Problems with 2004 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My car head lights are turning off, at first it was one not turning on and then it was the other one, now they take turns. it is a safety issue which almost had make me crash more than 2 times. to the point that i am unable to use the car during the night. this happens if the car is parked or running.

Our 2004 prius has intermittent problems with headlights and tail lights failing. one of both headlights will all of a sudden go out. turning them off and on usually causes them to come back on. my son was driving on a curvy, dark forested road when both lights went out. could not see a thing. this is an extremely dangerous situation. we have also replaced tail light bulbs. they work, then fail again quickly.

The passenger side headlight goes out while operating the vehicle. it begins to operate again after turning headlights off and on again. this happens multiple times during vehicle operation in a single drive. for example, three times today within 15 minutes. the headlight was replaced within the last 6 months, but we now believe it is a systemic issue, unrelated to the bulb assembly, because it has occurred with two bulbs in a row. this occurred both when the vehicle is in motion and when stationary (idling).

When driving on the interstate in the dark, both my headlights went out. luckily they came back on after i turned the switch off and back on.

Over the past few months my headlights would randomly turn off while i'm driving. sometimes it's one head light, other times it's both. usually they turn back on if i turn them off then back on. the other day they turned off for about 20 seconds while i was driving 70mph down the interstate at 10pm. i saw my life flash before my eyes. they would not turn back on for 20 seconds approximately. upon further research on a priuschat forum, i saw that lots of other people have had this issue. there was even a class action lawsuit against toyota because they knew about the issue but did not recall. i'm a single parent and i depend on my car and my son needs his mom. toyota needs to fix there error and recall the head lights.

Hello team, one of the headlights keeps going out. i can't really tell when or how it goes out since i can't see it. i'll notice it when i see the reflection in the back of another car. if i turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. sometimes on long trips it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. sometimes on short trips it will go out, sometimes it won't. it is not an event i can make happen.

3 days after buying my 04 prius both of my low beams and one of my high beams went out. a few months after replacing them my driver side low beam went out, the high beam was fine. 2-3 months after re replacing the driver's side low beam the passenger side low beam went out. i have had to replace my headlights about 5 times each (10 times total driver+passenger side) i had my ground wires checked, i constantly check my fuses, mechanics say nothing is wrong with my lighting, but here i am with this reoccurring issue. i have been using the same kind of bulbs because i can't imagine spending more money on a bulb to have it blow out in a couple of months (xtravision 9003 12.8v,55/60w halogen). apparently my reverse lights aren't working either, and one of my license plates lights is out (i think the plate light is probably not connected to the other lights going out) zi do think the reverse lights are a related problem though. my lights go out both in motion and stationary (i couldn't tell you if it happens on turns or not, but it can happen on highways), sometimes i can get them to come back on by giving a little smack, but usually a few days after that they officially burn out. i've researched this problem on prius forums and apparently i am not the only prius owner experiencing this with the same frequency, there are no recalls for this issue, yet so many of us are experiencing this, which is quite detrimental to ours and others safety. sometimes i can't tell my lights have gone out til i get pulled over or am able to see my headlight reflection on another vehicle, even worse is when i'm wondering why i can't see anything when it's so dark out just to found out one of my headlights blew again. i still own this vehicle and still trying to figure out why this is a continuous problem.

The passenger side brake light does not work.

Headlights would randomly go out completely and would very quickly have to turn them off and then back on to get them to work. this did not happen very often but they did occur unexpectedly and caused extremely unsafe conditions while driving.

Headlights would randomly go out completely and would very quickly have to turn them off and then back on to get them to work. this did not happen very often but they did occur unexpectedly and caused extremely unsafe conditions while driving. additionally, the headlights would barely illuminate the road at night all the time while driving in all conditions and on all roads, and the area they illuminated was only a very short distance in front of the car so this also created unsafe conditions at all times. to compensate i would turn on the high beams and then the proper area of the road would be illuminated. this made me have to switch from low to high beam on a regular basis and was extremely distracting having to do so whenever an oncoming car approached! i recently paid about $350-375 to have them relamped and that helped but only a very small amount. this is still a big problem and makes me not want to drive this car at night!!! *tr

Description of the problem: the h.i.d. headlights on my 2004 prius fails unexpectedly (they turn off randomly, on their own). this problem affects mainly the right headlight. the right headlight fails very frequently (hundreds of times during the last 12 months). the left headlight fails sporadically (less than 10 times during the last 6 months). this issue affects both low beam and high beam headlamps simultaneously. when a headlight fails, i turn off the lights then i turn them back on. this brings back the lights. then the failure occurs unexpectedly after seconds, minutes, or hours. this issue has occurred while my vehicle was stationary, in motion, on a city street or a highway, turning, braking, etc. this issue also occurs regardless of road conditions (smooth flat roads & speed bumps / potholes) or weather conditions (sunny, rainy, snowy, warm & cold outside temperatures). this is a major safety concern, especially when driving night time on completely unlit roads.

Right hid headlamp intermittently goes out while driving and does not go back on. however, when you switch the headlight toggle switch off then on again, right hid headlamp goes back on. while driving for a distance of 120 miles last night, this happened 6 times on both city and highway and road conditions ie. bumps etc is not a factor since it happens on a smooth paved highway as well. the outage can occur a few minutes after turning the toggle headlamp switch on or it can stay on for 20 miles then out again. since the car is never left idling with the headlamps on, it is unknown whether right headlamp will go out while parked. have read in the prius chat site that many other drivers have experienced similar problem and despite the dealer replacing the hid bulb or even the entire headlamp assembly which is over $1,100 the problems were never fully resolved. please refer to: http://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/

The left headlight has been going off while driving. i've got the 'safety' package #7 with special hid headlights. when i turn the lights off and on again, it comes back on for awhile. two nights ago both headlights went out while driving. very scary! i was on an on ramp and couldn't see at all. they both came back on after i turned the switch off and then on.

We've noticed this problem only a few times in the car since we've owned it. that's been about 3 years. we seldom drive at night but whenever we have it's always been an issue. usually just the left goes out and resetting the lights brought it back on. this past week the same thing started to happen and resetting it worked a few times but then both headlights went out and resetting the switch did nothing. thankfully dawn was on the way and with the fog lights on we just kept going. once i felt comfortable turning the lights off completely and after waiting 3-5 minutes with the switch off i tried the lights and they came back on. there is definitely a problem with something; maybe an overheat issue with the bulbs, wiring or control box. this is a huge deal. if we'd been driving into the darkness instead of dawn could easily have had an accident.

Headlights turn off when driving for about half an hour. i have to turn the headlights off then back on so they can start working again. i do see this to be a safety issue since i drive out of town often and use the freeway most of the time and it is just very hard for me to be turning on and off the headlights at a high speed. this has occurred several times and it's not safe at all. this happens at any speed usually within the first 30 minutes and it continuously turns off.

At around 145,000 miles the right (passenger) headlight started turning off randomly. it would come back on while driving if i turned my headlights off and back on. frequency has increased over the last 10,000 miles. recently, the left headlight went out while on the freeway and the right was already out, leaving me with no headlights. i had to flick them on and off multiple times and flick the brights multiple times to get them to turn back on. i had no headlights for at least 30 seconds while on the highway- though in an urban area where other lights allowed me to see. twice, i have been left without headlights while on the road- once on the highway and once at a stop light (turning my car off and then back on revived the lights).

I noticed that my passenger side headlight was out while driving home at night. two days later, again while driving at night, my passenger side headlight was working perfectly. i have done nothing to repair the light.

Sometimes my left front headlight works and sometimes it doesn't. i have not been able to identify any consistent cause of the intermittent failure. sometimes if the left headlight is out and i flick the high beams on and off, then the light works again, but this doesn't always seem to fix the problem.

While driving at night, my headlights will turn off randomly. sometimes, it is just one but often it is both. if i turn the headlights switch to off and back to on, sometimes one or both lights will turn back on. more recently, this trick hasn't been working as well and i have to drive just using my fog lights. it seems to be something with the computer that controls the headlights. if it was the bulb it would always be out. if it were the wiring, simply flipping the switch on/off wouldn't suddenly get the wiring to connect again.

Speedometer & other control information display went blank. pulled over to side of road but unable to turn off engine. contacted toyota & was told problem is known & warranty extend to 9 years & unlimited miles. however, my vehicle is older than nine years, so i must pay estimate $1400 to fix & car will be unavailable for estimate 2 weeks. the vehicle is unsafe to drive, prior to this known problem occurring car was operating perfectly ( averaging 50 mpg per tank of gas, documented). this appears to be a safety problem that was known by the manufacturer, however they seems to be trying to hide this by making the statistical estimate that by extending the warranty the majority of these cars would be off the road and their lawyers & legal insurance would cost less than the few humans kills after this arbitrary 9 year risk period. i could have been killed as a result of this failure! fortunately i was not, however i am left with a vehicle that is undriveable (with no warning!) and can only be repaired by toyota at a cost i am not able to afford!

Headlamp fails intermittently. usually corrected by switching the headlight switch off and then back on. sometimes this does not correct the problem.

Left headlight turned off intermittently. if i turned the light off and back on the headlight would briefly work but then turn off again. *tr

A driver in front of me told me about one week ago that my headlights were going on and off while i was driving. then yesterday while stopped at a traffic light, another driver got out of his car to tell me that my lights had gone off. i hadn't noticed a change myself, but then i pulled into a parking lot and cut my lights all the way off and cut them back on and then the light was much brighter. this is not a consistent problem. sometimes the lights stay on fine and then they go out randomly. there doesn't seem to be a pattern to when this is happening. but if i cut the lights off and then back on, the problem will fix temporarily. i have seen on several forms that many people with 2004-2006 priuses are having this problem. *tr

Driver's side headlight was intermittent. i could jiggle the switch and it would come on. this occurred stationary and moving. i have replace the hid bulb twice with sylvania d2r. the headlight does not work now. dealer will charge over $500 for headlight and ballast repairs--highway robbery. this problem started august 2014.

Headlights intermittently flicker and shut off. if headlights are turned off then back on, both headlights will work again. problem happens while vehicle is in motion, as well as when parked. this has happened several times while driving at night, on rural/poorly lit roads, as well as highways. usually it is one light or the other that goes off, but about 5 different times both lights have gone off at the same time while driving at night. one of these incidents resulted in a traffic stop by a police officer, who promptly issued me a ticket for driving with no headlights on. both headlight bulbs have been replaced; all fuses have been checked and/or replaced;12v battery replaced - none of which has solved the problem.

While driving on the interstate at night, both headlights suddenly went out. neither the high beams nor the low beams worked. i had to pull over, and turn the car off. when i turned the car back on, both headlights worked fine. this incident occurred about 4 weeks ago, and i took it to the dealership. the dealership could not find a cause, and i don't think that they believed me. i had no problems with the headlights for almost 4 weeks. then 3 days ago, the exact same thing happened again. i was driving on the interstate at night and both headlights suddenly went out. again, i pulled over. when i turned the car off and back on, they worked fine. this is extremely dangerous and frightening. i have called two dealerships and neither of them have heard of such a thing. however, in researching the internet, i easily find that this has been the subject of a class action lawsuit involving prius model years 2006-2009. so there should be information out there that toyota should be telling their dealers. i don't know if it's an electrical or computer problem. *tr

Hid headlights intermittently failing. *tr

Passenger headlamp goes out while car is being driven. driver side headlamp remains on (illuminated). turning headlamp switch off and on causes passenger and driver side headlamp to illuminate. on re-illumination, passenger side headlamp sometimes appears normal and at other times appears to be dimmer, more yellowish. dealer quoted replacement hid bulb and labor to replace will cost $225.00 total. *tr

Same intermittent headlight problem posted here hundreds of times. why is toyota only fixing 2006+ model years? the same problem plagues all model years. *tr

My 2004 toyota prius's hid lights are going off intermittently and coming back on when i turned them off and back on again. the driver's side is going off again and will come back on again when i turn it off and then back on. also, my headlight leveling system warning light is coming on. when i drive on the highway light goes off, i feel very unsafe. i have to turn them off and back on in seconds to avoid a possible accident. dealer can't find the issue. they recommend to change the bulbs but it doesn't solve problem. *tt

Problem started with the right headlight turning off intermittently. i reported the problem to the local dealership on 8/27/2013 when the vehicle was serviced. the dealership indicated that they could not find a problem because the problem could not be duplicated. then the same thing started happening with the left headlight. i can correct the problem by turning off & then back on the light switch but this correction does not last long and the problem recurs. i have resorted to driving with my fog lights also turned on in order to provide some semblance of light. it is difficult and dangerous to drive like this in the long alaskan winters with so much ice and snow on the roadways. i can also make this problem occur when warming up my car in the driveway. *tr

Headlights (hid) intermittently go out regardless of speed or road conditions. turning the light switch they come on again and it randomly occurs making driving dangerous. i have replaced the headlights yet the incident recurs randomly making it necessary to turn the lights completely out then on again. *tr

Recently, vehicle has started intermittent outages of hid headlamps. usually on the driver side, but sometimes on the passenger side. apparently this is the result of a computer called the hid ballast or something. toyota is quoting outrageous sums to fix the problem. this vehicle should be recalled and the problem fixed for free. *tr

Starting last year my passenger side headlight intermittently turns off and will turn back on once i turn lights off and on. passenger side light continues to periodically shut off for no specific reason throughout the duration of the trip. this issue has caused numerous lighting safety issues as well as instances of being pulled over for headlight being out. after extensive research on internet i have discovered that this is a very common issue that toyota has failed to address. i petition for the nhtsa to please look into the issue described above. i seek a favorable and just decision in regards to urging toyota to do the right thing and address the popular defect in not only.2004 models but several other prius model years. toyota has previously issued a recall for 2006-2009 toyota prius'. this precedence indicates that toyota is well aware of this problem and has neglected to take accountability and action in establishing a recall. *tr

A couple of month ago, i thought i noticed that the front drivers side hid headlight was off when the passenger side was on. i was driving in my other car while a family member was driving the prius. when i looked at the prius a short time later, both light where on. over the past couple of months i have noticed that the driver side headlight has been intermittently off when it should be one. cycling the lights off then on appears to turn both headlamps on for some period of time. there is no indication in the car when the failure occurs, and i am concerned that this creates an unsafe situation while driving at night. while trying to determine if this is a known problem, i came across owner chat groups where others where complaining about the same problem. i also read that there might be an nhtsa investigation into similar complaints. i would like to know if an investigation has happened and if so, what was the outcome? *tr

Both headlights would cycle on and off. turning the headlights off and on with the switch would make them both come on. unpredictable how long before each headlight would turn off, but they are not in sync turning off and on. *tr

The passenger side headlight goes off every 10 to 15 minutes of driving. toyota settled a lawsuit on this issue for 2006+, but not my car. *tr

Passenger side headlight goes off intermittently. *tt

Both headlights suddenly went dark. my wife and i are about 95% sure the entire dash went dark as well. we stopped and toggled the headlight switch, and everything came back on. the dealership recommended replacing the "high intensity discharge" headlights, but they do not know why the dash would have gone dark. *tr

Both headlamps go off and on sporadically, as follows: approximately thirty (30) days after buying this used car, the left hid headlamp appeared burnt out. both left and right headlamps were replaced on or about january 8, 2013, as recommended for this type of light. on installation, either light would flash on but then go out again, but turning the headlamp switch off then on agan seemed to rectify the problem. both headlamps then remained on for approximately two weeks, at which point the left headlamp was sporadically out for approximately two weeks, when it would go on only if the headlamp switch were turned off them back on again. both headlamps then worked for approximately six weeks, at which point the left headlamp went out for approximately four weeks, but then came on after approximately one month when the police found the right light to be out. they said it needed to be fixed; that it is a safety hazard, at which i explained the history of toyota prius headlamp issues and that i would pursue an appropriate remedy for this manufacturing defect. the right headlamp remains out to this date, but did come on for approximately one week in the interim. turning the headlamp switch off then on again has not helped since the day of installation. *tr

I purchased this vehicle in december 2012. ever since i have had this prius, i have had issues with the front drivers side headlight turning off randomly. whenever i turn the car on, both headlights are always on, but while driving, the drivers side headlight turns off. i took it to carfix in garner, nc and they thought that it could be the headlight, so they recommended changing it. i ended up having it changed by a family friend because it was cheaper to do it that way. the headlight was still giving me problems after being changed, so i took it to the leith toyota dealership in raleigh, nc and they said that the headlight that i purchased from autozone was not the correct type of headlight, so they changed it again. even after they changed it, the headlight was still going on and off randomly. i took it back to the toyota dealership today and they said that it sounds like some kind of wiring issue. i have done some research on the issue and have seen recalls for 2005-2009 prius' for the same issues, but since mine is a 2004 it does not fall into the recall category. i believe that it should based on my issue compared to that as well as the number of other complaints on the internet and blogs that i have found. *tr

My passenger side hid headlight goes out a few minutes after turning on. when turned off and on again comes back on only to go out a few minutes later. *tr

Both headlights turn off and on intermittently without warning while driving. it is very dangerous driving in the dark. *tr

While driving my 2004 toyota prius home at night on a dark, winding road, both headlights suddenly went out!!!! there was no light! pitch black! crazy! i couldn't believe that my lights were out. my brights were not working either. i didn't know what happened to the car! i thought i was going to wreck/crash. i was about 18 miles from home. as i drove, i turned on my dome lights so the oncoming traffic could see me. after turning the car lights on and off, they came back on, but what a nightmare!!!!! i found out that other toyota prius owners had the same problem with there cars. toyota needs to fix this problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!! toyota needs to recall and replace these faulty headlights! *tr

Consistently a single headlight on my 2004 toyota prius would flicker and go out. "it may go off again, in another five or 10 minutes, but i could get them to work again by turning them off and turning on again. *tr

2004 toyota prius with hid headlights is used as a taxi cab. on september 25th, 2012 the drivers side headlight would begin to flicker and turn off after around five minutes of operation. the hid bulb replacement did not resolve the matter. headlights must be turned off and then on again in order to resume their operation. *tr

The right headlight keeps going out and after we turn the switch back and forth it goes back on. this past weekend in a driving rain storm at night, the lights went completely out on a windy mountain road. i flicked them on and off several times and they would go on and then go out shortly afterwards. neither dim or bright would work. i ended up having to pull the bright signal on the column back manually and hold it while driving the last 45 minutes to home. it was very dangerous for about 20 miles in the rain at night the lights going in and out on curves or against on coming traffic, a head-on could have occurred easily. *tr

Hid headlights turning off repeatedly, will go out randomly having nothing to do with movement, on time, the light will come back on if switch is turned off then on again but lights are unreliable. condition is obviously dangerous during night, fog or poor road conditions. random turning off has kept re-occurring until present time, where light will persist on for only a few minutes at a time. toyota dealer wants 1,000 or more to repair, while light bulb only costs less than 50 dollars on amazon, stating the defect may have to do with a fuse and or ballast. *tr

The headlights go out randomly while driving at night. you have to turn them off and then turn them back on for them to work and they only last a minute after that. huge safety issue!! *tr

Random failure of lights, began with driver?s side and continues to occur randomly with greater frequency. passenger side also turns off randomly, though with less frequency. many occasions, i have had both lights turn off while driving. *tt