2009 Toyota Prius service brakes problems
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the service brakes on the 2009 Toyota Prius — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Dashboard Warning Lights: ABS, VSC, Parking Brake Light, Triangle with Exclamation Point, Codes: C1256 & C1391, Intermittent Audible Cabin Buzzing indicating critical pressure loss on start-up for about 10 seconds...then stops, not loss so much as anti-braking quick bursts at about 5 mph of…”
filed Jun 17, 2026
“I own 2 2009 Toyota Prius. Both cars less than 175,000 miles and both have failed ABS modules. The ABS module in this vehicle is also the power brake booster. This failure can cause braking issues such as loss of braking or sudden brake application. Only known fix is replacement of the ABS brake…”
filed May 7, 2026
“Brake actuator is broken. Toyota knew about this problem and they had a warranty for 10 years or 150k miles. Mine only has 80k miles. The repair is half of what the car is worth. I thought a Toyota with such low miles would be dependable. Toyota knew that people have died from this problem with their car. I need this…”
filed Apr 25, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Service Brakes problems in other Prius years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Prius | 2 | 9% |
| 2022 Prius | 4 | 17% |
| 2019 Prius | 9 | 31% |
| 2018 Prius | 3 | 9% |
| 2017 Prius | 14 | 15% |
| 2016 Prius | 18 | 12% |
| 2015 Prius | 84 | 52% |
| 2014 Prius | 91 | 44% |
| 2013 Prius | 225 | 56% |
| 2012 Prius | 182 | 43% |
| 2011 Prius | 260 | 50% |
| 2010 Prius | 591 | 21% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2009 Toyota Prius
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.