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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,253 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2006 Toyota Prius electrical problems

electrical problem

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2006 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 4 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #86

Mar 192014

Prius 4-cyl

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Headlights, go on and off on their own. Sometimes only one will go off, sometimes both. Happens with high beams as well. Lights come back on if I switch them completely off and then on again. May stay on for 30 minutes, may only stay on for a couple minutes. Very dangerous as the lights have gone off at night time causing loss of visibility.

- Maple City, MI, USA

problem #85

Jan 172014

Prius

  • 160,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the engine and had the vehicle towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer stated that the battery was dead and replaced the battery. The failure mileage was 160,000. The VIN was not available.

- West Port, CT, USA

problem #84

Dec 162013

Prius 4-cyl

  • 257,000 miles
This is my 10th headlamp replacement. The dealers did most of them over the time I have owned the car. I am also an owner of a 2011 Toyota Prius. No problems with that one.

- Antioch, IL, USA

problem #83

Sep 022013

Prius 4-cyl

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The center console simply turned black. I have no access to any of the controls. This includes everything from heating and cooling, to back up camera, to gps mapps, to radio channell selection. The entire center console touch screen turned black and useless. I have been quoted $3,000 to fix the problem. After 4 years of un/deremployment, I simply cannot afford such a costly fix.

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #82

Oct 012012

Prius 4-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
The first time I noticed the problem, my car was parked in the driveway after returning from shopping, still running, when my son noticed the right headlight was out. For some reason, I reached in and turned the light switch off, and then back on, and the light was fine. I figured it was an anomaly. From then, one or the other headlight would disappear every couple of months or so, but always reappear with a toggle of the light switched. I was severely underemployed, and simply could/can not afford the $500 parts & labor the Toyota dealer wanted to replace both headlights. I just kept toggling and hoping for the best. I recently returned to full-time work, but with a commute of 1.25 hours each way. It was fine during daylight savings time, but now, I am toggling constantly, and both headlights are going out at the same time. I am traveling dark, country, roads, from fresno, ca to coalinga, ca to work at the pleasant valley state prison. I don't want to become a highway fatality statistic simply because NHTSA doesn't have the "[xxx]" to force Toyota to recall these dangerous headlights. I was unemployed or underemployed for 4 years following a lay off in the summer of 2009. I simply cannot afford to pay the $500 out of pocket, and I really don't have any credit left. Your inaction, NHTSA and Toyota, puts my life on the line twice a day. You both will probably have my blood on your hands. [xxx] you! information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #81

Nov 132013

Prius

  • 45,000 miles
I bought my 2006 Prius in October of 2012 and ever since buying it I've noticed that the headlight on the driver's side goes out by itself. I actually went into the dealer within a week and told them my headlight was out but when I got there and I turned them on it was working. I was baffled. They didn't say a thing to me that this was a commonly reported problem that Toyota wasn't going to be addressing. Anyway, I left and the headlight problem has been happening ever since. I decided to just live with it because when I turn the lights off and back on, the headlight comes back on - at least for a while. I'm very worried that the same thing might happen to the other headlight at the same time. I've read online about the cost of replacing the bulb ($330) which is ridiculous since this is obviously a mfg flaw that Toyota just doesn't want to pay for. Please issue a recall on this before someone gets killed!!

- Redmond, WA, USA

problem #80

Aug 202013

Prius

  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Climate control buttons failure when steering wheel is straight; spiral cable/ clock spring failure.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #79

May 152013

Prius 4-cyl

  • 155,431 miles
Our 2006 Toyota Prius has a head light that goes off and on at random intervals which we consider to be a safety hazard.

- Stanley, NC, USA

problem #78

May 102013

Prius

  • 119,000 miles
The vehicle unexpectedly shutdown while driving. There was no power and the brakes were boggy. The red triangle warning light came as well as the ABS and engine warning lights. After pulling over the car restarted and drove fine but the red triangle remained on. The next day it was working fine. Toyota was unable to find anything except a low voltage warning.

- Arcata, CA, USA

problem #77

Mar 012007

Prius 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
We have experienced intermitment headlight issues on the driver side going off and having to pull over and turnoff headlights and turn back on to get light back on. We have complain many times to the Toyota dealer. Finally driver side headlight was replaced, then weeks later on the passenger headlight started doing the same I.e., headlight going off and having to turn off and turn back on light control. To this day this not resolved please advise.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

problem #76

Jan 222013

Prius

  • 112,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car's engine would not shut off. Additionally, the digital dashboard (which shows the speedometer, odometer, gas gauge, etc.) would not light up. Toyota dealer says it is due to a failed combination meter. The part is on national backorder. It has been more than two weeks and my car is still awaiting the part.

- Royal Oak, MI, USA

problem #75

Aug 252012

Prius 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
The right headlight went out and then went on. The problem has recurred. Now the left headlight went out and then went on. We read that this is a common problem with the 2006 Toyota. Will there be a recall?

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #74

Nov 012012

Prius

  • miles
The electronic display inside my husband's car has blacked out twice now. Both times it was taken to the dealer. The first time, they were not able to locate the problem; the second time they were able to discover what was wrong, told him that it was a common problem in that model car (approx. 2004-2010), that there was no recall for it, and it would cost $700 to repair. If this is happening to other owners, why isn't there are recall? when it happens, the speedometer is gone. Warning lights, fuel gauge, back-up camera, etc. Are all out. This makes the car unsafe to drive.

- Merritt Island, FL, USA

problem #73

Nov 012012

Prius

  • 70,000 miles
Hid headlights on this vehicle and taillights go out on there own sometimes just one or sometimes all lights go out. Problem is fixed when you turn the lights all the way off and all the way back on and they stay on for the duration of my drive or go out a few minutes later. Have been pulled over by police multiple times for having lights out. Have seen many Toyota Prius complaints about this same exact problem.

- Lake Stevens, WA, USA

problem #72

Jan 012009

Prius 4-cyl

  • 35,000 miles
I have been having problems with my headlights going out for several years now. This is the same problem described by other drivers when the lights go out and can be reset by turning them off and back on again. For the first few years, the only bulb to go out was the right side. The bulb appears to have no bearing on the problem. I have put in new bulbs and had the same problem. I even tried switching the non-working bulb with the one that was working on the left side. The left side worked fine like this and the right side continued to fail. Now, several years later, the left side appears to be failing also. Even though I have gotten other recall notices, Toyota never notified me of a settlement in this case. And, by the time that I found out about it, the settlement had expired.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #71

Oct 152012

Prius 4-cyl

  • 91,710 miles
I found that there is malfunction on the buttons on steering wheel, especially info button and buttons for climate. I researched the problem on internet and I found the problem is caused by a bad clock spring. Also, I found the clock spring is related with air bag module. There are a lot of owners have the same problem (such as priuschat.com). I think that it could be a recall issue. And I experienced another problem. The accelerator pedal of my car was repaired by the recall service before. But when I release the accelerator pedal and try to push brake pedal, there is difference of height between both pedals. The height of brake pedal is higher than the accelerator pedal, even if I released the accelerator pedal. So it is dangerous to operate both pedals. When I tried to push the brake pedal after I released the accelerator pedal, my right feet was stuck with the brake pedal. I think the recall service for the accelerator pedal of my car was not successful. Or there is another problem on the brake pedal of Prius.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

problem #70

Jul 112012

Prius 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
2006 Toyota Prius with hid headlights with 55,000 miles is used as a taxi cab. On July 11th, 2012 and progressing, the passenger side hid headlight would flicker and then turn off completely after 5-15 minutes of operation. Headlights must be turned off and then on to resume normal service. Hid bulb replacement did not resolve the issue. Toyota dealership only offered to replace the headlight without any explanation to what might be causing the issue.

- Carmichael, CA, USA

problem #69

Sep 052011

Prius

  • 116,000 miles
Hid headlights go out randomly while driving. Each one goes out separately, but sometimes they will both happen to be out at the same time. While driving, this is corrected by turning headlights off and then back on. Same thing happens with the yellow running lights, one may turn off randomly. This began happening in fall of 2011, however new bulbs (hid and running lights) were purchased and the problem stopped temporarily, but within 1 year the same problems are occurring again. Similar problem with the rear license plate lights; one will be off randomly, but shutting the trunk hard seems to appease the problem. This may be a wiring problem, but the front lights should not be turning off randomly.

- East Lansing, MI, USA

problem #68

Aug 272012

Prius

  • 85,000 miles
The driver side hid headlamp went out while driving. This was out for about a day then turned back on while driving again. I have now noticed this happens every few days and only while in motion.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #67

Jul 242012

Prius 4-cyl

  • 86,998 miles
I am the original owner of a 2006 Toyota Prius. Last week, at 86,000 miles, while driving on the highway in traffic, a large red triangle warning light showed up on my dash with the low tire pressure light. I pulled off the road to check the manual and turned the car off. When I turned it back on many warning lights came on and I was unable to get the car out of park. Called the dealer. They told me to get towed to the dealer, which I did. After 2 days they determined that it needed a new hybrid transaxle for $5,000+ plus miscellaneous other repairs totaling $7,723. Toyota says the transaxle is covered under the powertrain warranty (60,000 miles) not the hybrid warranty (100,000 miles). There is a tsb for this repair, T-sb-0306-08 that states that it is covered under the California emission warranty in certain states, depending on model year, up to 150,000 miles. There seems to be new information that transmission fluid should be flushed at 30,000 miles. My dealer had only suggested this 2 weeks prior to the problem, when I was in for an oil change before a trip. I planned on doing it at my next service. I have a few questions" is this a common enough problem that it could be a ?defect?? I read somewhere that if 4% of cars have the problem then it is a defect. Is that right? over what time period if so? if not, how does that get determined? how can I find out how many transaxles have needed to be replaced before 100,000 miles on 2004-2008 model Prius?S? is this repair covered in carb states or not? I believe that Maryland is a carb state now. Would this warranty be retroactive to my car? is Toyota responsible for not suggesting I get the transmission fluid flushed prior to this"

- Frederick, MD, USA

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