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 brakes problems
severe Owners of the 2013 Toyota Prius have filed 190 NHTSA complaints about the brakes, typically surfacing around 108,000 miles at roughly $450 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See brakes across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
190
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
| Model year | brakes complaints |
|---|---|
| 2009 Prius | 175 |
| 2010 Prius | 1,799 |
| 2011 Prius | 221 |
| 2012 Prius | 288 |
| 2013 Prius (this page) | 190 |
| 2014 Prius | 82 |
| 2015 Prius | 75 |
| 2016 Prius | 12 |
| 2017 Prius | 9 |
9crashes
5injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 190 brakes complaints filed for the 2013 Toyota Prius, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 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 48% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 12 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 190 brakes complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
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.
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 ↗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 ↗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 ↗Dealer Package: Toyota has received reports about certain internal malfunctions of the brake booster assemblies in some of the subject 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), Toyota is now offering a voluntary Customer Support Program that applies to certain internal malfunctions of the brake booster assemblies. 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 ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2013 Priuses consistently describe the same brake-system failure: an internal hydraulic leak inside the brake booster assembly that causes the pedal to feel spongy or hard, requires excessive force to stop, and triggers a cascade of dashboard warning lights (ABS, Brake, Traction Control). Diagnostic code C1391 pinpoints the leak. Many owners first notice a buzzing or wheezing sound from the engine bay or under the seat, then the brake pump cycling every 8–20 seconds even when parked—its attempt to maintain pressure against the leak.
Failures occur across the mileage range but often arrive well after Toyota's expired warranty window: some at 40K miles, most between 70K–175K miles. Warning lights may appear intermittently for months before a catastrophic loss of braking, though in several narratives brake assist vanished suddenly while driving in traffic or on the highway.
Toyota issued a Customer Support Program (ZJB/ZG-1) covering the repair up to 150,000 miles or 10 years from first use—whichever came first—but the program expired in August 2023. A single notification postcard was sent in 2018; many owners never received it. Even owners well under the 150K mileage threshold are now refused coverage because they've crossed the 10-year calendar deadline. Repair costs range from $2,600 to nearly $4,000 for replacement of the brake booster assembly, master cylinder, and pump as a set. No official safety recall exists despite repeated owner complaints.
Same Toyota Prius brakes reports on nearby years: 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015
Failure modes owners describe
Brake Booster and Accumulator Assembly Leak (C1391)
Internal hydraulic leak in the brake booster assembly, master cylinder, and brake booster pump assembly causing loss of brake assist and increased stopping distance. Owners report spongy, sluggish, or hard brake pedals requiring excessive force to stop. The accumulator pressure slowly bleeds down, particularly in Eco mode, degrading brake performance until the system repressurizes in Power mode.
When: Reported across mileage range: some as early as 40K miles, most between 70K–175K miles; failures manifesting well beyond the 10-year/150K-mile warranty window that expired in 2023
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal becomes spongy or requires excessive pressure; Reduced stopping power or extended stopping distance; Brake pedal feels soft or squishy, especially toward end of pressure cycle; Loss of power brakes or complete brake failure in some cases; Warning lights illuminate: ABS light, Brake light, Traction Control/Slip light, sometimes Brake System Warning light or Stability Control light; Brake pedal pulsates when braking; Audible beeping or alarm when warning lights appear; Wheezing, whooshing, buzzing, or hissing sound from driver-side firewall or under passenger seat; Brake pump cycles frequently (every 8–20 seconds) when vehicle is parked with brake applied, trying to maintain accumulator pressure; ABS and traction control disabled
Codes mentioned: C1391 (Abnormal leak in accumulator), C1247 (Brake stroke sensor malfunction)
Repairs/costs cited: Repair requires replacement of Brake Booster Assembly with Master Cylinder and Brake Booster Pump Assembly as matched set. Owners cite repair costs ranging from $2,600 to $4,000, with most quotes $3,000–$3,800. Some dealerships initially perform only 'flush and bleed' which does not resolve the underlying defect. Parts on national backorder in some regions.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota issued Customer Support Program ZJB (also referenced as ZG-1 or TSB-0024-19) offering extended warranty coverage for up to 150,000 miles or 10 years from original in-service date, whichever comes first. Program expired August 2023 for vehicles first driven in 2013. Toyota sent single notification postcard in 2018 (many owners report never receiving it). Dealerships frequently deny coverage citing expiration date even when vehicle is below 150K miles but beyond 10-year mark. Some owners report Toyota refuses repair even when visiting with diagnostic codes already stored, requiring codes to be present at time of service visit. No official safety recall has been issued; Toyota characterizes issue as not a safety recall.
ABS System Malfunction (Related to Brake Booster Failure)
ABS system becomes inoperative or unpredictable when brake booster pressure loss occurs, leaving vehicle without anti-lock braking protection. Brakes may lock up or fail to prevent wheel lockup in emergency braking.
When: Concurrent with or following brake booster failure; one incident documented at 175K miles
Symptoms owners cite: ABS light illuminates and remains on; Loss of ABS function while driving; Brakes lock up when hard braking applied, causing vehicle to skid or fishtail; Vehicle loses traction control and stability control; Reduced effectiveness in emergency braking scenarios; Inability to stop at normal stopping distance, especially in snow or on wet surfaces
Codes mentioned: C1391
Repairs/costs cited: Resolved by replacement of brake booster and pump assembly. Cost included in brake booster repair estimate.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Customer Support Program ZJB covers ABS repair under same 10-year/150K-mile window as brake booster. No official recall.
Brake Caliper and Pad Defects (Recurring Failures)
Front left brake caliper and pads fail repeatedly on same vehicle, with replacements being defective. One owner documented two complete brake failures 12 months apart on originally purchased vehicle, with dealership replacing caliper and pads both times but installing defective Toyota-supplied parts both times.
When: First failure 07/20/2015; second identical failure 08/05/2016 (approximately 12,000 miles apart)
Symptoms owners cite: Complete brake failure while driving; Loss of braking ability requiring vehicle to coast to stop; Defective replacement parts fail in same manner as originals
Repairs/costs cited: Caliper and brake pads replaced twice; both replacement sets were defective. Dealership unable to determine root cause; original failed brake components sent to Toyota for investigation with no follow-up communication.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No response documented. Dealership stated inability to determine cause and initiated parts return for investigation, but owner received no feedback on findings.
Sudden Complete Brake Loss and Unintended Acceleration
In isolated incidents, brake pedal became completely non-functional at low speeds during parking maneuvers, and in one case vehicle surged forward when brakes were applied, suggesting possible brake-to-accelerator system interaction or complete system failure.
When: One incident 12/29/2015 during parking at low speed; one incident 04/2014 during parking at ~5 mph; one incident 06/2025 during driving after encountering bumpy road
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal goes completely to floor providing zero resistance; Vehicle continues forward or surges forward despite brake pedal depression; No braking force at all, requiring collision with obstacle to stop vehicle; Vehicle accelerates out of control when braking applied; Multiple warning lights illuminate simultaneously
Codes mentioned: C1391
Repairs/costs cited: Brake booster assembly replacement resolved issue in one documented case at cost of $3,163.12. In rental vehicle incident, vehicle was removed by wrecker that could not use car's brakes to load it. In one case, brake fluid top-off appeared to repressurize system temporarily.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Customer Support Program ZJB. One case involved ongoing dispute with Toyota; owner demanded repair under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and implied warranty.
Synthesized from 190 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
Brake pump failed while on the highway. Brake functionality and braking distance changed drastically while driving high speeds. Dealer confirmed that the breaker pump and master cylinder must be replaced with a new assemblies. There was no recall for this failure, but a Toyota Customer Support Program for replacement of this brake assembly was active for reports of this failure only before April…
Red brake light came on, traction control light came on, ABS light came on, Toyota says my brake pump needs replaced. That my brake will fail.
BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLIES. making a buzzing noise. cost to repair is estimated to be 2500 or more. Toyota even has a bulletin for it, but they did not inform the public, because the part is very expensive and difficult to fix on a prius. since it has expired, we are out of luck.
Unusual loud clicking and screeching sound as well as vibration feeling under the brake pedal while pressing the brake pedal and brakes don't feel powerful enough despite just getting new brake pads at the dealership and there is much longer distance needed for braking and bringing to a full stop. This has progressively increased since last noticed about 11-12 months ago when the odometer was…
Brake booster and actuator failure.
On [XXX], we were driving from Coalinga, CA to Phoenix, AZ for Thanksgiving. As we began to descend into Los Angeles on [XXX], three warning indicators suddenly went on: the ABS warning light, the traction control light and the brake warning light. The brakes still worked but the brake assist was weakened. We pulled over as soon as possible at the nearest AutoZone. The employee performed a…
Had brakes trouble with your 2013 Toyota Prius?
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?
It's a meaningful issue. 190 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Across the 33 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most brakes failures cluster between 87,000 and 122,000 miles, with the median around 108,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 87,000; a quarter make it past 122,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
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.
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.