Problems with 2008 Toyota Avalon EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Owner of 2008 toyota avalon. two weeks ago the left high beam headlight went out (shattered), had that replaced and this week both high beams went out at the same time. both high beam lights were shattered within the housing area. went to local dealership and advised of the $2,000 plus cost since vehicle if out of warranty with 76,000 miles. luckily, we have not had the total light failure situation. this is a severe safety concern and should be corrected at toyota expense. *tr

High beams stopped working while driving at night. fuses are fine. nothing done to correct the problem and based on the cost in other complaints, it may be awhile. have emailed local toyota asking it this was common with 2008 avalon but have not received a reply. *tr

Driving down a dark road, the high beams would not come on. took it to toyota dealership and they said high beams burned out and the repair would cost $2600. the dealership stated if they were replaced, they may burn out again. updated 02/14/11 *bf

2008 toyota avalon. consumer states problem with high beam lights *tgw the consumer stated as he was driving down the road using the high beam lights, they all of a sudden stopped working. an inspection revealed the high beam lights had burned out. the dealer informed the consumer the replacement cost was $1300 per high beam light. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the vehicles high intensity light bulb worked intermittently and would shut off randomly. the vehicle was taken to an authorized toyota dealer who replaced the right side hid light twice and the left side once; however, the lights continued to shut off. the manufacturer was not aware of the failure. the current mileages were 60,032. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. updated 06/0611 *bf updated 06/10/11

Head lights quit working in december of 2010 high beams, toyota fixed them, high beams quit working again on december 24th 2013. this has happened twice. *tr

Both high beam headlight on 2008 toyota avalon stop working. 28,000 miles on vehicle .toyota has issued a tsb on all 2008 to 2010 avalons headlight assembly but are charging $ 2200 to replace with a new redesigned headlight assembly they admit to problem but will not issue recall . does someone have to die before this issue is addressed ? *tr

Low-beam headlights fail intermittently and randomly, including when needed most on dark winding roads creating a severe safety hazard. temporary solution is to turn off headlights and turn back on to restore lights. failure is occurring more frequently. toyota acknowledges problem but refuses to correct for vehicles with more than 75k miles. it costs over $1500 to repair, which is not covered by manufacturer extended 100k mile warranty. they claim it is a wear issue. a full recall must be issued before someone is severely injured or killed. many similar complaints are found on-line. manufacturer knows it is problem. *tr

2008 toyota avalon limited, 40,000 miles. both high beam headlamps broke. dealer knows it's a manufacturer design problem due to overheating. replacement cost for both headlight assemblies is more than $2,000. manufacturer has been contacted and will not cover cost. *tr

Both high beam headlights and daytime running lights (drl) are inoperative, per nhtsa odi # tsb-0044-10. complaint: toyota and odi have known of this recurring lighting safety-related defect on various vehicles for three model years 2008-2010. toyota has even developed a newly designed high beam/drl replacement housing assembly to remedy the defect, with an approximate cost to each vehicle owner of $3,000+, unless covered by 3 year/36,000 warranty. it is irresponsible for both toyota and nhtsa to expose vehicle owners to high repair expense for known serious lighting safety-related defects, if vehicle warranty has expired. odi should reclassify this defect, please!

High beam exterior lamp lighting failure. auto repair shop stated that bulbs were shattered inside of head light assembly and replaced the bulbs. high beam bulbs failed again after 9 months. toyota states that both head light assemblies must be replaced at $1088 ea to prevent high beam bulbs from shattering in the future. *tr

Both high beam lamps shattered instantaneously in good weather conditions. for no apparent reason. this could be a major distraction and dangerous to the occupants of the primary vehicle and other vehicles as well. while toyota freely acknowledges defective parts used in 2008,2009 and 2010 models, they will not take responsibility for the repair, outside of warranty period.(t-sb-0044-10) the standard charge to the customer ranges between $2400.00 and $800.00.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the headlights malfunctioned while he was driving. the contact stated that after playing around with the switch, the headlights turned back on. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Failure: high beam/drl bulbs hir1 9011. in november 2010, the right front hid low beam bulb was flickering and failed. as part of the right front hid low beam bulb replacement, i decided to replace both oe toshiba high beam/drl bulbs with philips replacements. toshiba no longer manufactures the hir1 9011 bulbs. this move was strictly a precautionary action. kept the toshiba bulbs as spares. within 6 months one philips hir1 bulb failed in the drl mode and the other bulb failed in the high beam mode. reused the toshiba bulbs. *tr

Right hid low beam headlamp went off with out notice while driving at night. also, right hid low beam headlamp went off after turning on fog lights or high beams. it has happened three times between 11 nov 2010 and 20 nov 2010 without any warning. headlamps in auto mode. mileage 48k. *tr

The driver side headlight goes out while driving. i had the headlight replaced at a cost of $250, ($80 for the lamp and $170 in labor. after driving 11,270 miles, the same problem occurred. *tr

2008 toyota avalon defect - high and low beam head lamp assembly in my 2008 toyota avalon, i lost my high beams and my left low beam headlights while driving at night. upon checking bulbs, both high beam 9011h1r1 bulbs blew out (shattered). i found the tsb notice on line (tsb-0044-10) and went to toyota seeking toyota to fix the defect. they told me the cost was $2,400 to replace both headlight assemblies. they did offer to split the cost 50/50 with me but i declined stating that it was a defect and was occurring in 2008, 2009 and 2010 toyota avalon. in other words, it was a design defect and they should fix it for free. toyota declined stating it was not a recall but a tsb. this is a safety issue because i lost not only my high beam headlights without warning, but also my left low beam head lamp. toyota should classify this as a 'recall' and not a tsb.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the headlights failed. the contact engaged the switch several times before the headlights re-illuminated. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the front light unit would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted in regards to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 53,925.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that both external headlights would fail without warning. the contact would adjust the light switch for the lights to become operable. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 74,000. updated 4/2/12 *cn updatd 04/16/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph when all of the exterior lights failed. the vehicle was pulled over and the contact was able to turn on the low beam headlights. he continued driving momentarily before the low beams failed a second time. the fog lights were the only exterior lights that would function. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the headlights and headlight assembly would need to be replaced. the authorized dealer also informed the contact that they received a message from the manufacturer stating this was a known defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 50,000.

Exterior headlights shuts off automatically. i bought 2008 toyota avalon touring model. passenger side low beam hid lights shuts off automatically. looks like this is common issue with toyota avalon. expecting toyota to do something about it. my car has 40k miles on it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the headlights would fail intermittently. while driving 65 mph, both headlights failed. the contact stated that the headlight bulbs had been changed several times but to no avail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the failure and the contact was informed of a technical service bulletin for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 60,000.

2008 toyota avalon passenger side headlight shuts intermittently. dealership replaced the bulb for $385.00. problem went away for about 9 months and now starting all over again. the problems seems to occur when the lights are switched to auto mode. i travel with my lights on during the day for safety reasons and check them often. to date, i have not found the light off not once. i plan on having the dealership move the left bulb to the right and vice-versa to see if the problem follows the bulb or stays consistent to the right side. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that while driving various speeds, the headlights would intermittently shut off. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who stated that the headlights were defective. the vehicle was repaired and the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000. the vin was unavailable.

Had to replace both high beam bulbs on two occasions (august 4, 2010 (under warranty) and february 4, 2010) including having an electrical component evaluation performed with the last incident. *tr

This is my 2nd posting. my first was march 11, 2011 from westerville, ohio. enclosed below is the reply from toyota to the ohio attorney general office. "please accept our apologies for this situation and for any inconvenience that mr. x may have been caused. please advise mr. x that his vehicle is outside the warranty in which repair would be covered by toyota and no assistance will be provided". this response to the ohio attorney general's office clearly indicates toyota will pay for this if your vehicle is still under warranty. should you need a copy of this - email me at: [xxx] i encourage everyone to send your complaint to your state's attorney general's or inspector general's office. we are getting screwed by toyota. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Vehicle is 2008 toyota avalon limited. both hid headlight bulbs go out and come on intermittently without any pattern as to when they will go out. the dealer said this is a known problem with this make and model and with some prius models. since this is a known problem the dealer said the bulb had been reduced to "only" $140.00 and they could put one bulb in for about $350.00. aside from the outrageous price for a headlight bulb, this is a known defect that many people have experienced and one that recurs after the repair. it is clearly the assembly that is defective. the danger in your headlights going out unexpectedly and regularly is obvious. the dealer said it couldn't help, because this was not covered by the warranty. i wrote to toyota. they gave me a report or incident number, but after many months have offered no relief. based upon the number of complaints that i see for this same issue,i feel that toyota should bear responsibility for this defect. *tr

High beam/running bulbs were burnt out. on july 18,2014 high beam bulbs both failed a second time as i was driving in the dark at freeway speeds. vehicle mileage at the time was 80540. toyota must be made to have a recall on these vehicles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph at night time the left headlight shut off. the dealer was informed about the failure and stated that it would be repaired at her own expense to replace the light bulb. the dealer stated that there have been a lot of toyota avalon vehicles with this problem. the contact stated that 6 months after the left bulb burned out that the right bulb also failed to function. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 45000 and the current mileage was 51000.

Right side high beam bulb (also doubles as driving light) found shattered. bought new bulb (about $45 online) and installed myself. no reason found for shattered bulb.

After receiving toyota tsb sb-0011-10 in april 2010, i went in to the local toyota service department to check it out. they indicated that the high beam light bulbs could explode and that the entire high light assemblies needed to be replaced. i asked about getting mine done but, they said because my car had over 70,000 miles they would not replace them per the tsb. but they told me they would be happy to replace them at my cost of about $2400.00. shortly after that the bulbs exploded in my units. when i tried to replace them, i was told that the listed bulb was no longer manufactured. i feel this is something that should be unlimited miles as the replacement unit has been discontinued by the bulb manufacturer. and that this is a safety hazard to proper operation of the car. *tr

The high beam bulbs on both sides have failed three times. one bulb had exploded. toyota states they have record of any problems with this type of failure. this obvious safety issue should be corrected by toyota.

The daytime driving light/highbeams blew out on one side. i had the light replaced in florida on a trip. later in the same year the same light blew out and i took it to a dealer in waldorf, md this dealer, with much reservation, replaced the light. a week later both daytime/high beam lights blew out. i took it back to the dealer and they replaced the headlight assemblies of both light. now a year and a half to 2 tears later both lights have exploded again. at this point the car has 71009 miles on it. toyota says they will fix it. however, if they fix it the same way again i'm sure the same problem will return in due time. lighting at night is a very serious safety issue as i found out this weekend and this safety problem needs to be fixed properly. *tr

Two years ago both bright headlights failed. dealer replaced bulbs at my expense. on 3/12/2012 both bulbs on the drivers side failed. dealer said the vehicle had defective headlight assembly that toyota knew about that had to be replaced ($1265.30) at my expense because vehicle had over 50000 miles (car now has 85000 miles). i called toyota and they confirmed that this was true. my question to toyota was, if i was driving on a busy highway at night and both defective assemblies failed wouldn't my safety be in jeopardy and if so why wasn't this car recalled? *tr

I own a 2008 toyota avalon with hid headlights. i was on a vacation with my wife and 2 month old driving at night in a storm when i decided to use my high beams. this was approximately march 25th 2010, while driving the high beam bulbs exploded. there is a tsb on the headlights being designed defective. when the high beams exploded it ruined the integrity of the low beams. when i came to a stop both low beams shut off. i turned the lights off and then back on and they came back on but anytime i sit for a minute or so they turn back off. i brought it to the dealership and called toyota and they both told me since i wasn't in bumper to bumper warranty any more that it would cost me $1,088.00 a side for parts plus labor to install them. i was also told to fix the low beam problem i would have to buy new bulbs at $175.00 a piece. i was told it was not a safety issue so they did not have to issue a recall, and that there isn't even anything on file about them looking into it. how is your headlights shutting off not a safety issue? why should i have to pay to get headlights that aren't defective. i understand if they were cracked or damaged in some way but a design defect??? please look into this. i only had 48k miles on the car at the time. i drove the car the 1400 miles back to my home and it has been parked since but on the drive the headlights started cutting out while driving. *tr

Multiple failures of high beam / drls (same bulb). bulb will quit working or in some cases shatter and leave glass shards in the housing. (known, and recently acknowledged, problem with bulb housings by toyota.) i have also recently experienced several failures (temporary failures so far) of the high intensity discharge (hid) low beam headlight. the low beam will fail, and usually (after cooling, or a few on/off cycles) will resume operation. internet research shows this also to be a common problem, probably a voltage problem, and seemingly related to the bulb housing problem that toyota recently officially acknowledged and offered time/mileage-limited repairs for. so far, toyota has refused to repair this known problem for vehicles outside the arbitrary set limitations of 5 years or 72,000 miles. the chronic and repeated failure of these headlights (high beams/drl and hid low beams) is a safety issue and should be included in an official recall for repair at toyota's expense without time or mileage limits. *tr

Progressively worsening problem with headlights spontaneously shutting off. initially just the left light, then the right light, and now on multiple occasions, both headlights simultaneously, leaving me with no illumination to drive by. brought car to dealer (toyota of newnan, newnan ga) and they said they were unable to diagnose the problem. *tr

Headlights turn off, intermittently. i went to my toyota dealer they said that i needed to replace them, now i have done research and found this is a common problem with toyota avalon. . the next evening (tonight) i have the same problem, driving and the left light went out. sometimes it is the right. when i turn off the switch and then on again they resume operation...for an unpredictable time. this is a issue that have resulted in a recall. *ln

Progressively worsening problem with headlights spontaneously shutting off. initially just the left headlight, then the right headlight, and now on multiple occasions, both headlights simultaneously the bright lights stop working all together, leaving me with no lights or brights. it happens most of time when the light switch is in the auto switch position. brought car to dealer (byers toyota delaware, oh) and they at first wanted me to pay to replace the headlights and the rest of the enclosures for over $2000.00. i have a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. the lights are defective they need to replace this free of charge. *tr

2008 toyota avalon touring had both high beams go out at the same time and when taken to the dealership they were replaced at my expense. the service writer commented the bulbs appeared to have exploded within the unit per the service technician, however, no explanation. now the low beam driver side headlight intermittently goes out and then comes back on. i am concerned that both low beams will go out at the same time, but will still come back on later. i have not taken the car back in for service due to the fact that this is only an intermittent problem, but seems to be a defect in the car and toyota needs to research and replace at their costs due to safety concerns with losing headlights without warning during night driving. i have been able to clear the problem by re-setting the switch on steering column, but seems to be happening more frequent now. this seems to be a short time frame for having lighting issues of this type on a 2008 vehicle. *tr

2008 toyota avalon limited - hid headlamp intermittently shuts off. the driver side headlamp either is off at the starting of the vehicle, or shuts off while driving. it occurs especially on cold mornings. the headlight was replaced, and the new headlamp is having the same problem. the toyota prius had the same problem. *tr

Headlights flicker and then go out completely. this is a repeated issue. headlights on both sides will go out while driving. sometimes the headlights will come back on; other times will not. this is applicable to the low beams as well as the high beams. have notified toyota and they will not address the issue properly. toyota will not admit there is a defect in the equipment in the 2008 avalon. many other avalons in this model year are experiencing similar issues. this is a significant safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon limited. the contact was driving approximately 40-45 mph when she was advised by another driver that her headlights were not on. the headlights were engaged but would not illuminate, yet the fog lights were operating as normal. the failure occurred intermittently and the contact stated that the failure could be corrected by switching the headlights on and off again. the head lights were replaced by a local mechanic yet the failure persisted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was approximately 60,000.

The high beam bulbs burn out all the time. i have replaced the high beam bulbs 4 times in three years. toyota issued a service bulletin regarding the problem, but only extends the factory warranty to 72k miles. my bulbs initially burned out--simultaneously--at 83k. judging from the comments on toyota forums and user websites, this is a very common problem. toyota should correct problem for all avalon owners, not just those with minimal miles. *tr

On the passengers side of my 2008 toyota avalon touring, the hid head light went out. both high beam lights went out soon after as i began to use them until i could come in for the repair, about 4 days. local toyota dealership advised that the hid head light would cost $563 to replace. this cost breaks down to $350 for the part (one hid light), and $157 for the labor as they claimed to need to do complex things to be able to replace this bulb. to replace the low beam light along with two high beam lights would amount to a total of $700. what? how does a 2008 have a failed hid head light by 2009? also, how do both high beam lights go out? *tr

Right hid headlamp went off with out notice while driving at night. it has happened three times in the past four days without any warning. *tr

Headlights on my 2008 toyota avalon will suddenly go out while in operation. this will occur in either automatic or manual mode. you will need to turn off the lights then turn them back to the on position to get them to come back on. this can be very dangerous at night on a country road where we live. local toyota dealership in richmond, kentucky,40475 stated the low beam head lights needed to be replaced at a cost of $343.00 per headlight bulb plus labor which included taking off the front bumper to install the headlights. total cost to replace two head light bulbs, approximately $1,000.00. vehicle only has 40,000 miles on it. *tr

This car has had all 4 headlights burn out at one time or another. now for the second time, the left hid low beam has gone out. i'm sure you are aware these are expensive to replace. about 2 years ago toyota offered to reimburse owners for replacement of high beam halogen bulbs as long as the vehicle had less than 35,000 miles at the time of the malfunction. recently though, since this was a problem with a larger number of cars, toyota expanded this to a service bulletin. in this bulletin they will replace both complete headlight assemblies so long as the vehicle is less than 5 years old and has less than 75,000 miles on the odometer. my mother-in-law just had this done on her avalon, which failed an inspection because both halogen high beam bulbs were shattered, which was purchased at the same time my wife's was. my wife uses her avalon to commute 90 miles round trip to work. the car currently has 105,000 miles on the odometer since it was purchased new december 8, 2007. due to the mileage toyota is not interested in replacing the headlight assemblies on her car. this is a safety defect that could cause a crash. i believe there should be a recall campaign to rectify the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. the contact stated that the passenger side low beam headlights would erroneously shut off. when the headlight switch was turned off and back on the passenger side headlights would function normally; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 25,000.

Headlights turn off unexpectedly and also flicker. started off with one light turning off and now both lights will turn off. afraid to drive in the dark. switching lights off and back on will start them back but they may go right back out. is more frequent now. *tr