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.
1. one of the headlights turns off without warning while driving or idling. 2. this occurs several times a week. 3. I took my car to the dealership twice. The bulb was replaced, and the headlight assembly. But the problem still occurs. The last incident was 04/21/09.
The headlights go off while driving mostly the drivers side light but one time both headlights went out at night. Toyota wants over six hundred dollars to replace light bulbs which they say are the problem. Light bulbs are not the problem because when the lights go out, you can turn them off then back on and they both come back on and work properly. They have gone out three times and the forth time the morning I took it to the dealership for repairs.
2006 Toyota Prius. Occurrence: Constant -- every time. Headlights go out despite switch being "on." Headlights sometimes come back on after being turned off and back on. Sometimes not. Sometimes it is the left headlight, sometimes it's the right one. According to the Toyota forum priuschat.com/forums/care-maintenance-troubleshooting/34584-headlight-problem.html this seems to be a pretty widespread problem with little unified response from Toyota. Several dealerships have apparently charged for some corrective effort, but there does not seem to be a solid corrective action plan in place for anyone to follow - on their own or through Toyota. I'm marking today as the incident date, (because it's a required field) but this has been going on for several months. I am glad I decided to check on line before replacing the bulbs -- turns out it would probably not do any good. Taking the step of filing here so I can keep a copy on file in the event of a traffic stop. What do I tell the police? thanks for your help on this.
Hid lamps intermittently flicker and go out. Sometimes one or the other, sometimes both. Turning the light switch off then on corrects the problem. Does not matter if it is low or high beam, experiencing the same issue.
- Milford , VA, USA
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Headlight stops working then restarts..never know when it is going to work..this happens now daily, started just every now and then. Dealership replaced connection 137$ now 2 months later..out again. Pulled over by police 3 times.
My 2006 Toyota Prius uses high intensity discharge (hid) headlight bulbs. These bulbs are suppose to last 10 years. The same bulb has failed twice now in the past 12 months and there are many noted instances of this same thing happening to other Prius owners, yet Toyota has not found a way to resolve the problem. The dealership is the only authorized repair place to get the problem fixed with the cost ranging from $350 for just a new bulb to $1500 if the relay needs to be replaced.
2006 Toyota Prius hid headlight (driver's side) fails intermittently. The light will go out intermittently, but will come back on I the switch is turned off and on again. This problem began several months ago, and is getting progressively worse (more frequent). I was advised by the dealer that I would have to leave the car with them so they can "watch it until it fails", which is impractical since I need the vehicle on a daily basis.
Around 40K miles headlights would shut off. First occurrence happened on major freeway at night. Immediately pulled over and turned off car. When starting car back up, headlights turned on. This problem occurs at least every other day. Big safety issue considering headlights can go off at night while operating vehicle.
Headlights intermittently go out on both the passenger and driver side of my 2006 Prius. Problem was identified by dealership as manufacturer defect. Dealership removed and replaced headlights and computers. The total cost for the repair by frontier Toyota was $1,323.86. I requested 100% reimbursement with Toyota. Toyota agreed to pay for parts only. Toyota is aware that this is a common issue with the Prius but does not take responsibility that this safety issue is a manufacturer defect. The safety issue and cost is exorbitant.
2006 Prius high intensity headlamps flickered went out and restarted when turned off and on and eventually stopped working at 40,000 miles in March 2008, had bulbs replaced by Toyota loyalty, now in April 2009 with less than 30,000 more miles same thing happening, unsafe to drive at night, Toyota loyalty refuses any further assistance, repair estimated to be over $600. Obviously defective part or design. Toyota loyalty claims that controllers were replaced in 2008, but dealer denies, stating only replaced bulbs.
There are over 800 NHTSA registered complaints regarding the 2005-2008 Toyota Prius intermittent hid headlight defect. Yet, the NHTSA has not opened an investigation. Will someone or some family need to suffer through a deadly accident before an investigation is opened?
I own a 2006 Prius and usually have to drive to work or from work before the sun comes up or after it goes down. I do not keep my headlights perpetually on while driving. At about 40,000 miles (weeks after the warranty ends) my left headlight flickers off, but I turn the light switch quickly off and on and the light works again for a while longer, then it goes off again. I take it in and the dealer says $646 to replace one, and other will need it too, so $936 for both. Dealer says the bumper has to be dropped down to get to the lights, that is the biggest expense. When I drive it home right from the dealer the right headlight goes out too, with the same quick off/on to get it working again. Some days I can turn it on once and drive 52 mile to work without them going off, other days one or the other cut off 5-10 times or flicker for a few minutes. Many of my colleagues and friends say they drive their new expensive cars with headlights perpetually on with the same type of headlight, and have no problem or no expensive replacement costs. I fell that the shortlived headlamp is a product defect and bizarre process to drop the bumper to replace the headlight is a manufacturers defect.
Intermittent failure of hid headlights on 2006 Prius beginning around 30K miles. Temporarily fixed by switching lights off and on. Unable to replicate for dealership. Occurs at least once each drive in car, any mileage. Other owners have had same problems. Cost of repairs at dealership have ranged from $380 per lamp. In one case a dealer charged a Prius owner $2600 to repair the problem. This is an unsafe manufacturing defect warranting a recall by Toyota.
Drivers side headlight goes out after being on 1st. After the headlights are on, the left(drivers side) headlight simply goes off. If I turn the headlights off again, they both come back on, and then again, the drivers side headlight goes back off. Prior to this issue, both headlights would go off, I would turn both headlights off, back on and they'd be fine for a little while, and the cycle of off and on, on and off would continue!
Both headlights turn off, separately and intermittently. Must turn the headlight switch off and on to turn light(s) back on while driving. Increasing in frequency.
Headlight goes out intermittently... turning off all lights for several seconds and then back on turns the light back on.... dealer said bulb needs to be replaced for about $300..... internet forums indicate this is a problem with the Prius over several years... and does not fix problem... others have replaced controller boards, bulbs, wiring, all to no avail... there should be a recall to fix the problems.... I have also purchased the extended 100,000 mile warranty.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dallas, GA, USA