8.3
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $370
- Average Mileage:
- 97,650 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 137 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (107 reports)
- replace bulbs (25 reports)
- replace ballast (3 reports)
- replace lighting control module (1 reports)
- replaced hid headlights. no outages since (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Toyota dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Passenger side headlight flickers and frequently goes off while driving and idling. Turning off and back on helps, but only for about 30-90 seconds.
- diver1972, Lilburn, GA, US
This same headlamp has gone out at least three time and I even replaced the ballast a couple years ago.
- marybelle7, Miramar Beach, FL, US
GEating very expensive!,,,,,,replaced the ballast and the headlamp will continue to keep going out as can be seen from my future complaints.
- marybelle7, Miramar Beach, FL, US
Headlamp out AGAiN, plus brake and taillight. I had to pay for another new headlight!,,
- marybelle7, Miramar Beach, FL, US
When only headlight goes out, not too big of a deal. But now both go out randomly which is terrifying on the highway going 70 mph. Extremely unsafe!
- jodyk, Highlands Ranch, CO, US
The car had a problem of 1 light not turning on every once in a while. Turning the car off and turning it on again would fix the problem.
Having both lights just turn off for no reason was rather unsettling and dangerous. I have never had a problem like this is any of the cars I have ever owned.
- Joe C., Plainview, NY, US
click to see larger images
I had the problem with the headlights for sometime now. The headlights dim and turn off while driving on the freeway, so I exit and turn the lights off and start back again. Sometimes I turn the lights off for few seconds while on the freeway and turn them back on again where they work for few minutes and so on.
I took the car to Longo Toyota in El Monte, California and they turned the headlights on for 5 minutes during the daylight, but the lights did not turn off, so they said they will not fix it because they could not duplicate it. They said bring it back if this happens again. So I brought it back again to them, This time they convinced me to buy tires instead of fixing the lights. The mechanic said that they could not duplicate it.
I explained to them the problem but they were completely uncooperative and i am frustrated with this problem. I took pictures and I am going to go back again and perhaps I will call the Auto repair bureau.
- Ayad A., La Canada, CA, US
This is the well known HID problem on my 2007 Prius. My car didn't reach the 90k miles yet and some cases the driver side HID buld sometimes does not come ON after I turn ON lights or sometimes it goes out while I am driving. One random way of fixing is to turn lights OFF and immediately ON again. I am just about to replace the HID bulbs in pair first to see if this solves the problem, then maybe the ballast is the next on list as I figured out from the info available on the web.
- kirkamka, Austin, TX, US
We bought this car new. My husband drove it for a few years and took it to Toyota dealer where purchased and they gave him a price to change the headlight. It was out of warranty. They said there were no recalls or anything listed for this car. My husband replaced the bulb himself NUMEROUS times himself by now. When driving you dont always know when the light goes out unless you see the reflection in the vehicle ahead of you. If both go out, which hasnt happened, I'm sure you would notice it then. I now drive the car and he bought a truck. The problem is still going on but I love the car. It now has 173,000 miles on it. I have read all over the web about everyone else who has the same problem with 2nd generation prius. As far as I am concerned Toyota has done nothing to fix the problem as no one has died from this problem. Yes there was a class action filed but it still left the owner with the price of fixing the problem but at a lower price. WHAT!! It was a Toyota problem and we still had to pay to fix it. I got pulled over by the police a few nights ago for having one headlight. I left work only 3 minutes earlier and apparently it went out and the road has street lights and I could not tell it was off or I could have turned it off and on. So when the officer told me I had one headlight I turned it off and on and he said...Oh its ON again and warned me to get it fixed. It has been a fault with the car since new but didnt appear until about 45,000 miles.
- tiggercat275, Mechanicville, NY, US
Have loved my prius until now. The car headlights shut off randomly. Sometimes its the left, sometimes the right- and sometimes both. We keep checking to make sure the lights are on and have had many drivers flash at us since the lights are off when we don't even know it. I am now afraid for our safety driving and disgusted that there is no recall for this issue. What am I supposed to do? No idea. Going to another mechanic to see if they can figure out why my lights randomly turn off and on. I'd obviously like Toyota to do something to fix the issue since driving at 65mph last night and having both lights simply turn off was a terrifying experience. Hope someone from Toyota reads this.
- Corinne R., Wayne, PA, US
So if I am driving at night and my lights go out how is that not a safety issue?
- Mario F., Langley, WA, US
My driver side headlight goes off while driving. It's a safety issue, and I was pulled over by a police officer.
- Victoria S., Millersville, MD, US
The lights just started going out after I had the car serviced at the dealer. Sometimes the driver side light, sometimes the passenger, and most scary is when both go out while driving. This is really dangerous as you can imagine.
Toyota should recall these cars and have them fixed for good.
- Michael H., San Anselmo, CA, US
In February 2016 I started noticing my passenger side headlight would start flickering and then it would go out. If I turned off the lights and turned them back on they would work for a little bit and do the same thing. I contacted the dealership that I am buying the car from and they told me it was most likely an electrical problem and it was be expensive to fix.
So I started researching the problem on the internet and learned that it may b a faulty bulb and that if I replaced the bulb that it should fix the problem. So knowing a little about cars I opened the hood and was going to do it myself and to my surprise I realized that the entire bumper had to come off to replace a bulb!!! I then contacted the dealership again and was told it would cost me a minimum of $110 for them to replace my bulb!!!! Crazy!!! So I contacted a friend that is a mechanic and he replaced the bulb for me for $50.
The problem was gone for a couple day and then it started again!! What am I suppose to do keep on spending $50 plus dollars a week on this car? I am fed up!!
- sdunbar, Dixon, IL, US
Sometimes right headlight will go out, sometimes left headlight will go out. The other night both headlights went out. I turned headlight switch off then on and they started working. I was going to put in shop but everything I have read about this indicates they don't know how to fix this either. I will think twice about buying a Toyota again unless they have a recall for this dangerous condition. You would think they would learn from their past mistakes.
- gambleoh, Columbus, OH, US
Can we get this fixed please? What a safety issue this is going to be!!!!
- dletun, Phoenix, AZ, US
The left front light just keeps turning off while I drive. I went to Toyota and they said the bulb cost $100 and then $120 to replace it. And then they can't guarantee it will fix the problem because it could be electrical. No other electrical problem exists that I know of. Any suggestions?
- Cynthia R., Temecula, CA, US
I own a 2007 Toyota Prius for 4 years. I notice my left headlights keep turn off and on I replace the light bulb but still the same thing. When I drive my lights is off and if turn off and turn it on again it work. Is just horrible and I don't know what to do,. Toyota Company should watch this matter.
- tubbs1976, Auburn, WA, US
I haven't owned this car that long and when I first bought it I noticed the headlight only worked intermittently. I replaced the HID bulb and it worked normally for two months. Just recently the same thing happened again. I think it may be the computer that controls the headlight function? Anybody have any suggestions? It's only the left side, the right side is fine.
- D S., Smithfield, RI, US
The passenger light went out for the second time. I replaced the bulb last year. It started again. I turned the lights off then on. The problem persists but is manageable for now. I may have to replace the bulb.
Some on the Utube say it is the blast for HID light (water accumulation). Austin, TX had a lot a lot of rain recently and humidity is high. Hoping this will not repeat.
I know Toyota had a recall on this issue a while back but my car has passed the warranty mileage/time limit.
Update from Aug 27, 2016: Had to replace the hid headlight bulb passenger side 2nd time in one year.
- Norman A., Austin, TX, US