Problems with 2006 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

1. no special event led to failure. first failure occurred at about 35,400 miles (odometer). 2. two headlights go out simultaneously while driving on an intermittent basis. each headlight can also go out while driving independently of the other. 3. powering off /on the car resolves the problem. turning the headlights off and on again solves the problem. the repair shop (dealer) could not recreate the problem and so did not replace any parts at my first visit. i am about to go back and try again. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlights have repeatedly failed. both headlights intermittently failed and were replaced by toyota 11/24/07. now r hid headlight has failed again. loss of headlights creates a major safety hazard. *tr

High intensity headlight problem on 2006 prius. light goes off intermittently. sometimes will come back on after flicking on and off a few times. sometimes will not come on at all. replaced passenger side at around 26,000 miles and driver's side a few months later. covered by warranty those times. now at 53,000 passenger side is out and dealer is charging $300.00 to replace headlight. dealer stated that they have had many other customers with same problem. as of today there is no recall. *tr

After about 40,000 miles, the driver's side headlight in my 2006 toyota prius started blinking off (i.e., it would turn off, but then if i switched the lights on and off, it would be on again). *tr

Passenger side headlight fades then goes out. turning the switch off/on will turn the headlight on again - sometimes it will fade out again, sometimes it will stay on. dealership switched the bulbs (passenger to driver sides) to see if it's a bulb problem or something else. now the driver's side (same bulb) is displaying the same symptoms. have not yet replaced the bulb due to the high cost. *tr

1. normal operating conditions 2. passenger or driver side headlamp goes out. intermittently 3. bulb replacement. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius that has an intermittent front left headlight. it goes on when i first start it and then it goes off a few minutes later. if you redo the headlight it goes on then shuts off again. it seems very dangerous and the dealer is saying it will cost over $200 to fix. *tr

Hid headlight has began failing after only 45,000 miles. if i turn off the car and turn it back on, the headlight comes back on. it is an intermittent issue. the dealer has told me that i need to have the bulb replace already and it is not covered under the toyota extended warranty. they want almost $500 to replace one hid bulb! there must be a problem with toyota's supply of hid bulbs! there is no way that people can afford to pay 500 every 45,000 miles to replace one headlight! these things are supposed to last for many years and i've only had my car for just over two years. is there anything you can do to help with this? there are hundreds of complaints on the internet from other prius owners experiencing this same problem. thank you. *tr

My 2006 toyota prius experiences intermittent, sporadic events in which the headlamps (both of them but not simultaneously) go out. there is nothing to predict which one will go out, at which time and this morning at 6:35 am the driver's side went out as well as the passenger side, leaving me driving in the pitch dark. i had the drivers side headlamp replaced after hours of a toyota tech not being able to find anything wrong with the wiring. i have been pulled over on several occasions only to turn off my lights and turn them back on at which point the lights come on again. this is safety issue for me as i drive approx 30000 miles a year and cannot be limited to driving in daylight hours. toyota has been unable to diagnose the problem (or identify it) for me and i refuse to continue to replace headlamps, especially at such a high pricetag. this has been an ongoing issue with the latest incident happening today. i am tired of this. *tr

Passenger side headlamp ceased working after several minutes of driving. the lamp returns to normal operation after the light switch is cycled off and then back on. this problem has recurred three times. *tr

Right headlight turns off intermittently. turning the switch off and on with turn the headlight back on. after a short period of time it will shut off again. *tr

My passenger side headlight was reported to be out by my husband so i took the car to the dealership. the light was working for them, they told me at that time it would be $600 to repair so i should wait until "it is a real problem" before fixing it. within a week or two i was pulled over by a state trooper for having a headlight out. fortunately for me, he only issued a warning. i took the car back to the dealership, and the woman booking me in said "oh yeah, we see that problem with the prius". i asked "what problem, exactly is that problem?" she said "just what you report, headlights going out & coming back on again". i asked if that should be a recall, and she said "your car is no longer under warranty, but i'll see what i can do for you." ultimately, they replaced both headlights and the computer that is associated with each headlight & the dealership absorbed the cost "as a goodwill gesture & because of owner loyalty". seems to me they know there is a defective part and they are trying to duck a recall. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlight fails intermittently without warning. headlight cannot be repaired by normal means requiring the vehicle by driven unsafely or abandoned on the road until it can be towed. headlights non availability through normal suppliers encourages owners to drive without the headlight (s). additionally, repair costs can easily exceed $1000 for a headlight.tr

2006 toyota prius purchased from beaman toyota in nashville, tennessee, february ?06 (even though toyota says the delivery date was november ?05) at approximately 25000 miles, the driver side high intensity headlight began to go out when i was driving, i couldn't see it. i would see that it was out in the reflection of the trunk lid of another vehicle. if i simply turn the light switch off and back on the light would come back on and would not go off for a while. at first, it only happened sporadically, but over some months got much worse. i took it to a dealer, they replaced the bulb. they said it was under warranty and the $430 was covered. $430 for a headlight bulb??????? they said they had to take the bumper off the car to get to the bulb. i let that pass, but then the passenger side headlight did the same thing. again, it was sporadic. in october ?08 it began to cause a real problem. i could not drive more than a mile without it going out. on november 14, 2008, i took it back to the dealer. again it was a bad bulb. i have watched this problem for quite a while and i do not believe it is the bulb. even though i had purchased the 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, naively thinking it would take care of things like this, i was told it would cost $535 and that i would have to pay out of pocket because it was considered ?maintenance? and was not covered under warranty. $535 for a headlight bulb????????maintenance???????? what if both headlights go out while driving at night??????? if i live, you know who i?m going after. but, not only is this a safety issue and just plain wrong, this is a really poor design. i know toyota has to make a profit, and everyone else who even breaths on this bulb has to make a profit. but, this is exorbitant and i consider it gouging. i also found i could buy this bulb on the internet for $108. why has toyota not addressed this problem ?? this is a serious safety issue. *tr

2006 toyota prius, 49,800 miles hid head light failed. *tr

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. i've taken it to the dealer and they can't make it happen (of course). this has been going on for over 1 year. *tr

2006 toyota prius - headlight (hid) failure. started with left headlight (passenger side) at about 40,000 miles, then right headlight began to fail at about 45,000 miles. headlights flick off while driving. one or both flick off at any time. can turn back on by turning headlights completely off, then turning back on. but after a few minutes, decrease in intensity and flick off again. toyota dealer has advised this is "normal", that the lights have a heat sensor and turn off when they overheat, and that i need to replace both headlight assemblies. *tr

Driver side headlight goes out intermittently, goes back on if i shut lights off and turn back on. dealer says bulb is bad, not covered on regular or extended warranty. this is a serious safety issue. this has been going on for several months. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius with about 60,000 miles. i am experiencing the widely reported issue with the hid headlight. the driver side headlight fails to turn on sometimes, but if i notice it and turn off the headlights and turn them back on, the problem goes away. even if the light works, it sometimes flickers and goes out after a few minutes. i got pulled over by the police tonight for a failed headlight. since this seems to be a widely reported issue, toyota should fix this for the people who have encountered it. thanks! *tr

Both headlights intermittently go out. each will turn on, but then one or both will go off while driving. they will go back on when the lights are completely switched off and then switched on. sometimes it will occur with just one headlight. other times, it will happen to both. the dealership services dept. told me that the problem is common with this model. it cost me almost $900 to repair. i also got warning ticket from police when one light went out while i was driving. *tr

Headlight failure at random times on my 2006 toyota prius with hid headlights. lights always work correctly when first turned on. during trips of 15-30 minutes, one headlight usually fails. the left goes out more often than the right. when failed, neither the dim nor bright will work. function is restored by turning the headlight switch off and then back on. have had several dangerous moments when leaving brightly-lit streets, making turns onto dark entrance ramps. suddenly, the absence of expected headlighting is obvious while scanning in the darkness for the curbs, edge of the road, etc. it took me some time to diagnose the problem as upon startup, both headlights always work correctly. i now believe the problem is in the headlight control circuits, not in the bulbs, as much of the time, both right and left headlights, dim and bright, work fine. *tr

I have a 2006 prius with headlight problems. one will go off for no reason. if you turn the lights off and on the light then works. this happens to both sides and only a few times have i lost both lights at the same time. very unsafe. i have the hid package and see that there are over 60 other complaints. toyota needs to fix this problem before someone gets killed. i have been dealing with this for more than a year. the dealer has no information from toyota about this problem. please help! *tr

Hid passenger headlight intermittently go off. turning the headlights completely off and on again will make the headlights turn back on. will work for a day, sometimes and then it happens again. has been reported 220+ times at nhtsa site. *tr

The driver side headlight on my 2006 toyota prius turns on and off. i took it to my mechanic to get it fixed and he told me the light was fine and there was no loose connection. he witnessed it turn off and told me it is probably some issue with the computer and he can't fix it. he told me to take it back to toyota. additionally, my radio volume goes up by itself when the car is hot. the light seems to turn off more when it is hot. it pretty much always turns off after 15 minutes of driving in the summer weather. it is unsafe when it turns off. i will take it back to toyota to get it fixed. i have heard this is a common problem for the 2006 prius. from the online blogs i found, i heard the costs will be between $1500 - $2800 to fix. this has been going on with my car for about 8 months that i am aware of. it is often hard to tell if the light goes off. if it goes out, i can turn the lights on and off and on again and it will work for another 20 minutes. *tr

Purchased car in 5/2006. 11/2008 at around 45,000 miles noticed front left headlights would turn off intermittently. turning headlights off and on would turn left headlight back on. off again. can't figure out what triggers it. high beams work. *tr

No specific events identifiable. with the headlight switch in the on position, each of the front headlights will randomly shut off independently of the other when driving. the light (or lights) will turn back on after turning the headlight switch off and back on. to repair the problem, i had to replace both eom bulbs for $550. many others with toyotas which have these bulbs appear to be having this problem as well. this is a major safety concern. *tr

About a year a go my passenger side headlight started turning on and off randomly on my 2006 toyota prius. i took my car to toyota of berkeley i-80 junction service center to fix the problem. i was told that toyota would be more than happy to do a full diagnostic on my car at the cost of $125 to see what the problem was but since my light was on at that time they did not think they could duplicate the problem. my passenger side headlight had been randomly turning off while i was driving and in order to get my light to turn back on i would have to stop my car, turn my lights off, then turn them back on, and occasionally this would correct the problem. recently my headlight went out completely and i took my car to toyota of dublin service center to have one of my headlights replaced. i was then shocked to learn that my car had hid lights that cost $400 per bulb plus labor to replace. my front bumper needed to be removed in order to get to the lights therefore it was not a simple job and would take a few hours to complete. hearing this appalled me! when i purchased the car and the extended warranty i was never told anything about replacing the lights and how much it would cost. this is a ridiculous charge for lights that do not last three years. i believe that there is more wrong with this car than just a light that needed to be replaced. i feel that the faulty lights in the 2006 toyota prius are a safety hazard and need to be recalled. i am a single mother with two young children. i do not feel safe driving my car with my children, nor do i feel good about selling my car to an unknowing buyer, and i do not have the money to keep paying repair bills in the amount of $1000 or more to replace headlights! i am asking for an immediate recall of the 2006 toyota prius so this safety hazard can be corrected. *tr

Both headlights turn off, separately and intermittently. must turn the headlight switch off and on to turn light(s) back on while driving. increasing in frequency. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlights will flicker and eventually shut off after minutes of driving, i can turn them back on by flicking the headlight switch off then back on again but they randomly shut off causing a safety concern when driving at night. *tr

I own a 2006 prius with hid headlights. after 50,000 miles, the passenger side bulb will go out after being on for 20 minutes or so. if i turn the lights off and back on, the bulb lights up right away and then blinks off approximately 20 minutes later. if i was going down the highway at night, this would be a safely hazard. i called toyota corporate. they said this is a know issue, but no recall has been down yet. they stated that as of 1/2008, the bulbs have been redesigned to not have this problem. they said since my car was out of warranty that they would pay for the bulb (approximately $150), and i would have to pay for labor. labor, depending on where you get the repair done, could be anywhere from $50 to $300, just for one headlight replacement. since i didn't buy the extended warranty this issue was not covered. i agreed that toyota would pay for the bulb. i had the bulb replaced. i paid for the labor and they paid for the bulb. there should be a recall on the old bulbs! *tr

The headlights on my 2006 toyota prius randomly and intermittently turn off and/or dim significantly. driving at night all of the sudden without any warning both headlights turn off. this happens every time i drive at night (i am sure it happens in the day time but i can not see it) and under normal driving situations. *tr

The headlights on our toyota prius began malfunctioning at 55000. they would flicker, fade and then fail. i had to flick the switch off then on and they would stay on a few minutes before fading away. i noticed there are quite a few complaints about this on some prius discussion boards. the cost to fix this is more than $400/light as the whole assembly has to be replaced. *tr

My hid headlamps cut in and out. my tail lights cut in and out. i've got a toyota extended care warranty. i've already had several tail lights replaced by the dealer. this is a safety issue and a defect. toyota should have a recall because of the defective lighting systems in their hid equipped cars. *tr

Intermittent failure of hid headlights. *tr

Premature failure of hid headlight bulb in toyota prius. not three years old and 45k miles. replacement cost is exorbitant and there are many failures going on. *tr

Intermittent hid (high intensity discharge) headlight on a 2006 prius. appears to be a common complaint, the dealer said they need to replace the xenon headlight ($300) and the headlight computer ($500) to correct this. but the problem is intermittent, sometimes the headlight works and other times it doesn't - seems like a serious safety issue. *tr

2006 toyota prius with hid headlights. one or both headlights fail repeatedly. dealership claims "unable to duplicate concern," and adds "working as designed." an investigation into this matter was precipitously closed before the company had even fully answered the complaint, on the grounds that only one headlight was failing which would allow customers to reach a service facility. both headlights regularly fail, often concurrently, and others obviously have this problem as well. clearly had this information been available to investigators, the investigation would not have been closed for this reason. toyota has lowered the price on replacement, but took the position with investigators that this was an item that would require regular replacement. the literature on the product however, indicates that these products should last for the life of the vehicle, which considering that portions are warrantied for 100,000 miles, is a milestone we have obviously not reached. this problem is continuing, so the date and mileage are taken from the invoice when the headlight problem was reported to royal palm toyota, royal palm beach, fl. i pray the nhtsa will reopen its investigation in light of new evidence. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius, purchased new. the car now has 44,000 miles. beginning at about 35,000 miles and ever since, the driver side hid headlamp will flicker and then go out. this usually happens within the first 10 minutes of driving. by turning the headlight switch "off", then back to "on", i can get the bulb to come back on. this happens all the time. i realize that this can seem like a simple "replace the lamp" situation. however, i have friends with priuses, and all have the same problem, one, or sometimes both headlights suddenly going out. this can be a real safety issue. i did not take my car to toyota for a replacement as it is now out of warranty and replacement costs for this can easily run to over a thousand dollars. i have discovered that hundreds of other prius owners are having the exact same trouble with their cars. most of these are 2006 or 2007 models. some have had the entire hid system replaced under warranty only to have the problem return. it is scary driving a car whose headlights are prone to suddenly going out. toyota has been aware of this issue for quite some time. i would like to see a recall to address this situation as it is obviously a safety issue. *tr

Auto headlight goes out on my 2006 toyota prius. *tr

I have a 2006 prius. the driver side head light goes out now and then as i am driving. it is unpredictable. if i turn the lights off and then back on, the light works again. it has been going on for 2 months. now the other light is doing the same thing. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius and my headlights go out randomly,quite often while driving. while driving you can start off with all lights on and then while in low beam the headlights will go off leaving you with fog lights and while in high beam all of the lights go out. the car was taken to a toyota dealer who said "toyota knows this is a problem" but we still have to pay. i have children and when my lights went totally out i was lucky enough not to have had an accident. i have read others complaints on an internet blog site and there have been several other owner's with this problem. what does it take to have a recall on these vehicles and have toyota held responsible for faulty equipment before an accident happens and people are injured due to this. *tr

Right side headlamp went out on my 2006 toyota prius prior to 36,000 mile warranty, headlight repaired under warranty. at or about 39,000 miles left headlight goes out intermittently, desert toyota wants 399.00 to replace headlight. did not complete repairs. headlight consistently goes out every few minutes when on. *tr

The headlights on my 2006 prius go out frequently, but intermittently. i have had the dealer check them at the last two maintenance checks, but they said they could see no problem. today, i was driving early in the morning in the dark and both lights went out. i shut them off and turned them back on and both came back on. *tr

After about 7 months, i started having the passenger front light of my car intermittently go off and on. if i restarted the car, it would go on to begin with, and then go off sometime while i was driving. when i would take it in to the shop, usually i had to wait a while and the car would be turned off and when the service agent would come over the light would be on and they couldn't do anything. after three fix it tickets from the police, they finally fixed it under warranty. but not long after they fixed it, the drivers side started doing the same thing. i went to the dealer and said that there must be some problem with the lights and asked if this was a known issue and they said no. they said they wouldn't cover it under the extended warranty. when i got home i looked on the internet and saw it is a known issue. i called them back and they said they weren't allowed to tell me it was a problem and they didn't tell me that i should call the national toyota customer care. then a week later i got another fix it ticket from the police. the problem persists till today. i am very nervous at night to drive with only one headlight. the toyota dealership in marina del rey did nothing . *tr

Hid headlight defects on toyota prius 2006. replaced both light on 2007 after one year i have to replaced again on 2008. the light did not die just goes out. i have to turn the headlights on/off and the work again for few hours or few day then happen again. *tr

2006 toyota prius, hid headlight failure. blinking and then complete failure of light after only 40k miles. dealership charges $320+ for just the bulb. online chat forums show that this failure is very frequent and costly to consumers and the dealerships control the access to the bulbs. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius w/ 59k miles. we started experiencing issues w/ the headlights a couple of weeks ago. we'd turn the lights on and randomly would either get 1 light, 2 lights, or no lights. flicking the switch again would usually reset the lights, but not for long. i just took it to the dealership and was shocked when they told me it would cost $872 to fix. after i heard the quote, which is not covered under my extended warranty, i was so mad that i told them to just leave the bulbs in. i'm not sure what i'm going to do yet. i think this is actually extremely dangerous. in fact, so dangerous that someone is going to get hurt or killed, especially when they are unknowingly driving with one light or worse, none. *tr

About six months after purchasing my 2006 toyota prius the headlights starting going out while i was driving. i took it in to the dealership and they replaced the bulb. they had said that they had never heard of this before. the lights worked for about two months then occasionally would go out again. now that my warranty has run out they are going out every time i drive the car. this is a real safety issue. when you turn the switch off and then on again they come on for awhile then turn off again. they have never not come on, but drivers in front of you get a bit upset when you start flashing your headlights behind them! i've noticed on line that this is a common issue on the prius. i hope that you can force toyota to recall and repair this issue. *tr

2006 toyota prius both headlights occasionally go out while driving. *tr

One or sometimes both hid headlamps go out without warning, and can be re-lit by turning off and turning on the headlight switch. this affects both low and high beams. i've nearly run off the road when the lights went out abruptly on a narrow mountain road. i have had to turn on my fog/driving lights routinely as a backup. *tr