Headlights intermittently started going out months ago- no specific pattern or reason. If you got out of car and hit the right headlight it would come back on. Then go back out at again at a later time. The problem is that it would go out while driving - no warning. Now it is completely out and never comes back on as of yesterday. I have the extended warranty - i have to contact dealership to see if they will cover this. I am finding out now after researching online that this is a growing problem with other prius owners and will not be an easy fix of just changing the light bulb.
I have recently discovered that my headlights work only intermittently. It is hard to discover this driving primarily in the city. Last week I came home immediately after my husband and he said "your left headlight is out." But the next day I checked it before taking to the shop and it was fine. Tonight I followed my husband home from an event and he said "your right headlight is out." I immediately turned the car on again and it was fine. I have to make a 300 mile trip soon, most likely part of it at night and I am scared to death that I will lose headlights on the interstate. I am at a loss what to suggest to a mechanic and very distressed to hear that this has been a common problem but that Toyota has not issued a recall. Do a certain number of people have to die first?
My right headlight goes out randomly and scares my socks off! When I turn off the lights and turn them back on both lights come on for a short time, sometimes longer. This has been going on for months and we don't know what to do other than not drive at night or not drive when it is raining - not always easy to accomplish!
My husband and I have read the manual and have fiddled with the switch and prayed. So far nothing has solved this SCARY issue and our local Toyota dealer acts like they know nothing about the problem and has given us the run around and has offered to replace the headlights for $526. (Highway robbery - pun intended!) We said "NO THANKS!" We asked another shop which specializes in Toyota's and they suggested that we look on the internet. Wow! Had no idea we are not alone! How do we get Toyota to do the right thing?
clearly a defect based on the settled class action lawsuit and complaints.
repair by dealer overcharges saying bumper needs to be removed. many people with NO mechanical experience replace it. Also reportedly the Toyota manual doesn't say front bumper needs to be replaced which adds around 80% to the bill.
I let my daughter take my 2008 Prius to California where she just got a new job. She kept telling me her friends would tell her she was driving behind them and her head light was out. She took it to a shop and they said it wasn't out. She came home (Texas) to visit and told me about the problem. I had her turn on the lights and they worked. Last Wednesday night returning home from friends house she got pulled over by Highway Patrol and got a warning ticket for the same headlight out. She got home and noticed it out. Shut off engine then started back and light came on!
I looked on line to see if there was a problem or recall and noticed that there were many complaints of this same problem with this year model Prius. Having your light go out at night while driving is very unsafe- especially if it is your precious daughter at the wheel. Very Unsafe! Toyota needs to fix this before someone gets killed! At this time there's nothing I can do! Getting a new headlight will not fix! Come on Toyota- do the right thing!
My headlights on my Prius randomly flicker off for no reason; sometimes the left one; usually the right one, and every once in a while, they both go off.
When I turn of the headlight and turn it back on, the light(s) come back on; sometimes for 1 second, sometimes for a few minutes; sometimes for a bit longer; but then it eventually flicks back off again and I have to do that over and over and it is very dangerous, as it is a distraction while driving to have to suddenly be flicking lights on and off...
This is a major safety issue. I live in the mountains on curvy streets, and the lights have gone off, and luckily I am a ninja and quickly turned the lights back on before flying off of the cliff, but I am scared to let my wife drive my car at night as she is not quite as much of a ninja...
After calling Toyota, they are saying this is NOT a safety issue, and that I have to go pay a bunch of money to fix this.
I have now researched this online, and have found this to be a common problem out there, and it is strange that it is not considered a recall.
Here are some links below that I have researched:
Headlight turns on when car is started. It will go out from time to time while driving. The passenger side was changed but then the driver side headlight is acting up. Was thinking it was a loose connection but now I am seeing online that this seems to be a reoccurring problem with these headlights.
This is a known problem with Prius Gen II models. The only warning is when one light goes out, although it may be fine the next 10 times. Then suddenly both headlamps are dead and you're on a busy, poorly lit highway at night. The only fix is to replace the Phillips headlamp assembly, and the headlamps are expensive.
There was a class action lawsuit that required Toyota to pay for repairs and extend the warranty, but of course many of us were never notified:
My Toyota Prius Hybrid gets great gas mileage, in fact the best I have gotten was, 66mpg. I have taken a lot of flack about buying a Japanese built car ,but if the U.S. auto makers cant make anything better , than I feel sorry for them and all the gas guzzlers at the gas station. Toyota gave 25 Toyota Prius Hybrids to 25 NASA scientist to get them out of the acceleration problem when people were crashing their cars to make Toyota look bad. I believed in Toyota then and I believe in them now. I just want to know how I can fix this light problem . My headlights go off randomly while driving some times at the same time. I just flick the light switch off and back on and they come back on. What scares me is that my wife drives this car to work and back every day. What I would like is Toyota to stand behind their vehicles and make the correct repairs. If the bulbs are bad , they wouldn't come on with the flick of a switch. Please help I don't want anyone to get hurt because of this . Thanks !
Headlights, one at a time usually, or both, go out while driving. Usually come back on when light switch is turned off then on. A serious safety issue.
Problem continues, even though I bought new bulbs.
HEADLIGHT FAILURE! These headlights are supposed to last a very long time... says the dealership but this is headlight failure and that means I should have to pay 260.00 to fix the light so I can drive safely. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR SAFETY REASONS FIRST OF ALL.
I have been pulled over twice for this by the police. The light fades out but when I turn them off and on again the light works for a while then fades out again. Very dangerous. Toyota insists that I have to pay $260.00 for replacement of this headlight. I AM APPALLED and I believe an attorney should help us, the consumer, out after all we are helping our environment in many ways by purchasing this vehicle and Toyota says themselves that it is a headlight failure and should not have happened!!!!!! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US.
Please help us with our problem of the head lights on our 2008 Toyota Prius going out while driving, especially at night. It is very scarey . Especially when my wife is driving. I know Toyota is a good vehicle and we get great gas mileage. I just can't afford to buy another vehicle right now. Our daughter is getting married in Oct. and we live on a tight budget.
I can afford to buy the bulbs myself and install them , but if that's not the problem I can't afford to dump a lot of money into a car I'm still making payments on. If anyone out there is experiencing this light problem and you have a fix for it, I would appreciate the fix for this one. Thanks.
Bought some new light bulbs online thinking it's cheaper that way, which it is but the damn bulb they sent me which said it would work on my 2008 Prius and they do not work. I can not even get the damn drivers side cover off, like he-man put them on. Now I am missing a night of work because of this damn problem...
THANKS TOYOTA for making the stupidest vehicle. I've never had to take off the bumper or anything to get to a god damn light bulb.. Make them easier to replace!!!!!
I started noticing both of my headlights intermittantly go out when they on. It's sporadic for both of them and they don't go off at the same time. The right front intermittently flickers on and off on occasion also. While I've never had both go out at the same time while driving, one or the other has gone off which is annoying and not safe.
had the right headlamp (HID) replaced under warranty about a year ago, it is intermittent again. I think these bulbs are of an inferior manufacturer and Toyota should replace them with a quality product. I have HID lights on my airplane and they should last the life of the machine. C'mon Toyota get your s*** together, this is a no brainer, your pissing off a lot of loyal customers out here. I love my Prius but this will enter into my decision to buy a new car which I am contemplating soon. Diesel BMW is looking pretty good.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Headlights intermittently started going out months ago- no specific pattern or reason. If you got out of car and hit the right headlight it would come back on. Then go back out at again at a later time. The problem is that it would go out while driving - no warning. Now it is completely out and never comes back on as of yesterday. I have the extended warranty - i have to contact dealership to see if they will cover this. I am finding out now after researching online that this is a growing problem with other prius owners and will not be an easy fix of just changing the light bulb.
- Sarah T., Eugene, OR, US