This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The headlights turn off while driving. Sometimes one, other times both. If I switch them off-on fast they come back on. So it's not a bulb. Toyota speculates that it could be a computer issue for each bulb and could cost over $700 each to fix. This is a very dangerous situation, we have a lot of joggers & kids on bikes in our area. If one light is out I don't always know & then I am now able to see their reflective material. Please issue the recall before someone get killed. Thank you
One or the other headlight will go out randomly while driving down the road at night. The only way to get the headlight to go back on is to turn the headlights off using the head lamp switch on the drivers steering column by turning it off and on quickly while driving. This head light going out safety issue will occur to either headlight at any moment, but seems to alternate between them. Have not lost both head lights at the same time yet. This loss of head lights will continue to occur every 2 -3 minutes. This is a safety issue and the distraction makes it hard to watch ahead on the road for any obstacles or to watch for wildlife ahead and makes it hard to see anything at a safe distance.
One head light would go out when driving. Turing the lights on and off brings both lights back on. Sometimes the left goes out and sometimes the right.
I have a 2007 Toyota Prius that I am having hid headlight issues. The passenger headlamp will go off at anytime and only come back on if you turn the light switch off then back on. I need help on this problem seeing as slot of Prius owners are having the same problem.
- Cottontown, TN, USA
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No one injured. Minor problem, but Toyota refuses suggestions "for legal reasons", so I have to report it to you, and hope that you will relay to Toyota. Good car, good dash lighting system, nice rheostat to dim the instrument panel lights at night, to assist in night road visibility. The problem is that as you dim the instrument panel lights, the lighted symbol for the emergency flasher light switch goes completely dark before the instrument panel lights do. So, on a dark night, you dim the lights to make the instrument panel lights just bright enough to read, without excess reflection or distraction, and the emergency flasher switch becomes invisible because its light went completely out before the other instrument panel lights did. This increases distraction and reduces reaction time when you need to find and turn on the emergency flasher light switch. I doubt this problem is limited to just my car. The simple solution (everything seems simple to the guy not doing the work) would be to design and wire the dash panel lights so that the emergency flasher switch light stays a little brighter than all the other lights, as they all dim. That way, the switch you might most need in a hurry will be visible, even if you have dimmed your instrument panel lights. Quicker turn-on of the emergency flasher alerts following drivers sooner, increasing their safety, and mine. Thanks for working to keep us all safer on the road, and to improve the vehicles we drive.
My 2007 Prius has had the problem of having it's hid lights turn off at random since approximately 55,000 miles. Either the passenger or drivers side can turn off at will. At least one light will stay on at all times. As well, there are dimming issues when they do stay on. I have replaced the bulbs, but nothing has changed. The problem continued unabated. Since I am outside 50,000 miles, Toyota states they can do nothing. There was a settlement in this regard. Just driving down the road, one can other second generation Prius owners having the same problem. Visits to priuschat forums reveal thousands have the same problem. Most owners are out of the warranty period when this problem surfaces. Dealerships quote very high amounts to fix a problem that is clearly part of Toyota's faulty design. Bulbs go out all the time on all vehicles, but an owner should not be expected to replace the entire lighting system after 50,000 miles. This is a design flaw that should warrant a recall.
Right side headlight turns off when lights are on. Will turn back on when lights are turn off and back on. Replaced light with new bulb but did not solve problem.
Front left hid headlight failed completely, resulting in unsafe driving situation. Please urge Toyota to recall the headlights on this vehicle. Thank you.
I have brought this vehicle to the Toyota dealer four times in this past year for intermittently working headlights. One or the other front headlight turn off without warning. When the headlights are (both) turned off then on, they usually, but not always, both come back on. The dealer is clueless even when problem is demonstrated to the head of the service department. Based on a review of internet chat groups, this seems to be a well known and documented problem, including a class action law suit filed earlier this year (collado et al V. Toyota motor sales).
Headlights randomly goes out while driving. When headlights out, interior lights (lighting of dashboard, etc.) continue. If you turn lights off, then on again, headlights work. Does not happen every time.
Hid headlights go off at random times. The passengers side was first to start, now the driver side as well as both go off. The problem is occurring more frequently. When you switch the headlights from off to on they turn on. The vehicle has 100K miles. No warranty, dealers repair cost is approximately $550. I am shocked when I google my problem to see how many people are affected and more so the class action law suits that are there. This is far more than a burnt light bulb, it has to be looked into. I am a loyal Toyota customer of 31 years. Please help! I'm worried about the safety for my wife driving at night.
It was last Friday evening, Sep 16,2011, when my car had around 51270 miles, I discovered that the hid bulbs in Prius is going off while driving, sometimes first on the passenger side and some times on driver, and after sometime it could go off on both sides.I am less than 5 years in my car.after doing research in the internet, I came to know about Toyota hid bulb head light problems, experienced by other Prius owners, and the class action law suit regarding this, and the fact that the Toyota has extended the warranty till 5 yr/50K miles. I mostly use the car during the day time to work(8 miles one way),and since all my friends/amenities/shopping are with in 5 mile radius, I dont get much chance to drive for a longer time during the night.all my night drives are rare and is mostly less than 10-15 mins.I also have fog lights in my car which gives some decent light, and when there are other cars in the road, or when the road is well lit, it is almost impossible to diagnose this problem, when the first headlight goes off.even when the second headlight goes off, under good road conditions, it is very difficult. It appears as some light dimming going on from inside the car, when only one head light goes off.further I did my 50K miles service less than a month ago. I called Toyota, opened a case(number:1109191158)and took the car to the dealer.the dealer diagnosed it and confirmed that it was due to hid bulbs, covered by the class action settlement.he also updated my case with Toyota.the Toyota agreed to cover the cost of the bulb but not the labor.I tried to escalate the situation with Toyota, but they were firm on their decision.they were more talking by the rule book, about the expiration of warranty, than trying to help me with my problem.clearly they have defective part, and they were unwilling to cover the complete cost. It would only be fair, if they refund the $112 labor cost.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights would turn off sporadically. The vehicle was taken to dealer who diagnosed that the headlights were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,000 and the current mileage was 107,000.
I have been experiencing the same problem as most with the Prius hid headlights. While driving in dark or low light times the headlights will fail nearly causing accidents. Usually it is one headlight, but there have been several times in which both headlights have failed (serious issue). By turning the headlights off and back on temporary fixes the problem, yet the problem keeps occurring daily. In Jan. 2010 Toyota settled a class action law suit which only helped those personnel whose mileage was fewer than 50,000. What about the rest of the owners out there that are still left with this enormous safety issue. A safety recall needs to be done to protect all owners safety, not just those whose vehicle mileage is under 50,000.
Both hid headlights failed on a winding country road. I quickly turned the headlights off, then on then was able to swerve the car to prevent going off the road. I had intermittent problems with one light failing. This was the first time both lights failed at the same time. I spent over $400 to replace the lights. There is a class action case against Toyota that covers Prius with under 50K miles. Since I had over 70K miles on my Prius, I was hesitant to make the repair, because of the cost until both lights failed. This is an intermittent problem that gets worse as time goes by and should be recalled before someone is killed.
My 2007 Toyota Prius headlights keep going out. Some light manufacturers tell me that this car is the problem, not the bulbs. I had the first set of bulbs replaced with some other work at about 20K miles. The next set was replaced at about 60K miles 2 yrs later. Now they are out again at 76K and 14 months later. Toyota issued a recall for a refund, but the first one was covered under insurance, these next two aren't, yet it appears that I'm going to have to replace these bulbs every 1 - 2 years, which is absurd. They just go out, no flickering or dimming, but just go out with no notice. Toyota should have to recall this issue, make these cars safe, and make it so the bulbs don't have to be replaced every year or two.
After 20K miles the headlights need to be replaced at a cost of over $600. Headlights intermittently go out and come back on. Sometimes passenger side only, sometimes both lights dim then come back up. Turning the headlights on and off seems to correct the issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dededo, GU, USA