancement program zg1 was issued to cover 2nd gen prius' for 10 years. at 10 year 3 months and 143k miles had unit fail, leaving driving with only functioning rear brakes. this large of a safety issue should have been a recall. how toyota was able to avoid a recall with this limited warranty extension is concerning, i was away from home when i got into my car and all of the brake related warning lights turned on and a warning beep turned and remained on. only rear brakes function. toyota case number 1906130936

Brake warning light broken brake actuator system toyota dealer refusing to fix this safety hazard under the warranty enhancement notification zg1

Brake actuator not working properly when i use the diagnostic settings it works but then after a while it stops working again. was going 50 on the highway when brakes stopped working almost wrecked. brake light (!) light abs light and vsc light are all on.

The abs and other brake warning lights go on randomly and the brakes become stiff. took the vehicle to the toyota dealership and they said it is due to the brake actuator assembly. the abs actuator assembly part was part of an extended toyota warranty under notification zg1. however my vehicle just missed the deadline for the warranty by three months. this is a safety issue for toyota as they know this part has a high failure rate. warranty should be extended in order to cover repairs. filed a case with toyota, case # 1901312287.

My prius now has all those dash lights on: !, abs, vcs. i was driving yesterday, on a city street and the lights came on, and the brakes suddenly did not work-hard to push. for months, when i would drive over rough terrain, i had the loss of braking, accelerating, and the slick road icon would illuminate. the is exactly the same abs module problem affecting 2010 prius, ands needs to be recalled and repairs covered.if i didn't stay so far behind other vehicles, i would have rear-ended someone.

Our prius started making this noise recent... 4 seconds of spinning clicking, then quiet for 5 seconds then repeat. happens while driving, while parked and i just went out there with my keys in my pocket and opened the door and it started making the noise when the engine starts...so does the rattling and knocking sounds. when i hit on brake, the brake booster makes very annoying noise.

Our prius started making this noise recent... 4 seconds of spinning clicking, then quiet for 5 seconds then repeat. happens while driving, while parked and i just went out there with my keys in my pocket and opened the door and it started making the noise when the engine starts...so does the rattling and knocking sounds. when i hit on brake, the brake makes very annoying noise.

My car has been intermittently displaying abs vsc and brake warning lights. when they are on there is no brake regeneration. the lights have come on and gone off and now are on again. getting obd code c1391 (abnormal leak in accumulator) my vehicle is just a small amount over mileage to cover this under enhanced warranty but toyota knows they have a brake accumulator problem and wants 3k to fix what should have been a recall long ago. have called and toyota will not help.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. the contact stated that a warning indicator flashed on the instrument panel regarding the brake system when the brake pedal was depressed. the contact also noticed smoke coming from the exhaust system. the contact inspected the vehicle and found a leak underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to salinas toyota (700 auto center cir, salinas, ca 93907, (831) 444-0700) where it was diagnosed that there was an internal brake fluid leak; however, the vehicle was excluded from the manufacturer warranty campaign. the manufacturer indicated that the obt2 sensor did not show the specific diagnostic trouble code (dtc) to receive the brake actuator replacement covered by the campaign. the dealer and the manufacturer refused to honor the warranty campaign for dtc number: c1240. the approximate failure mileage was 115,000. *tt consumer stated smoke started coming under the hood. noticed fluid dripping from engine onto the exhaust pipe. dealer determined it was not an oil leak but empty brake reservoir. updated 11/27/18*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. while driving approximately 60 mph, all the warning indicators illuminated. the contact stated that the failure recurred approximately three other times. the contact also stated that the brakes seized while driving through a parking lot. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the contact mentioned that there was a technical service bulletin (t-sb-0032-16) in reference to the abs actuator, but the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures and case number: 1806043060 was filed. the approximate failure mileage was 183,483.

Four lights came on: emergency brake, abs, vsc, exclamation point an alarm will sound and the brakes will go out while driving in neighborhoods and on the highway. abs also turns on when car is off.

Prius dashboard lights up with brake light, abs and vsc light. ran diagnostic codes and took to dealership- said vehicle was part of brake actuator manufacturer malfunction. dealership would not resolve issue despite acknowledging that it was a manufacture defect. concerned for my safety because brakes are not working well. called customer service and they wont do anything.

When braking hard, the brakes lose all pressure, go straight to the floor and warning lights come on. as soon as brakes are released the lights go off and brakes again have pressure again. toyota extended the warranty on this part, but it is was expired before problems arose.

I was driving my 2009 toyota prius on a very cold day (roughly 10 to 20 degrees f). the red brake warning light was on, along with the abs, vcs and yellow "!" lights. the brakes were extremely soft for about the first 5-10 minutes of operation. i would push the brake pedal as far as it would go (it would not go all the way to the floor) and the brakes would seems to be engaging at about 30%-50% of their normal stopping power. after the vehicle warmed up, the warning lights on the dash went away and the brakes began operating normally. the following week, my wife was driving the vehicle on another very cold day (again probably about 10 degrees). she stated that the above mentioned lights stayed on for her entire commute (less than 10 minutes) but that when she arrived to work, her brakes were not working. she described that she pressed the brake pedal as far as it would go, but the brakes did not seem to be fully engaging. she stated that she nearly hit a wall as she was pulling into the parking lot at her work. i have found similar issues listed on prius forums online. perhaps it is a electrical or computer problem as opposed to a problem with the brakes. we have never had the problem when the temperature was above 25 degrees.

Toyota knows there is a systemic issue with the break actuator assembly in 2004-2009 model year prius vehicles, and have issued a "warranty enhancement program - zg1" to extend the warranty coverage for repairs related to this part. my car is currently experiencing a malfunction in this part, but toyota is unwilling to honor the warranty because there are no warning lights appearing on the dash. the breaks feel like they will fail at any moment, posing a clear saftety concern. i was literally told that my wife is to drive off the lot, with failing breaks, hoping they fail even further so that warning lights appear, but not so much that they cause an accident.

My headlight passenger side keeps going out after a few seconds of turning on. this keeps me from driving at night. my computer controls on my dash board that works the ac. and displays the information about the car does not work. my abs break light will not go off. this has affected my breaking system on my car. all of these items i have mentioned all occurred while i was driving the car.

Driver went to park and the brakes did not respond! in fact the vehicle went from 2-5mph to approx 30+ & kept picking up speed and went into storefront. driver was able to wrestle vehicle into reverse and it went equally fast back into a parked car where it finally came to a stop. hugely frightening and potentially lethal.

Consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering loss, brake loss and acceleration issues, corporation failure to inform consumer of counterfeit drive train issues that injured consumer. smd the consumer stated toyota failed to warn them about being convicted of "using the intellectual property of hybrid drive inventor without his permission." *tr

I was driving 10-15 mph in the middle of my small town, coming up a slight hill on a street that leveled out shortly before the site of the accident. as i drove up onto the level part of the street, i saw that there was a long line of cars stopped ahead of me, waiting for a traffic light to change. i was about 2-3 car lengths from the last car in the lane of traffic, when the last car in the line of cars ahead of me braked very suddenly, and as i was coming up to that car, i also stepped hard on my brakes - and - my brakes completely failed! i will have nightmares for the rest of my life of those next few moments of pressing on the brake and seeing my car ignore me and continue forward, right into the car in front of me. and, i felt that my car accelerated, as the brakes failed, which made the situation even worse. my car hit the car in front of me (car #2) which hit car #3, which hit car #4. my car was declared a total loss, the car in front of me was badly damaged and had to be loaded onto a flatbed truck of the collision company. cars #3 and #4 could be driven away; car #3 had some damage to the front and back of the car, while car #4 had some scratches on the rear bumper. i was never notified of any safety recall for the brakes of this car, but i was often alarmed when the brakes seemed to slip or not work for a few seconds each time that i drove over a small bump, pothole, manhole cover, etc. during the six years that i owned and drove this car. there are many other prius drivers that have written to the edmund.com and other websites to tell of their similar accidents or near accidents. please warn the public and particularly prius owners of this danger. these cars are not safe! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. while driving various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. in addition, the brake, the vsc, and the abs warning lights illuminated. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,500.

Coming out of the grocery store i started my 2009 toyota prius and i notice that it lost braking power and the abs,vsc,(!),and emergency brake lights stay on. i did some research and there is a recall for 2009 prius concerning this problem, but only on vehicles manufactured between 3/2009-10/2009 mine was manufacture on 10/2008. i think the recall should be on all 2009 models regardless of manufacturing date. there are many owners online complaining about this issue. my wife and children where scared, and i could of easily hurt someone walking in front of my car at the grocery's store parking lot. i can't drive this car anymore please extend the recall to all 2009 models regardless of manufacturing date. thank you. *js

As i was driving my 2009 toyota prius on the service road of i-30 in dallas around 25 mph after previously taking off from a red light, my vehicle's warning lights all turned on and started to beep and i could not brake or really steer. my vehicle...i almost hit the vehicle in front of me. somehow i was able to turn right into a parking lot and somehow press on the brakes strong in enough to make the car stop. i feared for safety and the safety others as well. it was a very scary situation to be in a car that was not responding when you are trying to break and there's nothing you can do about it. once i was in the parking lot, i turned the vehicle on and off and the lights were still on and beeping, did it again and it stopped. i took the car to the toyota dealership and they are telling me it's an issue with the accelerator and brake system and that i have to pay to have it fixed, but i am wondering how can toyota not be at fault for this safety issue? i'm glad i didn't injure myself or another person this time, but i think toyota really needs to look into this issue with their prius vehicles. i do not feel safe driving mine at all now.....they can not get away with not being responsible and liable for their faulty and defective vehicle's safety mechanisms. *tr

The lightbulbs burn out very easily. the car stalls when you are trying to leave from a light or stop sign. there is a recall for this but not on my model and there should be sometimes when stopping on breaks the car will show slippery alert even thought there is no reason for it. all these things have caused danger for us while driving the vehicle. this has been happening for years

The vehicle braking lost braking momentarily when i was driving over small bumps and vehicle slip sign illuminated. *tr

Since i purchased the prius in early 2012 with less than 60,000 miles, i always noticed that when braking over rough surfaces, the abs would kick in and would delay the braking by at least 1/2 second per abs/stability control event. while i had never had an incident initially, there were many close calls. after talking with the local toyota dealership, they said it was performing as expected and that i was not used to the car's handling characteristics. however, on 6/4/2013, the braking system performed its usual delay and did not allow me to stop in time, thereby rear-ending another person in a construction zone over a rough roadway. this needs to be something that nhtsa looks into for a recall situation. there are too many complaints already for them just to ignore this when there already has been a recall of the 2010 prius for the same issue. *tr

I purchased my 2009 prius 3 years 4 months ago. i noticed a strange new sound coming from the engine. it was a rattling noise every 15 seconds or so lasting approximately 3-4 seconds then starting over 15 seconds later constantly repeating this cycle. it continued when the car was off or on. i brought it in to my toyota dealership. they called me the next day with very unsettling news saying it was the "brake accumulator" as it was losing brake pressure and the noise was it trying to build the brake pressure back up but it wasn't holding. he said it would cost $2,700 to repair. my service representative said this is a part that should not fail and has never been replaced before at this dealership. it was a first for them. i was very upset as this shouldn't be happening in a 3.5 year old car with only 66,500 miles on it that has been impeccably maintained. the more research i did, i saw this was occurring quite often in camry hybrids along with the prius. this is a part that should not be failing at all especially in newer cars. if this part is not replaced it can lead to catastrophic break failure. this should be investigated and added to toyota prius's never ending recall list! this is the last toyota i will own. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. the contact stated that while exiting a parking space, the brakes were applied and the vehicle did not respond. the vehicle instead accelerated while the contact had the brake depressed. the contact crashed into a truck. the contact did not sustain injuries. the passenger did sustain some minor cuts and a minor hit to the head. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the police department was present and a police report was available. the vehicle had previously been repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 09v388000 (vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal). the failure and current mileages were under 15,000.

I was approximately 8 or 9 car lengths from a vehicle that slammed on her brakes before hitting the car in front of her, so i stood up on my brakes at about 30 -35 mph. the cars brakes did not grab for about a second, then started to grab right before impacting the car in front of me. *js

Other 2009 Toyota Prius Problem Categories