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.
Headlights are intermittent on both sides. Major safety issue. I have replaced the bulbs twice in less than a year and the issue still persists. It isn't the bulb the headlights are defective.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the headlights failed. The contact was able to turn the lights back on. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 46,000.
Driving down the freeway in the fod and the drivers side headlight went out. Turned off and on again, the light reilluminated. This has happened four more times since then and have been pulled over by the local police because of it. Because of the geographical area that I am in and the fod is prevalent during the winter months this poses an extreme danger to both myself and others around me.
Non-hid headlights go out without warning. This happens daily! very random. Sometimes they blink, sometimes they just go out altogether. These are not hid! we have had new headlights put in by Toyota and they also replaced the relays - but the problem has only gotten worse. We called Toyota corporate, but because the dealer can't figure out what is wrong - they say that there is nothing they can do and that there is no diagnosis, so therefore no issue they can address. We need help. This is a massive safety issue. Now Toyota wants to replace the computer - but it will cost us over $1,000 and they said they don't even know if it will work. If it doesn't work, they said they will replace a second and then third computer in the car, but that might not work either. From what we've researched online, others have had this done and the headlights still do not work. To those out there considering a Prius from this year, please do not make the purchase! we wish we had known. NHTSA needs to reopen the class action case and include those without hid headlights. We are begging you for our safety and the safety of others on the road.
- Wexford, PA, USA
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The headlights on this car have intermittently worked since the car had about 30,000 miles. The lights randomly turn off. Usually one at a time but sometimes both go out. Turning the lights off and back on fixes the problem, but only temporarily. I read that this is a problem with the bulbs going bad but I can attest that it is a clear defect. Replaced the bulbs and it still happens periodically.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 65 mph, the contact noticed that the headlights began to flicker abnormally. The headlights eventually stopped flickering and would completely fail intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I have purchased the vehicle nearly two years ago... and I did purchase an extended warranty just in case a mechanical failure would happen..I have visited the dealer complaining about the regular battery not the cell because the battery should at least last me 4 years, nothing happened, they have flatly refused to do so, now I am constantly having problem with the passenger headlight that is going in and out sporadically. I have read in the forum that so many Toyota having the same problem and that Toyota want to charge to fix the problem instead of a recall....I am writing to you so I can get help with these problems.
The passenger side headlight frequently fails to turn on. Sometimes it turns on, then shuts off within the course of a drive. Sometimes it doesn't turn on at all. It seems like it must be a problem with the electrical system, as the bulb itself continues to light, it just doesn't light all the time. The driver's side headlight, in the mean time, is perfectly fine and never has problems, which also suggests some kind of electrical/connector issue.
While driving our car, the driver side light has been shutting off. If you turn the light off and on it usual comes back on. Recently we have had both lights shut off on their own while driving. This is extremely dangerous, but fortunately we were able to turn them back on by turning the lights off and on. I contacted Toyota and they said they extended the warranty for this problem to 50,000 miles, but our car is 4,000 miles past. They admitted this was a problem but offered no remedy other than taking it to the dealer. Not only is this a very expensive problem, it is a very dangerous situation. I was driving on a dark country road when the lights turned off, and I was essentially driving blind for a short time. At the very least I feel that Toyota should tell all of it's Prius owners that the potential for this problem is out there. Some quick investigating on the internet shows that this is not an isolated problem. It appears to be a rather common problem. I am writing in hopes that Toyota can be persuaded into doing the right thing to protect the safety of their customers, because they made it clear that they are not willing to do so on their own imitative. Thank you!
The front headlight started going on and off periodically while driving, we went on a trip to hungary and the light started acting up. We have taken it to two Toyota dealerships within germany with no resolution but expensive bills due to the mechanics hooking it up to computer systems to diagnose the problem. This is causing us safety issues while driving especially on not clear days due to the early morning fog. I have consulted with my brother's body shop to see if there has been any recalls or defects on the lights, nothing. I am taking it again this week to the Toyota shop in mannheim germany. This problem has not been resolved since Feb 2012. I would appreciate some resolution to this problem before the lights cause us an accident. I have had the two front headlight bulbs replaced which are not inexpensive. Thank you if you need to contact me do it via email, this is my parents phone number in pa, I cannot type in my number in germany. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
When I turned my car on to go home my dash lights did not work or backup cam or seat belt alarm nothing was showing I could not tell if I was going forward or backwards etc I parked it turned off 2 times then 5 mins later it can back on automatically fixxx this.
The headlight was on, then turned off after a few minutes. Took the car to a local shop (dealer price is way too high), replaced the bulb and board, problem persists. Search internet, found a lot of posts for the same issue. It is a car we bought for my 16 year-old daughter. Now we are horrified. We do not know if there is a fix for this problem, and how can our government not force toyata to fix the problem. We paid a boundle for this car even it is used, now we are stuck and will be worried to death when my daughter drives is in the dark. Please take action, it is serious.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while traveling 70 mph, both low beam headlights shut off without warning. The vehicle was merged to the side of the road where the lights were reset and began to function normally. The contact stated that the headlights would sporadically fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue. The failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 101,000.
I have a 2007 Toyota Prius. Was informed by people and mechanic that my front left headlight was out, this started in 2010. If I turned the headlights off and on again, the headlight would come back on. Goes off randomly. Asked Toyota to replace it after I received a notice about a class action lawsuit in calif about the same problem with Toyota Prius's. again in 2012 was pulled over by police twice and informed that my front left headlight was out. Turned lights off and on again, and light comes back on. Happened randomly.
About a year ago, the passenger head light started going out. We would select the lights off and then back on and they would come on. This would happen a couple of times in a 30 mile trip. More recently both head lights would start going out. Sometimes it is the left, sometimes it is the right, sometimes it is both headlights. It is getting more and more frequent. Today, at 6:30am (still very dark outside) both head lights went out approx 6 times in a 30 mile trip down the interstate. I have talked to Toyota about the one headlight before and they said they are aware of the problem, but they will not cover any cars over 70,000 miles. They say that the headlights will never go out. For one light, it is $400. Reading forums they say it can be a computer module which runs approx $3500. I believe that this vehicle is incredibly unsafe if both of the headlights are going out while at high speeds (or even anytime while it is dark outside).
Hid headlights turn off without warning while driving. Then if you turn them off and turn them on again, they'll come on again (sometimes dimly) and then turn off. Sometimes the left one goes out. Sometimes the right one goes out. Sometimes both go out.
When I shipped my car over to italy for my permanent change of duty station, my neighbor notice that one of my headlight is off and the other is still on so he thought I have a bad headlight. I check it by turning it off and then turning it on again. It turn on. But a few week later while I was driving home from work my headlight suddenly went off while I was in the middle of the highway. I was driving in the dark. I turned the light off and turned it back on again and it turned on. After that it turn off more often as time goes on. About July, 2011 I did some searching online and it appear to be a known problem for most Toyota Prius owner that have hid headlight. The headlight is expensive to replaced. My car was still under warranty, so I tried to contact the Toyota dealer to set up some type of arrangement so that I can get it fix over here. My Toyota dealer did not reply about the issue. I also contact the Toyota main company online but they told me that they cannot do anything for me. They refuse to send me a new part or provide me with any reimbursement due to the fact that the car was 5 years old. My headlight was defected before their 5 years 50K warranty end.
Left headlight started just going off completely at nite, now both are going off while driving. Checking online, it seems that many other Toyota owners have had same problem, and one of the vendors of headlights for Toyota manufactured defective headlights. Thus not all Toyota have the prob, just the ones with this vendor's headlights. But it still shows many do have the bad headlights. Toyota is not standing behind this issue and repairing the defective ones as they should. It is a very expensive...almost 2000 dollars to replace the computer controllers and headlights.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Auburn, CA, USA