TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2013 Toyota Prius C brakes problems
moderate 13 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
When does it fail?
Of the 13 brakes complaints filed for the 2013 Toyota Prius C, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Brakes accounts for 23% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 6 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering brakes on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
DE: In our continuing efforts to ensure the best in customer satisfaction, Toyota is announcing a Customer Support Program to provide coverage for Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on certain 2012-2014 Model Year Prius c Vehicles. Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers? ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to certain internal malfunctions of the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies in some of the subject vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗RE: Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers? ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to certain internal malfunctions of the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies in some of the subject vehicles. The following information is provided to inform you and your staff of the program notification schedule and your degree of involvement.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DP: Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers? ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to certain internal malfunctions of the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies in some of the subject vehicles. The following information is provided to inform you and your staff of the program notification schedule and your degree of involvement.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗RL: Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers? ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to certain internal malfunctions of the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies in some of the subject vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of the 2013 Prius C consistently report brake booster pump and accumulator failure, typically triggered by loss of hydraulic assist. The brake pedal becomes hard to depress, requires excessive force, and braking distance extends significantly. ABS, traction control (VSC), and brake warning lights illuminate together—often intermittently—and owners describe brakes as "soft" or "mostly ineffective" until the pedal is pressed hard to the floor. Diagnostic codes C1252, C1256, and C1391 appear in multiple complaints, all pointing to brake booster system failure.
The failure window spans 35,000 to 133,000 miles, with some reports at unspecified mileage. One owner at 35,000 miles heard an abnormal hissing sound; another at highway speed (70 mph) experienced soft brakes requiring immediate dealer service.
Toyota issued a Service Bulletin (8/2018, revised 8/2019) extending warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles for this exact defect. However, owners report Toyota and dealers refuse coverage once vehicles fall outside that window. Repair costs quoted range from $2,300 to $4,000 for brake booster and pump assembly replacement. One owner replaced the booster pump (part 4707052020) without resolution.
Secondary issues include brake master cylinder assembly failure, recurrent brake light switch failure despite prior repairs, and a brake pump making repetitive electrical noise when parked, suggesting chronic pressure-build issues.
Failure modes owners describe
Brake booster pump and accumulator failure
Hydraulic brake booster pump actuator and accumulator fail, causing loss of brake assist and extended stopping distance. Multiple complaints cite the accumulator leaking or failing, triggering warning lights and reducing brake effectiveness.
When: 35,000 to 133,000 miles; some reports at unspecified mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Excessive force needed to depress brake pedal; Extended braking distance; Brakes soft and hard to stop; Brakes mostly ineffective until pedal pressed to floor; ABS, traction control (VSC), and brake warning lights illuminated; Intermittent warning light behavior; brakes work normally when lights off; Abnormal hissing sound when braking
Codes mentioned: C1252, C1256, C1391
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers quote $2,300–$4,000 for brake booster and pump assembly replacement, or accumulator and pump replacement. One owner replaced brake booster pump (part number 4707052020) without resolving the issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota Customer Satisfaction Program (NHTSA ID 10181735) and Service Bulletin (dated 8/2018, revised 8/2019) extend warranty for Prius C 2013 to 10 years or 150,000 miles. Coverage has expired for vehicles outside this window. Manufacturer declined repair cost coverage in multiple complaints.
Brake master cylinder assembly failure
Brake master cylinder assembly deteriorates, causing loss of braking control and ABS system malfunction. Owners report secondary brakes failing and braking capability declining.
When: Unspecified mileage; one case at 150,000+ miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes starting to fail; Decreased braking ability; Secondary brakes failed; ABS system not working; sliding when braking; Brake warning light illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Requires full brake master cylinder assembly replacement; costs unspecified in narratives.
Brake light switch failure—lights remain on
Brake lights stay illuminated after pedal is released, remain on when car is parked or in motion, and continue even after key removal and car is locked. One owner reports Toyota has repaired this twice, and the fault recurred a third time.
When: Unspecified mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Brake lights stay on after pedal released; Lights remain on in park and during motion; Lights stay on after ignition key removed and car locked; Recurrent failure after prior repairs
Repairs/costs cited: Toyota dealership repaired this issue twice; problem recurred. No cost cited.
Brake pump electrical noise and pressure build-up issues
Brake pump makes repetitive electrical noise (every 15 seconds or so) when parked, suggesting the pump is attempting to build pressure due to a faulty or leaking brake actuator. One owner also reports excessive engine noise when starting, lasting about a minute.
When: Unspecified mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Electric/mechanical noise from brake pump every 15 seconds when parked; Noise occurs at different times; Excessive engine noise when starting (approximately 1 minute duration)
Repairs/costs cited: Owner suspects faulty or leaking brake actuator; no repair completed.
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
the vehicle exhibits several warning lights on the dash including ABS, VSC brake and handbrake. Diagnosed code as C1391 which toyota had released a bulletin to admit this issue, but they don’t make a recall instead of only repair it when occurred within their limited time line. now my vehicle falls in their bulletin scope but out of their “warranty “ scope. and quoted for thousands of repair. as…
Warning lamps for ABS and others and the chiming dings came on while pulling away from the bank drive through and parking for a second. I shut the engine off and turned back on with no success. I was barely able to park in a spot because of difficulties braking. My car had been making an electric noise every 15 seconds or so previously, at different times when parked, but I thought it was the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Toyota prius c. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and an abnormal hissing sound was heard. The vehicle stopped however, the secondary brakes failed. Triangle Toyota de san juan (223 marginal, john f. Kennedy bechara, san juan, 00920, puerto rico, +1 787-304-1633) was contacted and the contact was informed that the…
The break master cylinder is lighted up on the dashboard and the ABS system is not working which makes me sliding when I'm trying to use brakes. Too much noise coming when starting the engine for like a minute then it cool down The front chairs are not good for diver and passenger nick as it is one piece chairs with build in head stand and now I'm reviewing chiropractor for my nick frequently…
Driving on the highway at 70mph my warning lights for my ABS, traction control, and other brake related warning lights came on. My brakes became soft and hard to stop the car. Immediately brought to dealer who said that my booster accumulator was leaking and needed to replace both the accumulator and pump for over $3,500. This is a know. Issue with Toyota because they have a service bulletin that…
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and pulling out of the driveway, while attempting to depress the brake pedal, excessive amount of force was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated that the braking distance was extended, and the vehicle was jerking while stopping. The contact stated that the ABS, Brakes, and traction…
Had brakes trouble with your 2013 Toyota Prius C?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2013 Toyota Prius C?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 13 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $450 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 13 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 84,000 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2013/Toyota/Prius C.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.