Toyota Prius Headlights

The head lights go off randomly, one or both. It's a hazard.

Lights go out after about two minutes of operation. Big disappointment.

The light issue with Toyota Prius's is truly an issue. I have a 2005 and a 2008 and both have had issues with the rear lights and the 2008 has had one headlight replaced already. I think it is time for Toyota to implement a recall on the vehicles and take care of these problems. I have also noted how many other Prius I see on the road with one or both tail lights out. It's amazing, at least 2 or 3 a day. Time for the government to step in again and put Toyota on the block and whack them a few times and get them to address this wiring or socket or lighting issue.

My 2005 Prius has had headlight failure problems and the driver's side headlight bulb was replaced about a year ago. The driver's side headlight continues to turn off and the passenger side headlight also now turns off. At times they both turn off. Switching the lights off and on while driving at night to try to get the lights to come back on is frightening. We have talked to our Toyota dealership and they noted that there are multiple issues that could be causing the problem and to repair/replace everything that might be causing the issue would cost more than $1000. They also noted that the issue can reoccur even after all the replacements. I am looking for a warranty for the replacement. If I spend this much money, I want to be assured that if it reoccurs in the next 3 years, that the repair will be covered. Otherwise, the repetitive cost can be prohibitive.

We own a 2005 Prius. The headlight on driver side would go out. We would turn off then on, and the light would stay on. Finally, when I took it to Toyota to replace the bulb ($239), the service person informed me that there was a computer module that burned out and needs to be replaced ($359 & $150 labor). If this happens on passenger side, then its another $700. There is no way for me to do it myself. The bumper needs to be removed, and the whole headlight assembly removed (the computer is attached in the back).

I don't understand why with all of Toyota's technology, they couldn't figure out how to give me access to change a bulb. Oh, maybe its because its turns into a $700 job. This is a great car until things start to go wrong. You might as well give Toyota a blank check. We have maintained this vehicle well. Idrive 100 miles a day to work and felt this would be a car to have. I believe this model has a lot of design flaws and I believe Toyota knows that. Too many Priuses have with the same problems.

My driver's side headlight goes out. Every time I use them, I turn the lights off and on again, and it will work for a few minutes, and then go out again.

I lost the right HID headlight on our 2008 Prius with 53,000 miles on it. I spent $165 on a replacement element from the dealer and changed the bulb myself. Thanks to a You-Tube instructional video. One week later, the other side died. I picked up another bulb and proceeded to change it out. I've had no luck this time. It would not illuminate. I dropped the car at the dealer for repairs. They called to tell me that it was the computer that controlled that bulb. Since I had the best warranty they offered at the time, I assumed it would all be covered. They told me that the computer was covered by the warranty, but the cause of the failure would not be. Moisture due to a leaking headlight assembly had gotten into the circuitry. The assembly was not covered! So $365 later, everything works. I will now be contacting the factory to file a complaint.

I have owned my 2008 Toyota Prius for 3 years. I bought the car new for my wife. Within a year of owning the brand new car, the passenger side headlight began to go off and then would come back on in a few minutes. Then, it would go off again. I took the car to the dealer. I was told that I was out of warranty because of the mileage on the car. My wife drives an average of 150 miles per day in the car, so miles add up. That is why I purchased a fuel efficient car known for lasting a long time. When I pressed the issue, the Toyota dealership fixed the problem free of charge.

Then, the driver's side headlight began doing the same thing. This is happening at freeway speeds in the dark, and is extremely hazardous. I again took the car to the dealership. I again had to press the issue because of mileage on a car less than 2 years old. Toyota took care of the problem. Now at year 3, the driver's side headlight is once again going off while driving. Now far out of warranty according to Toyota, I went to the Toyota dealership and purchased the headlight bulb myself for $168.00. It took me about a half hour and some skin off my knuckles to replace the bulb. This is ridiculous. I'm sure the passenger side is due to blow now, based on past experience, and probably while flying down a dark road. What can I do to get this fixed to work safely like a 2008 technology car should work?

My 2008 Toyota Prius' headlights HID bulbs started to work intermittently half a year ago. I had to turn the light on and off continuously to keep them on but they go off in a few minutes (or dozens of minutes). It drove me crazy. I believe there is a design issue with the headlights and Toyota should recall it.

I own a 2007 Prius. A friend of mine noticed that one of the headlights was out after a few years of ownership. When I turned the light on, it switched on and off. I took the problem to the dealership. They replaced both bulbs free of charge thankfully. Now, close to 100,000 miles, both headlights are turning off again. They will need to be replaced before my next inspection. And it is annoying and a hazard. Toyota needs to fix this headlamp issue!

Having problems with headlights as well. Thought at first it was just an old bulb; but that is not the case. Turning on and off the lights fixes the light, but it keeps happening. I'm very disappointed with problem. I cannot trust the car anymore.

I recently purchased a used Toyota Prius (60000 miles). Almost immediately, we noticed one or the other headlight would go out. Eventually, we figured out if we turned off headlights with switch, they would come on. Last Friday, early morning (no sun, no moon) on our country highway at 65mph, both headlight went off simultaneously. Miraculously, I was able to stop without going off the road. After stopping for about 10 minutes, I decided to go on at a slow rate. In about 5 minutes, they both went off again. After another 10-minute stop (I am very shook up by now, I have an important appointment but scared to death with a winding 50 miles of Idaho canyon road in front of me), I found that the emergency blinkers work even when the headlights fail.

I drove the next 50 miles with the emergency blinkers going that gave me enough light to make a stop if they both fail. 1 1/2 hours I am in Boise, now with street lights, etc. and they both failed again. I had contacted the dealer earlier when I had only experienced one light going off and they did not respond. I will contact the dealer again, but from reading on the internet, I don't see much chance of help from Toyota. What a shoddy piece of engineering and customer attention. I am certainly through with Prius unless, they can give me an engineering solution that sounds reasonable and well tested. This is definitely a life and death safety issue if you live out in the country as we do.

My 2007 Prius headlight is making me crazy. They keep going out when I cannot even afford to replace them again. It costs hundreds of dollars, and is very difficult to do by yourself. You have to remove the entire bumper. Seriously? I am trying to dodge the police at night while singing the Wallflowers' song, "One Headlight."

At first, it was only the drivers side light. Turning the lights off and on again caused the head light to worked again. Then, the passenger side started doing the same thing; the on and off trick still worked. Eventually, both went out even though the on and off trick still worked. Now, I just had both headlights replaced for $500. I had more than 50,000 miles on my Prius.

I have a 2006 Toyota Prius with HID headlights. The right headlight failed in 2010. I replaced both bulbs and they worked good for about a week. The right one failed after that again. When turned off and on again, it comes on for about 30 seconds.

The left headlight has worked fine until 2 nights ago, when it went dead at night on the highway going 70 mph. It was complete darkness!

Toyota really needs to recall these lights and take responsibility for the big and possibly deadly flaw in the design of the HID headlights.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius with HID headlights. They began failing about 2 years ago. First, it was only the driver's side light, and infrequently, I found that when I turned the lights off and on again, the headlight worked again. Because of the high cost of replacement, I lived with the problem. Recently, both lights failed on a back country curvy road. For an instant, everything was totally black. I quickly turned the lights off and on and was able to swerve to get back on the road.

As a result, I had both headlights replaced at my expense, since I had more than 50,000 miles on my Prius. Toyota Customer Care told me that I would not be covered by a class action case for the HID bulb replacement, because my mileage was greater than 50k miles. I told the Toyota Customer Care rep that this is a safety issue and there should be a recall.

We own a 2007 Toyota Prius with 62,000 miles on the odometer. The passenger headlight failed at night. Cost over $300 to replace! Judging from the number of complaints on this issue on the internet, Toyota is ignoring a widespread engineering defect that could have deadly consequences. Not sure if I will buy a Prius again in spite of the excellent gas mileage.

I have a 2008 Prius (purchased in November 2007). Overall, I am very pleased with the car. I did not have any accelerator problems. I do, however, have a persistent issue with the headlights. They will turn off for no apparent reason. Whenever I notice it or am pulled over for it, all I have to do is to turn the lights off and back on and the lights come on again, sometimes just for a little while, sometimes for the duration of the drive.

When I brought this to the dealer's attention during a scheduled maintenance visit, I was told that it would cost me $600 ($300 per light) to replace the defective lights. That they are defective is not my doing. The fact that they will come back on when the light switch is toggled indicates that the bulbs are not out. This is a manufacturer's defect that should be covered by Toyota as a recall item!

The passenger side headlamp went out shortly after I bought my 2008 Prius. It was second-hand and had 26K miles on it, but seemed to be otherwise in good shape. The dealer could not replicate the light not coming on and said there was nothing wrong (after charging me for their standard diagnostic fee). A few days later the light went out again and I was stopped by the police and received a warning for equipment failure, which I took back to the Toyota dealer. This time they established that it was the ballast in the passenger side light and since the car was still under warranty, they replaced this.

Earlier this month the light went out again when the temperature dropped, but came back on when it warmed up. A few days later the temperature dropped again and the light went out once more. It was a Saturday, so I couldn't take it in until Monday morning. On Sunday the light came back on, but the driver's side light went out. This car was clearly not safe to drive! Monday, I took it back to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong except the light bulb on the passenger side. It cost $305 to replace this light bulb. In my previous car, an Infiniti, when the light bulb failed I just bought one at the auto supply store for $15 and changed it myself and no big deal. This was an outrageous and totally immoral charge. I doubt that I would ever own another Toyota product.

I have had my 2006 Toyota Prius back to the dealer at least 5 times, for headlamp related work since purchasing the car new. First, as others describe, the driver's side headlamp started flickering, and then went out. After about 2 weeks of this, I got pulled over because the light was out, and was graciously told by the officer to get the light fixed, but was not ticketed. My mechanic would not do the job, and suggested I take it to the dealer.

I don't recall exactly, but I know the bill was more than $300 and it knocked my socks off! The bumper cover, wheel well and light assembly need to be removed to change the bulb! A while after the repair, I noticed that my lights started to pointing very low, so I took it back to the dealer. They adjusted the 'self-leveling ' headlamps (I guess not), and a few weeks later, I brought it back because now the lights were pointing too high, and I was annoying anyone in front of me. Again they adjusted them for me, both times at no cost. This happened one more time, but I just dealt with it.

Just a few weeks ago, my passenger-side headlamp started acting up, and then went out. I brought it in to the dealer, and they replaced it for $267. I noticed when I got it home that it was not adjusting when I tried to put my brights on. I called the dealer a few days later and made an appointment for the following Saturday (9/11). On Thursday (9/09), the lamp went out for good.

When Toyota looked at the car, they told me the computer for that headlamp had blown, and that they could order a new one for me that would come in on Tuesday (today). $386 dollars later, I have my car back. I just cannot fathom that I have spent nearly a thousand dollars and 5 trips to the dealer for headlamps? This is an obvious defect, planned obsolescence, designed to keep the service dollars rolling into Toyota. I didn't ask for HID headlamps with computers and self-levelers, but it came with the car. Now I'm out $1,000, and at least 7 days without my car, all for headlamps. Collectively, the other 15 cars that I've owned in my lifetime probably cost me less than $200 for headlamp maintenance, since the 70's.

I fortunately have the means to pay for these services, but I'm sure there are many that do not, and they buy Prius's simply because they need to save money. My motivation was more related to ecology. Toyota has lost me as a customer, and I wish that others considering a Prius would keep this in mind. By the way, they have not corrected the design flaw in the new model. Still a very costly repair.

This is about my 2007 Toyota Prius. The passenger headlight went on and off. The dealership wanted about $1000 to replace. I told them we would report them. They called back and said it was covered. Seven months later, same light went on and off. Basically, they told me that it was more than 6 months so too bad, so sad. It will cost you. I did not take it in. On Friday, 9/3/10, my 2007 Prius was in drive driving down town and it flipped into neutral. I put it back in drive and it flipped again and again to neutral. Very dangerous, so I stopped and sat for 10 minutes and called dealership and my husband.

I started car again and made it to the dealership. They told me that the headlight would be free of charge if it was the same one I had trouble with earlier. They called the next day and stated it was a different headlight. They gave me a cost for both repairs. They told me a higher amount on Tuesday. My husband stated he is 100% sure the headlight is the same one that was replaced last November. They also said it was the auxiliary battery that was causing the shifting into neutral problem.

It doesn't sound right to me or husband or any of the chat rooms I have been in. It costs close to $600 to repair both problems. Hundreds maybe thousands of people are experiencing these same two issues with their Toyota Prius. I looked it up online.

I'm having problems with the headlights in my 2006 Prius. I have replaced the bulb on the driver's side, but it goes out intermittently and the passenger's side bulb is now doing the same thing! I have also had instances where both lights went out at night. One of those times, I was driving around a 'blind' curve at 3am. I quickly turned the headlight switch off, and then on again. The headlights came back on, then the driver's side bulb went out a few minutes later the other bulb went out a few minutes after that. I had to turn the lights off and on about three times during a 15 minute drive down the road I was pulled over twice for having 'improper equipment', and the second time I was pulled over. I got a ticket, so I payed for a new bulb (driver's side) and went to the courthouse to prove to them that I had gotten it fixed. Several months later, I started having a problem with the passenger's side bulb. Also, the driver's side bulb is now going out again.

I am told that the electrical problem causing the headlight issue could be anywhere from $2000 and up. I cannot afford to spend $200 on a new bulb every month, nor can I afford a $2000 fix, especially if there are going to be other mechanical malfunctions arising in these Priuses that are yet to be discovered. This headlight issue is dangerous, and I have reported it to Toyota Customer Service, my Toyota dealer, and now, to Consumer Affairs. I hope that Toyota deals with this issue ASAP, and I trust that Toyota will take responsibility for their faulty equipment.

I am writing to voice my concern about what seems to be a popular problem amongst the Toyota Prius. I bought my 2006 Prius in November 2009 along with the extended warranty. I noticed about three months ago that my passenger side headlight would only function on an intermittent basis. So I took the Prius to Toyota this past weekend for a 30,000 mile check up, and the technician told me that the intermittent headlights are a common issue with the Prius and that I could either purchase a new light for $290.00 or I could continue to drive the Prius with the intermittent working light.

At this time, I could not afford the replacement. I am concerned about driving in the early morning or at night, thinking that both of my headlights are working, and being pulled over during one of the times that the headlight decides to stop working. There is no warning light to let me know that the light is working properly or not.

I am also concerned with spending the money to have the light fixed only to have the problem reoccur. I did some of my own internet research after the technician told me about this problem with the Prius headlight, and it seems that I am not the only one having this issue. Since this seems to be a common issue amongst the Prius model, Toyota should alleviate some of the costly burden to loyal customers regarding this problem.

2007 Toyota Prius Hybrid headlight drivers side intermittently going out will cost $150 for HID light and $200 for installation charge. Crazy! Cannot afford to fix this headlight and dangerous to drive at night.

My 2007 Prius is having the ongoing headlight issue that I am reading about: losing headlights, on and off and on basis. It started in the Fall of '09, and was reported to Leith Toyota/Raleigh NC, on Dec '09. I was told that they "could not reproduce the problem", and to take the car home and "prove" it was happening.

I received a letter from Toyota Headquarters in January '10, that they are aware of the problem, but they are not correcting it at their expense. It was August '10. I am having my passenger headlight replaced, per Leith directive this AM, after losing all lights last Friday night. After having just read the reports from other Prius drivers on this site, I am concerned that the problem will not be corrected. Thus, I am filing this complaint. I no longer feel safe driving my Prius at night. What Toyota headquarters told me, is that it would cost $150-$259.

Toyota is aware of the Toyota Prius hybrid having an issue with there HD headlights failing to work properly. They will come on and off creating a safety concern while driving. They are not correcting this known issue, but rather charging the consumer between $351 to replace faulty bulb, or more to replace ECU. This is another example of the lack of quality and customer service which they were once known for. I have the same problem as the many other complaints listed with the Toyota Prius hybrid. Mine is a 2008 model with 46000 miles on it. Financially this is a shock to be forced on the consumer for a known defect. In addition this is a huge safety problem. It is also illegal to operate a vehicle with faulty headlights. Toyota should do the right thing and recall, or take responsibility for this defect at there expense.

I own a 2006 Toyota Prius and am having problems with my headlights going out. Last night at 60 mph, both lights went out and I put on the brake and turned my light switch off then back on to get my lights back on. I would replace them but there are many complaints online with people getting new light bulbs put in and that not solving problem, their light start doing the same thing a short time later.

The 2006 Toyota Prius headlamps go off and on intermittently, and unexpectedly. There's no physical damage, but it's very dangerous to drive at night. I have been pulled over due to light being out, but when turned off, then on again, the light comes back on.

We own a 2007 Toyota Prius. And every time we asked about our car, we would proudly say that this is the best buy we ever did. We loved our car until we encounter a problem with our headlight. I thought it was just visual illusion that I noticed my path seemed dark and that my right headlight was not working. Until finally I had to take a look and what I noticed is that it goes off and if you turn it off and on again, it would come back to life but then while you're driving it would go off in its own time. I decided to bring it in and I told the service personnel what my troubles were and specifically explained which head light needs replacement.

It cost me almost $300 and I went home thinking my problems are solved and I don't have to worry getting stopped by cops for not having a working headlight. Little that I know that two days after I brought it in, I noticed that my headlight seemed to be the same before I had it replaced. So when I got home, I got off the car and looked at the headlights. The driver side was fine like it was, and the right one is off life before I had brought it to the dealer.

So the following day, I called them and them the problem and they went to check the work order. They read to me that they replaced the driver's side so there I stopped the service personnel and I told him that driver's side is fine and the passenger's side was the one needing replacement. He said come in the shop and the will look at it. Right now, I am sitting at there waiting area; because they were insisting that the driver's side was the one that showed problems that's why they replaced it. He ask me to sign something that would document what they are doing to the car, that is they will continue to switch the lights on and off to find out if the driver's side was indeed the one needing fixing, if they find that this light is working they can't do anything for me. If indeed the light is not working, they are willing to replace it at no cost.

First, why would they replace a part that the owner knew was working or even letting the consumer know, it wasn't the one you are complaining it's the other one some sort before replacing anything. I feel like a total idiot sitting here and thinking to myself, women are always victims of these kinds of places since knowing that generally we don't really know anything about cars but to drive, put gas, have them cleaned but when it comes to specifics, we are clueless.

One thing I know, I was 100% that it was the passenger side that was not working and that was the part I wanted replaced. The amount of money involve is not a joke for a headlight replacement. Shouldn't they offer consumer the old or non-working part to prove that they indeed replaced it? I don't know what goes on in the service area. After going through major recalls about their cars, you would think Toyota will clean up their act. Unfortunately unless they face million dollar law suit, they would continue to act like they are God's gift to consumers.

I started driving a 2004 Prius home and the driver's side headlight went out then both lights. I turned them off and then on again and they worked for a few minutes the both off again. Fog lights work. Thank God. I have really like this car up till now! Just happened it could be dangerous.

I have a 2006 Prius and I love it. The only problem is the low beam headlights quit working. The high beams still work but it is impossible to drive at night because you blind everyone. Sometimes they will come on and sometimes only one will come on. I called the dealer and it is not covered. The cost to fix is over $1200. The dealer acts like they do not know anything about the issue. This needs to be a recall.

Like many 2007 Toyota Prius customers, the driver's side headlight goes off and on. Toyota says it is because there is a problem with the HID and that the light is on its last leg. The complaint department said that the bulb was going out and would only last two months. I've kept this headlight for nearly 18 months. It seems to me that the problem may be elsewhere.

2007 Toyota Prius headlight failure. Toyota sent owners a letter saying that there is possible issue with the headlights and a brief, not clear summary. The letter was to inform people that they replaced a part that was unnecessary and they would be reimbursed. What really happens is that the headlight failure happens but it is intermittent so that by the time you figure out something is wrong, the car is not under warranty any more and the price is $600.00 plus to fix this. This is a safety issue that Toyota should take care of and there should be a recall.

First of all, this has been going on for a while now, I thought I was imagining it since I don't drive this car all the time. It just seemed like the road was darker, but there were still lights coming from the car (the running light? ) The headlight indicator on the dash board still showed that the lights were on. And yet, it was still hard to see. At first, I thought I was imagining it, then I thought something was wrong with my vision. Then I started avoiding going on trips that would require night driving.

Now, it is more noticeable since it seems to be happening more frequently, but I don't know what triggers the main lights to go out. When mine go out, the passenger head light goes first, then sometimes after the drivers head light goes but not always. Sometimes the lights work fine. This is a serious safety issue. This has happened to me on a dark windy mountain road, I was terrified. When driving in the city, it is hard to notice because there is less dark contrast because of the street lights so you may not realize there is a problem. It doesn't behave like the older cars where when a headlight would go out it was total darkness on that side.

I called Toyota and they said I would have to pay for this since it was out of warranty. It doesn't matter to them that this is a safety issue and is happening on many cars. I have sent them a letter, and filed a complaint with the NHTSA. We used to be loyal Toyota customers, not anymore. I will not recommend Toyotas to anyone. They are starting to lose quality and seriously lack their commitment to their customers.

Luckily we did not have an accident. I would not be surprised if there have been accidents caused by this issue but not yet attributed to it. I cannot drive the car at night. If I do, I have to be aware that this may happen. Toyota says this is a serious issue and I need to get it fixed (of course, I have to pay for it). From what I have researched, this is going to be close to $600.00.

We have had our 2004 Prius for 6 years now and really loved it. Now we have run into a problem which we thought was just unique to our car. That was until I read all the letters from Prius owners who had similar troubles. When we talked to our Toyota dealer, they seemed puzzled by the way our car was acting. First, all the warning lights went on, brake light went on and a loud ringing sound began. Air conditioner did not work. We drove home from vacation like this because the service manager said it would be alright to drive. Well, half way home on a large interstate, the car began switching into Neutral and the car would not respond. I had to quickly pull over and wait about 10 minutes and then it would be alright for another 10 miles or so.

Finally, we were towed to a Toyota dealer in Delaware who said we needed a new battery for which we paid almost $300 installed. We asked if this would get us home to Penna. "Oh yes," he replied. We had to call another tow truck in Cochranville, Pa. which took us the rest of the way home because it started to do the same thing again. We have an appointment at the Toyota dealer on Thursday so I am anxious to hear what they have to say.We can drive around town without a problem but as soon as we drive about 20-30 miles all hell breaks loose. The dealer has ordered some type of water pump. I hope it works!! !

My Toyota Prius's headlights will intermittently go out, then come back on when I turn the switch to off, then on. Or, if I turn on the brights, then turn back to regular light, the lights will not come back on until I switch them off, then on again. Nothing but a big scare on a dark, country road. It makes me very nervous to drive at night.

We bought our Toyota Prius with high intensity headlights new in 2008. Initially, we loved the brighter lights, especially since I drive home from work late at night on country roads. At about 40,000 miles the first head light went out and we were quoted $300.00 to replace it. Part of this cost involved approximately $165.00 for the light itself, and the rest for labor.

We were advised that that entire area around the lights needed to be removed in order to access the lights. We had it done and at that time requested to have the other light replaced at the same time. We were told they would not replace the light that was currently working and when we explained we wanted to do it now in order to save on labor in case the other light would go out in the next few weeks or months. They told us that it is against Toyota Policy to replace the light bulb while it is working.

A few days ago our other light went out and we will be facing another ridiculous bill to have this light changed. Last night I was pulled over by a police officer because my headlight was out. I told him the same story I am sharing here. I agree with other Totoya owners in that we are very dissatisfied with the fact that this is not something Toyota is helping with. I am advising people to be aware of this problem before deciding to buy a Prius.

One of my co workers had to buy a new car last week, and asked my opinion on the Prius. I told her what our experience was and due to the headlight issue, she decided on a Subara Forester instead. Another friend of mine also owns a Prius and had to change both headlights within a period of a month! The fuel economy is nice, but you cannot rely on the headlights working for long and you cannot count on the Toyota dealer to stand behind these lights!

The 2005 Prius passenger headlamp went out. Its replacement cost of $350 is prohibitive. I'm waiting for both to go so I can save on labor, but the police have stopped me twice now with fix-it tickets. They told me I should be able to get cheap aftermarket replacements. Toyota insists I cannot. I may not be able to drive this car, knowing I'll be replacing $300 headlamps regularly.

my 2006 prius hdlights go off & on while driving. it costs $500 to replace

I own a 2007 Toyota Prius, and I am having a problem with the passenger side headlight bulb going off. If I turn the lights off and on again, it will come back on. This is dangerous. I'm afraid the driver's side will start doing it also, and leave me completely in the dark at random. I recieved a letter from Toyota about the problem. I thought it was a recall, but when I took it to my dealer, they told me it was not a recall, just a letter stating that they know about the problem, and that it normally costs 300.00 to replace it. The letter said they would replace it for half price. Unbelievable!

My 2007 Prius has had a problem with the headlights failing to function since 45,000 miles. The lights have gone out on the highway at night, as well as in town. It is very dangerous not to be able to see to drive.

2007 Toyota Prius, bought new in May of 2007. Have replaced the driver's side headlight 3 times (out now!) and the passenger side once. Dealer charges $150 for the bulb and $95 labor. Called Toyota Headquarters today and the lady said "Toyota is reducing the cost of the bulb from $300 to $150 already and we are not able to assist you any further". Will not warranty the replacement bulbs because the vehicle is out of warranty. I told her this will be the last Toyota I own, enough is enough. Besides the economic impact of having to spend over $1,000 replacing headlights, there is an inherent danger in driving around without headlights!

We have a 2007 Toyota Prius that has light problems. We have been pulled over many times by police because one of our head lights were out. While the officer is watching, we turn the car off and then on only to see the headlight come back on. We do not know when it is working or not. Last night, we got pulled over because our back lights were not working. We have been pulled over by the police at least 5 times because of this issue.

On both of my daughter's 2006 and 2007 Toyota Prius, the headlights go off intermittently. Mostly the right one but sometimes both. If you turn the headlight switch off then back on, the headlights come back on only to go off a little while later. I have noticed when I see a car with only one headlight on, it is often a Toyota Prius. There should be a recall on the Prius!

So, I'm not inquiring about the current recall, but instead concerned about my headlight malfunctioning. Since spring of 2009, I noticed that my headlights have been dimming or "blinking", or switching back and forth at random intervals. Sometimes, one head light would go out, then the other. More recently, both sometimes go out. I can only correct this by turning off my headlights and then turning them back on. The first time this happened, I purchased new bulbs but the "blinking" continued.

I recently went online to search the web and I found that there are other Prius owners experiencing this same problem. They all claim that around 45,000 miles, they've been experiencing the same problems. My car is now at 48,000 miles which is consistent with the other Prius owners responses. Does Toyota have a recall for this malfunction? I was told that there is no recall and that Toyota will not repair. I have yet to contact my dealership. Please advise.

After 150,000 miles, my 2004 Toyota's headlight went out in 2008. I replaced it myself with high intensity bulb, purchased at Auto Parts shop. It only lasted a few weeks. It continued happening on alternating sides. The dealer told me, high intensity was my problem, and to return to regular intensity. So, I bought the least expensive regular intensity bulbs at Auto Parts shop, installed them myself, and they're great! They haven't failed for months so far.

I noticed from the first time I drove the car that when I turn on the headlights, they would be bright and then dim. I thought this was because of the High Intensity lamps (HID). Now, on my 2008 Prius, the headlights take turns shutting off, occasionally doing this simultaneously. When I asked the dealer about it, I was told it was known but nothing would be done and it would cost around $700. Now, I'm told that they cut the price of the bulbs to $150 and the repair is now only $500. Headlights failing in two years just doesn't sound like a quality car.

Headlights on Toyota Prius are faulty. My car is a 2007 Toyota Prius and the headlights started to go off while I was driving. I have to turn them to the off position and back to on to get them to come back on. In 2008, I hit a deer and the headlights were replaced due to damage. The headlights once again began to go off. I have been told that there is nothing they can do about it. Since this time there have been over 2000 complaints on the 2007 Prius with a headlights problem.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius. The 1st headlight went out in one year, the other the year after. This is something they know about, but like the gas sticking they try to ignore. I have had a Toyota since 1989, but I am losing faith in them because the company does not want to take the blame for things until enough problems arise and people are hurt. The are no consequences really, I got a warning ticket the day after they pulled me over for the same thing so I had to get the light replaced.

I bought a used 2008 Prius in 2009. I drove for half a year and the driver's side headlight went out. I went to the mechanic and replaced the headlight. Then the passenger's headlight went out. I thought I need to replace the passenger's headlight. But when I turn the headlight on and off, the passenger's headlight went back on and the light is very bright. It soon starts to dim in 5 seconds and then completely went out. I feel very unsafe when driving my car now.

My 2006 Prius headlight just started flickering on the driver's side. I am told it will cost $150 for the light and $95 for the labor. This is high but actually much lower than other reports I have seen. I read about problems, fueling tanks. I find that my tank starts reading empty when it actually still has 3 or even 4 gallons in it. I know this because I drive it for days after it reads empty and then when I fill it, it will take closer to the 12 gallons it holds. I am not sure why it reads empty so early, but I will probably never run out of gas. I get 43 miles to the gallon in Utah, but I go up and down a lot of hills near or in the mountains. I have a relative in Texas that claims 50 mpg.

Sorry to hear about so many problems. My car has been good except for the headlight issue. It also ran once without the key in the car for about 1/4 mile. It was already running when I got out of the car with the key, and my daughter started driving it, not knowing I had the key with me. It kept going for the 1/4 mile until it finally stopped and she called me. That was pretty strange.

My 2004 Prius had an intermittent headlight problem; it would go off, and once the car was turned off, it would come back on. I took it in to have it looked at. The dealership told me it needed a new headlight. I asked if they could guarantee that this would fix the problem. I was told yes. They fixed it and charged $450 for the bulb plus labor and disposal of the old bulb.

I returned home, and the problem continued. I took it to a different dealer and was told they replaced the bulb with a $150 bulb. The cost to find this out was an additional $50. They switched the bulbs. The problem was still happening. I tried to recoup the difference between the bulbs or $300. I was told I would have to return the old bulb for a refund. Then there's more expense and more runaround.

I got fed up and traded it off for a Honda. My job requires me to travel, and I need a dependable vehicle. I contacted Toyota headquarters and was told since two different dealerships were involved, it would be hard to get my money back. The dealerships were 200 miles apart.

3. toyota prius 2006 nav computer just stopped after dealer fixed headlight I got an error message. Dealer claims computer failure with $5,000 fix. Is there a simple reboot proceedure?

the headlights on my 2007 Toyota Prius go out. Sometimes they come back on, sometimes they don't. Took it to the dealer, who could not duplicate the problem. I live on a windy rural road, and last night I finished by drive home at 25 mph and the flashing of my turn indicators. Very dangerous!

My 2007 Prius High Intensity Display (HID) headlights fail frequently while I am driving. The driver's side headlight began failing in spring 2009, and by winter, the passenger side light was also failing.

There is an ambiguously described Toyota Service Bulletin on the problem, but I am having trouble getting the problem fixed. My mechanic said that the fix described in the TSB would likely not work and that I should investigate whether this is a frequent problem for this model. It is.

The Toyota Customer Experience Hotline (800)331-4331 gave me a case number and said they would reimburse me the cost of replacement (parts and labor), once a dealer had diagnosed the problem. Miller Toyota of Anaheim said they consulted with a TCE rep regarding my case number and said the reimbursement will only cover the lights but not the labor. Toyota Customer Experience would not commit to reimbursing the cost of repair until the problem had been diagnosed by the dealer, which is problematic because the lights always work when they are initially turned on and when they are re-started. This is very dangerous, obviously.

I had my 2008 Toyota Prius only about three months until I started having light problems. The headlights went off and I had to turn them off and turn back on. I had to do this several times. This year my passenger headlight started to get dim. When I would turn it off and turn it back on it would work for about 5 miles then it would go off. Now it is out completely and I hear it will cost several hundred dollars to have it replaced since the dealer will have to change the light bulb. This seems to be an electrical problem with the Prius. Can something be done to have the light bulbs replaced if that is the problem or have someone check into seeing if its an electrical problem.

I have also had to change my tires frequenlty. Right now I am having issues with possibly my brakes. I am taking it in again for a check. I like driving this car but will not buy another toyota.

2007 Toyota prius headlights first passangerside went turned them off and then back on and it stared working again. several days later the drivers side went out turned the light switch off then back on and it started workin again.

We had to replace one of our headlights on our 2008 Prius at a cost of approximately $200.

I purchased a new Toyota Prius off the lot, 2007 model, with HID headlamps. Starting at ~32000 miles, 6 months ago, I found what I thought to be a headlight failure after a previous period of uncertainty about whether I had such a problem. I drove to the dealer after having spotted the faulty lamp, pulled up for service, and no trouble found. The dealership stated they had no knowledge of intermittency issues. Since then I've had intermittent failures of each headlight and one taillight. (The taillight may be a separate issue - I don't know.) I painfully extracted the HID bulbs and the taillight to inspect for corrosion and to feel for a possible loose connection, but found neither such issue on any of the three lights. I've had one incident where both lights went out on the freeway and could NOT be restored by flicking off and on the lights, which technique works most of the time. Since then, I've only had one at a time go out and flicking off and on the lights seems to fix it, but it now happens more often than not - i.e. > 50% of my nightly outings I've had to do a "flick-and-restore" to get a blinked-off headlight back on.

When can I expect a recall notice on this? Anyone?

I'm lucky: the only consequences so far are several (perhaps ~8) hours of wasted time around this issue, and a close call on the freeway where I drove a mile without lights to an exit whereupon stopping the car and flicking off/on together did the trick. And then there's the scolding from my wife to do something about this unsafe situation, and the worrying about what could happen.

About a year ago my 2005 Prius' drivers side headlight went out. I noticed a 'pinkish' color to the light for about a week before it went out completely. I went to the local Toyota dealer and was told that it would be $135 for a diagnostic to decide if it was the bulb or the computer that runs the headlight.(each headlight has it's own computer). If it's the bulb, it will be about $400 for the bulb and an undisclosed amount to install it. If it is the computer I wasn't given a dollar amount but it would be much higher.

I didn't have the $400 so I drove around trying to hide from Police vehicles. I got very tired of being told by EVERYONE that I had a headlight out. No one believed me that it would cost $400 for the bulb. They said that I must be mistaken that would be for the whole headlight assembly. I had some body work done during this time and told that body man about the headlight and he checked it out. In order to get to the headlight bulb he had to remove the entire front of the car! Obnoxious!

When I told others about this they thought I was crazy. Finally, a friend helped me out and found an after-market bulb at NAPA for "only" $100. So I bought one and my friend installed it. Whew, no more dodging the police. Two weeks later the passenger side light went out. Talk about fuming! The people at the autoparts store told me that is why most headlight bulbs come in a set of 2 because they usually go out together. I told them with $100 bulbs getting 2 is a real big expense.

Replaced that one and now, 6 months later, my driver's side headlight is going out! What's the deal? Who is making all of the money?
I bought my first Prius in Jan. 2001 and had almost no problems with it. I only traded it in for the "bells and whistles" on my 2005. Other than the Headlights there have been almost no problems with my car. I'm not sure that I can continue to afford my "money saving" car anymore.

If I go to a dealership and get both replaced it will be around $1000 to $1500. Sorry, in this economy I just don't have it. Maybe I should trade it in on a 1971 Volkswagen. Those headlights only cost about $10.

I've driven for almost 50 years and owned many cars. I don't remember replacing more than one headlight bulb in all of that time. That one was after my husband hit a deer. I can't afford to spend a couple thousand dollars a year for Headlight bulbs since I'm on a fixed income. I've had to dodge the police until I can scrape up the money to buy the bulbs and beg a friend to take my car apart to put them in and put it back together again. I find this very stressful and it's bad for my blood pressure and my pocketbook.

2007 Toyota Prius. My drivers side headlight flickers and goes out. If I turn the light off and back on, it comes back on again. Sometimes it goes out completely. Last time I was on the highway during heavy rain at night. Very dangerous. I have an appointment with my dealership, who says it's likely a computer issue and will cost me 1200 to repair. They also said that Toyota Corp. has had many complaints and is thinking about a recall. I plan to have a diagnostic done tomorrow and am bringing copies of documentation from the Internet and tell them it's a product liability issue. If I don't get immediate free of charge action, I'm contacting the State Attorney General's Office, The Motor Vehicle Dept. Licensure Division, and Toyota Corp.

I am having trouble with my 2007 Prius and headlights. they come on and off. the dealer ship wants to charge me 75.00 to look at it, $150.00 to replac eeach bulb and if that isn't the problem it will cost me more money. plus I bought the extened warranty thinking that everything was covered. I am very up set with toyota.

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HID HEADLIGHT on passenger side goes out after 1 minute of driving. Will relight momentarily after power switch is turned off, then on. Issue began shortly after expiration of 36k mile warranty. Repair quotation: $950. Issue impairs driving visibility. $950 is a ridiculous cost to repair a headlight. Toyota needs to acknowledge the Gen II Prius HID headlight failure defect and repair the headlights for owners.

2007 Prius HID Headlamps.

Have now had to replace headlamps twice since purchasing my new vehicle in November 2006. These HID headlamps are extremely expensive and rather difficult to remove and install. $150 each for 2 headlamps. Not including labor. Had I opted for Toyota to install, it would have been almost $400 each.

This is a follow-up to my previous post regarding my driver's side headlight needing to be replaced as well as the computer. I did call Toyota headquarters and complain that there must be a manufacturing defect. I was told I would get a return call in 24 hours.

In that time period, I was driving my car in to have the work done, and the dealership called to say taht Toyota had called them and told them I would be reimbursed. Wow! Both I and the dealership were stunned, but thrilled. Later, when I tried to file for the reimbursement, the Toyota hq person said they made no such statement. But I pushed back and said the promise of reimbursement was noted on the work order by the dealership. They called the dealership and then agreed to a "goodwill" reimbursement, admitting to nothing.

It was the bulb, they told me, but it would STILL cost $500 to replace it. $300 for the bulb, which comes with NO warranty, and $200 for the labor to remove the entire front end of the car just to replace the bulb. The $200 of labor would come with a one-year warranty against "defective labor," whatever that means. 18 months later, the car is back in the dealer's service shop. Same headlight failed. Same symptoms. Now the "good news" is that they will determine whether it is the headlight or the ECU for only $100, not the (alleged) $241 that it would "normally" cost to get the diagnosis. Amazingly, the service department STILL claims to have no idea whether there is a problem with the headlights in the second generation Prius!

Toyota has a problem with the Prius headlights and/or ECUs that it will not acknowledge. And the dealership is prepared to LIE about the problem by feigning ignorance about a problem that appears to have only grown in proportion in the last 18 months.

This is an ECONOMY car. $500 headlight replacements are unconscionable to begin with. But YEARLY $500 headlight replacements? That's consumer fraud, both on the manufacturer's part, and on the part of the dealer service departments.

I sincerely hope there is a class-action lawsuit in the works. I would gladly join, even though class members end up with next to nothing, and the attorneys become filthy rich. But if that's what it takes to punish Toyota and their dealerships, I would get more than $500 worth of satisfaction seeing them pay out several hundred million in damages.

I own a 2005 Toyota Prius with 111,000 miles on it. This is my second one. My 2002 which has over 100,000 has only given me minor problems. I had not experienced any problems with the 2005 until about 3 weeks ago. Driver's side headlight would just go off "unannounced". If I turned the lights on/off, it would come back on. Took it to the dealership and they said it would be over $400 with HID bulb and labor. New bulb would be under warranty for 12 months. I told them that the bulb was not burned out.

They took it to the back and checked the headlight. The service manager brought it back and said the light was working now. OK... so why would I want to replace a bulb that is working NOW.

In the following week, I was coming home at night and got pulled over by the police. Speeding? NO.. headlight out. I told the policeman I had been to the dealership and we were working on it. Two nights ago, was coming home in the dark and headlight went out 10 times in 48 miles. hmmm.. Turned off/on and headlight would come back on (for a while.)

Took it back to the dealership yesterday. I told the service manager to check for loose bulb or wire. He said they could find nothing and that the bad news was I would have to replace the bulb. I said..not going to do it. There is nothing wrong with the bulb. There is something going on between the on/off switch or computer and the headlight. He said he would call Toyota and see what they said. duh...

I am to call him back this afternoon. But I am not expecting Toyota to do anything for me... obviously from all the posts I am reading, they have done nothing for anyone else. Why would such a supposedly reputable company not have a recall and fix all these headlights???? I love my Prius.. but I hate the headlight problem. Not only is it a safety hazzard, it's a pain to have to keep turning your lights on/off. It's too bad that such a great car can have such an annoying problem that can't be solved with a simple recall.

As per all of the other stories here replacement will be out of pocket around $1,000.00 for the HID lights and the ECU computers (one for each light). I think this is a safety issue when a user can NOT replace just a light to fix their car.

When it comes to the DVD Nav system -- as per the dealership "Oh that's going to run some serious money". So I didn't even have that diagnosed. I will NEVER buy another Prius again.

I took my 2007 prius in to see if they could give me a reason for the headlights going off while driving. I told them the drivers side light will go out while driving with the lights on. I have found that if I turn the lights off and back on that it will come on. I told them that while driving to work at 4:00AM (dark) one morning at 70 miles per hour that headlight went out. I slowed down and did not wreck and turned the lights off and back on and they came on again. The serviced representative said that they did not find anything wrong and that they turned the lights on-and-off several times and could not duplicate this.

I tried to get them to understand that at 70 miles per hour and dark outside one could do a lot of damage to the car, self and other vehicles if this situation were to occur again. The representative said that he looked up on complaints in regard to this and that nothing came up mentioning this as a recall or issue. He said I declined to replace the lights at his suggestion. Well I have an extended warranty on this vehicle and the warranty is in effect. He said the lights could be replaced at about $340.00. My jaw dropped and then he said that the cost is down as they were $450 each a couple of years ago. Anyway he did not offer resolution other than me replacing the headlights at $340.00 out of my pocket.

This is, I believe, an intentional misdiagnosis of an expensive out of warrantee headlight replacement. Toyota has a history that goes back to the 2004 Prius HID headlights failing on a rather large scale. If the headlights fail prior to warrantee period expiration the light bulbs are replaced. If it happens after warrantee expiration, the cost ranges from $250 up. I have two Priuses, both of which have headlights that failed simultaneously. The 2006 failed through the normally complained method which is to turn out completely until you turn off the lights then turn them back on. This happened to both sides at unpredictable times. However both came on every time the headlights were powered up. Toyota South replaced the bulbs in both headlights under warrantee.

While in the service bay, it was noticed the 2004 Prius had a passenger side headlight which was a deep rose color. It was not out. We scheduled repair of that light upon picking up the 2006 after the repair was accomplished. The service person wrote a description of the defect on the first visit. That description was a good representation of the problem. When the car was returned for repair, a different service person described it as being out. I remarked that it really wasn't out, it was pink. I didn't pursue the apparent technicality since it was dim enough due to the deep color that it was ineffective as a driving light.

On January 2 2009 that light once again reverted to the identical condition noticed in the service bay. When I returned to the service department to report the condition, they took the car back to the Prius mechanic. The service person came into the waiting room about 20 min. later and reported that this time the problem was a different cause, therefore their 1 year warrantee would not cover the repair and it would cost an additional $500+. Toyota Motor Company reimbursed me for the cost of replacing the original repair job. It took a month and finally notification to Mr. M. of my intent to contact Discover Card to get my money back before I finally received an over-night mail check that they claimed they were mailing on three different occasions, but four days later it finally got here.

Mr. M. finally returned my call and informed me that he had my signature on a work order that said the headlight was out in the bay, and didn't say anything about it being pink. Therefore their 1 year warrantee did not cover this problem. This is even after a previous meeting in his office with my expressing my concern about the history I had uncovered which demonstrates the problem is not the bulb but is the ballast (controller) for the bulb. Replacing the bulb often had to be followed by replacement of the ballast within about 6 months. Now Toyota South does say the problem is with the controller.

It is obvious that Toyota Motor Company is into the fifth year of ignoring the problem and is simply waiting until the warrantee expires so they can make $500 for replacing a bulb that doesnt need to be replaced or is having its life shortened by a ballast mismatch of some sort and then six months or so later making another $500 to replace a ballast which may or may not correct the problem. History is starting to show a high failure rate on the replacement ballast.

When I bought the car, the only headlights I could get with the package I purchased were the HID headlights. It was not a selling point for me; however it was also not a deal breaker. When I purchased the car, it was the second Prius. I kept the 2002 and continued to use it with virtually no complaints. I have virtually no complaints about the 2004 or the 2006 as far as the mileage, and engine, body, anything is concerned except the fact that all three Priuses purchased at two Toyota dealers were registered incorrectly and I think there is no excuse for my having to worry about having to replace headlights at a potential cost of $4000 / year (4 headlights on 2 cars at two repairs per headlight at $500 per repair) nor should I have to feel I need to get rid of two cars that I am otherwise perfectly willing to brag about owning. I also dont think I should have to go back to Toyota Motor Company to take care of since Toyota South is obviously complicit and local or at best guilty of misdiagnosis.

Toyota overcharges on light bulbs, or over-engineers them, or both. Toyota charges $338 for a light bulb, yes, a light bulb, for the front headlights, plus $120 in dealer labor charges, so, to change a light bulb, in a 2004 Prius, cost us $462!!!! That is not a typo, $462 dollars for a headlight bulb replacement.

I own an '07 Toyota Prius. At 50,000 miles both headlights began turning off intermittantly. Turn them on, one would turn off, then the other would turn off, randomly. This makes driving at night unsafe unless I re-set the lights by turning them off and then on again. Thinking that the problem was an intermittant contact on a $ 160.00 relay, I went to the dealer and found that both headlights contain a computer and is a common issue - one computer for each headlight. Both computers are bad and intermittantly failing. Coincidental that it's both computers failing and began at exactly at 50,000 miles. The dealer will also not replace the computers without replacing the HID headlamp bulbs. At this point with the excessive costs associated with disassembling the car's front-end, it's probably wise to spend the $289.00/headlamp bulb while it's torn apart.