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.
Just purchased certified used Toyota Prius, 2005 - driving at night last week and drivers head light went out. Next day they both worked but after a few miles noticed in back of another car it went out again, now it's got my attention and I notice it all the time randomly. Googled it and found its like that on 2005-2008 Prius' with hid lights and that I should file a claim. Called Toyota today they are going to have someone call me back tomorrow.
1. Toyota Prius hid light faulty. - the lights go off and when turned off and on come back up. 2. called the dealer and the dealer quoted - $350 per bulb and $300 in labor charges = $1000 to replace 2 head lamps. 3. logged a complaint with Toyota. Toyota said there was nothing wrong with the parts and offered a 50% reimbursement which still ends up to $500 out of pocket expenses just to replace 2 head lamps.
Both the right and left headlights will intermittently go off. The lights will come back on if they are turned off and then back on. Both headlights have not went off at the same time but at different times from each other.
Right headlight goes out intermittently. Can turn light switch off/on and it will relight for a while. Began having problem at about 95,000 miles. Dealer said it's a bulb for $350. I declined to have it replaced. Now the left headlight also goes out, . turning switch off/on will relight for a time. Might have to turn off/on 4 or 5 times in a 6 mile trip. The dealer suggested that a filament might be broken and making intermittent connection. These are high intensity discharge lamps - I don't think they have filaments. I am currently searching on line for replacement parts to fix this myself.
The headlight on my 2005 Prius goes out. If I turn off the head light completely and wait a while and then turn it back on, it comes back. It repeats this issue constantly.
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
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I have a 2005 Toyota Prius. The right headlight will stop working for no reason. It is intermittent. If I turn off the headlights and turn them on, it will work for a little while, then go off again. This is a major safely issue.
2005 Prius- high intensity headlights go out intermittently. Problem noticed at 90,000 miles while car was under extended warranty- dealer would not acknowledge problem because the lights always worked in the shop. At over 100,000 dealer acknowledged problem but Toyota company would pay for only 1/2 the cost (cost to replace bulbs and labor is $1,000!). not only is this a safety issue of headlamps not working, but the cost is robbery.
Action #PE09019 excludes model year 2005. This year is also experiencing the hid headlamp failure problem, including my vehicle. I already filed a complaint and you may ignore the date and other info in this comment. I just want to see 2005 added to the investigation and potential recall.
Passenger side headlight turning off intermittently. I understand this is a common complaint with Prius and that repair costs are significant. This is a huge safety issue - headlights turning themselves off while driving....
Tail light and both headlights went out within a few weeks of each other. Folsom lake Toyota charged by $450 to replace the first bulb that I purchased 4 weeks later from Napa auto parts for $93. Folsom lake Toyota claims they ran a diagnostic and that there are no electrical problems four weeks before second headlight and license plate bulb went out.
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius (pkg 6) with appr. 18,000 miles. About a month ago, by driver's side headlight started to go out (going off and on) until it finally went out completely. On February 27, 2009, I took the vehicle into the dealer (longo Toyota in el monte, California), who told me I would have to spend $358 (parts and labor) for just the one headlight. After much discussion with the service rep at the dealer and the Toyota sales rep, Toyota agreed to pay for the replacement of both headlights with me paying for the labor of the replacement. The total cost to me for the labor was $201.76. If Toyota hadn't agreed to pay for the replacement of the bulbs, I would have been out of pocket $716.14 (parts and labor). As it was, I still had to pay $201.76 for the labor. It is my opinion that a vehicle that is only 3-1/2 years old should not have to have it's headlights replaced. I also understand from talking to the service rep and doing further research that this is a common occurrence even in much younger Prius'. I feel that this problem needs to be researched further by the NHTSA and a determination made on whether there needs to be an official recall for the headlight replacement problem on Prius'.
The headlights on my 2005 Toyota Prius randomly turn off while driving. Sometimes one goes out, but when they both go out all of the lights inside the car go out too. When I turn the lights off and then back on they will work for a short time. Additionally, after this started the electronic ignition began to have problems. I have replaced the bulbs several times. This has been a regular problem for about 3 months. We have received a warning ticket because of a headlight outage.
Passenger-side headlight goes out while driving. Turning the lights off and then on again resolves the issue. I only notice this when I see the car's reflection in the rear of the car in front.
Headlights intermittently turn on. Left and right side sometimes do not turn on. They later turn on after multiple tries (turn on and off repeatedly). Both lights turn off while driving. Inspection at Toyota dealer found possible fault with one headlight. Cost to replace headlights estimated at $900.
2005 Prius with hid headlamps that need replacing which will cost $450 each. This is an outrageous sum of money to pay for headlamps on a 4 year old vehicle.
The driver's side headlight on my 2005 Prius was going on and off and then went out all together after about 3 weeks. When I took it to the Toyota dealer they said the bulb and labor would be $320 and the computer that controls that one headlight was also out and that would be $250 - so it would be almost $600 for 1 headlight!! I think after reading many other Prius owner's similar complaints on the internet that this is a design flaw and also an outrageous, unfair charge to consumers for an item that must has to work in order to use the car. I feel before I bought the car I should have been informed of the cost to repair a headlight and that some Prius' have regular headlights on them and I should have been given a choice.
About 6 weeks ago I began experience a random shut down of my ps head light. Only be turning my lights off and back on restored it for some amount of time.. last week the same thing started happening with the ds headlight. Now ether one or both randomly just goes dark. When both go our on a two lane road it gets really dark. I can not cause it to happen and can not find anything that looks loose. It sometimes happens when the car is sitting still at an intersection. Some nights it happens several time in a 2 mile drive to the store and other times (rarely now) it does not happen at all. Heat doe not seem to be an issue since it sometime happens just after the car is started from cold. When checking the internet if find the Prius headlight problem produces several blog and other sites that describe the same thing with people saying that the dealerships don't know how to solve the problem even though some people have spent over $2500 swapping out parts.. as a researcher, I conclude that this is clearly vehicle class problem that should at least be understood by the service centers. As a driver, it is clearly a dangerous safety issue. Please investigate before I have to start spending big money on non-solutions or sell the car I otherwise love passing the problem to someone else.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Wauna, WA, USA