My 2008 toyota prius headlights go out intermittently while driving. Sometimes one light, sometimes both. I will turn the lights off and turn them back on and they will both work for varying periods of time before one or both go out again. Extremely difficult to duplicate for the service personnel.
2008 Toyota Prius lights complaints
Page 20 of 21: complaints 551 to 580 of 583, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Drivers side hid headlight flickers and dies. Can cycle power and comes on for 5 sec and dies.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that the bulbs blow out each month in the headlights and tail lights. The bulbs were replaced three times each. The current mileage was 91,000 and failure mileage was 3,000.
My 2008 pruis head lights have been going off at night. It is very dangerous because there is no warning at all. After turning the light control on and off they will come back on. The dealership told me I needed new bulbs at 259.00 each. I told them the bulbs were working and on and will come back on. After I told him reading about all the problems on the internet he told me to contact toyota. Haven't heard from the as of yet.
Passenger headlight went out on our 2008 prius in march 2009. Since the car is still under warranty, the dealership replaced the headlight. The service manager told us that if we see even a "flicker" to come back in and have it replaced again before our warranty runs out. On may 26, 2009, the driver side light went out. We will be taking it in to have it replaced as well.
Left headlight goes out, usually after the car has been on for a minute. Usually it stays out for the entire time the car is on. The right headlight also went out once, requiring me to drive with just the dim flood lights, but it came back on a day later and has stayed on. This is a major safety issue when even one light goes out, and is intermittent, but to have both lights go out while driving at night is very dangerous. Since it is intermittent, I would have to say this is a defect and not just the bulb burning out.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. In november of 2008, the passenger side headlight bulb blew out. The bulb was replaced. In april of 2009, the driver's side headlight bulb blew out and was also replaced. Currently, both headlights are working, but the contact believes that the failures could recur. The failure mileage was 25,000. Updated 06/09/09 *bf updated 06/09/09.
My 2008 prius passenger headlamp intermittently fails to light. It is usually not working, but sometimes after turning the on/off switch a few times, it works for a period. When it fails, my headlights do not illuminate the road correctly, causing a very unsafe situation. I have received a warning from local police. I have not attempted to fix this yet, but after reading through this, http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html , forum, I decided to file a complaint.
I have a 2008 toyota prius and the headlights do not work properly. They go out, then turn back on. This is a safety issue that toyota needs to take care of.
Nothing leading up to the event of the failure of the headlamps going off while driving. I will be driving my vehicle on the road, and the lights will turn off; both headlamps, and while I can turn the switch off, then on again to make them operational again, they just turn right back off at random. This now occurs every time I use the vehicle. This is very dangerous. This is an accident waiting to happen, and manufacture does not warranty what the dealer claims is a faulty computer. The vehicle is currently at the dealer as I am in contact with toyota to cover expenses as I cannot afford $1000.00 in replacement repairs.
I own a 2008 toyota prius. I have, within the past two days, experienced the failure of one of the hid headlights. It is my understanding that the prius has been experiencing premature failure of the hid lights. My car is just over a year old with 44,000 miles on it. I believe the headlights going out, not staying on, or failing prematurely is certainly a safety issue. I drive home from work each night in the dark and have decide the prius is now a 'daytime' only vehicle since it cannot be trusted to keep headlights on a dark, wooded highway at night. This is an accident waiting to happen. I believe it is time to have toyota own up to their problem with the premature failure of these bulbs. Hid are expected to last somewhere in the vicinity of 3000-5000 hours, even with my high mileage, my hid have less than 1000 hours on them. There is obviously something more to this than just bulb failure and it is plainly dangerous and should not wait for someone to be injured!
Premature headlamp failure on toyota prius and extremely expensive replacement.
I have a 2008 toyota prius, package 6 model that I bought december 27, 2008. The car has about 23,000 miles on it. Beginning in mid-february 2009, the left headlamp started going on and off. About two weeks ago, the right headlamp began doing the same thing. When I start the car, both headlamps will be on and on most drives, one of the headlamps will go out. If I turn the lights off and then back on, the headlamp will usually come back on for a bit (though sometimes it looks very weak) before going out again. Sometimes the headlamp will come back on by itself when I am driving. On some drives (usually short ones) neither headlamp will go out. The left (driver side) headlamp does this much more frequently than the right. I'm concerned about being stopped for having a headlight out and that both lights may go out at the same time (they haven't yet). Since the headlamp keeps coming back on, I don't think that replacing it will fix this issue.
Recurring hid headlight /computer failure on 2008 toyota prius. My hid headlight/computer has failed on my 2008 prius costing $600 to replace. I frequently encounter other prius vehicles on the road with one headlight out which leads me to believe there is a manufacturing defect in the computer.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that the headlights worked intermittently. The manufacturer stated that the warranty would not cover the repairs for the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were less than 38,000.
I own a 2008 toyota prius, package 6, with 40600 miles on it. The hid headlights started to go out while driving. It started with the drivers side, then the passenger side light was affected. I could turn the lights off then back on and they would work again for a period of time. Twice, while driving at night they both went out. Luckily I was able to turn them off and back on and it stayed on. This problem shouldn't occur on a new vehicle with 40k miles. I was cited by a police officer on 18mar09 for driving with 1 operating headlight.
2008 prius with hid headlights. Both intermittently fail. Can be corrected by switching lights off/on. Safety issue because never can tell when they will fail.
2008 toyota prius both headlights went out this morning and I was able to get them to come back on for about 5 minutes total while driving to work. I drive 70 miles on freeway each way in the dark. Driver side bright light would come on briefly then go out again. Passenger side bright light did not. I drove to work with the fog lights on only.
2008 toyota prius hid bulbs have failed intermittent take it to the dealer and they replaced the ecu for the hid's 2x but will not warranty bulb, they want $349.99 for bulb and 1 hr labor this is a safety issue as both can go off together if I turn headlights on then off they work I have been given warnings by the police 3x already and try to explain so back to the dealer for the same run around I purchased 2 bulbs from my local parts store for a fraction at $149ea but still this is outrageous...the federal safety agency should force toyota into a safety recall which this is one. You need lights to drive at night? I do think so.
Interior instrument failure. Temperature app. 23 deg. F. Car started normally mfd came up fine. Main dash instruments failed to come on. No speedometer, gearshift indicator, fuel gauge, or odometer. All exterior lighting worked fine. Vehicle shifted into reverse and drove normally for about 15-20 min. When I parked and tried to turn off the car by pressing the power button the vehicle failed to shut down. Contacted toyota USA and was informed that they rely on their dealerships for tech support. Went through manual drivetrain shutdown by pressing and holding the power button. Shutting down all accessories to limit accessory battery. Could not lock vehicle. Approximately 30 minutes later went out to the car and vehicle powered up as though nothing had happened. I believe that the temperature was the issue and there is some software issue that is not in the owners manual. Anytime you cannot turn off a vehicle there is a risk for an accident and or injury from an unoccupied vehicle. The dealership service dept. Theorized that the accessory battery may be low. But this would result in the car not bringing the main battery online. Toyota should address this issue .
Have a 2008 toyota prius. Headlights operate intermittently. I understand this has been a problem with prius for a few years and has bilked alot of money from owners unfairly. Who is our advocate. Exorbitant prices are being charged for parts and labor. Please help us. Thank you.
Today, I went to work driving my prius (2008 with 11000 miles) without any dash board lights. The dashboard under the windshield is a reflective type with a whole array of operating indicating lights across to the passengers side. Only the airbag indicator light worked for the passenger side. The cruise control did not work. I tried various power on/off brake on/off combinations to get the dashboard lights working. I pressed the power button with or without the brakes engaged during startup. The engine still ran and the headlights, turn indicators, brake lights, radio and fuel consumption gauge worked. I had no idea of my driving speed other than what other car speed around me were doing. I had to drive under the risk of braking the law as well as the distracting no lighting. Then a worse problem developed. I could not turn the shut car off and I could not lock it after I got out. It gave me the usual beep that it was still running. I tried pressing the power button numerous times. I tried locking the car with the mechanical key and it electronically kept opening. I tried various combinations of braking while sitting, walking a greater distance from the car, using the emergency brake and slamming on the dashboard hoping it was a loose wire. Nothing worked. The car is sitting in the parking lot right now still running without a key. I could not lock it. As I walked away, I pressed the electronic key numerous times. The little red light indicated it was working. What else can I do. L was late for work and I start at 6 am. The dealer, (toyota heartland of bremerton), doesn't open until 7:00 am and its 6:25 am. I manually turned off the display and radio so the minimum amount of lighting was showing. As far as I know, the car is still in the parking lot running and easy to steal. The engine would not power down nor would the car lock. The dashboard (below the windshield) not lighting was same problem I had a couple of months ago.
I burn my headlights in the daytime. A friend saw me driving, phoned me and said that I had a headlight out (left). After I arrived at my destination, I turned off the lights, then back on, and the headlight worked again. If this were to happen at night, it would of course, be more of a hazard.
I have a 2007 prius headlights go off 1 at a time then both sometimes,they come on when I flip on off switch; this has been happening at least 10 times per week dealer tells me bulbs for $509 plus tax does not make sense since bulbs work fine most of the time other people indicate that changing bulbs does not solve problem.
Premature hid headlamp failure. My car is barely 40k miles. Headlamps intermittently goes out. It would come back on if I turn the headlamps off and then on.
The headlight of my 2008 toyota prius stopped working so I when I had it replaced the dealership charged me $350.00 for the bulb. After I paid for the replacement of the bulb, the service manager game me a customer service number to call and complain about the price of the bulb. No one answered. I went home and checked the various blogs on the internet and found that this has been an on going problem with the toyota prius. The headlights seem to be defective. Excluding the inflated cost of a light bulb, this has to be a safety concern for toyota. The bottom line is I paid just over $401.00 to replace a $10.00 light bulb. That is just plain wrong and someone should hold toyota responsible. Thank you for your time in this matter. Dennis bennett
I bought my car july, 2008 and I noticed right a way at night my car have this very bright light front of my windshield. I found out where it was coming from and it was coming from reflection from the odometer. This light is very dangerous because I can't see a '!@#$% thing nothing but bright green line light. This light is design flaw & need to be corrected a.s.a.p. Toyota is doing nothing but telling me to resell my car back to them for cheap. I like my car but this issue. I like my car to be fixed. Please help me...
I have a 2008 prius and the hid headlights go out in the first 5 miles after starting up, both sides will go out, but if I click the switch they come back one. I' m a line haul courier and drive 423 miles a night so I have the pattern of the lights going out one side then the other for about 5 to 10 mins. Hitting the switch to prime them back on then they stay one for an hour or even two. If I stop at 7-11 or gas, they'll act up for about another 10 mins, then they stay on. Once in a great while one of them will go off, but I drive with my running lights on so I'll have light to catch when they go off. I started to complain after a month or so, but the gal said that it would cost $800.00 or more, (I've heard it's higher. I 've asked a couple of times and was told 'it's electrical! I can't afford that kind of scratch for something that's should be all working, for $26,000! I just figure that it should work and if it don't, why should I pay for something that should come with this high tech vehicle!! Any way I love it except from the intermittent high light failure...I hope my chp doesn't blow a fuse if something happens and they test it and toyota was at fault as it should provide a safe car for california highways...
The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius work intermittently which cause real safety issues when driving. The headlights are hid (high intensity discharge) and the toyota dealer has tried repairing the problem but the problem returns. This recurring problem has been noted by many owners but toyota does not cover the problem if it is out of their 3yr / 36kmile warranty. This is a safety issue that should be covered under warranty by toyota regardless of mileage. They probably don't want to cover this under warranty as the bulb costs ~$300 (~$400 installed).
Headlight failure on the prius seems to be an on going issue from year to year for the models that have the hid type. I lost the drivers side light about the first of sept. 08 and the passenger side this morning. Doing a search and reading of the problem is why I am filing a complaint.
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