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 Prius headlights are intermittent, especially the driver's side. When you turn on the headlights they both go on, but the driver's side lights go out--at first others would tell us, then we would discover it ourselves. We reported this to the Toyota dealership at about 35,000 miles and were told the bulbs cost about $300 apiece, that it wasn't covered under the warranty. We've since found out that other Prius owners have experienced this same problem, that some have paid a high price to replace the lights and continue to have the same problem, which seems to indicate the problem isn't the bulbs! also there is controversy about the dealerships saying they have to remove the front bumper assembly to change the bulbs, when they can easily be replaced in about 10 minutes without removing the bumper! this headlight problem constitutes a very dangerous condition for which is seems bulb replacement isn't the answer. Toyota needs to admit there is a manufacturing problem for which they should supply the remedy. There should be an indicator light on the instrument panel that indicates if either headlight fails to operate.
I've had a problem with my 2006 Toyota Prius, where my right headlight goes out intermittently. It will go out, and if I turn the headlights off and back on, it will come back on. Then, after a period of minutes, it will go back out again. It started about a month ago (at 77,000 miles), and has slowly gotten worse - the amount of time the right headlight stays on has become less and less (averages a couple minutes now). I replaced both headlight bulbs, and the problem persists, so it doesn't seem to be a bulb issue.
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius and my drivers side headlight just turns off while I am driving. When I turn it completely off and then on, it comes back on for a little while and repeats the whole process again. I am lucky that one headlight is still on. If both headlights start behaving the same way, the driver will not know it and this could be a recipe for accidents and even death. I seriously think Toyota should recall affected models and fix the issue before it starts killing people.
Both passenger and driver side headlights flicker and go out intermittently, creating safety situation. Toyota dealer asking $400+ to fix for a product defect that has been extensively reported. Toyota head office gave short shrift. Problem began ca. 45K miles.
- Sacramento, CA, USA
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The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the headlights would intermittently turn off. The contact would turn the lights off and turn them on again but they would turn back off suddenly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was repaired (the contact was unsure of the details of the repair). The failure occurred again 30,000 miles after the repair. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current mileage was approximately 67,000. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Hid headlight goes out intermittently. When starting the car both headlights are on, but on multiple occasions after returning home I notice from the reflection on a wall/item in front of the parked car that the driver-side headlight is completely out. I've also noticed a couple of times while driving that the driver headlight is out. It can't just be the bulb since the light comes on and goes off.
Faulty hid lightbulb about a year ago, I replaced the driver side hid lightbulb and now I have to replace the passenger side hid lightbulb. Similar symptoms leading up to both replacements: The light sometimes works and sometimes does not. If I notice that the light is not working and switch the lights off and back on, sometimes the faulty light will work and other times it will not. The light never seems fully burned out as it works intermittently. At night, this can pose a safety issue. Toyota has not been able to explain this issue and has only recommended replacing the lightbulb, which is quite expensive.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the headlights turned off. They were replaced October 2010 but failed again. The dealer stated that the problem was that the bulbs were defective. The contact believed the failure to be within the circuit board. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000 and the current mileage was approximately 52,000.
2006 Prius purchase cpo with 59,000 miles. Noticed headlights not functioning within 15 minutes of driving off the lot. At least thee occurrences of headlight failure that evening, including, at one time both headlights went out at the same time. After 600+ complaints, why has no recall been compelled?
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. Whenever the contact was driving at any speed, the headlights turned off suddenly without any warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the headlights needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 29,000.
Intermittent functioning of passenger-side hid headlamp on 2006 Toyota Prius after <20,000 miles, followed by complete failure after a few months. Bulb replaced by Toyota dealer in 2009 at cost >$200. Now, driver-side bulb experiencing same issue of intermittent function at <30K miles.
My 2006 Toyota Prius headlights has manufacturer defect that Toyota won't take responsibility. In early 2010, the front passenger headlight will go off intermittently. But if it were turn off then on, it will stay on for a while before turn off again. Now the front passenger headlight is doing the same. I called Toyota dealer in atlanta and it cost $400 to fix. I called Toyota customer service and was surprised to know they knew about this issue but won't pay for the repair. I received a traffic ticket for front passenger headlight malfunction. It cost me $265 for the ticket. Toyota just lost my confidence.
I have an 2006 Toyota Prius with hid headlights. About 6 months ago, one light started going out shortly after ignition. It could be either one. After I turn the lights off and back on, both will stay on for the duration of the trip. This has been consistent over last 6 months or so.
Passenger side headlight or ("hid") will turn off for not apparent reason while headlights are activated. The light will turn off periodically during a drive over all surface types. Correction: Turn lights off then on again. Passenger light will turn back on for a time, and then off.
I bought a 2006 Toyota Prius new, with all the options, in May 2006. I live in southern California, where it's been mostly warm and dry (I.e., a drought) since before I bought the car. At about 64,000 in 2-3 days of misty weather, my right front headlight started going off and back on. At about 91,000 miles, the problem got much worse, but unpredictable. At 97,000 even worse. Having to take the car to the dealer for other reasons, I asked the dealer to look at this, but they said that they could not duplicate the front right headlight going out. A little after 99,000 miles, the headlight ceased to stay on for more than a few seconds. I replaced it with a good mail-order hid bulb, but had the same result = it stays on for only several seconds before turning off. My wife refuses to drive this car at night or when it might be raining, and I won't risk her driving this car like that. If something happened to her, I suppose that I could sue Toyota, but that wouldn't undo any harm to my wife. Can someone do something about this"!" the Toyota dealerships are incredibly defensive about this, and not at all helpful. There hasn't been an accident, yet. But, driving with just one headlight is not safe !!!
2006 Toyota Prius driver side headlamp is faulty--goes out intermittently. (lightbulb is not burned out, as light will come back on if the light switch is turned off and then turned back on.)
My 2006 Toyota Prius had a problem with the headlights whereby one would go off and on intermittently. There was no apparent pattern as to when this would happen, although it seemed to occur after the headlights had been on for more than 10 minutes.;
My 2006 Prius has a "winking" right headlight --- sometimes on, sometimes not. It is a high intensity discharge type. The car now has 70,000 miles on it but this behavior has been going on intermittently for over a year. I base that on the several times in the past year someone has told me the light was out but, when I went to look at the light, it was on! recently, I have witnessed it myself. I understand I am not alone with this problem. Hopefully, replacing the bulb will fix it but even that is an expensive proposition and the bulb may not be the culprit.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Tallahassee, FL, USA