10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,672 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2008 Toyota Prius lights problems

lights problem

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2008 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 4 of 28)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #493

Sep 242017

Prius

  • 145,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The headlights flicker all the time - then both will automatically, randomly turn off during night driving...extremely dangerous

- Prior Lake, MN, USA

problem #492

Sep 152017

Prius

  • 100,000 miles
The hid headlights go out while driving every couple of months and need to be replaced. This is a known issue to Toyota who has made no attempt to fix it. Consumers are being told by dealers that they need a new hid computer at their expense ($1800). It is dangerous to be driving at night and have your headlights go out! the only "fix" besides spending a ton of money on the new computer is to replace the bulbs every 3 months, which is crazy.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #491

Aug 112017

Prius

  • 108,000 miles
I have replaced my headlights twice and they still will go out. They switch from passenger to drivers side headlights going out. They go out while driving on the highway which is extremely dangerous. I have spent over $400 trying to fix this safety problem with no solution so far.

- Charleston, SC, USA

problem #490

Aug 022017

Prius

  • 72,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had a headlight failure a few weeks ago. It came back on after a few days. Now the other one is out! this is dangerous.

- Plymouth, MA, USA

problem #489

Jan 102012

Prius

  • miles
Each headlite goes out everytime youdrive now both headlites go out been doing it sometime dealer says $3200 to fix really the car only worth 4,000

- West Des Moines, IA, USA

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problem #488

Jun 132017

Prius

  • 106,000 miles
The passenger light keeps failing when it is on at night when I am driving. It has started to happen more and more. It is definitely dangerous. I have already been pulled over once for the headlight being out.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #487

Mar 102017

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought my 2008 Toyota Prius from by boss in June 2016. When I bought the car the passenger headlight was out, so I bought a new one and had it replaced. For the past few months I have noticed that the driver side headlight goes out just out of the blue, it comes on when I turn the lights on and it may stay on for an entire trip or it may just stay on for a few minutes. I can turn the lights off and back on and it will come on and like I said, it may stay on the entire trip or just for a few minutes. I haven't noticed any specific thing that makes it go off such as road condition, weather, it will even go off while sitting in the driveway. I have had it checked for loose connections, wire damage and none was to be found. I have read that this has been an issue for several people that have the Prius. This has caused me to be pulled over and fortunately the officer understood, once I showed him that it comes on and I explained that I can't determine when or if it will go out, and he gave me a warning. This is also very dangerous with limiting lighting for visibility while driving at night.

- Blytheville, AR, USA

problem #486

Jun 132008

Prius

  • 1,500 miles
Car in motion, right headlight goes out. City police pull me over. I turn the lights off then back on. The light works until next time it goes out. My wife driving same car and police pull her over for left headlight out. She turned lights off then on and the light works again. Car in motion both times and all other times. Streets & highways.

- Gillette, WY, USA

problem #485

Feb 232014

Prius

  • 80 miles
The headlights both flicker and go out even after replacing with brand new bulbs. This is extremely unsafe as the headlamps may turn off during adverse weather or dark conditions. I have wasted a lot of money replacing head light bulbs when the problem seems to be with the computers in the headlamp fixtures. This seems to be a very common problem with this make and model and it is a very costly repair for something that never should have happened in the first place.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #484

May 012017

Prius

  • 150,000 miles
Pasdanger headlight goes on and off without cause and at will

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #483

Mar 282017

Prius

  • 84,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The headlights flicker or/and turn off without notice and quite often, regardless if the vehicle is stationary or in the middle of the freeway at night. Replacing the hid bulbs doesn't remedy the problem. This may be very dangerous.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #482

Feb 152017

Prius

  • 191,000 miles
Just purchased this vehicle. Left headlight will flicker a few times and then go out. The whole light is off, both low and high beams will not work. If I turn the lights off and then back on it will work again.

- Maricopa, AZ, USA

problem #481

Feb 072010

Prius

  • 42,000 miles
Headlights flicker and turn off and on. Have had headlights replaced 3 times and problem reoccurs. Lights are on when I start driving then turn off and sometimes turn back on.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #480

Dec 282016

Prius 4-cyl

  • 128,000 miles
While driving in the dark my passenger side headlight went out. Then a few days later it switched to the driver side headlight going out. Now while driving at night they will go off at least 10 times on my 9 mile freeway drive. It is not safe!

- Seal Beach, CA, USA

problem #479

Jan 312017

Prius 4-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
My 2008 Toyota Prius has hid headlamps. When the vehicle was still under warranty, aon of the headlamps went out, so I took it to Toyota, and they replaced the burned out headlamp and also replaced the other headlamp, saying that there was a problem with the headlamps, and the new headlamps should solve the problem. I had to replace another headlamp at about 80,000 miles, and the opposite side headlamp at about 90,000 miles. Since I replaced the last headlamp, the right one, it went out again, so I replaced it again. Now that same headlamp keeps going out, and then it goes back on, it doesn't appear to be heat related, as sometimes it is off when I first start the car and shortly thereafter, it comes on. If I flash the bright switch back and forth it makes no difference. It always seems to be the low beam. If I repeatedly flash the hi-low switch, eventually the low beam will go out, then if I turn the light switch off and on again, the low beam returns back on. I have replaced the lamp with one that I thought was burned out and the same thing happens. I have checked on line, and have read how people taking their Prius to the dealer are being charged from $300 to $4000 for changing various parts, and still are having the same problem. I have bee stopped by the police twice for having 1 headlight out, and I never know when it is going to be out. I have read of some people having the problem with both headlights, and know that it is an accident just waiting to happen. I have even tried to see if there was an option available to change the headlights from hid to halogen, but could not find any such option available. Since this seems to be a widespread problem, and an obvious safety issue, shouldn't Toyota step up and offer a solution? I would appreciate if this problem could be investigated. Thank you.

- Arlington Heights, IL, USA

problem #478

Jan 042016

Prius

  • 84,673 miles
One headlight turns off randomly. Every now and again turning the lights off and on again will fix the problem for a short time.

- Campbell, CA, USA

problem #477

Dec 292016

Prius

  • 120,100 miles
My headlights went off while I was driving at night. I was out in the country, in the mountains on a curvy road, where there were no street lights. It was pitch dark and a very dangerous situation, to say the least. I'm lucky I didn't run off the road or get in a wreck. I'm 74 years old and my vision is not as good as it used to be and I had to drive 40 miles to my house, with just my fog lights. I called my local Toyota dealer, to see if they knew what caused my headlights to go out and if there was a recall on the problem. They said it was probably a light bulb problem and there was no recall on the problem. They said it would cost me $120 just to assess the problem. I checked on the internet and found this to be a widespread problem for this car and replacing the light bulbs cost around $500 and it doesn't solve the problem. In many cases it reoccurs. So, I don't know what to do. Why would I spend $500 on the problem, when it doesn't solve the problem?? I can't believe there's no recall on a problem of this nature, as it's a very dangerous defect!

- Kelseyville, CA, USA

problem #476

Dec 162015

Prius

  • 119,000 miles
Headlights randomly shut off, can sometimes be turned back on if headlights are turned off and then on, but they never stay on. Very unsafe when driving at night. Toyota should recall and fix this issue.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #475

Jun 082015

Prius

  • 80,000 miles
My headlights go out without warning while I amdriving down the road. The have gotten worse and go out more frequently and sometimes stay off. I have replaced the lights several times and am still having problems. I need help because I have almost gotten tickets behind this problem. My thing is Toyota knows abot this and refuse to have a recall on this issue.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #474

Oct 202014

Prius 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
The headlamps go dark at random times while driving at night. This occurs on the highway or city street and more often shortly after beginning the drive rather than later in the trip. On numerous occasions one or both headlamps will shut off. I am able to restore the lights by switching the headlamps off and then on again. This has been a problem for two years since the car had 45,000 miles until now with 65,000 miles.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

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