Problems with 2005 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

While driving in any direction in all conditions, the left headlight began flickering in may 2015, shortly after left headlight began flickering. they do not work at all now.

The headlights on my 2005 toyota prius go out on a much to frequent basis. i have replaced both headlights multiple times. this last time, i took the car to the dealership (northshore toyota) to ask if they could check the headlights. i thought it could be a bad connection. they checked the headlights and said they both needed replacing, although one was working when i brought the car in for service. they did not mention anything about an issue with the headlights, and gladly took our money for replacing the lights. upon further research, i learned that this is a problem with headlights on toyota prius. i feel this is a safety issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer. *tr

The passenger side headlight randomly turns off while the switch is still in the on position. it is temporarily fixed when i flip the switch for the lights off and on again. the last three times i have driven in the night it has unexpectedly turned off. *tr

Noticed passenger headlight appeared to be out intermittently. would turn back on after restarting lights. consistently winks out and will restart after turning lights off and on again. also noticed now that the drivers headlight will also go out and both lights are off at certain times, night or day. *tr

Left headlight will intermittently go off. there have been a couple of instances where both lights have gone off on the highway at night. *tr

Traveling along at night and headlight suddenly stopped shining. drove about 100 miles using other people's headlights. winter conditions.

When i drive my right headlight just goes out. then i turn off my lights then turn then on and it chimes back on. *tr

The passenger side headlight has gone out 3 times in a 3 year period. each time the bulb has been replaced at significant expense ($300 at the dealership), but has gone out again after a period of several months. the last time it happened was 11/2014. since then we have been unable to use the car at night due to the obvious safety issue it presents. we cannot and will not continue to spend hundreds of dollars to replace these bulbs when there is clearly a defect in the system. based on the hundreds of similar reports i have seen online about this very issue, i know my story is not unique. i request that a recall be issued for the affected model years, which includes 2005!

The right side headlight goes out multiple times for no apparent reason. i have to turn the lights off- then back on--it will come back on--only till it goes out again. *tr

2005 prius hid headlights go out while driving and continue to go out intermittently as they will relight if cycled on and off. replaced bulb and issue continues. *tr

My left head light goes out intermittently. the light goes back on when i turn the lights off and then on again. this seems to be a problem that prius owners are regularly experiencing. *tr

Front left headlight turning off and on intermittantly. *js

For the past 200 miles or so, the left front headlight has begun to turn off after a couple of minutes when switched on. the hid bulb and ecm was replaced, at considerable cost, but has not yet been resolved. i have an appt for toyota dealership service in a week. *tr

since september of 2014 i have had issues with the dashboard lights. they have become dimmer and dimmer. then during the week of 8/24/15, i started my car and the dashboard lights came on, but when i turned on the headlights, all dashboard lights went black. i had turn signal lights, but nothing else unless i turned off the headlights. this was extremely dangerous as i was driving home after dark. i had no idea how fast i was going, what gear i was in, if i had enough gas to get home, etc., etc. the next morning i took a 20-mile drive and when i stopped, i could not get the car to shut off by pushing the ignition button. i tried multiple times and the engine finally turned off, but the display panel was still dimly lit. i then drove directly to the dealership to have whatever was wrong repaired. after a mechanic checked it out, it was determined the computer needed to be replaced and they had to order the part. this is not an item that is normally serviced and i have no clue if the dealership checks it during a servicing of the car. so i wondered if there was a recall on it. in checking on this website i find i am not the only person who has had this problem and that i thought there would be a recall on it. when i picked up my car i asked about the recall and i was given paperwork stating it was a "warranty enhancement program" for "9 years with no mileage limitation from the date of first use or before september 30, 2013". letters were sent out to prius owners of cars from 2004 to certain 2009 models. i never received a letter and am very concerned if toyota knew there was a problem why didn't they not do just a "warranty enhancement program" but a recall? they would that eventually all cars would have this problem and it should be replaced. this is an extreme safety issue!

Intermittent drivers side headlight failure. light will work for a short time, and go out while driving. this has been a chronic problem with this car. i bought it from a friend and it has been a problem for them, and other prius owners that i know. *tr

While driving a headlamp will extinguish and i can turn on/off quickly and will come back on. sometimes this happens every couple miles and can alternate between headlamps and sometimes both fail at the same time. also if trying to drive on one, the other can fail also requiring a turn on/off reset. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 204,000. updated 10/24/14*lj updated 4/16/2015 *js

The headlights on the prius turn off. when i notice this while driving, i can turn them off and then on again. they only stay on for a few minutes. *tr

The headlight just turned off. in reading up on this issue, it has become apparent that this is a known issue with hid lights in a prius. fortunately it only happened to one headlight and not both. *tr

Entering i-25 southbound on dark night and the head lamps went out. turned the switch off and then on, they came back on and then went right off. re-tried the switch and they came back on.. failed again about five miles further south on the i-25 highway. turned them off and back on and they came back on and stayed until i got back home. the bulbs must be good for them to come back on. possible bad switch or computer chip that controls the automatic circuitry. this was very scary because we had high speed traffic that couldn't see us because we had no lights visible. there was construction in the area which made it all the more tense note:the vehicle make name box above does not pull down. *tr

Both of my prius headlights went off, for no apparent reason, while driving down a busy highway. flicking them off and then back on brought them on again, but this is a dangerous situation. this has happened one more time since then. this could cause a serious accident. toyota is unable to isolate the problem. the company wants to replace the bulbs, but this doesn't fix the problem, according to many other people who have had this problem. replacing the bulbs or adjacent parts can cost hundreds of dollars, which is not sustainable. it seems that a recall is in order. *tr

One of my front headlight always goes out once i make a turn by using a turn signal. if i switch the headlight off and on again, the head light will come back. i read similar post from website, and found some people have the same problem with me. we all suspect this is a design problem by the manufacturer.

First passenger side then drivers side headlights failed within a month of each other. able to relight headlights by turning on and off switch, but then they would go off again. both replaced by toyota dealer at over $300 per light! now, the drivers side headlight is off again several months later, still able to switch it on for awhile, but it fails as i am driving. *tr

Multiple failures of hid lights going out. it will switch from one side to another. sometimes results in both headlights going out. most of the time a quick flip of the headlight switch will bring them back on. it is completely random. instances when both lights go out, each time had to make a quick pull over to wait for a moment, as the normal quick flick to get the lights back on fails, thus causing a quick panic to get to a safe place on the side of the road in the complete dark and hope that other vehicles around you can see you and let you over. *tr

After a short period of time headlight flickers then goes out. have to turn off then on, only to last a short time. brand new bulbs. *tr

While crossing the bridge of the gods, cascade locks, oregon at about 9pm the toll collector told me my drivers side headlight was out. i turned on my high beams and had two lights on. on low beam only one light...driving with high beams at night is dangerous to other drivers on the road; driving with one or no headlights at night is also dangerous. the next day i turned on the lights (low beam) and they were both on again....i checked priuschat.com forum and read 56 pages of prius owners with the same problem...that either one or both headlights will turn off intermittently and randomly, often at night. i called toyota customer service and [xxx] the service rep i talked to looked up my car and said there is no remedy toyota recommends other than take it to a dealer and have it "repaired" for approximately $800-1200 dollars. further, reading about the prius owners headlight experiences posted on the forum suggests that more than often this very dangerous vehicle defect is not "repaired" by what the dealer service department does and the lights continue to turn off randomly..as a retired police officer i consider this product design defect to be extremely dangerous and that toyota corp. will not stand behind their product. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

For several months, the driver's side head light of my 2005 toyota prius would spontaneously blink out. because it was blinking out and coming back on, i told the dealer i suspected some kind of wiring problem, but was assured that this was a common problem with the prius head lamps. i was then told that we had the "special" hid lamps that cost $150 apiece, plus $75+ in labor because of how complicated they were to replace. when i asked how long it would take for this labor intensive $75+ repair, i was told 15 minutes (in other words, i would be charged $300/hour for labor). after being reassured again that replacing the head lamp would solve the problem, i agreed to move forward with the repair. fast forward 2 weeks, and the driver's headlamp was once again blinking on and off. the dealership seemed completely unsurprised by the persistence of this problem, and agreed to a "courtesy recheck." they then informed me that since the $225 head lamp repair they talked me into didn't solve the problem, the cause of the blinking was "definitely" the ecu (the computer that controls the head lamp), and it would cost ~$700 to replace this component. at no point did the dealer acknowledge that the hid lamps and associated ecus have been defective in hundreds of thousands of prius cars, as i quickly learned online. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the driver's side headlight intermittently failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

Initially it was the drivers side headlight that went out. turning the switch off and on reset the headlight to illuminate again. i took the vehicle to my mechanic to replace the driver side headlight. the mechanic said the headlights worked fine and to continue to drive until it failed or other issue reported. after a couple weeks the issue progressed to both headlights going out. turning off and on would restore illumination. this would happen randomly sometimes recurring again after 5-10minutes. finally the passenger side headlight went out completely and would not illuminate. i took the vehicle to my mechanic and had the passenger side headlight replace. a few days later the drivers side headlight started turning off again. my next step is to take the vehicle into the dealership and see if they can fix the issue. i've researched the issue and have seen plenty of complaints regarding this issue. i'm concerned this is a persistent defect, light shutting off randomly, will have a devastating effect once my luck runs out. *tr

Intermittent failure of headlight (left and right, though not simultaneously). problem can be temporarily corrected by turning headlights off, then on. this issue occurs while driving (twice within a one hour drive) and when the car has just been started. fuses have been checked and headlight bulbs have been replaced with no resolution. *tr

Last friday night both right and left headlights burned out within five minutes of one another. thankfully i could limp home with the help of street lights. i discovered today at toyota dealership that the cost of two new hid osram xenarc d2r 35 w 66050 ($ 175/bulb) and labor ($ 113/hr) plus sales tax was $ 467.31. i checked the cost of the hid bulbs online. amazon offers a pair of these bulbs for $ 159.99 plus free shipping. toyota's genuine part mark up is an astounding 217% in this comparison. further, the toyota parts/service said that they need to take off the bumper - unlike the owner's manual instructions from the side of the headlights - to replace the bulbs. toyota headlights can be dangerous if they burn out simultaneously and replacement cost is ridiculous at the dealership! *tr

My front passengers-side headlight keeps going out every 5-10 minutes but will turn back on if i turn the headlights lights off and back on again. this has caused me to get pulled over & nobody seems to know how to fix it... *tr

Driving down the freeway 70 mph both headlights went out! turned them off and then back on they did not work. turned them off and back on once again and they worked. both lights should not go out at once! *tr

My vehicle lights spontaneously go out. it used to be one headlight, then i had a mechanic take it out to diagnose and he said it may be the ballast. after that, it is now both headlights go out spontaneously, and therefore sometimes at the same time, leaving in the dark at night on the road. flicking them off and back on usually fixes it on the first try, but sometimes it takes a couple of tries. *tr

While driving my vehicle at night the right headlamp suddenly went out. i turned the headlight switch on and off and the headlamp came back on. approximately 7-8 minutes later both headlamps went out. once again i turned the headlamp switch off and on and both headlights came back on. this continued to happen every few minutes until i finally reached my destination. since then it has continued to happen sporadically. i feel that this is a very serious safety issue that needs to be addressed. i purchased new bulbs thinking that this was the problem but discovered that the design of the vehicle does not give adequate access to the bulbs for changing. it appears that it must have to be done by the dealer. i feel that this is also something that needs attention. *tr

My hid headlight turns off, it can be turned back on by toggling the light switch. i had previously replaced the bulb, however it cost over $400 to get it fixed. it is dangerous to drive like this, toyota does not seem to assume responsibility that there is a defect. there was a cash support but only for 2006 to 2009 models. there should be an investigation into this problem. *tr

Driving down the freeway and the headlights went out. i flipped the switch and they turned on. this now happens every time i drive and it requires numerous flipping on and off of the lights to make them come back on. *tr

Passenger side hid headlight goes out sometime after start up. if you switch the lights off then on again it runs for a period (approx 4 min) then goes out again. replacing bulb has no effect. when searching for solutions appears to be a chronic problem among 2005/2006 prius. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed to activate. in addition, the headlights powered off independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Driver headlamp turning on and off while driving. lamp will turn on if i switched control off and turned it on again, but will turn off again within 10 minutes. replaced both lights bulbs, then passenger headlight started doing the same thing with in a month of replacement. i replaced bulb again in the passenger headlight and with in 5 days light started again doing same thing. headlight turns on if i switch control on and off. found similar complains about prius 2005 on line. *tr

The first time happened about a year ago and the issue gets worse. i took the car into the shop to replace a headlight as i thought it had burnt out. when i arrived, the passenger side light was working again. the issue has been so bad now that both headlights may turn off with no warning and cause complete darkness while on the road. from what the shop told me is that i will have to possibly replace the hid headlamp cpu in order to ensure no further issues. this is a severe safety issue that seems to plague the make and model of toyotas. *tr

My passenger headlight shuts off by itself after a few minutes. when i shut off the lights and turn them on again, they both stay lit for several more minutes or sometimes longer. we took it to the dealer, and they charged over $100 to replace the bulb and there has been no change. i noticed that there was a recall on the 2006-2009 models for a similar problem. i suspect this might extend to the 2005 model. at times both lights go out in an unpredictable manner. this does not seem safe to me. thank you *tr

Both hid headlights went out at the same time. i can toggle the light switch off and on and one or both lights came back on. then went out again within a few seconds to a minute, over and over. makes no difference if car is not moving at all or going 70 mph. i was able to drive the 15 miles home at night without incident. went to dealer next day and they say all that is wrong is that the headlights are burned out. estimate to replace both is $474.31. i do not believe that they would burn out at exactly the same time. and if they are burned out then why do they come back on and off. i have done research and found the class action settlement for 2006-2009 models. i also found that you have had hundreds of complaints about the 2005 model yet you have not considered this a safety matter. i disagree. even if you don't help me, i want my complaint included in your database. *tr

1. driver's side hid-type headlight went out while driving at night. went on & off intermittently for several days. required a replacement headlight computer and bulb. ridiculously expensive to get headlights functioning properly. 2. headlight leveling system malfunctions & warning light goes on intermittently, generally during & right after rain storms. ongoing problem since car had approximately 32,000 miles. *tr

I was driving home on the highway at night when both headlights shut off. the right headlight has been turning off periodically, but this is the first time both lights have gone out. by turning the lights off and then on, the headlights returned to working order. this is a persistent problem, which both toyota and nhtsa know about. replacing the lightbulb appears to be only a very temporary, and costly, solution. *tr

Left hid headlight on my prius keeps going off at random, sometimes it happens fast, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. by cycling the headlights on/off turn the light back on. this seems to happen to more than just my prius because i have personally seen many priuses with their passenger side (left) headlight out. *tr

I had an accident in march 2013 which caused front end damage. the car was repaired with the headlights being replaced. every since the repair the headlights have been going out for no apparant reason. at first just the right headlight, now both lights shut off at the same time and i have to turn them off and back on to get them to emit light. the dealer said it was the headlights themselves but why do both of them go out at the same time and why do they come back on and continue to work. at first this occured maybe once a day but it is occuring frequently. i do not think it is the bulbs becasue they keep shutting off at the same time which suggest it is something else. *tr

When i started my 2005 toyota prius, i got a warning on the dashboard and the multi-function display that the automatic headlight leveling system had malfunctioned. this is a safety feature that corrects the aim of the headlights if you are driving with an unusually heavy load, so that your lights do not momentarily blind oncoming drivers. unfortunately, when the sensor in the headlight leveling system fails, the headlights aim themselves to a default position that is unsafe; the headlights aim downwards, and illuminate the ground 20 feet in front of the car and no farther. it is not safe to drive in the dark faster than 20 miles an hour with the headlights like this. the problem begins with the sensor in the 2004 and 2005 model priuses, where a gasket fails and the interior parts of the sensor corrode and fail. toyota knows about this problem and now offers improved replacement parts and has issued the technical service bulletin below. however, replacing this part at a dealer can cost upwards of $500, discouraging many owners from making the repair, leading to unsafe driving conditions for prius drivers and everyone else on the road. there is no manual override to make it safe for a driver to drive in the dark. it seems like poor engineering that toyota has implemented a safety device that, when it fails, creates a more unsafe condition than if the safety device were not there. not to be overly dramatic, but it was a failed gasket and failed sensors that brought down the space shuttle. a repair suggested online involves springs from ballpoint pens, but this is ridiculous. a repair with the improved toyota part ought to be made affordable, if not for free. us tsb el004-06 april 28, 2006. automatic headlight leveling system warning light "on" or flashing. 2004-2005 prius w/hid headlights. replace rear vehicle height control sensor with improved one. *tr

Both headlights went out during night time driving. i immediately braked because i could not see anything in front of me. it is a very dangerous situation in that my 9year old and 12 year old panicked. when i switched the lights on and off they came back on. the incident re-occurred an additional 3 times on the way home. i contacted the manufacturer as well as the dealer. both said they could not do anything about this type of failure since it is outside the warranty period. i could understand a lightbulb going out, but both going out at the same time is a horrific dangerous situation. i believe there is an inherent defect from the manufacturer. *tr

The drivers side headlight keeps going off and on. at first all i had to do was turn it off then on but now it is turning off and staying off. *tr