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 2 of 28)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #533

Jun 212019

Prius

  • 100,000 miles

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

For the third time I have had to replace my brake light switch, this is a safety issue as it affect how the brake lights work. The break light switch, when malfunctioning prevent or inhibits the vehicle from starting properly. If the switch fails while driving, it can cause problem with the battery regeneration, this is in addition to causing a driving hazard while driving.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #532

Apr 062019

Prius

  • miles
While driving at night, left headlight goes out intermittently (about every 3 minutes). I have to turn lights completely off then on again to reset. This is ongoing and appears to be happening more frequently with time.

- Mariposa, CA, USA

problem #531

Jun 012019

Prius

  • 213,529 miles
Headlights turn off or flicker while driving. It happens intermittently. It is a major safety issue when driving at night as it nearly caused an accident. Using the high beams helps for a short period but the headlights still turn off on their own. Turning them off and on brings them back on most of the time but only for a short period of time.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #530

May 062019

Prius

  • miles

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

The headlights will suddenly fail, either one at a time, or more recently both at the same time when night driving. I am able to flip the switch to turn one back on but now the passenger light will not come back on at all. I am driving at night when I notice this happening but it probably also happens in day light.

- Grass Valley, CA, USA

problem #529

Mar 282019

Prius

  • 156,000 miles
Headlights shut off while driving at night. I received two warning tickets from highway patrol as I was driving back from ft. Worth to nacogdoches, but when I stopped, both headlights were working. Then as I was driving, both headlights (with bright lights on) turned off. Had to pull over and then they started working again.

- Nacogdoches, TX, USA

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problem #528

Feb 282019

Prius

  • 208,360 miles
The lighting system has electrical markings on the relay and fuse blocks for daytime running lights, with no daytime running lights installed. Headlight and license plate light systems works intermittently. Causing bulbs to fail.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #527

Jan 012017

Prius

  • 154,000 miles

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

I bought my 2008 Prius used in 2016, the headlights worked for a little while, then they started to randomly shut off. Sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. I have replaced the headlights twice and it is still happening. I have googled this problem and there are several people saying their Prius' are having the same problem. Toyota refuses to fix the issue.

- Salem, OR, USA

problem #526

Dec 072018

Prius

  • miles
For several years our Toyota Prius has exhibited the following issue: Intermittently, and without warning, when you start the car the dashboard does not light. As a consequent, you cannot not see the speed you're driving at, the fuel level of the car, any warnings such as check engine, low tire pressure etc, and you're not able to use a number of other important features such as cruise control. In addition, you are not able to turn off the car when you reach your destination. Because you cannot turn off the car, you cannot lock it. Undisclosed to customers, there has been for several years an extended warranty being offered by Toyota, to the dealerships, to fix this problem (warranty policy bulletin, pol 12-05). This information is provided only to dealerships. As I customer, I never received information about this extended warranty. I only found out about it via other customers. Our local Toyota dealership (Toyota of olympia) has refused to apply the extended warranty and fix the problem. We contacted the dealership several years ago about the issue, which they have a record of. Toyota customer service also refuses to help us get this issue fixed and apply the extended warranty. The case number with customer service is 1812072507. Both Toyota and the dealership state that the customer most replicate this intermittent issue to a dealership mechanic before either entity will authorize fixing the issue. Several weeks or months may go by before the issue appears and it appears only for an unpredictable duration before "going away", so this is an impossible burden of proof for the customer -- the customer has to take the car to a dealership at the moment the intermittent issue occurs, and must arrive at the dealership and get the mechanic to immediately drop their other work in order to hopefully witness the issue before it "goes away".

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #525

Sep 262018

Prius

  • 71,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. While driving at night, the headlights failed to operate. Kalispell Toyota (2845 U.S. 93 S, kalispell, mt 59901, (406) 755-6060) replaced the bulbs, which cost over $600. The contact found a warranty that expired in September of 2018 after the vehicle was bought used on September 28, 2018. The dealer did not address the main issue of a possible computer board malfunction in the vehicle that may have to be replaced at an additional cost. The failure mileage was 71,000.

- Whitefish, MT, USA

problem #524

Nov 122018

Prius

  • 105,000 miles
The right headlight intermittently goes out. Sometimes it takes repeated attempts turning off and on to get it back on. Both ballasts and hid lamps have been replaced, yet this intermittent problem persists. I know of many complaints but do not know if Toyota has an open recall on this important safety issue.

- Davidson, NC, USA

problem #523

Feb 082017

Prius

  • miles

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

The headlights turn off randomly as I'm driving. It happens at any speed (even when I'm stopped) and on any road, in any condition, in any weather. Sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. It makes driving at night both a hassle and hazardous.

- Lancaster, PA, USA

problem #522

Jul 012018

Prius

  • 140,000 miles
Electrical issue with headlight - drivers side front headlight turns off within 2-3 minutes. I've replaced the bulb and the issue persists, and many Prius owners have faced a similar if not identical issue. If you turn the lights off and on again, it turns back on but only for a few minutes. Seems like a wiring issue and there should be a recall.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #521

Jun 222018

Prius

  • 104,400 miles
The hid headlamps flicker and turn off by themselves randomly while driving. Sometimes only the drivers side turns off and then later the passenger side, but sometimes both sides turn off at the same time while the vehicle is moving at various speeds. This is very dangerous especially when it happens while driving at night at high speeds on a dark road. It happened at speeds of 60mph while on a 2 lane highway late at night and at lower speeds such as 30-45mph on city streets. The headlamps also flicker and randomly turn off while the vehicle is parked with headlights on. The only remedy is to completely shut off and turn back on the headlamps and then they work for a few minutes then turn off randomly again. This is a recurring issue. These cars should be issued a recall for this problem. This is a serious safety issue.

- Roselle, IL, USA

problem #520

Sep 292018

Prius

  • 90,000 miles
Highlights go out intermittently. Usually can reset by turning on and off. Definitely a hazard. May have caused an accident. Regularly getting told light is out. Stopped by police for lights out. Does not appear to be loose connection or bad bulb.

- Brookfield, WI, USA

problem #519

Aug 012018

Prius

  • miles
Headlights have been replaced more than once and now are flickering again and have gone out completely. This has been an ongoing problem since it was new. Dealer has not resolved the problem nor given us a reason why.this is becoming a very expensive problem, we were told that there was a recall but we were not notified. We love the Prius except for this,

- Englewood, OH, USA

problem #518

Aug 012018

Prius

  • 400 miles
One headlight or the other or both go out randomly.

- Lynn, MA, USA

problem #517

Jul 192017

Prius

  • miles
Starting about a year ago, our Prius headlights have begun to fail while driving car. It first started with the left headlight going out occasionally while driving, and now it is happening to both headlights while driving. At first I thought I hadn't turn headlights on or I had a burned out bulb. Now it seems to happen all the time. If I turn headlights off and back on tends to temporarily resolve issue. However, problem seems to be getting worse as time goes by.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #516

Jun 112018

Prius

  • 122,000 miles
When driving at night, headlights will go out on their own, left, right, or both at same time. Have to turn light switch off and on till they come back on. Driving on road or highway. Smooth road. So now I can't drive after dark.

- Mercer, PA, USA

problem #515

Jun 202018

Prius

  • 105,000 miles
Both headlights in the front of my car have burnt out multiple times and it happened again today. One first went out in 2010 when the car had 35K miles on it and each light has been replaced at least twice since then each time costing $300-400. Most recently the replacement lights have not even lasted six months. This is not only expensive and a major annoyance but also a safety hazard when driving at night. I feel that Toyota should provide a proper fix for this problem and compensate me for the multiple times I have needed to pay for the repairs.

- Redwood City, CA, USA

problem #514

May 172018

Prius

  • 142,000 miles
Combination meter is defective, light panel, including speedometer & fuel levels go dark, unable to tell speed of vehicle or remaining fuel, multiple incidents, all began (thus far) while vehicle was stationary.

- La Mesa, CA, USA

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