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.
One headlight intermittently but frequently fails; turning the light switch off and on will temporarily cure the problem. The local Toyota service manager states that this is a common occurrence and that the electronic control unit integrated with the headlamp is probably at fault. Since the front bumper has to be removed to gain access to the headlights, this is an expensive repair procedure.
My 2007 Toyota Prius headlights have been going on and off one at a time, and in the past month both have gone out at night. I have to turn them off and on to get the headlights to come back on, and this doesn't work everytime. I have been pulled over numerous times by the police for a light out, only to show them it isn't out. Toyota will do nothing about this.
The headlights on my 2007 Prius come and go. The problem is a defect in the headlights and the fix is more than $500. For the headlights. This is really dangerous because I think there is a problem and I look they are okay. Then someone tells me my headlight is off and it is but when I look at it later, they are working. I suspect that they have been doing this a long time but I did not realize it. This is dangerous. I want a recall!! this is worse than the pedal problem.
My 2007 Prius has the hid headlamps, which are too costly to repair and will randomly go out while driving at night...clearly dangerous. I try to have the bulbs replaced and Toyota dealer says its a $200 to $300 dollar job to repair (money that I do not have) while the car was still under warranty the las vegas dealer fixed the issue ( or I thought they did) but less then two years later I am having the same problem and now Toyota will not repair it cause it is not under warranty. This is wrong they tried and failed to fix now I guess I am no longer a good customer. Why will they not fix a danger situation. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My 2007 Prius has the hid headlamps, which are too costly to repair and will randomly go out while driving at night...clearly dangerous. I try to have the bulbs replaced and Toyota dealer says its a $200 to $300 dollar job to repair (money that I do not have) while the car was still under warranty the las vegas dealer fixed the issue ( or I thought they did) but less then two years later I am having the same problem and now Toyota will not repair it cause it is not under warranty. This is wrong they tried and failed to fix now I guess I am no longer a good customer. Why will they not fix a danger situation. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- Creston, IA, USA
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Toyota Prius 2007 with hid headlights. Passenger headlight intermittently on and off. I have been reading about this problem and it seems to be a common one with no solution for repair.
Summary: My car began accelerating while I was in park. I own a 2007 Toyota Prius. Two days ago, I drove to my destination, pulled into a parking spot, and turned off the car. I was early, so I turned the car back on (so I could listen to the radio while I waited). The car was in park and I did not have my feet on any pedals. The car was on for less than a minute when it began to drive forward. I both heard the sound of the motor engaging and visually processed that the car was moving. I immediately stepped on the brake hard and the car immediately came to a stop. My 4-year-old was distressed because the rolling and hard stop made a big jolt. The car was still in park. I released the brake pedal and the car stayed still. I do not know if this is related, but my car headlights randomly turn off while I am driving. If I toggle the switch off and back on, they always come back on. I took it to the local dealer, where the repair guy told me they frequently see this problem, and all they do is replace the headlights (which made no sense to me, because the bulbs aren't burned out). I would say this problem happens about once a week.
For approximately the past six months the passenger side headlight in our car has gone out intermittently. This occurs when there is any vibration in the road from, for example, uneven road surfaces. Additionally, our car accelerates after hitting a bump or a pothole.
We have a '07 Toyota Prius. Over the last six months the headlights have been going on and off, usually only one but recently both have been shutting off. You can turn off the lights then turn them back on. The dealer said there is nothing they can do. Toyota customer service said that they will limit how much the dealer can charge for the bulb but nothing else. I then called the dealer to set up the appointment to replace the bulbs and he said there may be other issues they will check first. Obviously this is a prevalent problem that Toyota is not taking ownership of. It is also a safety issue. We will no longer drive the car after dark.
My headlights in my Prius are only 2 years old and are already going out. I rarely replace headlights in other cars and 2 years for a $500 repair is fraud. Nothing leading up to it other than the headlights just started flickering about a month ago. It occurs almost every time we turn on the headlights. Not corrected yet. The lamps were replaced right at about 2 years ago (they were damaged then).
I purchased a new 2007 Toyota Prius that currently has 50K miles. The vehicle is equipped with hid headlamps. These lamps intermittently have started cycling on and off. One night I suddenly lost both headlamps. When you flick the switch on and off, the lamps come back on again... a least for a while. I found out I am not the only person with this defect! Toyota has discontinued these lights in their 2010 versions. They know they are defective! Toyota blames the bulbs but this sounds like a 25,000 volt power supply problem. These bulbs operate just like neon lighted signs! the bulb is nothing but a gas filled tube. A sudden voltage dip and the bulb goes out. This is a major safety problem. Furthermore my local Toyota dealer (joel confer) wants $220 per headlamp to replace the bulbs and the vehicle is still under warranty. Toyota was charging $300 at one time for each bulb! this is also an issue for the ftc regarding this practice we were told these lamps last 2-3X as long as halogens. This itself is a fraud and a lie.
Passenger side headlight shuts off after 10 to 15 seconds of use and will remain off until the light switch is cycled from on to off back to on. The problem remains even after turning switch on and off. Replaced bulbs and problem still remains.
My 2007 Prius has a safety issue with the driver's side hid headlight. The car had 36,500 miles when the problem began in March 2010. The light would go out without warning and turning the lights off and on would make the light work for a short while until it went out again. The light stopped working completely in April. The dealer gave me a quote of $685 to replace the headlight and headlight assembly. The service manager reduced the price to $150 plus $50 for labor. I am filing a complaint with Toyota. Headlights that shut off while driving is a safety issue and it appears there is a design defect in the 2007 Prius. Please continue to investigate this safety issue and force Toyota to conduct a recall. Thank you.
Hid headlights. Intermittent side to side failure. Today both at once, could reset by turning off, then back on. However they both failed a few minutes later. Very dangerous @ 65 mph in the dark.
I am the owner of a 2007 Prius. The car has 66,000 miles. The driver headlight has been working on and off. A couple months ago (Feb. 2010) my driver headlight went off a couple times. A month ago I was driving down the highway at nighttime and both headlights went off. Cars were honking at me and I was very worried because I was on a non very well lit area. I stopped a bit later and turned off the engine. At this point, both lights came back on. I checked with the dealership. They say I need to change both headlights. The cost will be more than 500 dollars. I have extended warranty but it will not be covered. Right now I don't have this kind of money and since the problem has not presented again I decided to check online to see if other people are experiencing this specific problem. I found out there are quite a few and people have been complaining already for more than 4 years. Could it be something else than just headlights? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
This is the second time I am filing this same complaint. Hid headlamp failure on my 2007 Toyota Prius. I have replaced my headlamps three times in the last two years. Toyota initially wanted $350 just for the headlamp, plus additional $150 labor per bulb. I assume that pressure from Toyota owners and possibly the NHTSA forced Toyota to issue it's hid headlamp customer support program. Whoopee! thousands of american owners are still driving with defective headlamps because Toyota's "program" does not address anything but the cost of replacement. Thanks for nothing. Reducing the cost to replace defective headlamps from $350/bulb to $150/bulb, plus another $150/bulb for installation is nothing more than an insult to our intelligence. Their hid system is still defective. The headlamps still fail with regularity. I have been pulled over three times in the last five months for having a headlamp out. My life and the life of the officer, who is just doing his duty, are both in jeopardy as we sit on the side of the interstate at night with cars and trucks whizzing by at 70+ mph, all because the NHTSA is not issuing a recall on an obviously defective system. What will it take" a highly publicized death before you do anything" there are thousands of complaints, including video proof of the hid bulbs blinking on and off one side at a time, regarding this system on message boards all over the internet. There is at least one class action lawsuit pending against Toyota over this issue. Not every owner is savvy enough to understand that the problem is not their's alone. The hundreds of complaints you have received are just the tip of the iceberg. Please issue a mandatory recall before someone dies, if it hasn't happened already. Thanks.
Since buying my 2007 Prius, I have had an ongoing problem with either the driver's-side or passenger-side headlights going out, usually within 5-10 minutes after starting the car. On one occasion, both headlights went out at once while my husband and I were on a bridge on an interstate highway. The headlights usually come back on after quickly turning the light switch off and then back on. I talked with a repairman at my Toyota dealer about the problem several months ago and he indicated that Toyota had gotten some bad bulbs. But I find it hard to believe that is the problem. I began experiencing the problem shortly after buying the car when I was stopped at a driver's license check and the police officer told me the driver's side light was out. When I arrived home about 15 minutes later and checked the light, it was on. Clearly this is a very dangerous situation.
Passenger headlight low beam functions intermittently. At some times the light is at full intensity, at other times the light is completely dead, and sometimes the light output is a fraction of full output. Hid lights should last 150K plus miles. Toyota dealer wanted $400 to replace bulb and would not guarantee this was the problem. Independent repair shop wanted $190 for same repair. This is an enormous safety hazard and sort of crazy that Toyota has this defect and has not determined the root cause.
Almost immediately after the purchase of our new Prius, I noticed flickering of the hid headlights. I thought it odd but had never used hid headlamps before. This past winter I noticed the left headlight would stop illuminating altogether. I figured I would have to replace the bulb but then found that if I turned the headlight switch to the off position and then back to the on position the headlight would come back on. Since the cost to replace the headlamp is rather expensive and there is no guarantee the replacement would solve the problem, I continue to drive the vehicle at night watching for when the headlight goes out. I keep my fog lamps on all the time so I have forward illumination in case both headlights go out. Once I see the light has gone out, I wait until I stop at a traffic control device or there is no oncoming traffic to quickly turn the headlight switch off and on again to illuminate the headlight. I had one experience recently where the left headlight had gone out and before I had opportunity to turn the headlight switch off and on again, the right headlight also went out. Fortunately I had the fog lamps on as I had my wife and 7 month old granddaughter in the vehicle with me. But as before, once I turned the headlight switch off and then on again, both headlights came back on.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Laurel, MD, USA