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BrakesPart report

2004 Toyota Prius Brakes Problems

Complaints
76about this part
Share
12%of 610 total for the year
Median mileage
83,668miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 76 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Toyota Prius, 12% of the 610 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 83,668 miles. 11 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When driving down the road all of a sudden we tried to use the brakes and it felt like we only had 10% of our braking ability. The brake light came on and ABS light went on and the stability control light came on as well as a warning buzzer. It felt like we had manual brakes.”

NHTSA complaint #11208876, filed 2019-05, 190,000 miles

“Brake actuator went out and dealer said Toyota used to cover it, but not anymore. I searched the internet and discovered this [part is bad in most Prius vehicles and Toyota extended the coverage on the 2010-2015 until august 31, 2021. Unfortunately my car is 2004 and does not get the benefit of the extension. The cost to repair is almost $4,000. Toyota knows of this issue and should repair my car as they are with the other years 2010-2015. This is a driver safety issue.”

NHTSA complaint #11416310, filed 2021-05, 242,520 miles

“As I was going down a hill the ABS vsc brake light came on and the brakes failed. The pedal became mush and I lost power braking. This caused me to almost hit the car in front of me. I swerved to the side of the road and pulled off the shoulder just missing the guard rail. I have found out that Toyota knows about this faulty problem and now they dealership wants to charge 3,000 to fix it.”

NHTSA complaint #10732021, filed 2015-07, 268,000 miles

“Takata recall. My car's break lights went on, as well as the ABS and vsc warning lights. Strange noises are coming from inside the hood of the car due to that. I also feel like my car does not break properly.”

NHTSA complaint #11084660, filed 2018-04, 153,800 miles

“My 2004 Prius feels like the brakes lose control when I'm going over a bump. I apply the brake, it catches, then releases momentarily, then grabs. The time of the release feels too long to be safe, and I am never really sure that it will grab eventually. This problem has continued since I bought it, and Toyota assures me it's not a problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10331144, filed 2010-05, 200 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Brakes: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025213%
202427%
2023210%
2022521%
2021117%
2020429%
20191137%
2018411%
20171415%
20162013%
20159356%
201410349%
201324258%
201220047%
201127853%
20101,94569%
200919940%
200839026%
200733117%
200621015%
200528227%
20047612%
20031616%
20022012%
20011610%

Other parts of the 2004 Toyota Prius

Exterior lighting
184 complaintsElectrical system
177 complaintsEngine cooling
89 complaintsVehicle speed control
52 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
34 complaintsAir bags
18 complaintsOther or unknown
18 complaintsFuel system
13 complaintsSteering
10 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
10 complaintsEngine
9 complaintsElectronic stability control
8 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Toyota Prius

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology