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.
I have a 2006 Prius with hid headlights. The car has approximately 60,000 miles on it and the headlights will go off intermittently. If one goes out, I can turn the lights off, then back on and they will both work. My concern is if they both go off at an inopportune time. Also, the driving tail lights react the same way. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not. I have read this article as well....www.allaboutprius.com/blog/1022113_high-intensity-headlight-horrors-perplex-Prius-owners.
2006 Toyota Prius - headlights flicker on and off intermittently for no apparent reason. Headlights will dim until they are totally dark. If I turn them to off and then turn them on, they will stay on for a period of time. It seems to be a random occurrence that happens several times a week.
Toyota Prius 2006 headlights intermittently shuts off. It is temporarily fixed by manually turning the headlight switch off and on but this will only last for 2 minutes before it turns off again. It started with the driver side first and now both lights are affected.
For no apparent reasons, both my right and left hid headlights (2006 Prius) intermittently will go off independently and at random times. Sometimes while night driving I cannot see the road very clearly at all because only 1 light will be on. Turning the switch off and back on will temporarily re-light them, but during the 'off' time I've almost no visibility for a second or two.
2006 Prius high intensity discharge (hid) headlight goes off without warning. Hid goes off after being on for only a few minutes. Turning headlights off & then back on turns the hid on, but it goes off again (sometimes after only a couple of minutes & other times after a longer period of time).
- Spotsylvania, VA, USA
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My 2006 Toyota Prius has 58,000 miles. The passenger side hid headlight intermittently goes out on low beam. The high beam will not work. Toyota wants $150 for the bulb plus installation costs. I have visited many web based sites that indicate this is a wide spread problem. I believe you should require Toyota to fix this problem.
The hid head lights on my Prius burned out quickly, and very expensive and difficult to replace the bulb, and then burn out again! I am currently driving around dangerously with just one head light.
Intermittent headlamp failure while driving. Turn lights off and back on and lights work. Headlight assemblies both sides replaced 1/2008 replaced bulb passenger side 6/1/2009 and driver side 7/31/2009.
My headlamps on my Toyota Prius go out by itself ( sometimes on the right) and sometimes on the left. If I turn the lights on and off again it comes back on. But in the middle of driving it just cuts out by itself. I was surprised that there was not a recall from Toyota when I called the dealer. They said they have had quite a few other owners with the same problem. I actually had this happen many many months ago when my brother said my headlight was out, I turned it off and on and went to look at it was fine. Did not think much of it, until now when my uncle driving in front of me told me that my light went out in the middle of driving.
The hid headlamps on my 2006 Prius go out intermittently. I have to turn the headlights off and back on. I am currently on my second set of headlamps. The drivers side headlamp was replaced but the bulb continues to go out at random.
The hid (high intensity discharge) headlights on my 2006 Toyota Prius are failing. Turning them on and off will usually result in them lighting up, but they will go out again. I understand this to be common with this model. It started at approx 40,000 miles with the driver-side, and this spring the passenger side also started to go out. The car now has about 53,000 miles.
Toyota Prius 2006 high intensity discharge headlights. Left side went out at 35,000 miles and was replaced under warrenty. Right side went out at 38,000 and was no longer under warrenty, replacement cost was $700.
Passenger headlights of 2006 Prius are turn off at random times. When this happens, lights must be turned all the way off and on again to have lights come on. (which indicates the bulb is not burnt out).
Headlights are dropping out and need to be turned off/on very frequently to illuminate the roadway at night. Both headlights are dropping out more frequently than in the past at the same time which causes a very hazardous driving condition especially for other drivers on the roadway and those unfamiliar with the Toyota Prius hid failure problem. This is an extremely common problem on 2006 and 2007 Toyota Prius with hid and there are hundreds if not thousands of complaints regarding these failures. The media is finally covering this somewhat but is it going to take an injury or worse yet a death to cause something to be done about it? individual drivers like myself are attempting to keep our cars safe and road worthy but at a cost of anywhere between $500 - $2000 to have "working headlights" that may only last a few months or a year and then need replaced again we can not incur these costs. With an approximate 1.5 to 2 hours (Toyota specification) to change a bulb and requiring special tools (Toyota specification) owners almost have no choice but to take the car to a Toyota specific dealership. Please, please, please escalate this investigation and issue a recall for Toyota Prius hid bulbs for the 2006 - 2009 model years. You have noticed that the new "improved" 2010 Toyota Prius does not use hid bulbs at any trim level correct? Toyota knows of this problem which is why they stopped using the hid's. now something needs to be done about it to correct the issue on the 2006 - 2009 vehicles. Thank you in advance for your quick and courteous reconciliation of this issue. Regards, chris barr
We have experience front headlight bulb failure twice on our 2006 Toyota Prius. One failure in March 2008 and again June 2009. In both cases, the lights went out and could only be restored by turning the front headlights off completely and turning them back on again to fail a short time later. Both had to be replaced at a substantial cost of approximately $400 plus the danger of having to reactivate the lights while driving at night and multiple police stops due to the failed light. Two times in one evening alone.
Intermittent headlight failure while driving at night. Was told by Toyota service department the right side headlight was bad. Dealership cost prohibitive so I bought 4 replacement bulbs. Replaced both bulbs myself, fairly easy to do. Passenger side bulb continued to go off every now and then. Brought back to dealer. Dealer replaced passenger side balast. Said lights ok. Drove to work next morning, bulbs worked great on 19 July 09. Started to drive to work on the morning of 20 July 2009 and passenger side light failed and blew apart. Dealership claims it's the bulb's although the driver's side bulb is just fine.
After owning my used 2006 Toyota Prius for a week, I had my 1st incident: I was driving down the road at night, and right headlight went out, while left headlight remained on. Turned the headlight switch to 'off' position, and then to 'on' position. The headlight came back on for about 5 minutes, and then went off again. About 2 weeks later, I started having the same issue with both headlights. I used the same method as above in order to get the headlights to come back on. It does not seem to matter whether or not I have just started the car, or whether it has been running for a while... the bulbs go out when the car is 'cold' and when it has been running for a while. I took the car to my regular mechanic to see if it was the bulb, etc. ( as electrical problems will not be covered under my used car warranty ). I almost wrecked the car going around a dark curve in the road the other day, when both headlights went out. I have also been pulled over twice for improper equipment... but fortunately, I was not fined. I expect that I will eventually get a fine if this problem doesn't get fixed... or worse... I could have a wreck and be killed... as most of the driving I do is at night, and often... I drive on country roads that have no street lights... not to mention... deer running out in the road.
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- Aspen, CO, USA