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.
Initially the passenger side headlight began to flicker. Then it went out. When I turned the lights off and on again it came back on. Since then completely randomly one light or the other, but more commonly the passneger side will flicker and dim, and then later go out. Turning the lights off and back on will usually restore the light but more than half the time only to a dimmed or flickering condition. Sometimes both lights just go out randomly and without warning.
Very dangerous situation...was driving home from the mountins down a windy road and both headlights on my Toyota Prius failed. Brought car into Toyota of manhatten next day and had to have both headlights replaced for $530.$300 for the light bulbs and 230 for labor. Learned online that this is a common failure for 2008 Prius, and that there was a class action lawsuit that was settled too early and does not cover older vehicles with complete light failure.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the head lights suddenly failed to illuminate intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000. The VIN was unavailable.
As I was driving from work at 2:00 a.M., the driver's side headlamp went dark. I'm on a two-lane road, not that heavily traveled when this happened. I was able to rotate the headlamp switch off then back on and the headlight was restored. For the balance of my 60 mile ride, this happened 2 more times. As time progressed the failures happened more often and closer together. Eventually, the lamp wouldn't stay on for more than a minute. I went to an auto parts store to get a replacement bulb and they told me it was a "dealer only" item. I called the dealer and they told me a replacement bulb was $300 and it was $300 to install it. That's preposterous! I found a "youtube" video and purchased a bulb on amazon for $50 and installed it myself. This has happened 3 more times. Toyota knows there's a design or component flaw and they refuse to fix it. Thanks Toyota.
Driving at night I noticed my headlights dimming. I turned on my high beams and my headlights went out completely and I was in the dark. I turned the headlights off and then back on again and they came back on at full light. I pulled to the side of the road and had my passenger check the headlights outside. The right front light was out and the drivers side was on. This had happened one time previously. I took my car into Toyota and they ran a check and told me that my right hid bulb was out, but that the left was still working. They replaced both bulbs and said I was good to go. I worry, from reading all of the complaints on 2006-2009 Prius headlights that this may or may not solve the problem. I consider this a safety hazard - losing lights at night. I have read there was a class action suit filed against Toyota in 2011, but still, nothing has been done by Toyota to fix this problem. The suit has ended and I am not able to claim anything. Still, I am worried that this will lead eventually to someone's accident. This needs to be investigated and solved. There are too many complaints dealing with this problem.
- Carmichael, CA, USA
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Vehicle starts, runs for limited time -2-3 mins. Shuts off vehicle starts no electrical visibility on dash.. blank. Vehicle starts with electrical visibility, runs for 3-5 miles, looses electrical visibility. Updated 12/4/2017 vehicle starts with electrical visibility runs for 3-4 miles.vehicle stops, shuts off in traffic. Vehicle will not start. Requires jump start, ,. and runs enough to take car to dealer. Vehicle will not start, requires jump start and will not hold charge. Requires towing to dealer. MA 10/8
I've been told a few times I had a headlight out but half the time when I check it, it would be working. It's not just the headlight it's also the parking and front side marker light on the same side. These lights are expensive and should last a lot longer than 90K miles. Seeing how it works intermittently and more than one I don't want to waste money to replace it. If it's going to happen again like most complaints I've read about. I've tried when it was out to turn the lights off and back on. It would work. While you're driving in area with street lights you wouldn't know it's out. There's 1064 complaints at the time I write this. When is Toyota going to step up and correct this failure. Is someone at NHTSA looking into this issue?
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. While driving at approximately 55 mph, the headlights failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the concealment devices accumulated moisture, which contributed to the failure. The lights were replaced but the failure recurred. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Drivers side headlight will dim then go out out after a few seconds of operation. If the lights are turned off and then on again the headlight will work for a few more seconds then dim and go out. The bulb has been changed but that did not resolve the problem. Updated 12/21/2015
Almost weekly my passenger side headlight goes very dim or out completely. I know it when I turn right as it is dark as I enter a side street until driver's headlight illuminates area. Bulbs are $ 279 and new ones don't correct it. I keep getting defective equipment tickets as well. Thank you
I was driving my Toyota 2008 Prius in the pitch black at 70-75 mph in the badlands state park. The headlights turned off spontaneously. I had to make an emergency stop. No headlights!! they eventually turned back on.
The left headlight goes on and off. This is a recurring problem with 2008 Prius according to other internet sites I have visited. There should have been a recall.
I was traveling on a major highway and all my lights went out. Pitch black. Luckily, there were very few cars on the road. I was able to pull to the side and put my flashers on and use their intermittent flashing to slowly find my way home (about 8 more miles). This could have caused fatalities - my own and others who may have crashed into me. This was a terrible situation and from what I have just researched, it happens with the Prius. Now I have the inconvenience (and expense?) od figuring out how to get this fixed so it will never happen again!!!!
The left headlight keeps turning itself off when driving or not. When bumped next to the headlight cover it comes back on. The bulb and connector are fine. This is a safety hazard, that if the right one starts doing the same thin at night, it would put me into a dangerous and life threatening situation. I think Toyota should have a recall on this problem.
Intermittent headlamp failure. Flicking lights on and off will temporarily remedy only to fail again during the same drive. Near accident on pitch black mountain road when both lights failed. Bulbs have been replaced multiple times by dealer and problem continues. I've been pulled over by law enforcement and given warnings. We have two young children and cannot safely drive our car during the night or for travel. There is clearly a problem...why is there no accountability" must there be deaths or injuries to get this resolved"
Right headlight started working intermittently around 50,000 miles, then finally failed. Replacing the bulb did not fix the problem. Then left headlight completely failed around 63,000 miles. It was definitely annoying to have one functioning headlight, and now it's just plain unsafe not to have any at all.
The headlights intermittently fail - turn off - during driving (without warning). Fortunately, so far only one headlight has failed at once. Toyota is aware of this issue, but so far there haven't been enough problems, apparently, to justify a safety recall. Seems like a very serious thing - and it is just a matter of good fortune on Toyota's part that there have not been fatalities (to my knowledge).
The driver headlamp turns off after approx 5 minutes of use. Can turn lights off then on again to restart headlamp. I first took to dealer after purchasing used because of this problem and they did not mention what I have recently learned is a known defect. This has been occurring for the last two years. Changing bulb fixes problem for a while but problem re-occurs. This issue is a major safety issue, and Toyota is charging exorbitant rates to replace the headlamps. I am afraid to drive my car at night or for long distances. This problem needs a permanent fix!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Francisco, CA, USA