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.
Both headlamps went out in the the middle of a roadtrip at night. Had to pull over right away. Turned the headlight switch off and back on the lights came back on. This has happened several times already. Sometimes this happens with just one headlight and sometime both which is real scary. I never know when this failure is going to happen. Please help with a recall on this dangerous situation. I have a 2007 Toyota Prius which I purchased brand new. Thank you,
I have a 2007 Prius and the left headlight has gone out. I contacted the dealership and they told me that it is a good idea to replace both headlights due to the cost of labor. The cost for two bulbs + labor; $650! the car is just about to hit 2 years and I'm having to shell out over $600 for headlights! I did some research and this looks to be a common defect with the Prius. If it's a common defect, why isn't there a recall for the car? I don't care if I have the hid's, but I didn't have a choice from the initial purchase of the car.
My 2007 Toyota Prius headlight modules need to be replaced. Headlights go off and the switch must be toggled to remedy. The car is under warranty but Toyota says the lights are not covered. Toyota knows this is a chronic defect. Do I have any recourse?
Headlights going out on 2007 Toyota Prius you never know when or where it will happen. One side will go out when you turn the switch off and back on the light will come back on. Later the other light will fail. This should be addressed as a safety issue before some dies.
- New Bern, NC, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Passenger side hid headlight suddenly shuts down, no indication in car. Restarting headlights brings it back. May happen every five minutes or not at all during a trip. Replaced both bulbs, problem still occurs. Researched web and this is a common but expensive problem.
Either one of my headlights will stop working at random times, progressively getting worse. Last week, while driving at night, one stopped working and suddenly the second one stopped working. That is the first time both have stopped. In total darkness I panicked and had to swerve to prevent an accident.
Our 2007 Toyota Prius has a defect in the headlight circuitry. When driving with the lights on the head lights will shut down sometimes one at a time and more frightened both will cut off 2 to 3 times during my commute home. This happened yesterday 3 times on the way home. To get the lights to turn on I have to turn the switch off and then back on. The lights will usually stay on for 20 to 30 minutes but will then shut off again at some point. We drive a very dangerous freeway ( California 60 between moreno valley, ca and the junction of interstate 10) and on several occasions the lights have cut out totally causing an unsafe condition as I was driving a very windy road, in the dark and searching for the light switch to flick it off and on. I now drive with my hand on the light switch through the badlands section of California 60 when my hand should be on the steering wheel. We were pulled over by a riverside county sheriffs officer after she noticed the lights erratically blinking on and off. We took the vehicle to the dealership and they stated that they could not create the problem but that there is a computer circuit that controls the lights and that it would cost approximately $800. This is unacceptable and should be repaired as a safety hazard. I have owned many vehicles and have never had a problem with the lights other than a burned out bulb. I have gone online and there are other drivers complaining of the same issue. Please assist me by advocating on my behalf with Toyota to repair this problem before an accident occurs. Thanks
Left front headlight flickered intermittently for one month. Both headlights failed at night while driving on dark country road on Wednesday, November 11. The lights resumed working after turning headlight switch on and off repeatedly.
2007 Prius hid headlights go out intermittently with no observable pattern. While driving, one cannot tell when this happens thus driving with only one headlight. Only time I can tell is when I come up behind a vehicle and my lights shine on it. Upon observing the internet it appears there are many others with this same problem with their Prius'. (don't want to get a ticket or in an accident because of it! it is reported that $1100 to $2600 to get this repaired, hopefully.
Starting at approximately one year old, the Toyota Prius hid drivers side headlight started to flicker occasionally. It was mentioned to the dealer however it never seemed to be failing when at the dealer. Then at about two years of age, the headlight would blink completely out occasionally, again mentioned to the dealer but would not duplicate at the dealership. It was discovered that just cycling the switch off and back on would restore the headlight. It is now failing on a more regular basis but not when at the dealer. The passenger side is now doing this as well and I have a real fear of both lights failing at the same time and causing an accident. As of today, no repair has been made but Toyota has issued a case number but remains firm that an expensive diagnosis should be made without acknowledging responsibility for this failure. I will be getting it repaired and this headlight issue could amount to $1000 or more. This is a badly designed bulb and assembly. Consideration should have been made to replace this bulb with ease considering the failure rate it is experiencing. The most recent date is the one listed below.
The headlight on my 2007 Toyota Prius shuts on and off intermittently while I am driving. When I take the vehicle to the dealer, they say they cannot find the problem because it happens to be working when it is there. I find this hard to believe since this is a well-known defect among 2007 Prius owners.
The passenger side hid headlight on my 2007 Toyota Prius is malfunctioning. The light on the passenger side will frequently go out, leaving me with one headlamp. If I cycle the headlights off and back on, the passenger side headlight will come back on for a while, and then repeat. This is a safety issue, driving with one (or no) headlight. My car has about 65,000 miles, though it is only 2 and a half years old. This appears to be a common problem with the 2007 and 2006 Prius models with the hid headlights.
Hid headlights on 2007 Toyota Prius fail intermittently. Turning light switch off/on sometimes makes light(s) come back on. Driving country roads after dark with no headlights is very dangerous. Toyota acknowledges the problem, but still wants an arm and leg to repair problem. Apparently headlights, and computer board with ballasts need replaced to completely fix the problem.
The passenger headlight goes on and off intermittently causing a safety issue when driving. This started occurring during the first year of ownership. I have been pulled over by the police twice for having a light out. This is a big safety concern for driving at night. When the car was brought in for service, the dealer quoted $700 repair and it would not be covered under warranty. The service manager acted as though he had never seen this before although every Prius owner who owns a computer, can read and had this problem is aware of this defective component and Toyota's unwillingness to address this safety issue.
My 2007 Toyota Prius has been experiencing premature failure of the hid headlights for the past month. They alternately go on and off by themselves sometimes both together. One incident involved them both turning off one night on a dark country road without any illumination. This threw me into immediate panic as everything went completely black. It was only by luck that I was alert enough to have a mental picture of the road that I was on and was able to quickly slow down while navigating away from known obstacles. Once stopped I turned the vehicle off and on and the lights returned and remained on for the remainder of the trip. Quite a dangerous event. Last night I was traveling on an illuminated highway and was subsequently stopped by a state law enforcement officer. When asked if I knew why I was stopped and I replied no, he stated that it was due to my drivers side headlight being out. When I inquired Toyota for a price to have this situation corrected I was told $1000+ for the cost of materials and labor and it was not covered under warranty. This situation truly is a safety hazard that needs to be corrected immediately at no cost to the consumer under an official recall. I have to think that there are others out there with a similar problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Navarre, FL, USA