2013 Toyota Prius V Complaints

The ABS brake actuator in my 2013 Prius V failed at just over 91,000 miles in December 2025, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. I understand that this is a known issue with this model of vehicle.

Upon acceleration, several brake related warning lights came on along with a consistent chime. When it came time to stop. The vehicle would not stop then with great pressure on the pedal, I was able to slow the vehicle narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle. The vehicle then drove normal after that and a few minutes later the lights went out. When I got home, I scanned for codes and got C1252 and C1256. This appears to be a common problem with these vehicles that Toyota does not want to address.

Brake actuator failure requires actuator and master cylinder replacement. All dash lights came on while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed at Brian Easler Toyota in Hendersonville North Carolina. The brakes are still operational temporarily but spongy and expected to fail so the car is not drivable. I expect to have the actuator and master cylinder replaced in then next few weeks at a cost of $5600. I see there were previous recalls on the braking system that have now expired.

My 2013 Prius Plug-In Hybrid with 131k miles on it showed the ABS, Brake, and Traction Control lights while driving last week. Diagnostics from auto shop showed DTC code C1391. System is available for inspection upon request. Safety is definitely at risk, since I am needing to drive it around to assess the issue, and brakes could fail at any time. Vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. After speaking to Toyota, I was informed that--although under 150k miles--my car is not covered by the extended warranty because it is 2 years past the 10 year requirement. I drove my car very little between 2020-2022 because of the global pandemic. This is a very common issue with 2012-2015 models caused by a defective part, and it's likely that the problem does not commonly present itself until after the warranty expires.

Brake actuator went out on 2013 Toyota Prius Gen 5. The part is very expensive and in my opinion is a part that should not have to be replaced. The care has 120,000 miles. It is driven very softly, meaning not fast and hard but commuting to work and grocery store as needed. A nice commuter. It is not fast but gets you there. The actuator put me at risk as stepping on the brake was hard and the car did not want to stop and I was close to hitting the car in front of me. All the lights came on at the dashboard and I was very scared to continue to drive and had to get a tow truck.