2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.

Risk: If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.

Risk: If either portion of the curtain shield air bag inflator ejects into the passenger cabin, there is an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.

Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Toyota issued a Customer Support Program ZJB for extended coverage of the brake booster and actuator assembly (this notice was not sent to the correct address the car was registered to with the dmv in 2019 so I never received the notice for this program) The Toyota program length was for 10 years or 150k miles. My car’s part just failed at 129k which is far below the 150k threshold. Despite being outside the 10 year window I am still under the mileage, the car is in perfect condition and this car is used for work for uber. The malfunction of the Toyota part in my car is a critical safety issue and because it is outside of the program Toyota refused to provide any goodwill assistance

SERVICE BRAKES

Toyota issued a Customer Support Program ZJB for extended coverage of the brake booster and actuator assembly (this notice was not sent to the correct address the car was registered to with the dmv in 2019 so I never received the notice for this program) The Toyota program length was for 10 years or 150k miles. My car’s part just failed at 129k which is far below the 150k threshold. Despite being outside the 10 year window I am still under the mileage, the car is in perfect condition and this car is used for work for uber. The malfunction of the Toyota part in my car is a critical safety issue and because it is outside of the program Toyota refused to provide any goodwill assistance

AIR BAGS

The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in an intersection, a Ford F-150 vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated he was pinned between the door and the infotainment system. The airbags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was taken to the local hospital by a friend in a private vehicle, and the contact received medical assistance. The contact sustained internal bruising and external bruising and cuts. Additionally, the contact sustained a major injury was on the neck, on the laryngeal prominence area of the neck and on the collar bone. The medical Doctor informed the contact that the major injury could heal in 4 weeks, or in 7-8 months. The contact was also informed that the major injury could become a permanent condition, causing cramps and stiffness depending on the weather. The contact was experiencing trouble sleeping due to the injuries. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot and was totaled. A Police report was filed. The leasing company the vehicle was purchased from was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to an unknown air bag recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 325,000.

SERVICE BRAKES

I' m getting ABS warning light. Dealer confirmed that I need to replace Brake Actuator and Accumulator which costs me over $3K. Dealer refused to cover under warrant though it's a known issues with TOYOTA PRIUS vehicles.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 145,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 227,000. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to Auto Zone and was informed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that it was not a new failure and that there was a possibility that the dealer may have removed the check engine light prior to the sale.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 145,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 227,000. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to Auto Zone and was informed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that it was not a new failure and that there was a possibility that the dealer may have removed the check engine light prior to the sale.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Around 14 months ago (march 2024) I purcheded a replacment battery pack for our 2011 Toyota Prius form NexPower Energy (also going by, project lithium, sodiumhybrid) based out of CA. The battery pack is a lithum pack that replaces the orginal nickel metal hydride pack. In the beginning of June 2025, the car through an battery error and went into limp mode wile my wife was driving, when i go home and plugged in my scanner to check the battery out i noticed that the cells were out of balance and some were becoming very over charged. My fear is that if the cells were continued to be overcharged an thermal runaway event might occure due to BMS not being included with the overall pack.

SERVICE BRAKES

ABS warning system on dashboard is intermittent. I hear computer noises near the front driver tire. Then the warning light goes out or reappears on dashboard. Issue is the expensive diagnostic fee that may not unearth the cause, and if cause identified the diagnostic fee cannot be applied to the expensive repair. That’s a hard pill to swallow —and not affordable given economy, and I just had all four tires replaced along with a wheel alignment. Also, the yellow tire pressure light now blinks non-stop. (Previously it blinked 3x then stayed on but stopped blinking.) Anyways, Lots of covo about same issue in the 2011 Prius chat room I found after googling “2011 Toyota Prius ABS warning system.” Wondering if software needs updating, or perhaps there’s a systemic mfg defect?

SERVICE BRAKES

My ability to break unexpectedly stopped working while I was on the highway during morning, rush-hour. I was going 55 mph on the highway at the time and luckily, I was on an uphill incline when they went out, thus allowing me to be able to ‘naturally’ slow down. But had I not been on an incline at that time of the brakes faulting, I would have 100% caused a wreck because I could not break at all. My emergency breaks weren’t even working, which is confusing because I thought that was the whole point of the emergency break, was for if your regular brakes become faulty… But NONE of my brakes worked. Which has created a new fear I didn’t know could happen while driving… Also, all the lights that have to do with the breaking system were on (ABS, Traction control, BREAK lights). And a consistent building up hissing noise under the hood.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Our trac abs and brake lights came on and braking became more difficult but not totally gone. I took it to my mechanic (not Toyota dealer) and he said the codes were going off for the abs hydraulic system and it would be $3000 to fix! This is unacceptable. I feel like my safety is affected but no one else has been hurt YET. I’m trying to be proactive. they first appeared last month. No manufacturer, insurance agent or cop has inspected it. It can be inspected by appt. Please help

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Our trac abs and brake lights came on and braking became more difficult but not totally gone. I took it to my mechanic (not Toyota dealer) and he said the codes were going off for the abs hydraulic system and it would be $3000 to fix! This is unacceptable. I feel like my safety is affected but no one else has been hurt YET. I’m trying to be proactive. they first appeared last month. No manufacturer, insurance agent or cop has inspected it. It can be inspected by appt. Please help

SERVICE BRAKES

Our trac abs and brake lights came on and braking became more difficult but not totally gone. I took it to my mechanic (not Toyota dealer) and he said the codes were going off for the abs hydraulic system and it would be $3000 to fix! This is unacceptable. I feel like my safety is affected but no one else has been hurt YET. I’m trying to be proactive. they first appeared last month. No manufacturer, insurance agent or cop has inspected it. It can be inspected by appt. Please help

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the catalytic converter, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who diagnosed that the inverter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V053000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 117,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the catalytic converter, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who diagnosed that the inverter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V053000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 117,000.

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the catalytic converter, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who diagnosed that the inverter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V053000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 117,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ABS actuator and pump failure

SERVICE BRAKES

ABS actuator and pump failure

SERVICE BRAKES

There were not any prior problem with my 2011 Toyota Prius' brake but it started making air pumping noises when I brake which makes me very nervous to drive my car. A local mechanic confirmed that the problem is the faulty brake booster assembly and pump. Toyota issued Customer Support Program for this problem but covered only up to 10 years from the first date of use. Although my car has less than 120,000 mileage, I have to pay for this repair and it will cost me close to $2500 at a local repair shop! I want to go to Toyota dealership to fix but their cost is going to be even more! According to online research, many Prius owners have this same problem and have to pay out of their own pockets. This is unacceptable. Toyota should put a recall on this problem and cover the repair cost!!

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Brake warning came on and wouldn’t go off. Followed by continuous beeping and now the brakes are no longer working properly. You have to force the brake all the way to the ground to even come to a rolling stop. The problem first occurred on 3/8/25. The brake actuator seems to be a reoccurring problem that Toyota addressed but is no longer fixing. It is dangerous to drive my vehicle and others have said their brakes have completely failed when this problem arose.

SERVICE BRAKES

Brake warning came on and wouldn’t go off. Followed by continuous beeping and now the brakes are no longer working properly. You have to force the brake all the way to the ground to even come to a rolling stop. The problem first occurred on 3/8/25. The brake actuator seems to be a reoccurring problem that Toyota addressed but is no longer fixing. It is dangerous to drive my vehicle and others have said their brakes have completely failed when this problem arose.

SERVICE BRAKES

My brakes suddenly stopped responding correctly as I was pulling up to a busy road. My car went part way into traffic and I was nearly hit. After speaking to my mechanic and my local Toyota dealership, I was informed that there was a know issue with the Brake Booster and Hydraulic Accumulator on this vehicle and that Toyota had extended the warranty several times but that it no longer covered my vehicle. They never once acknowledged the safety issue and I was never notified of the risk. I believe the extended warranty was setup to avoid a recall and hide the risk. I firmly believe a recall should be done on these parts and owners should be notified of known safety risks this presents.

SERVICE BRAKES

While driving on the interstate, the "brake", "TCS", and "ABS" lamps lit up. The brake pedal was stiff and couldn't be depressed. The vehicle initially did not decelerate while attempting to push down on the brake pedal. While maneuvering off the interstate on to the exit lane, the pedal remained stiff however, the vehicle did begin to decelerate. Critically, the amount of time needed to bring the vehicle to a stop was significantly longer than normal. This brake failure could have resulted in a catastrophic, life threatening and/or deadly accident. The DTC associated with this brake booster and pump failure is C1391 which is referenced in TSB-0024-19. This is a known problem that exists in Priuses manufactured between 2010-2015 and addressed by Toyota with CSP(s). The CSP takes a reactive approach to this serious safety concern as owners who "have not experienced the condition described" were informed that "there is no action necessary at this time". The extended warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles is not applicable to countless drivers who are experiencing this failure caused by "internal malfunctions" outside of this arbitrary time/mileage frame. A letter was sent to the NHTSA on 9/19/19 by the president of Claremont and Capistrano Toyota to petition for the initiation of a Defect Investigation regarding this issue. The letter notes that this brake defect is "causing crashes that are injuring people- and Toyota is mishandling it". The advisor assigned to this repair estimated that they see this issue 1-2 times a month and increasingly, drivers are not covered by the CSP. Toyota is failing to take a proactive approach to this dangerous safety issue by telling owners to essentially wait and see if they experience this failure and then failing to take responsibility for said costly failure should it occur outside of their arbitrary time/mileage frame. This approach to safety is egregious, irresponsible, and unethical and it is putting countless lives at risk.

ENGINE

In 11/2024, I started experiencing intermittent noises coming from the engine compartment of my 2011 Toyota Prius. The initial sound resembled the buzzing noise generated when first starting the vehicle. Then the noise started to persist for extended periods after the vehicle was turned off. It would oscillate between buzzing for approximately 10 seconds & remaining dormant for about 1 minute, repeating this cycle. The duration of these cycles could extend for up to 20 minutes. Concurrently, I experienced several instances where the brake pedal would abruptly become stiff & difficult to press. Notably, no warning lights were illuminated on the dashboard. Recognizing these symptoms as unusual, I conducted online research and discovered that the issue could potentially stem from a malfunction in the “brake booster pump and assembly.” Given the potential for a loss of braking power and the risk of personal/public safety, I scheduled a diagnostic inspection at Toyota of Poway, Poway, CA, on 12/18/2024. It confirmed the presence of a problem with the brake booster pump and associated components. In light of this diagnosis, I made the decision to refrain from driving the vehicle until the repairs were completed. The repair costs amounted to $3,475.47. I found I had received a notification from Toyota’s Customer Support Program, designated as “Customer Support Program Notification-ZJB.” This notification explicitly acknowledged this defect & provided a repair coverage policy that stipulated a coverage policy of which I’m no longer entitled to. Despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for the repair coverage program, I am deeply troubled by the fact that this recognized defect persists in vehicles currently on the road, such as mine, without any corresponding recall action and subsequent repair costs covered by Toyota. Fortunately, I was spared from any accidents as a direct consequence of this issue. Many similar complaints here support this dangerous issue!

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

In 11/2024, I started experiencing intermittent noises coming from the engine compartment of my 2011 Toyota Prius. The initial sound resembled the buzzing noise generated when first starting the vehicle. Then the noise started to persist for extended periods after the vehicle was turned off. It would oscillate between buzzing for approximately 10 seconds & remaining dormant for about 1 minute, repeating this cycle. The duration of these cycles could extend for up to 20 minutes. Concurrently, I experienced several instances where the brake pedal would abruptly become stiff & difficult to press. Notably, no warning lights were illuminated on the dashboard. Recognizing these symptoms as unusual, I conducted online research and discovered that the issue could potentially stem from a malfunction in the “brake booster pump and assembly.” Given the potential for a loss of braking power and the risk of personal/public safety, I scheduled a diagnostic inspection at Toyota of Poway, Poway, CA, on 12/18/2024. It confirmed the presence of a problem with the brake booster pump and associated components. In light of this diagnosis, I made the decision to refrain from driving the vehicle until the repairs were completed. The repair costs amounted to $3,475.47. I found I had received a notification from Toyota’s Customer Support Program, designated as “Customer Support Program Notification-ZJB.” This notification explicitly acknowledged this defect & provided a repair coverage policy that stipulated a coverage policy of which I’m no longer entitled to. Despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for the repair coverage program, I am deeply troubled by the fact that this recognized defect persists in vehicles currently on the road, such as mine, without any corresponding recall action and subsequent repair costs covered by Toyota. Fortunately, I was spared from any accidents as a direct consequence of this issue. Many similar complaints here support this dangerous issue!

SERVICE BRAKES

In 11/2024, I started experiencing intermittent noises coming from the engine compartment of my 2011 Toyota Prius. The initial sound resembled the buzzing noise generated when first starting the vehicle. Then the noise started to persist for extended periods after the vehicle was turned off. It would oscillate between buzzing for approximately 10 seconds & remaining dormant for about 1 minute, repeating this cycle. The duration of these cycles could extend for up to 20 minutes. Concurrently, I experienced several instances where the brake pedal would abruptly become stiff & difficult to press. Notably, no warning lights were illuminated on the dashboard. Recognizing these symptoms as unusual, I conducted online research and discovered that the issue could potentially stem from a malfunction in the “brake booster pump and assembly.” Given the potential for a loss of braking power and the risk of personal/public safety, I scheduled a diagnostic inspection at Toyota of Poway, Poway, CA, on 12/18/2024. It confirmed the presence of a problem with the brake booster pump and associated components. In light of this diagnosis, I made the decision to refrain from driving the vehicle until the repairs were completed. The repair costs amounted to $3,475.47. I found I had received a notification from Toyota’s Customer Support Program, designated as “Customer Support Program Notification-ZJB.” This notification explicitly acknowledged this defect & provided a repair coverage policy that stipulated a coverage policy of which I’m no longer entitled to. Despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for the repair coverage program, I am deeply troubled by the fact that this recognized defect persists in vehicles currently on the road, such as mine, without any corresponding recall action and subsequent repair costs covered by Toyota. Fortunately, I was spared from any accidents as a direct consequence of this issue. Many similar complaints here support this dangerous issue!