Both headlight bulbs will go out when the vehicle is hot. It can be one at a time or simultaneously. Additionally both tail light bulbs stopped working approximately 1 week prior. When the rear bulbs were replaced the headlight problem seemed to worsen.
2008 Toyota Prius lights complaints
Page 19 of 21: complaints 521 to 550 of 583, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2008 toyota prius headlight failure--headlights will go out at anytime. Driver switches lights off then back on to regain headlight. Dealer said it is a failure of the high density lamp assembly. Entire assembly replacement is the only repair. Cost of assembly is 250 dollars and 50 dollars to remove & install.
2008 toyota prius - hid headlights. Lights turn off independently and intermittently. Sometimes one, sometimes both. Restarting vehicle will resolve problem temporarily, but they usually fail again. I contacted toyota experience hotline. A case manager stated that this is normal behavior for these headlights when they are starting to need replacement. This vehicle had 38000 miles when problem started. If the behavior were normal, wouldn't it be in the owners manual? A normal behavior wouldn't create such a safety hazard without some kind of warning light. For instance, when my tire pressure is low, a warning light comes on. We were only told to bring it to the dealer for inspection.
The right hid headlamp on my 2008 toyota prius has failed. The headlamp now goes on and off intermittently. I looked into replacing the bulb, but upon being told the cost would be up to several hundred dollars and not covered under warranty, I decided to find a bulb and replace on my own.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that as he was driving 40 MPH his headlights shut off and he could not see which resulted in him hitting a dog. The manufacturer was notified and a representative stated that someone would return his call. The vehicle has not bee diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 60,160.
Headlights on car go off while driving. I have to keep turning the switch off and on to get them back on. This is happening more and more. I will be driving on a dark road with no streetlamps and my headlights will go completely out. All of a sudden I find that I'm driving blind. . I have found that other prius cars are having this same problem. I have a 2008 prius with 41,000 miles on it. It's scary and very dangerous: http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html#comm...
Hid head light goes off while driving in toyota prius 08.
My 2008 prius frequently had failure of one and both headlamps at the same time. I was unable to bring them back on by turning them on and off. They would reset after vehicle sat for a time.
2008 toyota prius pkg 6...lost power at 65mph...engine shut down and I lost control of car...pulled over...lights said there was no fuel but I had refueled earlier that morning. Took to dealer...could not find a problem. Also, hid headlights intermittently don't work...very unsafe...has caused trouble with police...I am beyond irritated with toyota.
We have 2008 prius that first began having left headlamp go out when driving, we would have to pull over safe place along road turn mess with turning headlights on and off... Created unsafe driving remainder of trip, aprox 200 miles night drive to get home with one headlight... Not good on montana roads with wildlife prevalent on roadway... Dealer replaced under warranty... Two weeks later same trouble with right headlight while driving home at night from spokane wa. To bigfork, mt again dangerous 5 hr drive at night on freeway with poor visibility... This time dealer said they needed to replace both the right headlight and a computer sub assy... Help.. Both instances caused unsafe driving conditions, night with only one headlight with lots of wildlife crossing the hwy... And it is important to know we can not simply pull into service station and replace the headlight, it is a dealer only item that we are told involves removing the front bumper to replace...
Headlight failure, had to have replaced. The part was covered by warranty but labor for $700 was not.
Both the driver's and passenger's side high intensity discharge (hid) headlamps in my 2008 toyota prius have been flickering while driving over the last several weeks, creating a sudden unexpected hazardous limited visibility condition. There is less than 40,000 miles on the car, which I bought brand new from the dealer in november 2007. Toyota's warranty does not cover the exorbitant repair cost of the prematurely expired hid bulbs, though there have been over 400 complaints against this defect. Therefore I am filing an official complaint, and a suggestion for a full investigation into the possibility of a recall of the hid lamps.
In the 2008 toyota prius "touring edition", the hid (high intensity discharge) lamps fail at a more rapid pace than their standard halogen counterparts. When they do fail, they fail without warning and can be turned on intermittently, giving the impression of a loose bulb or wire and delaying repair. If the headlights are outside of their extremely short warranty period (only 36,000 miles), toyota also wants over $500 in parts and labor to repair these nigh-impossible-to-replace light bulbs, per bulb, even though the bulbs only cost about $123 each from a third-party supplier ($215 through toyota). Because of the false sense of security caused by the appearance of a loose wire or bulb, and the reluctance to shell out $500 for repair, many drivers will choose to wait on repairs. Shortly after the first bulb fails, less than 2000 miles in my case, the other bulb will fail, most likely because of an imbalance in the high-voltage hid system.should this happen at night, it could pose an extreme safety risk to the occupants of the vehicle. I recommend that a recall, or possibly a warranty extension on the headlights, be issued with all haste.
Hid headlights have performed poorly, dim - particularly on high beam, since it was new. Now left headlight only works intermittently.
Head lamps went out with only 30k mile and both went out within a week of each other costing me 1k to repair.
About 33k on my new beloved '08 prius my left headlight went out as I was pulling into my garage. The next morning it came on just fine. I noticed a decline from there. A few days later the right one went out and on a sunday trip about 2 months later both headlights flickered. I found that in the interim turning them off and then back on again helped sometimes. Now the lights are out and I cannot drive at night or in the rain! The first dealership said they couldn't replicate the problem, so they couldn't fix it under warranty. They said they could replace the headlight, but at my cost. It doesn't seem like the light itself is the problem (why would it then come on after turning it off and on again?)
Prius 2008 headlight go off and back on. Dealer says this is a known problem but toyota has not done a recall. New light will be $500 plus labor to put it in. Asked if this can happen with the other side and dealer says yes.
I currently own a 2008 toyota prius, and formerly owned a 2003 prius. After approximately 30,000 miles, I was made aware by others that my driver's side headlight was out. After further investigation, I learned the lamp would turn on if I turned off the lights and then turned them back on again. I have since been pulled over three times due to a headlight being out. The function of the light has become very inconsistent- I conducted a road test of over 30 miles (auto mileage 47000) resulting in the drivers side lamp burning out seven times without relationship to driving conditions (speed, bumps etc). This is a serious safety hazard. I have paid almost $200 to toyota dealers who could not isolate a problem. Since then, I carry the dealer info with me so when I get pulled over again, I can show the officer I have attempted to fix this problem to no avail from the manufacturer. Since then I have discovered this is a common problem in this model. I have even seen other prius' with the driver's headlight out.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While driving at an unknown speed, the headlights failed unexpectedly. The failure occurs mostly in dark conditions. The dealer stated that they would investigate the issue. The contact found numerous complaints regarding the headlights and believes that this is a serious defect and safety issue. The failure occurred four times and the dealer recommended turning the headlights on and off until they remain illuminated. The failure mileage was 52,000 and current mileage was 54,000.
I own a 2008 toyota prius. My passenger headlight began to change color and intensity and then began to turn off while driving. Then both headlights started to turn off while driving. The headlights will come back on if I turn the switch off and then back on. The headlights have been inspected at a toyota dealership who said that they need to be replaced. The dealership quotes $655 for this repair. After researching the problem, I have found this is a known defect among many prius owners.
Headlight passenger and driver side will intermittently turn off. If I turn off the headlights completely and turn them back on they will sometimes correct themselves and stay on for up to 15 minutes before turning off again.
Defective hid headlights of prius by toyota. My 2008 toyota prius hid left side headlight began fading, intermittently ceasing and eventually ceased completely around 2nd week of july, 2009. The 100k mile bumper to bumper platinum extended warranty on the vehicle purchased from the toyota dealer when I bought the car would not cover this replacement. So, I had to pay $325 dollars on july 24th to replace it. That evening, the right side hid headlight began having the same gradual failure and it's now working weakly and intermittently. Another $325 dollars will be needed to pay for it and I don't have it. For months, I have observed other prius with 1 headlight out and this is obviously a defective product. Please investigate, punish and mandate a recall from toyota.
Passenger side hid headlight failure on 2008 prius touring model. The light failed suddenly while driving at night. It flickers when turning the headlight switch off then on again but does not reilluminate. Mileage is 30.
2008 toyota prius headlight(s) turn off without warning. Over the past three months, the passenger headlight turns off anytime from 2-30 minutes after being turned on. Sometimes the driver headlight will turn off. On one occasion, the remaining light turned off, leaving me in the dark! Luckily, I was in a 30mph zone with street lights. That's when I discovered that turning the lights off and on somehow resets them. Internet reports indicate that this is a common problem with hid headlights on the prius. It's a safety issue, as my local police have twice informed me.
The driver's side hid headlight system malfunctions (light goes out) approximately 30-60 seconds after vehicle startup. The passenger side hid headlight system failed (replaced) nine months ago.
2008 toyota prius driver's side headlight goes out unexpectedly while driving. The headlight comes back on if the headlights are turned off and back on again. This has been occurring nearly daily since may 2009. Problem occurs on both smooth and bumpy roads and at different speeds.
Both front headlamps intermittently fail. Turning the lights on and off fixes it for a short while. It is dangerous to drive without knowing if the lights are on at night.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that the passenger side headlight was dim, but the other headlight illuminated properly. She took the vehicle in for inspection, but the passenger side headlight was working normally at the time. A few days later, the failure recurred. While driving 15 MPH, the passenger side headlight suddenly dimmed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the headlight began working normally again. The dealer replaced both headlights. Through research, the contact found this to be an ongoing issue with her make and model vehicle. She believes that it is a safety hazard and a recall should be issued. The current and failure mileages were 23,000.
2008 toyota prius hid headlight failure. Vehicle was purchased new 2nd week of april 2008 and has less than 7,500 mi on odometer. Driver side hid headlight failed on the evening below without warning while on highway. Worked intermittently but dim, between june 22nd till replaced on 6/29 under warranty.
2008 toyota prius. Hid headlight dims or goes out. Turning lights off and back on restores headlight. There are numerous reports of this problem on priuschat.com as well as other places. This is a safety issue for night driving.
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