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 w/hid headlights...they intermittently fail. Turn the off/on knob and they come back on. Started at about 30K on left side, left side failed 90% of time and @ 35K right side started failing. Dealer had no knowledge of problem when discussed at 35K service. Now 40K and trying to get covered under warranty.
My 2006 Toyota Prius driver side head light goes out after driving the car for a few minutes. When I turn the switch off then on the headlight comes back on again but for only a few minutes. It happens every day, intermittently and at night it can be dangerous. It appears to be a common problem with only the 2006 Prius with hid headlights and only on the drivers side. As of this date I understand from other owners that Toyota does not know how to fix it. I am going to have it looked at this week.
2006 Toyota Prius. Passenger light (both low and high beams) intermittently goes out. Turning car off and back on often brings light back on. Toyota dealer has had other complaints and recommends replacing headlight (one headlight is nearly $400, with labor it is nearly $500). I've always been told to replace headlights in pairs which makes that $1000 repair when clearly the headlights are failing widely and I suspect prematurely. This is widely reported in priuschat and other internet user groups and no one has identified the root cause. Surely there aren't *this* many bad bulbs. If it is a computer problem it could lead to other failures. This is a safety issue! Toyota needs to investigate the cause and offer a recall solution. It appears that complaints through this website are increasingly frequent. Thanks!
I was stopped in 2006 Prius by state trooper for headlight out on passenger side. Local dealer told me new hid lamps will cost $350 without installation. I ordered them and then found out that the lamps should last at least 10 years and that the problem affects most Prius cars with hid headlights from 20,000 to around 50,000 miles and that Toyota is well aware of the problem but has not issued a defect recall to date. The failure appears to be random and the lamps will re-start when switched off and back on again. Since the lamps extinguish randomly, there is the possibility of both failing simultaneously with serious safety issues.
I've got a package 6 2006 Prius. One of the headlights keeps going out. I can't really tell when or how it goes out since I can't see it. I'll notice it when I see the reflection in the back of another car. If I turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when I turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. Sometimes on long trips it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. sometimes on short trips it will go out, sometimes it won't. it is not an event I can make happen. I've taken it to the dealer and they don't really know what to do and told me I could get a new lamp for about $450 or replace something for $1100.
- Long Beach, CA, USA
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The front hid headlights on my 2006 Prius periodically go off, with no explanation -- both the right and left side have failed on occasion, but never at the same time. If I turn the lights off and then back on again, the light comes back on. This has been occurring over a number of months, so today I had it analyzed and was told the hid computer for each of the lights is ok, but the light bulbs themselves needed to be replaced, which I did at a cost of over $200 per bulb. I was told at the dealer that they've had numerous complaints about this, but were not aware of any factory authorized repair of said problem. After reading an internet blog on this issue, and hearing of numerous identical complaints, I'm convinced Toyota ought to be held accountable for this serious and potentially dangerous problem.
Our 2006 Toyota Prius has a headlight that will randomly turn off while driving. It is very difficult to tell when a headlight turns off. If we do realize that the headlight has turned off, we can turn both headlights off while driving and then turn them back on. This "resets" the lights and they both come back on. Living in the country where roads are very windy and illuminated streets are uncommon, this is a serious safety issue. The dealer claims they are bad bulbs; however, the hid bulbs should last 8-10 years. Our bulb has lasted only 2.5 years. To replace the bulb it costs over $500, which is ridiculous. There are obvious safety problems with bulbs randomly going out while driving. Based upon discussions with other Prius owners, this is a common problem. Other have been charged upwards of $1800 to change both headlamps on cars under 50K miles. Something should be done to make Toyota recognize this significant safety risk.
The car is equipped with hid lights and the drivers side fails intermittently. The dealer could not recreate the problem but suggested perhaps replacing the bulb ($345) might help or waiting until it becomes more frequent. This is a very common problem with the 2006 Prius hid lights. Toyota should at least have identified the source of the problem because it could be caused by the failure of various components and random replacement of components in the headlight circuit would be needlessly expensive. As it is obviously a manufacturing or supplier problem Toyota should extend the warranty and issue a recall as lighting is a safety issue.
2006 Toyota Prius hid headlight fails intermittently without warning. Headlight cannot be repaired by normal means requiring the vehicle by driven unsafely or abandoned on the road until it can be towed. Headlights non availability through normal suppliers encourages owners to drive without the headlight (s). Additionally, repair costs can easily exceed $1000 for a headlight.TR
2006 Toyota Prius hid headlights have repeatedly failed. Both headlights intermittently failed and were replaced by Toyota 11/24/07. Now R hid headlight has failed again. Loss of headlights creates a major safety hazard.
Three weeks after obtaining my new 2006 Prius, the right headlight started going off while driving. When I turned the lights off and on again, it would come back on. After 3 trips to the dealership they replaced the headlight (I noticed that the light was also not as bright as the other light). Then the left one started doing the same, many trips in and they replaced that one. The problem would stop for a while after the new headlight then start again. Last night I was driving home and was stopped by police. Both of my headlights had gone off. Same fix, was to turn the lights off and then on again. There is no warning light in the car, so I have no idea if the lights are on or off, unless I am behind a car in which I can see the reflection of my lights in their bumper. This is very disturbing and scary. My car is in the shop now again and Toyota is telling me that it is "normal " to replace the headlights after 50,000 miles. They are still looking at it as a headlight bulb problem. They are not listening to me that there is a major issue with the wiring or computer somewhere in the car. The internet is filled with complaints of Prius headlight problems, but as far as I can tell Toyota is ignoring it. I have even brought them the lists off of the internet, and they say that "everyone complains on the internet".
High intensity headlight problem on 2006 Prius. Light goes off intermittently. Sometimes will come back on after flicking on and off a few times. Sometimes will not come on at all. Replaced passenger side at around 26,000 miles and driver's side a few months later. Covered by warranty those times. Now at 53,000 passenger side is out and dealer is charging $300 to replace headlight. Dealer stated that they have had many other customers with same problem. As of today there is no recall.
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius with about 60,000 miles. I am experiencing the widely reported issue with the hid headlight. The driver side headlight fails to turn on sometimes, but if I notice it and turn off the headlights and turn them back on, the problem goes away. Even if the light works, it sometimes flickers and goes out after a few minutes. I got pulled over by the police tonight for a failed headlight. Since this seems to be a widely reported issue, Toyota should fix this for the people who have encountered it. Thanks!
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 40 mph at night, the contact noticed that the exterior light on the passenger side lost power. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for a diagnostic, but no failures were found. The vehicle was not repaired at that time. A few months later, the exterior light on the driver's side began to lose power. The light began working again once it was turned off and then on again. The failures have occurred intermittently. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 42,000. Updated 12/16/08 updated 12/18/08.
Before my 2006 Prius was out of warranty I noticed intermittent problems with one of the headlights, the dealer never could find the source of the problem. Once out of warranty I again mentioned the problem to the dealer and they said the headlight bulb was bad and it would be over $400 to replace. I said this was a problem when the car was under warranty but was never fixed, they replaced for free. I later searched the internet and discovered this is a common problem on the Toyota Prius. A headlight should not be over $400 to replace and if it is going to cost that much, it shouldn't be going out after such a short time.
Accident repair front right. Approx 2 wks after repair I noticed that the right headlight wasn't working. Hi beam works. Found other disgruntled owners on priuschat.com. Replacement of light is $350 and is under warranty for 33,000 miles - I had about 38,000 at the time of the accident. I have no way of knowing whether the light is ok and a connection is bad or whether the accident had anything to do with the failure of the light. I think this is a design defect and there should be a recall.
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius that has an intermittent front left headlight. It goes on when I first start it and then it goes off a few minutes later. If you redo the headlight it goes on then shuts off again. It seems very dangerous and the dealer is saying it will cost over $200 to fix.
Intermittent failure of driver side hid lamp in 2006 Toyota Prius. When the headlamps are turned off and then turned back on it starts back up. I have 60K miles on my car and have a Toyota extended warranty and am told that even though this is a known issue it is not covered.
My passenger side headlight was reported to be out by my husband so I took the car to the dealership. The light was working for them, they told me at that time it would be $600 to repair so I should wait until "it is a real problem" before fixing it. Within a week or two I was pulled over by a state trooper for having a headlight out. Fortunately for me, he only issued a warning. I took the car back to the dealership, and the woman booking me in said "oh yeah, we see that problem with the Prius". I asked "what problem, exactly is that problem?" she said "just what you report, headlights going out & coming back on again". I asked if that should be a recall, and she said "your car is no longer under warranty, but I'll see what I can do for you." Ultimately, they replaced both headlights and the computer that is associated with each headlight & the dealership absorbed the cost "as a goodwill gesture & because of owner loyalty". seems to me they know there is a defective part and they are trying to duck a recall.
My 2006 Toyota Prius experiences intermittent, sporadic events in which the headlamps (both of them but not simultaneously) go out. There is nothing to predict which one will go out, at which time and this morning at 6:35 am the driver's side went out as well as the passenger side, leaving me driving in the pitch dark. I had the drivers side headlamp replaced after hours of a Toyota tech not being able to find anything wrong with the wiring. I have been pulled over on several occasions only to turn off my lights and turn them back on at which point the lights come on again. This is safety issue for me as I drive approx 30000 miles a year and cannot be limited to driving in daylight hours. Toyota has been unable to diagnose the problem (or identify it) for me and I refuse to continue to replace headlamps, especially at such a high pricetag. This has been an ongoing issue with the latest incident happening today. I am tired of this.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- El Granada, CA, USA