Problems with 2008 Toyota Avalon EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving the vehicle, the headlights went out several times. the contact researched the failure online and found numerous complaints with the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the headlight failure and issued an extended warranty of up to 75,000 miles. the contact's vehicle exceeded the mileage requirement; therefore, the manufacturer could not assist. the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to be repaired at his expense. the dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 93,000.

I had my car inspected in december 2018 and was told that my high beams were out. i had the bulbs replaced and just recently had my lights inspected. changing the bulbs did not correct the problem and my high beams are still not working!

On november 2018 i noticed that my rear deck mounted brake light was out. i thought it was a bulb but the very next day it was back on again. this continued for about a week so i took it to the toyota dealership and they told me it would be about $400 to take off the rear deck just to see what the actual problem was. i have seen multiple avalon's with this same unsafe issue. the vehicle also will not pass state safety inspections with this issue.i think an investigation should be conducted on this highly unsafe issue.

Our high beams went out at the same time. seems to be a recurring problem

While driving straight ahead at night on a highway the high beams suddenly went out and would not go on again. i switched to low beams. i later learned from a mechanic that there is a design flaw or inferior microprocessor controlling the headlights and that the low beams could also suddenly go out while in motion. this is a severe safety issue. the toyota corporation will not stand by their product and have referred me to a toyota dealer that wants over $2,000.00 to fix the safety issue. there should be a recall on this. i believe it only affects the 2008 avalon models. there are even several articles on the internet relating to this problem. i have nothing to download as i did not get a written estimate, only a telephone quote, from the toyota dealer.

While driving on a highway at night both passenger and driver's side high beams failed to go on. while fuses are ok, neither high beam will go on in either the flash or permanent mode.

Passenger side head light intermittent failure. noticeable, obviously, only when driving at night. fails after a few minutes driving, then works normally for a day or two then fails again while driving at night. no rhyme or reason to the failures. only occurs on low beam. headlamp is not 'burnt out.' as i understand it, this is not a headlight issue but rather a housing issue and the entire housing and lamp need to be replaced. why has toyota not issued a recall? this is a safety issue! car currently has 115,739 miles on it.

1. high beams and day running lights inoperable (discovered january 2018). 2. transmission overheated and caused car to decelerate in april 2018.

I have had continuous problems with either one or both front headlights going off randomly. this happens almost daily and i have taken the car to the shop numerous times. this is a very dangerous problem as on occasion i do not even know that the lights are off. additionally, i have been pulled over by the police and issued a warning with the excepectation that the problem will be fixed. this poses another great concern as the mechanic has not been able to diagnose the issue, therefore, it cannot be fixed. the mechanic has also reached out to the dealer as well as other mechanics along with conducting his own research all to no avail. during my research, i discovered numerous compliants stating the exact same problems that i am experiencing, also with no resolve or remedy. i am shocked that toyota would place people in such danger and not take any action to rectify this very significant problem. i would appreciate any help you may be able to provide.

While driving, the left hid low beam headlight randomly shuts off. when i cycle the on/off switch the light comes back on, but will go off randomly again. the light does this in different weather and driving conditions. no set pattern. when advised of the problem the toyota dealership said this was an problem with my vehicle and i would be responsible for the repair. i did some research online and determined the issue was not isolated to my vehicle. many other 2008 toyota avalon owners have had this issue. a very serious safety issue. toyota does not want to address this issue. given the randomness that the lights turn off, this is definitely a major safety issue. a recall needs to be issued to ensure toyota fixes the problem properly.

Recently purchased a car. when driving at night the headlights randomly goe off after a few minutes. unfortunately this issue was discovered while my recently licensed teen was driving the car... huge safety issue! i went to dealer to have light system checked out. they informed me that the lights were broken. i asked if they could have exploded do to some system malfunction. i was assured that was not the case as they insinuated that whoever put them in is responsible for the damage, offering me a very costly solution. however they had no idea what could cause this problem. before agreeing to any repairs, i decided to do some research. their uncertainty left me uneasy and very uncomfortable with coming out of pocket for anything at that point and my child's safety is my top priority. upon researching, i found out these problems are known to toyota. they extended the warranty to 72,000 miles, but, would not cover my car issue due to mileage and year surpassing that which is outlined in the warranty extension. headlights are essential and quite frankly required by law. the extension should be applied with no mileage restraint as headlights are a major safety component of a vehicle. every where you go dealers swear by the avalon being a cost effective and very safe choice with this issue existing, they have non the less shoved a foot right down their own throats! this should either be a recall or an extended warranty with unlimited miles. if you can't do this take the car off the market/quit letting dealers sale the car assuring unbeknownst buyers of the car's undeniable quality for christ's sake!

Just about every time i drive the vehicle at night, one or both headlights will go out. in order to get the light or lights back on, i have to turn the lights off and then back on. this presents an ongoing potential hazard, especially when they both go off at once. this model is the top of the line (limited) and has the hid lights. i have read on line that i am not the only person who has experienced this problem. i further understand that toyota may have an extended warranty for this issue. this is a serious problem that could result in an accident if both lights go out and i am not able to get them on again while i am traveling on an unlit road. this last happened yesterday as i will indicate below but it has been happening for more than a few years now.

The headlights randomly go out when the car is being driven. it started with one side but now both lights are going off and have done so simultaneously which is very dangerous!

Left head light goes off after about 15 to 20 min of driving..this has been a problem with toyota for years. why has the nhtsa forced toyota to fix this. it seems to be a safety issue that nhtsa has known about for a long while. nhtsa ref# 10033406 and 10037591. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the passenger side headlight failed to operate. the bulb was replaced numerous times; however, the failure was not corrected. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was unable to be located. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving 55 mph, both high beam head lamps exploded. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that both head lamp assemblies needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 41,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while the vehicle was being serviced, the technician discovered that both headlamps were not corresponding. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that both headlamp assemblies blew out and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,187.

The headlights for the avalon only work intermittently. the lighting system will work when the vehicle is first started and after a few minutes, one of the lights will no longer work. in the dark, this creates a safety concern for oncoming cars and limits our ability to see people and other items in the road.

The high beam lights are known to explode on some 2008 and 2010 models. my high beam lights exploded with 66,000 miles on the vehicle. this problem happened while my vehicle was in motion. i routinely drive in an area with a heavy deer population. i cannot see these hazards at night with out high beams. toyota had an extended warranty on this issue (5 years, 70,000 miles). since my car is over warranty in years but not miles, toyota refuses to replace the headlight assemblies. they are telling me the cost will be over $2,000. i consider this a safety hazard and am very upset that toyota will not fix this problem on my $40,000 top of the line toyota. i am filing this complaint to the dot, ntsb, and attorney general. you can contact me at [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

All of a sudden the high-beam head lights stopped working when the car was in motion on the freeway. low -beam lights work. this is a real safety hazard and is obviously a toyota engineering flaw. toyota did have a warranty enhancement for this vehicle - 75,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. my car has 52,000 miles buts is over 5 years old. toyota is well aware of this problem and should be required to fix this, free of charge and i should not be required to pay for the fix of $2,500 plus labor, which is outrageous.

All of a sudden the high-beam head lights stopped working when the car was in motion on the freeway. low -beam lights work. this is a real safety hazard and is obviously a toyota engineering flaw. toyota did have a warranty enhancement for this vehicle - 75,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. my car has 52,000 miles buts is over 5 years old. toyota is well aware of this problem and should be required to fix this, free of charge and i should not be required to pay for the fix of $2,500 plus labor, which is outrageous.

Took my car to the local dealer too have headlights looked at because a police officer pulled me over for "no headlight passenger side". when i turned the lights on for him, it came back on. then i found both high beams burned out and the drl's also did not work. so, off to the dealer. they found both high beam bulbs exploded, and could not reproduce anything else / find any other problem. they removed the high beam bulbs but neglected to inform me. now after some research i found out these problems are known to toyota. they extended the warranty to 72,000 miles, but, would not cover my car that i bought from them with 82,000 miles on it... my car now has 97,000 miles on it but nothing does me any good when the lights go out crossing the rocky mountains in the middle of the night... talk about a aha moment. it is a complete safety issue wether they admit it or not.. i have bought my 3 cars for the same dealership / salesman... my life and the lives of my family are way more important than a headlight issue. i have replaced the high beam bulbs myself, now working on the low beams because i have been told they will go out soon.

Discover that both high beams do not function. i understand that this is an issue with the avalon, and toyota had issued a service bulletin, but has not issued a recall. while this issue is not an dire one, it is a very expensive fix. i think the number of vehicles involved my require a recall.

When coming back from a short trip i noticed that the right side low beam headlamp was out. then one day the light was on again then the next it is out. now it rarely comes on so i.called my toyota dealer and they said it would be at least $200 for new low beam light bulb. i then took it to a reputable repair shop and they said that the bulb was not bad but the ballast was bad. they showed me a list of complaints from on line and they said there was a recall for that problem. toyota says there is no recall. if this is such a common and expensive problem there should be a recall. i researched several web sites and there are numerous complaints about headlight problems on the 2008 avalon. some problems exactly like mine others a little different but all are about malfunctioning headlights.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the passenger side headlight was completely distorted and inoperative. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the passenger side bulb housing assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was included in the manufacturer's recall: csc-10042925-9889 (exterior lighting), but it was expired. the approximate failure mileage was 22,919. ma 09/03/15 the consumer stated the right side headlamp imploded. updated 12/10/15 *js

From the day i purchased used vehicle in 2015, i've experienced headlights that flicker and go off only to be fully illuminated by turning off then back on. mostly, it's the driver side and sometimes the passenger side; infrequently, both headlights are affected. i've searched the internet for a solution and found hundreds of similar reports with 'solutions' ranging from simple few dollars to above $1000. my local dealer had the car on several different occasions...to no avail and was willing to 'fix' it for $1200. because of the number of similarly described on internet forums, i think that toyota should recall the vehicles if, for no other reason, than that this is a significant safety issue.

Total failure of both high beam headlights. toyota refuses to consider this a warranty item. although this is a safety item in n.y. state, toyota does not feel that this is a safety issue. upon checking the internet, i find that my problem is not an isolated case. *tr

The low beam headlights go out intermittently can get no satisfaction from the dealer and the other dealer will not even return the phone call there has been no accident yet. *tr

While driving down a remote dark county road, first my high beam lamps failed simultaneously,then approximately five seconds my left low beam lamp failed. i stopped the car, turned all headlamps off, then after fifteen seconds, i turned the low beam lamps on. after a warm up period, the low beam lamps illuminated. the high beams never illuminated again. the day-time running lamps are no longer working. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving 35 mph, the high beam headlight bulb exploded and the low beam headlights shut off. after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the low beam headlights became operable. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that both headlight clusters failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

I was driving on a very dark two-lane state highway using my high beams while cautiously watching for deer. all of a sudden my high beams went to low beams. the switch worked and the dash board light showed that the high beams were on but they obviously were not on. when i had the opportunity to check the lights in a well light area i could see that both bulbs shattered in the housing assembly. there are small fragments of glass spewed everywhere inside the casing. earlier this year toyota sent a letter stating a warranty enhancement because they are aware of this problem. the enhancement applies for 72,000 miles or 5 years from the date of first use, whichever occurs first. my car is now 6 years so the warranty will not apply. i seldom drive in the late evening and i seldom use my high beams. i believe this would have happened within the warranty period if i would have used the high beams more frequently. this is going to be a very costly out-of-pocket repair that obviously is a safety feature that toyota should pay for given the fact that they are aware the high beam/drl bulbs can become inoperative. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving 40 mph, the headlights shut off and no warning indicators illuminated. the contact stated that the failure occurred numerous times. the dealer stated that the headlights needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Car is driven about 2,000 miles per year, city driving and mostly during the daytime. no real need for high beams while driving. unsure when the problem happened, but i was a long journey in the country and high beams were needed. unable to have them on. after the trip called the dealership, brought in for repair. was told that both headlight lens assemblies were needed to the tune of over $900. i was told that the warranty extension for 5 years or 72,000 miles only. at the time the car was purchased i paid for the extended warranty for the 7 year plan. i was told that under this warranty headlights were not covered. this car is completely out of warranty. research on the internet shows that this car has major issues with the headlight len assemblies. why did not toyota issues notices to the consumers about this issue? or a recall? there is a major problem when it is with the same problem with this make/model. *tr

my toyota avalon's headlights started going off intermittently and then i noticed my right headlight was out altogether. since it came and went i let it go for awhile but now it is most of the time on both low beams. this is a serious safety problem since both low beams could go out at the same time. toyota recognized a design problem with the system a number of years ago and extended their warranty to 5 years or 75000 miles. i never received a notice from them but it could be because it came about around the time i was buying the car used. now i find out that the high beam cannot be replaced without changing out the entire assembly for $1200 for each side. toyota tells me they will not help me out whatsoever and want me to fork out $2500 to fix a problem their engineers caused!! *tr

Toyota has issue with day time running lights and high beams. they will only warranty if under 72000 mile or 5 years. if they have a problem they should stand behind. *tr

I have a 2008 toyota avalon. i was traveling september 2, 2014, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on highway 49 in alabama. the control for the headlights was in the "on" position and they began to flicker and grew dimmer and dimmer, until they completely went out. i immediately turned the headlight control knob to the "auto" position and the headlights came back on. when the headlight control is in the auto position, the fog lights will come on and remain on, regardless of the time of day or night. however,in the auto position, the headlights will remain off until the sensor detects the absence of daylight. then the headlights will come on automatically while driving. thank goodness, they operated in the auto position. i took the vehicle to a shop with a long standing reputation for quality workmanship involving electrical problems. i was informed i needed a new hid bulb and ballast. the total for the parts and labor totaled $696.95. he checked the passenger side as well, which flickered twice within 45 minutes. they did not notice any problem the rest of the day. should it become a problem in the near future. that will be another $696.95! i have come across numerous complaints from owners of this model and discussions seeking solutions. it would be a shame for someone to die in a situation similar to the one i experienced because he or she panicked and hit someone, or lost control of the vehicle. *tr

Went to use high beams on desert road towards lancaster ca, put high beams on, they stayed on for about 3 minutes then all front lighting went out. went to dealer (roseville toyota) to check on the problem, dealer said they were not covered by warranty even though toyota knows of problem. will cost 3,000.00 to repair with replaced headlight assemblies. car has only 39,000 miles on it and an extended warranty. *tr

My 2008 toyota avalon has a defective passenger daytime running light/high beam. documented defect and toyota issued a warranty enhancement to increase the coverage to 5 year/ 72000 mile to cover replacement but only if you have an issue. there was no recall. 6 years out and under the mileage limit i am stuck paying for a $2500 repair for something that should have been a recall. i don't see how having headlights that are known to be defective would not be considered a safety issue. if high beams were not needed than they wouldn't be on the car. can't alert oncoming traffic to a potential traffic safety condition ahead. can't turn on high beams on country road to safely see far enough ahead to prevent potential road hazards. not having high beams is definitely a safety issue. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving at approximately 55 mph on a highway, i attempted to turn on the high beam headlights which failed to activate. the vehicle was taken to a toyota dealer for a diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the high beam bulbs failed in the headlamp assembly as a result the headlamp assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer knows about this defect and has extended the warranty to 5 years or 75000 miles, whichever occurs earlier. my car has completed 5 years, but the mileage is below 75000. the approximate failure mileage was 67,000. the manufacturer should be asked to replace the defective parts with out any charge. *tr

While driving on a 2 lane mountain road at night i turned the high beams off for oncoming traffic and when i turned them back on there was a bright flash and the high beams no longer worked. toyota has issued a technical service bulletin that reads: "on some 2008-2010 avalon vehicles, the high beam/drl bulb may become inoperative or shatter. a newly designed high beam/drl housing assembly (including the applicable bulb) is available in the event this condition has occurred." toyota will provide the replacement under warranty if the vehicle is under 5 years or 70,000 miles. originally they issued the bulletin authorizing replacement for 36 months or 36,000 miles and subsequently increased it to 5 years, 70,000 miles. my 5 years was up on march 20, 2014. the local dealer quoted me $2,583.88 for the repair. it seems to me that this is a definite safety issue that should have been recalled, since it involves the headlights. while high beams are not always required, 2 lane roads at night are certainly safer using high beams. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph on a dark road, the contact attempted to turn on the high beam headlights which failed to activate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the high beam bulbs fractured in the headlamp assembly as a result the headlamp assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 64,300. updated 9/4/14*cn the consumer stated the failure was the result of poor design by toyota. which was eventually re-designed in 2010. the assembly was too small for the heat generated by the lamps and as a result, the lamps became welded to the assembly. when it welded, it was impossible to replace a burned out lamp. the entire light assembly needed to be replaced at a cost of $2700. updated 11/17/14

My husband and son were recently in omaha and experienced severe weather (tornados/thunderstorms/flooding). as they were driving back to the campground west of omaha, during torrential rains, the headlights on our 2008 toyota avalon turned off repeatedly. my husband had to continue to switch the lights off and on while driving to get the lights to stay on. this has happened in the past; however, it was not during adverse driving conditions. about a week later, as i was driving through the black hills at night (where we have an abundance of wildlife), i experienced the same problem. i researched a resolution to figure out what might be wrong with the headlights, thinking it might be a loose wire or bad bulbs. during my research, i discovered that toyota had issued a service bulletin in 2011 (tcs-11-030) related to this problem. we purchased our vehicle in november 2012, when the mileage was around 47,000 miles. had we known about this service bulletin when we purchased the vehicle in 2012, we would have had the issue addressed. however, since we did not know about the recall and have not until very recently, during dangerous driving conditions, had problems with the lighting, we did not address it. when i called toyota today, i was told that, due to our mileage on the vehicle (100,000 now), our vehicle was no longer covered under the extended that was issued (unbeknownst to us) in 2011. i was told that i could take the vehicle to a toyota dealer in our area for diagnosis (at our expense) and possibly something could be done if the diagnosis revealed that our headlight issue was related to the recall in 2011 (the recall specifically addresses avalons manufactured between 2008 and 2010). as i explained to the customer service rep, we may have been experiencing this issue during the day but didn't know due to the fact that we don't rely on the lights during daytime. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that both the driver and passenger side headlights (high beams) malfunctioned without warning. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 36,600. updated 9/4/14*cn updated 09/16/2014 *js

I don't remember the exact time & date this started, but it is continuous & repetitive. the headlights consistently turn off while driving. for a trip of about ten miles, i can expect for one or both to fail about three times. it's dangerous. i was told that the company has sent notifications to the dealers but are refusing to administer a recall. they offered me a $750 credit to have it repaired. however, as you can see from the many previous complaints about this problem, it costs over $2,000 to fix it (and that's not a guarantee). this is a design flaw. therefore, it should not be affected by a warranty. i'm shocked at the volume of complaints about this issue with no actions by the company. they are morally (if not ethically and legally) obligated to issue a recall and repair their r&d failure. *tr

On servicing of model xls, service adviser noted that hi beam/drl's were not functioning. investigation revealed exploded halogen lamps. correction required a redesigned replacement of both headlight assemblies, as noted in tsb 44-0010, at an approx. cost of $900.00 . this was apparently due to a design flaw in the original headlight housing which allowed overheating and caused the lamp explosion. the tsb recognized this condition but does not replace the defect after a provided warranty extension to 5 years/72,000 miles. the loss of high beam lighting is a safety issue which can go undetected until needed. although daytime running lights, (drl's), are not required, they do provide the required lighting during times when windshield wipers are required (rain, snow, sleet. loss of either affects driving safety. *tr

Front headlights suddenly cut off. i quickly switched interior light control and they immediately came back on. with no further obvious problems i dismissed issue as incidental. however, approximately 6 weeks later i was told my passenger side headlight was out. however, when i checked it was working. on 7/7/14 i was stopped by fhp and given warning for passenger side headlight out. on 7/12/14 gatorland toyota replaced passenger side headlight bulb ($214.15) and said everything ok. on 7/15/14 i was advised that driver side headlight out. on 7/18/14 gatorland toyota advised both front headlight assemblies required replacement at $2,219.95 plus tax (free labor) to install. since out or warranty costs all mine. this is in spite of the fact that i have followed service manual to the letter and all work since purchase date performed at gatorland (approximately 20 service calls). on 7/29/14 the toyota representative indicated they could do nothing as care out of warranty. *js

I was utilizing the high beam lights periodically on a dark evening. near the end of a 1 hour and 45 minute trip, the high beams gave a slight flicker and went out. upon examination today, both lights had blown or shattered. i ordered new bulbs today with $35 each. *tr

The headlight high beams went out while driving. this is a known defect and toyota is not addressing. they want 3500 with labor to fix this issue. should be a recall. headlights going out at night at unpredictable times should be paid by toyota. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, both high beam headlights malfunctioned without warning. the failure occurred on one occasion. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the head lamp assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 4,500.

We were driving on route 95 in south carolina it was raining we had been using our bright lights when we suddenly lost our bright lights. when we got to our destination we pulled into a toyota dealership we were informed our head light and fixtures would need to be replaced due to the fact they both sides had exploded we were treated very poorly by toyota.upon investigation this is a common problem with the toyota avalon and a extended warranty had been issued of which we were never notified of and it had expired.a short period of time before the event happened and it cost us $2600 dollar and had to drive with a hazardous vehicle. *tr