Problems with 2006 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The driver's side front headlight goes off randomly. the problem is usually "fixed" by turning the light off and then back on, but that one light goes out again, sometimes 30 seconds later, sometimes an hour later.

I have a 2006 toyota prius and my drivers side headlight just turns off while i am driving. when i turn it completely off and then on, it comes back on for a little while and repeats the whole process again. i am lucky that one headlight is still on. if both headlights start behaving the same way, the driver will not know it and this could be a recipe for accidents and even death. i seriously think toyota should recall affected models and fix the issue before it starts killing people. *tr

2006 prius purchase cpo with 59,000 miles. noticed headlights not functioning within 15 minutes of driving off the lot. at least thee occurrences of headlight failure that evening, including, at one time both headlights went out at the same time. after 600+ complaints, why has no recall been compelled? *tr

Hid headlight goes out intermittently. when starting the car both headlights are on, but on multiple occasions after returning home i notice from the reflection on a wall/item in front of the parked car that the driver-side headlight is completely out. i've also noticed a couple of times while driving that the driver headlight is out. it can't just be the bulb since the light comes on and goes off. *tr

both headlights intermittently go off, usually one at a time, but once, both went off at the same time at night. if i turn them off and back on, they work for a few minutes, and then same thing happens. the dealer says nothing is wrong. *tt

Passenger side headlight or ("hid") will turn off for not apparent reason while headlights are activated. the light will turn off periodically during a drive over all surface types. correction: turn lights off then on again. passenger light will turn back on for a time, and then off. *tr

I bought a 2006 toyota prius new, with all the options, in may 2006. i live in southern california, where it's been mostly warm and dry (i.e., a drought) since before i bought the car. at about 64,000 in 2-3 days of misty weather, my right front headlight started going off and back on. at about 91,000 miles, the problem got much worse, but unpredictable. at 97,000 even worse. having to take the car to the dealer for other reasons, i asked the dealer to look at this, but they said that they could not duplicate the front right headlight going out. a little after 99,000 miles, the headlight ceased to stay on for more than a few seconds. i replaced it with a good mail-order hid bulb, but had the same result = it stays on for only several seconds before turning off. my wife refuses to drive this car at night or when it might be raining, and i won't risk her driving this car like that. if something happened to her, i suppose that i could sue toyota, but that wouldn't undo any harm to my wife. can someone do something about this?!? the toyota dealerships are incredibly defensive about this, and not at all helpful. there hasn't been an accident, yet. but, driving with just one headlight is not safe !!! *tr

I've had a problem with my 2006 toyota prius, where my right headlight goes out intermittently. it will go out, and if i turn the headlights off and back on, it will come back on. then, after a period of minutes, it will go back out again. it started about a month ago (at 77,000 miles), and has slowly gotten worse - the amount of time the right headlight stays on has become less and less (averages a couple minutes now). i replaced both headlight bulbs, and the problem persists, so it doesn't seem to be a bulb issue. *tr

My 2006 prius has a "winking" right headlight --- sometimes on, sometimes not. it is a high intensity discharge type. the car now has 70,000 miles on it but this behavior has been going on intermittently for over a year. i base that on the several times in the past year someone has told me the light was out but, when i went to look at the light, it was on! recently, i have witnessed it myself. i understand i am not alone with this problem. hopefully, replacing the bulb will fix it but even that is an expensive proposition and the bulb may not be the culprit. *tr

The hid headlights on my toyota prius intermittently turn off at night. *tr

2006 toyota prius headlights come on and off. when they go off, you can turn off and on and they will come on. 2 years toyota replaced left headlight for $300. this seemed to fix that, but they did not replace right at the time, which i wanted them to do. now right does it. i can't afford $300.00 to replace bulb. instructions for doing it yourself does not help. unable to do according to directions, toyota said they had to take off front end to it that is why so expensive. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights turned off. they were replaced october 2010 but failed again. the dealer stated that the problem was that the bulbs were defective. the contact believed the failure to be within the circuit board. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000 and the current mileage was approximately 52,000.

2006 prius drivers side headlight intermittently stops working. if i shut off and restart from the switch they start up again. *tr

I have a headlight that goes on and off intermittently on a 2006 prius. it cost me $273.13 to fix at the dealer. $273.13 for a light bulb!!!!!! *tr

My 2006 toyota prius headlights has manufacturer defect that toyota won't take responsibility. in early 2010, the front passenger headlight will go off intermittently. but if it were turn off then on, it will stay on for a while before turn off again. now the front passenger headlight is doing the same. i called toyota dealer in atlanta and it cost $400 to fix. i called toyota customer service and was surprised to know they knew about this issue but won't pay for the repair. i received a traffic ticket for front passenger headlight malfunction. it cost me $265 for the ticket. toyota just lost my confidence. *tr

Have had consistent issues with a headlight going off while i'm driving. i have to turn the lights off and back on again to regain both headlights. eventually the bulb burns out. i replaced the left headlight for $300 in september 2010. i replaced the right headlight for $175 in october 2012. then, january 2013, the right headlight only came on when i hit the light with my fist. now, still january 2013, the right headlight will not come on at all. headlights that go on and off is a serious safety concern. *tr

The headlights on my toyota prius 2006 have been going out for the past month, more than once a day. i took the car to be inspected and was told i would need high resolution hid lights that would cost over $500. i went online and found out that tons of other people are having the same issue as me. *tr

Vehicle: 2006 toyota prius headlights (passenger) intermittent or sometimes completely out for over an hour. *tr

2006 toyota prius with hid headlights. after 4 years of ownership both hid lamps have failed at 72,000 miles. the lights were working when i leave the garage however when i returned home they were dark. turning the headlight switch off and back on seemed to correct the problem. i do not know how long they were off or how often this has happened but it is not acceptable to have both hid lamps to hail intermittently and unexpectedly after only 4 years. this style lamp should last years and years. cost to replace lamps at dealer over $1,000. *tr

2006 toyota prius headlamps go out randomly while driving at night. usually just one of them turns off but sometimes they both go out. the problem can be temporarily fixed by flipping them off and then on but this solution only lasts for about 10 min. *tr

Headlights have failed repeatedly on 2006 toyota prius. owner replaced headlamps three times; dealer has replaced two headlamps. in one case, headlight ceased working then later worked. this began in august 2010 and has continued ever since with latest headlight outage occurring 02/12/2011. *tr

Headlamps needed replacement a total of 4 times- 2 each side. passenger side replaced 9/2008, 8/2010; driver's side replaced just under 1 year apart: 1/2009, 1/2010. *tr

Upon arriving home, i was informed the left hand headlight was not working. by switching the light off and then on, i was able to get the light to work. this has happened intermittently on numerous occasions since that time, although not just the left light. the right hand side will also flicker off and then the headlight stalk has to be turned off and on to get the light to illuminate again. this issue cannot be duplicated by me, as the lights seem to have a life of their own. what frightens me is that the lights will also go through this erratic behavior while i am driving the vehicle at night, not only when the car is stationary. i did receive info on getting toyota to assist in the cost of bulb replacement, but since i work constantly in real estate sales, i did not have an opportunity to bring the vehicle to my dealer, and had not used an outside mechanic to make repairs. also i had been able to get the headlights to work with the re-switching process. because the situation has escalated and i find it occurring more frequently, i visited the dealer this morning only to be told they had no liability after the extended 50000 mile limit, and my car now has 85000 miles! it seems to me toyota knows they have an issue with the ecu which controls this headlight function, but are not going to rectify the situation until the nhtsa forces them. this is a very dangerous problem and i do not want to end up trying to drive with no lights in the dark!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, both the front and passenger headlight failed simultaneously. the contact received a ticket because of the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. the failure mileage was 85,000.

Driving at night with headlights on. left headlight flickers, a few seconds later the right headlight goes dark. less than a minute later, the left headlight goes dark. no headlights while driving on hwy 85 in san jose. i slowed and then checked to see if the light switch worked. i turned the headlight switch to off, then back on and the headlights came back on. after less than a minute, the lights repeated their failure process again. i repeated the switch off/on, multiple times until i reached my destination. i cannot operate the vehicle when it is dark. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. i purchased the vehicle new. it has approximately 57,000 miles. for the past six months, the front headlights will randomly stop working - sometimes the driver's side, sometimes the passenger side, sometimes both headlights. if i turn the headlight switch off and back on the lights will come back on. it is my understanding that over 1,000 prius owners have reported this same problem to nhtsa. please add my report to this database. *ln

On my 2006 toyota prius, the headlights randomly switch off, sometimes one at a time, sometimes both. the lights will both turn back on if i switch the lights off and back on. the lights switch off again anywhere from a few minutes to a few days after this 'reset.' the car had been driven for only 20,000 miles when the first incident occurred. *tr

Within 6 months i had a headlight from my 2006 toyota prius go out from both sides. cost $300+ to fix each one. *tr

My front headlights (hid) are unreliable. while driving, they go off spontaneously. by turning the on/off switch "off" and then "on," the lights go back on. sometimes the lights go out within minutes of turning the headlights on, sometimes it happens after 5-10 minutes of driving, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. it is most frequently the driver side light that goes out, but the passenger light goes out as well, and on at least two occasions, both lights went out at the same time. often, because the roads are lit with street lamps well enough for me to see the road, i don't even realize my light(s) are out. this is extremely dangerous as my visibility to other, oncoming, cars is seriously reduced. i took the car to the dealer who suggested replacing both headlamps (at a cost of $172/each + $234 labor) but wouldn't guarantee that would solve the problem. the bulbs themselves are fine (and could conceivably continue working for another 5 years), so replacing them does not seem prudent as the problem would likely re-occur with new bulbs. i initially noticed this about 6 months ago, but it is happening more frequently now (several times a week vs. once or twice a month six months ago). *tr

The headlamp of prius 2006 intermittently goes off while driving. the problem goes away if the car is completely shut off and then restarted. many others are reporting the same problem with prius and replacement of headlight does not rectify the problem. the problem is creating dangerous situation for driving, particularly during rain or snow because others cant see the car and the drivers visibility becomes greatly affected. *tr

My 2006 toyota prius had a problem with the headlights whereby one would go off and on intermittently. there was no apparent pattern as to when this would happen, although it seemed to occur after the headlights had been on for more than 10 minutes.; *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. while driving at 65 mph, the contact noticed that the driver side headlight was slightly dimmer than the passenger side headlight. the driver side headlight then failed. after turning the light switch on and off, the headlights resumed normal operation. the vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer or repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 45,000.

Vehicle: 2006 toyota prius hid headlights (usually passenger side) intermittent. *tr

I have continued to have recurring headlight issues on my 2006 toyota prius. i am on my third headlight and i have replaced two headlight assemblies. on each occasion, we were made aware of the defective headlight by another party as we were driving. it leads to a dangerous situation because it reduces the lighted path at night and could potentially impair another driver's ability to see my vehicle. i had to pay out of pocket for the repair since the extended warranty that i purchased did not cover "burnt bulbs". this is obviously an inherent issue that toyota has not addressed. each repair is in excess of $200. *tr

Headlights on my 2006 prius all of a sudden went kaput ; left one yesterday and the right one today. *tr

Toyota prius 2006 headlight goes on and off intermittently toyota needs to recall these affected vehicles. major safety issue. *tr

Problem with the hid headlights on toyota prius 2006 1. headlights go off intermittently while driving without me doing anything 2. both headlights turned off by itself while driving at night on the freeway this happened on numerous occasions. *tr

My wife and i were driving on i-25 in colorado and both of our headlights shut off on our 2006 toyota prius, fortunately i have reading about this problem so i turned them off and on again. i've been to three toyota dealers with no help in sight. i would appreciate any help on this matter. *tr

2006 toyota prius driver side headlight failure. occurred twice. dealer states it will cost approximately $600.00 to correct. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. the contact stated the passenger side headlight would illuminate intermittently when the automatic headlights were in activation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they stated that the headlight assembly would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Intermittent functioning of passenger-side hid headlamp on 2006 toyota prius after <20,000 miles, followed by complete failure after a few months. bulb replaced by toyota dealer in 2009 at cost >$200. now, driver-side bulb experiencing same issue of intermittent function at <30k miles. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlamp failure. lights have been flickering for approximately 4 months and have finally gone out. *tr

I have 2006 prius,the driver side head light goes out and then as i am driving. it is unpredictable. if i turn the lights off and then back on, the light works again. i changed both head lights in city toyota cost $560.72 on dec.8,2008 and now may 27,2010, the passenger side headlight is not working. it only last 1-1/2 year, this is not acceptable. *tr

The first incident happened as i was driving the highway both of my headlights completely failed. the headlights would come back on after turning them off and back on. first toyota told me it was caused by a bad auxiliary battery and charged me over $200 for the battery. but that very night i had the same issue again,toyota tried to tell me that the bulbs are just burnt out. i am not an idiot, light bulbs do not burnout at the exact same time and a burntout lightbulb does not come back on. after fighting with toyota and them wanting to charge me almost $2000 to fix this issue (i have a 100,000 mile warranty) they repaired it free. now 2 years and 24,000 miles later they are going out again. i have five days left on my warranty that i had to fight to get to cover it before. it is extremely dangerous driving at night and having both your headlights go out on you! *js

I own a 2006 prius and my headlights keeps going out randomly. i took it to the dealer and it was working fine the whole time. they checked it and couldn't find any problem. the technician told me this has been an issue for lots of prius cars and told me if it stops working again, to hit it a little bit. this is safety issue and i just want to report this issue . *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. the left front hid headlight intermittently goes out. i have to turn the lights off and then back on to get the light to go back on. this seems to be a common problem after researching it online. nhtsa needs to continue the investigation it started on this matter and require a recall for this dangerous condition. *tr

The headlamp in the 2006 toyota prius worked intermittently. i am unsure of the duration of this but suspect it lasted for approximately six months before taking it to a dealer. the headlamp appeared to dim while driving but stopping and checking revealed that the headlamp was working properly. when the vehicle was turned off and immediately back on, the headlamp worked. it went out while driving and, just as suddenly, came back on. i took it to the dealer and was told that the hid needed to be replaced. because of the high labor cost to remove the bumper (approximately $300) for headlamp replacement, both lamps were replaced at a cost of about $700. i did not ask for the replaced part and the dealer did not offer it. (the trip to the dealer was delayed until all other possibilities had been explored because the cost involved.) the unsafe condition of driving with one functional headlamp and one intermittently function headlamp was necessary until the money for repairs could be obtained. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. the headlights go out intermittently. when the lights are turned off and then back on, it seems to fix the problem. took it to the dealer and they said since they were working at the time there was nothing that they would do. this is a huge safety issue. this has happened on several occasions now, going back a few months. *tr

Both headlights (hid) on a 2006 toyota prius failed 3 times last night. turning off and on the headlights ( at highway speed!!!) corrected the problem. toyota has previously sent out a letter noting the "payback of replacement hid" cost but for both to fail out of the blue is very suspicious. *tr

This happens on a 2006 toyota prius. the head lamps fail, this failure takes place every 3-4 months. this has happened 20 times since the car was purchased 2006 march. the failure does not happen simultaneously, but the driver's side lamp will fail and then the passenger side lamp will fail. it is always the low beam filament that fails. this was reported to the dealership and at 90k mile check up, the dealership was asked to check the resistance, the voltage and the amps in each circuit for each head lamp. the stated there was no problem in this area. there is another electrical issue, but is seems to be not related. the horn will sound softly when stopped with the engine electrical or gas or both running. thanks. *tr