Unknown brake issues
2015 Toyota Prius C
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius C years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 17 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes complaints
3 reportsTHIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING AN ODD NOISE. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW I AM GOING BUT IT MAKES THAT NOISE AND IT MAKES THE BRAKES SLIP AND NOT COME TO A FULL STOP FAST ENOUGH. I HAVE GONE TO TOYOTA 4-5 TIMES JUST FOR THIS REASON AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS…
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THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING AN ODD NOISE. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW I AM GOING BUT IT MAKES THAT NOISE AND IT MAKES THE BRAKES SLIP AND NOT COME TO A FULL STOP FAST ENOUGH. I HAVE GONE TO TOYOTA 4-5 TIMES JUST FOR THIS REASON AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE. IT CAN'T BE FINE IF THE CAR IS SLIPPING AND NOT STOPPING WHEN IT SHOULD! MIND YOU, I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND THERE IS ALMOST NEVER RAIN SO IT IS NOT DUE TO WET ROADS.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, ALL OF THE DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE DISPLAY FLASHED "BRAKE OVERRIDE MALFUNCTION, SEE DEALER." THE BRAKE AND THE GAS WERE NOT BEING USED AT THE SAME TIME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT WITH A FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE BRAKES DISENGAGED AND THE C…
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A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, ALL OF THE DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE DISPLAY FLASHED "BRAKE OVERRIDE MALFUNCTION, SEE DEALER." THE BRAKE AND THE GAS WERE NOT BEING USED AT THE SAME TIME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT WITH A FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE BRAKES DISENGAGED AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT BEFORE THE BRAKES ENGAGED AGAIN. THE DASH LIGHTS STAYED ILLUMINATED THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER, THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND RETURNED THE CAR. WHILE DRIVING IT HOME FROM THE DEALER, THE SAME PROBLEM REOCCURRED. THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER AND CLAIMED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM REOCCURRED. ONCE STARTED, THE PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MOMENTS, THE DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATE, THE ERROR MESSAGE POPS UP, AND THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHES WHENEVER STOPPED. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER DRIVING IN THE CITY OR ON THE HIGHWAY (THOUGH OBVIOUSLY THE LURCHING ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE ENGAGED).
Official recalls
115V514000 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
Aug 13, 2015
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2015 Toyota Prius C vehicles manufactured April 20, 2015, to June 30, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be improperly calibrated and, as a result, the TPMS may fail to warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail. Sudden tire failure increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will re-calibrate the TPMS, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET15E.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
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