There are 2 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2018 Toyota Priusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. The driver crashed into the front passenger side of the Lexus. The vehicle continuously moved forward. The contact was eventually able to pull over safely. The pre-collision malfunction warning light illuminated. The brake malfunction light was flashing. The air bags did not deploy. There was no reported fire or injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who could not determine the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody center where it remained. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.
THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR I PURCHASED. THERE IS A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL MAKES WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE BEEPS THE CAR MAKES, BUT IT'S NOT. THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL CONTINUES TO MAKE A HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING NOISE. I RETURNED TO TOYOTA SERVICE TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, BUT THEY SAID THAT THIS IS A NORMAL SOUND THAT OTHER PRIUSES MAKE. THIS CONCERNS ME THAT THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE SINCE I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BRAKES THAT SOUND LIKE THIS.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026