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 passenger side headlight goes off intermittently. Just had it replaced for $300 on Monday and on Tuesday got stopped on the highway for the headlight being out.
The hid, high intensity discharge headlights go off intermittently without notice, usually right headlight, sometimes left, sometimes both. Started with right headlight at approx 18 months after purchase of new vehicle at approx 45000 miles. This week both headlights have gone off while driving at night without notice. Extremely dangerous. Last month the local Toyota dealer, who knows of this issue, wanted $800 to repair/replace right headlight. Now that both are bad, much more money to repair. This is unacceptable, considering the premium cost of this optional item, the short life span, and especially the extreme danger of a possible fatal accident. If this were brakes, fire, or seatbelts, there would have already been a recall under warranty. There are hundreds of documented complaints and Toyota and the NHTSA have not yet acted! are we waiting to start counted accidents or fatalities? please get Toyota Corp. To issue recall under warranty.
I own a 2007 Toyota Prius. At some time in July of 2009, after about 34,00 miles, the driver side hid headlamp began to intermittently dim or fail, but when the headlamp switch was turned off and then on again it would temporarily resolve. This type of failure - either dimming or going dark - would then happen again sometime in the next 30 minutes to 24 hours. I find this dangerous since one never knows when one is driving with one headlamp out unless one keeps checking. I have taken it to the dealership today but do not yet know whether it is under warranty or not. In any event, based on other complaints I have seen in the NHTSA database, I believe this may be a generic problem with the hid headlamps or other electrical parts in Prius of the 2006 and 2007 years, so I thought I should report my experience. If this problem persists or re-appears after putative repair, I will file another complaint or will amend this complaint (not sure whether I can do the latter).
The two headlights are turned off by itself while driving at night. It will turn on when driver switches off and then on again. But it will turn off by itself after couple minutes, say 5 minutes. The problem remains for the rest of the ride. For the safety reason and to prevent being stopped by police, this condition forces the driver to switch the headlights on/off so often while driving to make sure his car has lights on. As recommended by Toyota dealer, I had the headlights replaced. It cost $550. I still keep the old headlights.
- Cerritos, CA, USA
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I recently bought a 2007 Toyota Prius. Over the course of driving at night I have noticed that the passenger side headlight will go out. When I first turn on the lights, both headlights come on; but after a few minutes the passenger side one will dim and go out. The documentation that came with the car indicated no accidents, no car trouble, and no major repair.
We own a 2007 Toyota Prius and the headlights are shutting off intermittently without warning. Sometimes they shutoff one at a time and a couple of times (including within the last hour) they have both shutoff at the same time. Luckily they have only shutoff at the same time when there has been other lighting available in the environment but if this should happen on a dark road the consequences could be very serious.
2007 Toyota Prius 42,000 miles. Passenger headlight goes out after a few minutes and sometime randomly. Either the bulb is failing, wiring is failing, or the computer is failing. This is very unsafe if it happens at night.
2007 Toyota Prius headlight (passenger side, driver side or both) randomly fails but then works when headlight switch is cycled off and back on. This behavior occurs to either side separately and sometimes both at the same time.
Headlights keep going out on relatively new vehicle. Purchased 2007 Toyota Prius toward end of 2007, beginning of 2008. Passenger headlight went out at 28,000 miles and was replaced under warranty in July, 2008. Five months later, drivers side headlight started to go out and was informed this would need replacement, replacement cost approximately $200/event. Now passenger headlight placed just over 1 year ago has gone out again. Dealer offers no recourse except replacement each time. Do not feel replacing headlights every year is safe or fair, especially at excessive charges for service.
We own a 2007 Toyota Prius with hid headlamps. At around 48,000 miles the headlights started to flicker intermittently on both sides and eventually would go out completely. Sometimes the passenger side goes out, sometimes the driver side goes out, sometimes both. The lights come back on by turning the switch off and on again only to repeat the problem a few minutes later. It's difficult to know whether the lights are out when driving at dusk and at night when one light is out.
In early 2008 during normal driving at night both hid headlights on my 2007 Toyota Prius went out at the same time. I reached for the stalk and rotated it both ways, and they came back on. I figured I did not turn it fully on, but some weeks later both lights failed again while driving at night. The dealer replaced both bulbs, but nothing else. The car had about 21,000 miles on it. Now, August 2009 the passenger side bulb has failed twice at night that I have noticed. Both times it came back on after being turned off and back on, as both times before. Current mileage 52,433. I worry that both sides will fail at the same time again while driving at night. This is not at all safe.
My hid bulbs are turning off and on intermittently, I would like to replace but will cost about 900 for Toyota to do it. Seems like a defect and a danger if they keep turning off and on there own.
Subj: 2007 Toyota Prius headlights. Body: After speaking with Toyota Corp. They have informed me that I will have to take my car to a Toyota dealer and have the headlights replaced. These lights are defective and Toyota is charging between $750 to $1000 dollars to replace light bulbs. This is a widespread safety concern from the forums I've been to. My first experience was driving down a dark road and the lights suddenly went out. I was scared but was able to make them come back on by turning them off and on again. This must be the scam of the century because they are only guaranteed for 36,000 miles. I'll end up spending almost $1000 dollars annually for light bulbs" these bulbs aren't do it yourself either. You have to take the bumper off to get to them and the bulbs can cost $700 dollars a pair before labor. I also paid extra to have this car certified for the 10yr bumper to bumper but doesn't cover bulbs they claim. I don't even know for sure if it's bulbs so this could be even more costly. If so many people are having their lights go out while they are driving why is this not a recall yet" very scary. Just go to some online forums and you will see there is a serious problem with Toyota's hid's for Prius and they will not admit to it. I have small children and don't feel safe driving this vehicle anymore. This car is going to get somebody killed one day and nothing is going to happen until that day comes. Very very sad.
2007 Toyota Prius hid headlights randomly go black. As I'm driving either one or both of the headlights go black. The only way to fix this is to manually switch the lights off then turn them back on. I've taken this to my Toyota dealership (sloane Toyota) and they couldn't find any problems.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Overland Park, KS, USA