2003 Toyota Prius Brakes Problems

Your brakes failed to stop the car when you pressed the pedal, and your ABS warning light came on at the same time. You had to use the emergency brake to come to a stop and narrowly avoided hitting other vehicles. The repair shop couldn't identify the specific cause and may need to replace the entire braking system to fix it.

When you brake, your car occasionally starts to brake, then lurches forward slightly, then brakes again properly. This unpredictable braking behavior is unsettling and potentially dangerous. You've experienced this intermittently for years, and you believe it's related to a known Toyota ABS issue that affected newer Prius and Lexus models (which were recalled), but your 2003 Prius was not recalled. The problem may require inspection and potential repair or replacement of the ABS system components.

Your ABS brake warning light turns on and off intermittently, sometimes accompanied by a high-pitched alarm sound. Your mechanic found no actual problem with your brakes themselves. The warning light and alarm cycle on and off unpredictably, and this issue may require diagnostic scanning to identify electrical or sensor faults in the ABS system.

ABS BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND BEEPS, AND BRAKES BECOME SQUISHY ON MY 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. TOYOTA DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON DIAGNOSTICS, BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS HAPPENING. I HAVE NOTICED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS ABS LIGHT PROBLEM, AND SQUISHY BRAKE PROBLEM. TOYOTA DEALER INFORMS ME THAT THEY HAVE HEARD NOTHING OF THIS PROBLEM FROM THE TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION. *TR

I OWN A 2003 PRIUS. WHEN I BOUGHT IT, BEFORE I EVER DROVE IT (WAS SNOW AND ICE) DEALER TOLD ME TO BE CAREFUL OF THE BRAKES. HE SAID, WHEN APPLIED, IT MAY FEEL FOR A SPLIT SECOND THAT I WAS SPEEDING UP OR NOT STOPPING. THE CAR DOES THIS ON SLIPPERY AND ROUGH RD AND ALWAYS HAS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE HYBRID AND HAVE LEARNED TO DRIVE ACCORDINGLY BUT IT IS DEFINITELY A TRYING SITUATION. *TR

ABS BRAKE FAILS FOR A SHORT TIME WHEN SLOWING AND HITTING A BUMP. THIS HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE PURCHASE (NEW) IN 2003. *TR

2203 TOYOTA PRIUS CST BRAKE LIGHT GOES ON INTERMITTENTLY HAD BRAKES REPLACED BY DEALER. BRAKES DID NOT FEEL OK BUT TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR INTERMITTENTLY BUT NO BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER CAR SLID THRU RED LIGHT AT INTERSECTION, CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER. BRAKES STILL DID NOT WORK. DEALER SAID BRAKE HOSES WERE SOFT & SWOLLEN AND BRAKE CONTROLLER STICKING. REPLACED BRAKE HOSES, FLUSHED LINES CAP. BLEEDER PLUG ACTUATOR ASSY. CAR HAS 67,000 MILES. *TR

IN READING RECENT MEDIA REPORTS REGARDING BRAKING FAILURES OF THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, I REALIZED THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR LAPSES IN MY 2003 PRIUS' BRAKING SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR. I WANTED TO GET THIS ON RECORD AS IT SEEMS THE MEDIA REPORTS BELIEVE THIS TO ONLY BE A PROBLEM IN THE 2010 MODEL WHEN THIS MAY BE AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. BASICALLY, WHETHER OR NOT THE PHENOMENON OCCURS DURING BRAKING DEPENDS ON SEVERAL FACTORS AND SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN IF THE ROAD IS WET. IF ONE HAPPENS TO BE ROLLING OVER A MANHOLE COVER, OR HITTING A POTHOLE OR BUMP AT THE MOMENT THE BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED IT FEELS AS THOUGH, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, THAT THE CAR IS SKIDDING FORWARD ACROSS THE CHANGE IN ROADWAY SURFACE. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN BRAKING OVER A THICKLY PAINTED CROSSWALK LINE OR THE WORD STOP PAINTED ON THE ROAD. THE COMMON FACTOR SEEMS TO BE BRAKING AS THE CAR'S TIRE TRANSITIONS FROM A HIGH FRICTION TO REDUCED FRICTION SURFACE. I BELIEVE I COULD REPRODUCE THIS ON DEMAND GIVEN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. EARLY ON I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF MY DEALERSHIP BUT THEIR WAS NO FOLLOWUP. FORTUNATELY IT HAS NEVER CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES IT COULD. I'VE DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM BY EITHER BRAKING BEFORE OR AFTER THE ROAD SURFACES I KNOW TO CAUSE THE BRAKE SLIPPING EFFECT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS AND ALSO EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME BRAKING PROBLEMS AS HAS BEEN REPORTED ABOUT THE 2010 PRIUS. IF I GO OVER A DIP IN THE ROAD WHILE BRAKING, OCCASIONALLY THE BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD (EVEN IF IT IS FULLY DEPRESSED) AND I NEED TO RELEASE AND DEPRESS AGAIN. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND NOT A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I NOW SUSPECT THAT IT IS THE SAME SOFTWARE GLITCH AS THE LATER PRIUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25-35 MPH OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP UNTIL EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.

I HOPE YOU ARE NOT LIMITING YOUR INVESTIGATION OF PRIUS BRAKES TO THE 2010 MODEL. I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 2003 PRIUS SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT HOME. WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES, PARTICULARLY METAL PLATES OR MANHOLE COVERS, BRAKING MOMENTARILY STOPS AND DOES NOT RESUME UNTIL THE WHEELS HIT THE REGULAR ROAD SURFACE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS, THE SENSATION OF SKIDDING IS FRIGHTENING. *TR

A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN I BRAKE ON UNEVEN ROADS, THE BRAKES ON MY 2003 PRIUS FEEL AS IF THEY AREN'T WORKING. THEY HAVE ALWAYS CAUGHT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, SO THAT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF REPORTING THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE RECENT REPORTS ON THE NEWEST PRIUS MODEL. INCIDENT DATE IS THE MOST RECENT, EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN THERE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHENEVER THE CONTACT WOULD ATTEMPT TO APPLY THE BRAKES WHILE TRAVELING OVER A BUMPY OR SLIPPERY SURFACE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT FULLY ENGAGE INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE CONTACT HAS NOTICED THE FAILURE SINCE THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 109,000.

THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN MY CAR FAILED. IT WAS FOUND LATER THAT BOTH THE COMPUTER AND PUM/ENGINE SYSTEM FOR THE BRAKES FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. I WAS CHARGED $2000 FOR REPAIRS. *TR