I have a 02 Prius and the driver's side brakes are wearing twice as fast as the passengers side. Some times if I have to stop quickly the brakes pads continue to apply pressure on the rotor when the brakes are released. After a little drive they seem to go back to normal. Is this a sign of a bad caliper or master cyl.? I know before I purchased the car the front brakes and rotors were done, but they used after market parts
I would check the caliper first. The brakes and rotors were done but the calipers may not have been. I'd remove the wheel, push the peddle, varify that the brake is sticking, open the bleeder a little and see if that releases the brake. If it does it could be a bad brake hose to the caliper. If it doesn't then remove the caliper and varify that the sliders aren't siezed. If all that is good I'd replace the caliper. Good luck.
Do not open the bleeder valve on your Prius unless you have a tow truck handy. The brakes are not like a conventional car. Search elsewhere in this forum for more info on the brake system. Good luck!
It sounds like the driver's side caliper is sticking. If you allow air to enter the system upstream from the brake wheel cylinder then you will need to seek help from your local Toyota dealer to bleed the air out.
