# 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS — SERVICE BRAKES
> NHTSA complaint `2246461` · 2026-09-14 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** PRIUS
- **Year:** 2011
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES
- **Speed:** 5 mph
## Narrative
I am filing this complaint to report an active, severe safety defect involving a sudden, un-warned loss of power braking assist due to a failing factory brake actuator/booster pump assembly. My vehicle is exhibiting the exact internal hydraulic seal failure, pressure drop, and audible hissing/sipping sound outlined in Toyota's prior technical service bulletins.   Because the onboard ECU computer only triggers warning lights once a complete, catastrophic failure threshold is met, the system is currently masking the defect from the dashboard. However, the physical hardware is actively failing, requiring the high-pressure pump to run constantly to maintain braking pressure. This component failure dramatically increases stopping distances and presents an immediate, unreasonable risk of a crash.  Toyota previously acknowledged this widespread manufacturing defect via Customer Support Program ZJB (20TA02). However, because Toyota chose to manage this critical safety hazard through a time-limited warranty extension rather than a mandatory safety recall, hundreds of thousands of vehicles are now left with a catastrophic braking hazard because the consumer coverage expired in 2022. I urge the NHTSA to open a formal defect petition review to investigate these post-warranty failures and mandate a retroactive safety recall to protect the public.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · MORVS · CC0 1.0*