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.
Headlight height control sensor failed on my 2005 Prius. Started having problems in 2008 while it was still under warranty. When I took it to dealer, because problem was on again/off again, he couldn't find it. By the time dealer finally figured out what the problem was - it was out of warranty.
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius. At first the LH headlight would internittently go out. It would also come on during my drive also. Then my rh headlight would do the same. I have had four instances where both headlights have gone out completely leaving me in a serious situation since I live in a rural area with no street lighting and curvey roads. I have read online of the thousands of people blogging and complaining of their same problems. I was told by lancaster, ca. Dealership it needs headlamps replaced. Online people all state they haved had them replaced and the problem still exists. Mine goes out sometimes minutes after turning on the car. Other times it goes for about 20 minutes before shutting off. It is random and seems to have no pattern. I do not believe it is only the headlamps because of what the numerous people online have said is the result after their headlights being changed. It still goes out on them, just every 30 minutes not every 20 seconds they write. This is not acceptable. I have also tried like the online people suggest by turning on the switch back and forth. It works so how could it be the lamp only? the dealership wants $600. To change the lights. I say they need to address this.
In my 2005 Toyota Prius, one or both of the headlights spontaneously go out while driving. If you turn them off using the switch and then turn them on, the re-illuminate so the bulbs are not burned out.
The right hid headlight on our 2005 Toyota Prius extinguishes randomly, several times a week, and sometimes comes back on when the headlights are power-cycled. The left headlight has been replaced once, which we feel is normal, while the right headlight has been replaced three times, two of which were probably unnecessary. We have been stopped and warned by police several times, and we may not be noticing all of the failures that occur during daylight. The dealer says the problem could be the ballast ($800) or the computer ($1,000) but would not replace either under warranty (stringing us along with lamp changes until it expired) and will not guarantee that either or both fixes will eliminate the problem.
Right headlight is intermittent on my 2005 Toyota Prius. I will be driving down the road and it will go off. If I turn off my light off and back on it comes back on.
- Modesto, CA, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
I have a 2005 Prius and have an intermittent problem with the head lights. One of them will turn off but if I turn off the lights and turn them back on, the headlight comes on. I have heard of similar problems with other Prius, I feel this is a safety issue, and possible a design issue/flaw since the condition is intermittent (not related to loose wires per my Toyota dealer) and could result in total loss of lights. So far, both headlights have not shut off at the same time, but both are affected.
My 2005 hid headlight on the driver's side went out at 78,000 miles. The auto parts store looked up my car info and sold me two bulbs for $50. After trying to replace them myself, I called quality Toyota in ft walton beach, fl. They quoted me $150 for labor if I had my own bulbs. Upon arrival, they said my bulbs were not correct, and wanted to charge me an additional $300 per bulb, plus the $150 labor. I declined, checked the internet, and am appalled that after so many complaints with the same year, make, and model, Toyota hasn't been forced to recall for this reason. This is a major safety hazard, for which Toyota is obligated to fix.
I have 2005 Prius and it is my 3rd time that hid head light went off last two times I paid over $800 to replace it but this time I cant afford I am driving with one head light only I have 78000 miles on it.
I own a 2005 Toyota Prius with a problem with the hid (high intensity) headlights. The passenger side headlight has been going dead intermittently since December and the driver side headlight recently started to do the same thing. If I turn the headlights off and then back on again it corrects the problem for a while. I do a fair amount of driving in the dark and on the highway, so this could be dangerous, to say the least. I was going to replace the lights myself but I was unaware that they were the hid lamps until after I had picked up a new bulbs from the auto parts store. I am going to return the ones I have and pick up some hid bulbs but I am concerned that this may not alleviate the problem. When I researched the issue online, I found that this seems to be a common and serious issue/defect that keeps recurring on the Prius models from 2005-2008. I will save the old bulbs and any other related parts when I change them outthis weekend.
My 2005 Prius headlight went out about two weeks ago (end of Nov 2009). When I took it to the dealership they said it would cost me about $600 to replace it. I decided to tackle it myself. I successfully changed the bulb and although the bulb works fine the light only stays on intermittently. Apparently while reading posts on the internet, I am not the only one with this problem. I do not want to be overcharged by the dealership considering the job they quoted me $600 only cost me $150 to do myself. Please help us!!
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius. The headlights will go out, sometimes both, sometimes one or the other. However, they come back on when I turn them completely off and back on. This is a safety concern for obvious reasons, and can cause my vehicle to not pass inspection. There is no specific event that makes the headlights go off. It happens intermittently and unexpectedly. Adding to the safety issue...I live in the country where there often are no shoulders on the highways or county roads, and no street lights. There are lots of steep ditches and creeks. When I first started having the problem and would completely turn off the lights and then turn them back on, they would stay on for a long time, sometimes several hours before going off again. Now, they stay on only a few seconds to a few minutes. I've got two theories, one is that it could be a short"?" -and the other that the cooler temperatures seem to affect it slightly, though neither of these seem to make logical sense. Please check into this as other Prius owners have had the same unresolved problem. We can't all just go replacing the computers and light bulbs at the high cost you sell them for, especially when it doesn't fix the problem...unless Toyota wants to pay for it, of course, and then that's time without transportation. Thanks for your consideration on this matter.
While driving our 2005 Toyota Prius, my wife was traveling at 65mph, at night when the right headlight went out. A moment later, all forward lighting failed. She cycled the headlight "on-off" switch and the good left headlight relit. A few minutes later all went dark again. She turned the headlight "on-off " switch off then on, and the left headlight relit. This repeated several times until she got home. On Monday, 10-2-09 we took the car to san luis obispo Toyota for repair. They had it till 10-5-09, replacing the right headlight, at a cost of $528.82. On 10-20-09 while I was driving on US101 at 65 mph in the dark, the left headlight went out. A moment later all forward lights went out. Due to my wife's previous experience, I cycled the headlight "on-off" switch and got the right headlight to relight. This sudden loss of lighting recurred 2 more times prior to the sun rising enough so that I did not need the headlights. On 10-28-09, after returning from a trip, I had the left headlight replaced at miller Toyota in anaheim at a cost of $362.31. On both occasions of the lighting failure the vehicle was traveling at 65mph, or approx. 100 feet per second. It took approx. 5 to 10 seconds to recognize the defect and make a correction that relit the lights. The vehicle traveled from 500 feet to 1000 feet per incident. Fortunately there was no collision. At neither Toyota dealer, were we advised that this was a recurring problem on Prius's, which I found out on-line.
2005 Prius with the same headlight issues as stated in PE09019. I understand this investigation has been closed, but I wanted to register another Prius user with a similar issue.
The left headlight on my 2005 Prius doesn't stay lit, but it will come back on if lights are turned off and then back on. The light will got out intermittently, staying on for about 5 minutes and then going out again. This is a safety concern. I have read other similar complaints, including on this website. I consider this to be very dangerous.
My headlights went out on my 2005 Prius while driving down the freeway at night in a storm... the only means I had to find my way to the side of the road was listening to the sound of the bumps on the side. I pulled over and sat in the darkness wondering if a car would come around the corner and hit me. I turned off my car and restarted it. The lights came on again and I was able to get to safely. I went into the local dealership and just found out that the lights needed to be replaced at about $1,000. That is ridiculous. This is a dangerous problem. I have had full care on my vehicle as recommended by the Toyota company through my local dealership. I feel that this problem is potentially life threatening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my heart still races everytime I think about how that felt to be in the dark without knowing where I was on the road!!!!! please do something to help the next victim, who may not be so lucky.
The hid headlights on my 2005 Toyota Prius started blinking on and off and then failed. Only one light went out but I was afraid both would go. Toyota wants $380 for the bulb, which is only $80 from sylvania and they want $125 for labor. To replace. I found out online that the bulbs keep going out or blinking so I don't want to spend that much money over and over. Bulbs are a safety issue and if they are defective or the system is defective they should be recalled.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Reading, MA, USA