I have been having problems with my headlights going out for several years now. This is the same problem described by other drivers when the lights go out and can be reset by turning them off and back on again. For the first few years, the only bulb to go out was the right side. The bulb appears to have no bearing on the problem. I have put in new bulbs and had the same problem. I even tried switching the non-working bulb with the one that was working on the left side. The left side worked fine like this and the right side continued to fail. Now, several years later, the left side appears to be failing also. Even though I have gotten other recall notices, toyota never notified me of a settlement in this case. And, by the time that I found out about it, the settlement had expired.
2006 Toyota Prius lights complaints
Page 6 of 33: complaints 131 to 160 of 941, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The passenger side headlight would intermittently go off. If I turned the lights off and then on again the lights would both come on but while driving the passenger side headlight would go off again. I drive 20 miles to work. When I would first start the car when leaving work to go home, both headlights would be on but by the time I would get home the passenger side would be out again. I brought the car to the dealer and they said it was the ballast that caused the problem and charged almost 1000.00 to fix the problem. Fortunately I did not have to pay the full amount due to the fact I had and extended warranty. However, just 2 days after having this fixed the same thing is happening to the driver?s side headlight. I will be bringing the car to the dealer again. I have read online that this is happening to quite a few prius owners, particularly with the 2006 model. It also seems from my research that it happens to 2005,2007 and 2008 models also. This seems to be a manufacturer defect and I find it a bit ridiculous that replacing headlights should cost so much money. It cost me 227.00 to fix one headlight and 2 taillights due to ballast issues and it is more than likely going to cost another 200.00. So all in all to repair headlights will cost me over 425.00 and without the extended warranty would have cost near 2000.00. If this is happening to so may cars there is obviously an issue which consumers should not have to pay for. My year prius has had several recalls and obviously has its fair share of manufacturer problems. The affected parts involved were/are the ballast , headlights and tail lights thank you
2006 toyota prius with hid headlights with 55,000 miles is used as a taxi cab. On july 11th, 2012 and progressing, the passenger side hid headlight would flicker and then turn off completely after 5-15 minutes of operation. Headlights must be turned off and then on to resume normal service. Hid bulb replacement did not resolve the issue. Toyota dealership only offered to replace the headlight without any explanation to what might be causing the issue.
Hid headlights go out randomly while driving. Each one goes out separately, but sometimes they will both happen to be out at the same time. While driving, this is corrected by turning headlights off and then back on. Same thing happens with the yellow running lights, one may turn off randomly. This began happening in fall of 2011, however new bulbs (hid and running lights) were purchased and the problem stopped temporarily, but within 1 year the same problems are occurring again. Similar problem with the rear license plate lights; one will be off randomly, but shutting the trunk hard seems to appease the problem. This may be a wiring problem, but the front lights should not be turning off randomly.
The front and back lights on the right side (passenger) side failure sporadically. At first I thought it was only my rear light. Now I'm starting to notice that it is my right side front headlight too. Tonight I noticed that both the front and rear lights on the right side were out. When my front headlight fails, I can turn the light switch off and back on. When I turn it back on, the light works again, but I'm not sure for how long. This is a safety issue. I've read online forums and this does not look to be an isolated incident.
Both exterior lights and all interior lights went out late at night while driving on an old country road. Very scary and dangerous! By turning the light switch completely off and back on we got our lights back. We had already spent over $250 for headlamps before this so it was not the bulbs. It's continuing to have a problem however we usually get some flickering of the lights just before one or both lights go out so we drive with one hand on the light switch to be ready to turn off and on the lights. We have been told by toyota that we have to bring it while it is having a problem which is a problem since the shop is not open at night and while happening fairly frequently now is not predictable enough to show the repairman. Please recall this vehicle. We are not alone and still love our prius.
One of headlights (passenger side) suddenly shuts off. Then I completely turn them all the way off, then it works again for a few minutes. So far we have changed: headlight assembly, lights computer controller, and numerous lights bulbs. So far this issue has cost us over $3000 but toyota does not take any responsibility for this issue. This is apparently an issue with everyone that owns a 2006 prius from what it looks like on line with other users.
The driver side hid headlamp went out while driving. This was out for about a day then turned back on while driving again. I have now noticed this happens every few days and only while in motion.
I own a 2006 prius 2006. One of the headlights keeps going out and I have now received a fix-it ticket from the local police. The problem is that I already took it to the dealer to get it checked out and they couldn't find any problem. Also, I can't really tell when or how the head light goes out since I can't see it. I can only tell when I see the reflection in the back of another car or when in front of a store/wall etc. If I turn them all the way off and back on couple of times then the light comes back. Sometimes it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. Sometimes it will go out, sometimes it won't. It is not an event I can make happen and as I mentioned before I took it to the dealer (toyota of orange) and they can't make it happen either. I have also come across a blog where many prius owners are experiencing the exact same issue. Http://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/
Passanger side headlight dims and then turns off at random times - light will sometimes come back on when you turn the headlights off and then on again. Problem has returned within minutes of turning them off then on again.
On numerous occasions both headlights have spontaneously gone dark while driving at night, either singly or in tandem. Other times they fail to come on at the start of a trip, but one or both will be on at the destination. It only seems to affect the main headlamps, not the amber lights or the small round lights below them. When it first happened we replaced the bulb in one headlamp, but that had no effect on the problem. It's frightening when driving home from work at midnight.
Upon arriving home, I was informed the left hand headlight was not working. By switching the light off and then on, I was able to get the light to work. This has happened intermittently on numerous occasions since that time, although not just the left light. The right hand side will also flicker off and then the headlight stalk has to be turned off and on to get the light to illuminate again. This issue cannot be duplicated by me, as the lights seem to have a life of their own. What frightens me is that the lights will also go through this erratic behavior while I am driving the vehicle at night, not only when the car is stationary. I did receive info on getting toyota to assist in the cost of bulb replacement, but since I work constantly in real estate sales, I did not have an opportunity to bring the vehicle to my dealer, and had not used an outside mechanic to make repairs. Also I had been able to get the headlights to work with the re-switching process. Because the situation has escalated and I find it occurring more frequently, I visited the dealer this morning only to be told they had no liability after the extended 50000 mile limit, and my car now has 85000 miles! It seems to me toyota knows they have an issue with the ecu which controls this headlight function, but are not going to rectify the situation until the federal safety agency forces them. This is a very dangerous problem and I do not want to end up trying to drive with no lights in the dark!!
I was driving home on suburban surface streets at dusk, following a friend to my home. My cell phone rang, and I answered using the bluetooth feature of the vehicle. It was my friend, calling to let me know that my left headlight was out. It had been flickering and having issues over the past few weeks, and we thought the bulb might be loose. We took the car to our mechanic on june 19th, 2012 to have the serpentine belt replaced and the headlight looked at. He indicated it was the bulb, and that it would cost $350 to replace. Coincidentally, a relative saw a news story the other day about many similar complaints made to your organization and to the toyota company, so I did some online research. I was very disheartened to read an investigation made by kctv5 out of kansas city which explained your failure thus far to demand a recall, despite ample evidence that the system flaw has been corrected in the 2010 and newer prius models. Please demand a recall before someone is injured or killed! As the daughter of a retired highway patrol officer, I understand the need for on-the-road safety. At this point, I am afraid to drive my vehicle at night, and it is my family's only vehicle. Please do something!
The first incident happened as I was driving the highway both of my headlights completely failed. The headlights would come back on after turning them off and back on. First toyota told me it was caused by a bad auxiliary battery and charged me over $200 for the battery. But that very night I had the same issue again,toyota tried to tell me that the bulbs are just burnt out. I am not an idiot, light bulbs do not burnout at the exact same time and a burntout lightbulb does not come back on. After fighting with toyota and them wanting to charge me almost $2000 to fix this issue (I have a 100,000 mile warranty) they repaired it free. Now 2 years and 24,000 miles later they are going out again. I have five days left on my warranty that I had to fight to get to cover it before. It is extremely dangerous driving at night and having both your headlights go out on you!
Both headlights go out on a random basis while driving. This may occur 30 - 50 times in 5 mile trip.
My headlights keep going out with no warning. I am driving and lights will go out -- dashboard signal indicates lights are on. I have been stopped twice by police for driving without lights (sometimes hard to detect when driving in well lit area). If I turn lights on and off they come back on. I first started seeing this problem over a year ago but it has been more pronounced in past few months. I have brought the car to dealer and they have not seen a problem although now I am reading that there is an issue with the nih lights. No lights, no warning that there are no lights ... This is a safety issue.
Upon purchase of vehicle from a used car lot, I immediately noticed the headlights would be work at times but at other times they would be very dim to non-existent. Turning the light on and off would seem to temporarily fix this problem. Upon researching this issue through the internet, it was reviled this was a common issue among prius owners in model years 2006-2009 where toyota choose to use hid light bulbs. Not only was this common, but for some owners, the issue appear to re-occur and the life expectancy of hid bulbs appears to be very low and inferior to virtually any other type of bulb. Fortunately, the dealer extended a helping hand and provided the labor to install these hard to get to bulbs. Due to poor design, the lights are very hard to get to without taking the bumper off. I am very disappointed in the life expectancy and design that toyota chose in this model of prius.
Cpsc#i1230059. 2006 toyota pruis computer assembly. Consumer stated the hid head lamps and associated controller computer used on the toyota pruis have a design flaw that makes them itermittently, and without warning, quit working. *ln the consumer stated he experienced the failure three times while driving at night
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. The contact stated that the headlights would intermittently fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure but replaced the headlights. The remedy failed to repair the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 57,000.
Multiple hid headlight failures started appearing after 5.5 years and 110000 miles. Dealer wanted $500 per bulb (frontier toyota) to replace the bulbs with no guarantee that would fix the problem. After researching bulb changing procedures I found the front end does not require removal if you have small enough hands and some patience. I purchased 2 new aftermarket hid bulbs for $55 and replaced the "old" bulbs. The new bulbs lasted about 3 commutes before one, then the other started turning off on me. Now the headlights act the same as before, headlights randomly turning off after 2-5 minutes on the dark road. Re-cycling the headlight switch brings them back to life for another 3-5 minutes. Now I am faced with replacing one or both ballast units that drive the bulbs. This will required removing both headlight assemblies to access the ballast boxes which are mounted to the sides of the assemblies facing outward towards the fenders ! This will require bumper facia removal to remove the light assys. Lovely & expensive. If after replacing both ballast assemblies doesn't work, I will be forced to replace the vehicle's ecu, or brain ! Another expensive checklist item. Good thing I am capable of doing this myself as I can save the greedy labor charges, but its not right that toyota gets off scott free. They should recall all prius' no matter the mileage or age. This is a highway safety matter and the latest olive branch from the judge was nothing more than a wrist slap.
The headlights are defective. This seems to be an issue with second generation prius and there is a lot of internet chatter from affected individuals. The headlights are showing intermittent on/off. The headlights go off automatically. They start working again after switching them off and then back on. However, this needs to be done every few minutes.
At approximately 40,000 miles the passenger side hid headlight goes out intermittently & comes back on after turning headlights off and back on. I have been pulled over three times & received a warning ticket. Dealer service convinced us that it was the bulb & that the cost of bulb replacement was entirely ours even though headlights were covered to 100,000 miles. This of course, did not fix the problem and it continues. This creates a safety hazard on poorly lit roads & during reduced visibility conditions. Dealer offers no assistance or guidance.
One headlight goes off after 1-2 min of staying on. Switching it off and then on brings it on. The cycle repeats.
The headlights will turn off automatically without any operation. When headlights turned off and on, it will go back working for a while before it turns off again.
Both headlights intermittently go off, usually one at a time, but once, both went off at the same time at night. If I turn them off and back on, they work for a few minutes, and then same thing happens. The dealer says nothing is wrong.
Headlight bulbs intermittently on and off starting around 48,000 miles and then 52,000 miles for other bulb. I can usually get the light to turn back on by turning the headlights fully off and then on. Driver side bulb died first, passenger bulb shortly thereafter. Toyota replaced the 1st bulb under our 5 year warranty but refused to replace the other bulb at 5 yrs 3 months & 52k miles.
Driving at night and headlight completely failed. Took it in to dealer but was working then and dealer refused to document. This same thing occurred several times since then, both headlights failing at one time or another resulting in dangerously poor visibility. Problem is intermittent and continuing with a failure just days ago. Toyota acknowledges the problem but refuses to take responsibility saying the current mileage is too high. Problem first occurred when mileage was considerably under 45000. Feel it is unsafe to drive the car at night.
I was driving home last night when all of the sudden my headlight went out! At first I thought I just blew a lamp. But much to my surprise when I went out the next morning both headlights were working. I checked the connection behind the headlamp to make sure everything was tight and there was no loose or damaged wires- everything was in perfect condition. Upon further research to see if anyone else has had this problem, I find numerous complaints all over the country stating that people are having the same problem- headlights randomly go out without any kind of rhyme or reason. This is a serious safety hazard! What if I was driving in the rain at night- I need all the light I can get! What if I was pulled over and given a citation because my headlight was out, and it's not even my fault! I see that toyota recalled prius models from 06-09 for this exact issue, but why not the 05's!? We're having this problem too! Whether this is a balast issue or a hid controller issue headlamps should not randomly shut off and then back on for no reason. Safety!
Hid headlights fail intermittently. Lights will work again if turned off and back on. Lights will go out again with no apparent cause.
We have had intermittent problems with the hid headlights on our 2006 toyota prius for years. One light will just go out intermittently. Usually, just turning the lights off and then back on will cause the headlight that is out to come back on. This is a well known problem with this model and has been well documented all over the internet. In july of 2008, we finally decided to fix the driver's side headlight after being stopped by police multiple times because it was out intermittently. The dealer charged us $427.99 to change one hid bulb!!! I wrote to toyota motor sales, USA to complain. A few weeks later, I received a "goodwill reimbursement" from them for the full amount of $427.99! Now we have been stopped by police several times because our passenger side headlight has been going off intermittently for a while now. After being stopped by police while out of state last week, we decided to call to see if toyota was fixing this problem since there was a class action lawsuit about this very issue that toyota settled. We were told that the price to change the light bulb would now be $254.85! Since this is definitely a defect that toyota knows about, why haven't they been made to recall the car and fix the problem?
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