2005 Toyota Prius Brakes Problems

ABS actuator failed and had little to no braking action while merging on the freeway. Had to swerve to avoid collision on interstate

NHTSA ID

11710245

Incident

Jan 11, 2026

i had brake warning lights pop up on my dash..my brake actuator fail on my 05 prius.. this is a known issue with toyota prius. the brake actuator is a very important part of the braking system and vehicle is deemed unsafe with a failed actuator/module.. the dealer quoted over 3000 in repairs.. they were covering them for a while and now they are not.. the cost of the repair exceeds the value of vehicle due to the brake actuator being very expensive.. this is something that should have been recalled..

NHTSA ID

11648968

Incident

Feb 25, 2025

Brake actuator going bad. Safety is put at risk as brakes are slow to work and sometimes don't work at all for a couple of seconds, making sudden stops impossible. Has not been confirmed by dealer. Has not been inspected. ABS and TPMS light would briefly pop up for a couple of seconds on car startup before shutting off.

NHTSA ID

11608878

Incident

Aug 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. In addition, the contact heard a squealing sound and the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the odometer was inoperable and failed to display the correct mileage. The contact stated that the odometer was stuck on 299,999.

NHTSA ID

11596913

Incident

Jun 26, 2024

Mileage

299,999 mi

This has been an on going issue with all of toyota hybrids, the abs actuator which control the brakes isn't safe to drive around when not functioning right. Dealership will not replace im suprise that this has no been a recall as its a safety hazard on the road not only for the driver but putting others in danger. My brakes sometimes is floored to the ground with minimal stoppage.

NHTSA ID

11593182

Incident

May 30, 2024

Prius have a LONG known problem w/ braking systems (over 15 years) defaulting to SOFT brake pedal that (will) kill any driver. Toyota decided to avoid a recall by paying off a few repair jobs, during warranty. They have created a new part to resolve the issue. $4000 to replace a brake pump. Most fail at 150k miles. . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11582441

Incident

Mar 8, 2024

11 months ago I had a brand new Toyota ABS brake actuator installed on my 2005 Prius. Less than a year later, it is failing again. Since I've driven the car more than 12,000 miles Toyota will not replace the part under warranty. Toyota charges $1800 for the part alone. I had an abs brake actuator fail on a previous 2007 Prius as well. Toyota forums imply this is a too common problem.

NHTSA ID

11544891

Incident

Sep 15, 2023

We purchased our 2005 Prius in 2014, and after 7 years of learning to drive with the bizarre behavior of this Gen 3 Prius, and reporting it to the dealer (who said that's just how they are designed), I just read dozens of reports on NHTSA, all from Gen3 Prius owners, all reporting identical issues with the antilock braking and traction control systems. It is as if Toyota intentionally designed them to operate exactly the opposite of how they should. With traction control, anytime the front drive wheels loose traction - gravel, railroad tracks, even as simple as painted road stripes or damp surfaces - traction control kicks in; however, on this car, traction control immediately cuts all motive power to the drive wheels, leaving the driver vulnerable to getting hit from behind; it cuts in and out until the car decides it has enough traction to proceed. It's dangerous and idiotic. The anti-lock brakes do much the same; if one encounters a situation requiring emergency braking, when the anti-lock system initiates, the brakes simply cut out, and the car jumps ahead, until they grab, then loose again immediately, with multiple lurches, and sometimes just no brakes at all available. It is dangerous and, from the Toyota dealer where we get it serviced regularly, a constant complaint from owners. And, Toyota does nothing. There needs to be a class action addressing both of these dangerous propensities. It's an awful design. Just awful.

NHTSA ID

11509394

Incident

Feb 22, 2023

When driving the vehicle multiple lights came on (ABS, VSC, & brake)! Brakes became hard to push at times and didn’t feel normal. Took it to shop and had both ABS speed sensors replaced. Warning lights went away and brakes were normal again. After a day, the lights came back on and a constant alarm started sounding! The brake system failed and the vehicle was super hard to stop! Came very close to having a major accident on the interstate when this happened!!! It took pumping of the brakes and full force on the pedal to bring it to a stop!! Went back to the shop and was told that the ABS control module/actuator went bad and needs to be replaced. Was also told that this system is a known problem in Toyota Prius’s for a long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NHTSA ID

11458514

Incident

Mar 22, 2022

I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF NEED TO CHANGE OUT THE ACTUATOR ON MY BRAKE SYSTEM. MY CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED METICULOUSLY. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, THE ABS, BRAKE, AND VSC LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. MY MECHANIC SAYS $2500 REPAIR. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS LIFE THREATENING ISSUE BY TOYOTA. THE 'EXTENDED WARRANTY' OF COURSE WAS TIME LIMITED, EXPIRING IN 2017. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL

NHTSA ID

11414753

Incident

Apr 30, 2021

Mileage

150,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED IN ANTICIPATION TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE CALVERT TOYOTA (2333 S LOOP W, HOUSTON, TX 77054) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL HAD ENDED IN 2017. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11404857

Incident

May 13, 2013

Mileage

100,000 mi

VEHICLE IN MOTION AT LOWER SPEEDS USUALLY BELOW 10 MILES PER HOUR, WHICH IS WHEN THE FRICTION BRAKES KICK IN AS YOU COMING TO A STOP. THE ISSUE IS THAT THE FRICTION BRAKES COME IN AND LOCK UP WAY TOO HARD EVEN THOUGH THE PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL HAS NOT CHANGED. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO SKID AND/OR BUCK, NOT STOPPING AS EFFECTIVELY, MAKING IT MORE LIKELY TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE MORE PREVALENT WITH THE REAR DRUM BRAKES BUT THE FRONT DISK BRAKES ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.

NHTSA ID

11396384

Incident

Feb 14, 2021

Mileage

110,000 mi

2005 TOYOTA PRIUS, BASE MODEL, 136,600 MILES, METICULOUS SERVICE HISTORY, RECALLS SERVICED, SAFE DRIVER. AT 45MPH ABS, (!), AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON DASHBOARD. PARKED, TURNED OFF CAR, AND CHECKED 12V BATTERY AND BRAKE FLUID LEVELS'FINE UPON INSPECTION. BRAKES BECAME SPONGY UPON STARTUP. LIMPED CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD ABS ACTUATOR HAD FAILED, DESTROYING FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AT SAME TIME. QUOTED $3,600 REPAIR ESTIMATE; CAR WORTH $4,000. RECOGNIZED TOYOTA ISSUE'TSB WITH A WARRANTY EXTENSION OFFERED (ZG1). THIS ALSO OCCURS ON GEN 3 PRIUS MODELS (2010'2014 , ZJ1 EXTENSION). FORTUNATE TO HAVE NOT WRECKED, BUT THE REPAIR COST HAS TOTALED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11353836

Incident

Sep 7, 2020

Mileage

136,600 mi

WHEN I GO TO HIT THE BRAKES THE CAR WON'T STOP AND THE REAR END MAKES NOISE AND RAISES UP. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ONE AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE REQUIRED AND SRS AIRBAG LIGHT. THE MASTER ALARM BUZZER IS ON AND WON'T GO OFF. BRAKES ENGAGED WITHOUT HITTING THE BRAKE CAUSES RIM TO OVERHEAT AND BRAKE FLUID GETS EXTREMELY HOT. ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN TAP ON THE BRAKES THEY WILL LOCK UP AND YOU WILL GO SLIDING SIDEWAYS OR TAP THE BRAKES AND THEY STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. ALSO THE BRAKE ACTUATOR STARTS WHINING NOISE AND WON'T GO OFF EVEN IF THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. DON'T HAVE DOCUMENTATION FROM A MECHANIC BUT CAN SEND VIDEO OF DRIVING IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330515

Incident

Mar 1, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

2005 TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKE ACTUATOR/ FLUID ACCUMULATOR. TOYOTA HAS ONLY ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH EXPIRED IN DEC 2017. COMPLETE CARELESSNESS ON THEIR PART! THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT IN MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT A FULL-ON RECALL. THIS FAULTY PART IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT CAN LEAD TO A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING ON THE VEHICLE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED JUST A MONTH AGO AND AM NOW DEALING WITH AN EXTREMELY COSTLY REPAIR BILL TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE PREVIOUS OWNER APPARENTLY DID NOT BRING THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR DURING THE SO CALLED 'WARRANTY' TIME FRAME AND NOW I AM DEALING WITH IT. TOYOTA HAS SAID IF THE COMPONENT DIDN'T FAIL DURING THE WARRANTY TIMEFRAME, THEN THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. I FEEL TOYOTA WAS TRYING TO AVOID THE REPAIR COSTS AND NOW WANT ME, THE CONSUMER, TO COVER IT OUT OF POCKET. NEEDS TO BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL ON THIS!

NHTSA ID

11316484

Incident

Mar 2, 2020

Mileage

57,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY MY BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. I HAD NO BRAKING AND HAD TO USE THE MANUAL FOOT BRAKE TO SLOW. ABS LIGHT AND RED TRIANGLE CAME ON. I ENTERED INTO A CONSTRUCTION ZONE SO WAS UNABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER. I RESTARTED MY CAR AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT BRAKES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA AND SPENT $2,500 TO FIX SINCE THE WARRANTY ON THE ACTUATOR ENDED IN 2017. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND I SHOULD BE REFUNDED AS THIS IS A DANGEROUS RISK AND IS STILL HAPPENING TO MANY 05 PRIUSES STILL ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11289770

Incident

Jan 24, 2019

Mileage

152,000 mi

DROVE TO WORK ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 NO ISSUE WITH THE CAR ALL DAY. LEFT WORK AT 8:30PM AND BRAKES DID NOT WORK UNLESS PRESSED EXTREMELY HARD. DASH LIT, BRAKE LIGHT ON LEFT, ABS ON RIGHT OF DASH LIT, TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION MARK IN CENTER WITH HIGH PITCHED BUZZING NOISE. BACKING UP WAS FINE BUT NOT WHEN THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. CONTACTED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE AND THEY STATED NO CURRENT RECALL ON BRAKES FOR 2005 PRIUS. CHECKED RECALL HISTORY WHICH SHOWED ZERO UNREPAIRED RECALLS WHICH MEANS THE PUMP WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. HOWEVER, STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES.

NHTSA ID

11266598

Incident

Sep 25, 2019

MY 2005 PRIUS HAS AN ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ON . FAIL TO STOP. ONE DAY I WAS ON HIGHWAY AND THE ABS START MAKING NOISE. ( ALARM). AND BRAKE STOP WORKING. ALMOST GOT INTO THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I GOT HOME , I START CALL TOYOTA TO REPORT AND CHECK ON MY BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT AND ANY OTHER RECALL. THEY SAID NO MORE RECALL FOR MY PRIUS 2005. I THINK WHOEVER OWN THE PRIUS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. AND OUT OF LUCK FOR THE ABS BRAKE RECALL AND HAVE THE ACCIDENT. I HOPE TOYOTA EXTEND THE RECALL THE BRAKE , ABS ,

NHTSA ID

11266556

Incident

Sep 13, 2019

Mileage

98,748 mi

THE DASHBOARD LIGHTING SYSTEM QUIT TURNING ON IN JULY 2019. I COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST OR HOW SLOW I WAS DRIVING. THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT TURNED ON WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING ON SEP 23 2019 AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE WHILE ON THE ROAD OUTSIDE MY HOUSE

NHTSA ID

11258444

Incident

Sep 23, 2019

Mileage

220,000 mi

BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY MALFUNCTIONED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, JUST AS PREDICTED IN TOYOTA'S WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZG1. TOYOTA KNOWS THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE IT UNTIL IT FAILED, AND MINE DID NOT FAIL UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DEADLINE.

NHTSA ID

11246488

Incident

Feb 26, 2019

Mileage

158,208 mi

SUDDEN FAILURE OF ABS, ACCOMPANIED BY DASHBOARD LIGHTS FOR ABS AND REGULAR BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVEWAY, AND I DID NOT CONTINUE TO TAKE IT OUT INTO THE ROAD DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. TOYOTA EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 12/31/17 (REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE), BUT THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE IT CAN FAIL FOR DRIVERS (LIKE ME) WHO DID NOT HAVE THE ISSUE ARISE PRIOR TO 12/31/17.

NHTSA ID

11246075

Incident

Aug 21, 2019

Mileage

155,000 mi

BRAKE ACUTATOR FAILED AGAIN AFTER 1 YEAR OF USE. THE BRAKES FAILED ON THIS CAR A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, RESULTING IN PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND MANY WARNING LIGHTS GOING OFF. DEALER AND TOYOTA REPLACED BRAKE ACTUATOR THROUGH HIDDEN WARRANTY I HAD TO FIGHT FOR THEM TO PAY. DROVE CAR OUT OF DEALERSHIP, AND IT MADE A SQUEAKY SOUND COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, NOT FROM BRAKE PADS. TURNED CAR AROUND AND THEY TOOK IT BACK. SAID THEY BLED AIR OUT OF BRAKES. SQUAWK CAME BACK AND ON NEXT OIL CHANGE, TOLD THEM. "NO CODES, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT." WAS THE DIAGNOSIS. SQUAWK CONTINUED OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF, AND THE SAME REPLY FROM SERVICE ADVISORS. "NO CODES, NO WORRY - MAYBE WE NEED ANOTHER BRAKE BLEED, BUT NOT MANDATORY." 2 MORE OIL CHANGES AT DEALER, AND THE LAST TIME, I MENTIONED THE SQUAWK AGAIN AND THE BRAKE BLEED TO A NEW ADVISOR AND NEW OWNERSHIP. "NEEDS A BRAKE ACTUATOR - AND WE WILL NOT PAY FOR IT THIS TIME." I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THEM MANY TIMES DURING THE ONE YEAR WARRANTY OF THE ACTUATOR. NOW THEY WANT ME TO SPEND OVER $2500 ON A NEW ACTUATOR BECAUSE I WAS A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY ON NEW PART. TOYOTA ALSO REFUSED TO PAY. THE BRAKE ACTUATOR AND ACCUMULATOR HAVE FAILED ON THIS CAR AND OUR OTHER PRIUS A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES NOW. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, AND I'M REALLY SURPRISED YOU ARE NOT WORKING WITH THEM ON A MANDATORY SERVICE CAMPAIGN. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THEY SEE THIS ISSUE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND THAT TOYOTA DID A FULL REDESIGN OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE NEW 2017 MODEL YEAR. BRAKES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SYSTEM ON A CAR. WITHOUT THEM, AN ACCIDENT ALMOST ALWAYS FOLLOWS. PLEASE INITIATE A RECALL ON THIS AS SOON AS YOU CAN. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11240239

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

198,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ABS LIGHTS CAME ON WITH A LOUD HI PITCHED ALARM NOISE, AND WHEN I CAME UP TO THE NEXT STOPLIGHT AND PRESSED ON MY BRAKES, THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES SO I HAD TO STAND ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET THE CAR TO STOP IN TIME. FORTUNATELY I OFTEN PUMP MY BRAKES SO NOTICED THEY WERE NOT WORKING. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND IT IS A FAULTY BRAKE PUMP ACCUMULATOR. UPON CHECKING THE COST TO REPLACE IS $2800. RIDICULOUS. I LEARNED OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE BY SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET. I NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER OR WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART BY TOYOTA.

NHTSA ID

11232575

Incident

Jul 11, 2019

Mileage

159,000 mi

BRAKES SUDDENLY LOCKED WHILE CAR IN MOTION, RED TRIANGLE AMD XHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. LUCKILY I DID NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. TOWED IT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID MY ABS BRAKE PUMP ACTUATOR FAILED. NOTORIOUS PART TO FAIL ON GENERATION 2 PRIUS. OUT OF POCKET COST TO FIX IT WAS $1900.00

NHTSA ID

11219112

Incident

May 2, 2019

Mileage

19 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR LOCKS UP IT BRAKES AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SKID. SERIOUS RISK FOR HITTING OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD AND PUBLIC SAFETY IS IN DANGER. ABS, BRAKE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND (!) LIGHTS ARE ON. WHEN CODE IS PULLED IT A ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR. THE CAR HAS A FAULTY BRAKE ACTUATOR. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11218922

Incident

Jun 10, 2019

Mileage

200,000 mi