Problems with 2006 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

For the past several months the headlights on my 2006 toyota prius intermittently go out while driving. this occurs randomly, sometimes four or five times a day four days out of the week. although it may be more often as i don't notice it in the daylight hours. they only come back on when they are turned completely off and then back on which is not very safe when you're driving on the highway in traffic. now they've started "flickering", too. i went to the dealership the first week of december 2008 to have the problem fixed,but was informed by the service advisor the i need to return when i could leave the vehicle ( with the holidays was not able to return in dec.) the problem continued and on the latest visit to the dealer 1/12/2009, i was informed by the dealership that they could not fix the problem because they thought it was a "contact problem "and that after the vehicle warmed up the problem would stop. after disagreeing with the service advisor i was told they would contact toyota to see if this was a problem they had encountered before. toyota's solution was to replace the light bulbs at a cost of approximately $600.00 but this was not guaranteed to fix the problem. this "fix" was refused due to the lack of assurance that it would fix the problem. after doing a small amount of research on the internet i found there appears to be a widespread problem with headlights on the toyota prius. there appears to be a bigger problem that the local dealer is willing to discuss. *tr

Hid headlamp(s) failure of my 2006 prius. one (1) lamp can be intermittent (off & on) without driver being aware of it, but when both of them go out you are immediately in the dark and that's what happened to me. total outage only happened one (1) time, then the dealer replaced the bulbs. the car had 45,000 miles on it at the time. *tr

Like all the other notices from 2006 toyota prius owners, between 55,000 and 60,000 miles, the headlights of my 2006 toyota prius began an intermittent turn off while driving. the headlights came back on after turning the lights on and off quickly (a safety issue in itself!). started with the drive side light, then the passenger side began, which made me fearful of losing my headlights totally while driving. was told that the "balast/computer" overheats & shuts down. good solution to prevent a fire, i guess, but not good for driving safety. replacement quote was $600 each -- dealer did give me a 15% discount, so ended up costing $510 each ($1,020.00 total!). called toyota of america and they are investigating, but, based upon all of these complaints and my own experience, this is a real safety issue and needs to be corrected by toyota. i love my prius recommend it to everyone, but toyota really needs to address this now. *tr

Headlights go off at random times mostly the right (passenger) side but it has happened on the driver side also. when this happens i have discovered that they come back on if i turn off the lights and then back on. after driving for a short time they start going off again or sometimes it will stay on until i don't need them. the next time i use the headlights they work fine for a few minutes and then it starts all over again. of course it's night when the headlights are used and with one of the other of the lights out this causes a visibility problem and can't see the road clearly. i have received a warning/equipment repair order from my local police and the dealer can't find a problem. the dealer has checked them a couple of times and can not find any problem. *tr

I have a 2006 prius with hid headlights. a little over a year ago i noticed that one or sometimes both headlights would go out intermittently. we live on a street without streetlamps and i had some scary moments several times when both lights went out. when i told my dealer about it, they said they could do nothing as the lights were working when they examined them. finally, i got a letter from toyota (attached), which said they would lower the replacement price of the headlights (but not warning of the problems i had been having). i had my dealer repair the lights at a cost of $559.25. the dealer told me that if i complained to toyota, they would reimburse me. a case manager at toyota said they would pay for the parts (about $300). i have now read of hundreds of other people with my model car who have had identical problems. i feel that toyota should issue a recall for a dangerous problem like this, or at least notify the dealers so when owners complain of the problem it is repaired under warranty. *tr

I am filing a complaint regarding my 2006 toyota prius with regard to the headlights. i am experiencing the headlights turning off unexpectedly while driving at night. i have approximately 50,000 miles on the vehicle. i was told at the toyota dealership in anaheim, california that it would cost me almost $500.00 to replace the headlamps but have since read that this is an ongoing problem with other prius owners with approximately the same model year and mileage. i feel that this should be the responsibility of toyota to recall this problem and have it fixed. *tr

Head light on driver side- intermittent operation. headlight would go off during driving, come back on later. occasionally both headlights would go off. took car to toyota dealer for replacement of driverside light. they found nothing wrong with car/wiring passengerside headlight. with new driverside headlight car worked fine for 8 months. then driverside headlight started with above problem. old headlight is still available. *tr

Prius 2006 with headlamp problems that appears to be electrical and not just the bulbs. one headlight will go out then if i switch off the lights both will come on. it is not always the same light that goes out. when i turn on my lights it draws on the brightness of the dash lights and they dim. i will be driving with lights on and all the lights will go off until i switch the lights on once again. the dealer has informed me this is the led headlights which are 400 ea. and $90. installation. this is outrageous and i know it is not just the lamps therefore they will then proceed to charge me for what ever else they think it might be such as the computer system. this should be under warranty. i paid the extra money for an extended warranty and they tell me this is not covered. i have been driving with this problem as i can not afford to fix the problem and do not trust the dealer to continue to charge me for this issue. after reading the chat rooms with other individuals with similar problems, this is a defect and needs to be recalled. they have been reporting this problem since 2004 or 2005. why has this not been addressed. *tr

My headlights go out for no reason. while i'm driving, one headlight will go out. i will turn them off and back on and they are working again. sometimes they work all day, sometimes they don't. sometimes it's the drivers side and sometimes it's the passenger side. the dealer tells me the headlight assemblies have to be replaced at a cost of around $1000.00!! much more if the circuit board is replaced. *tr

When driving at night one, and many times both, headlights have gone out. if i turn them off and then back on they work again so it is not the bulb. this has happened on back rural roads where i live and on the freeway. it is very disturbing and dangerous to all of a sudden driving in the dark. it has happened at least once a week for the past 6 months. *tr

The headlights intermittently go out. they go back on when you turn them on and off a few times. it seems to be totally random. i was pulled over by the police last night because the light was out, but it went on when i turned the switch on and off so the policeman did not ticket me. the dealer is looking to charge me $450 to replace the headlight. *tr

a year ago, my 2006 toyota prius' right headlamp would go out intermittently. toyota replaced the bulb and bulb computer at a cost of just under $1000.00. that time was covered under warranty. i had approx. 30k miles on the car. now, in feb. 2008, i'm having the same problem with the left headlamp. since there is no longer warranty coverage, i complained to toyota headquarters. they admitted that the older bulbs were no good and agreed to replace the bulb but not pay for the labor. since this is a safety issue, i have no choice but to pay the $280.00 labor cost. there is now 45k miles on the car. *tr

Headlights intermittently go out on both the passenger and driver side of my 2006 prius. problem was identified by dealership as manufacturer defect. dealership removed and replaced headlights and computers. the total cost for the repair by frontier toyota was $1,323.86. i requested 100% reimbursement with toyota. toyota agreed to pay for parts only. toyota is aware that this is a common issue with the prius but does not take responsibility that this safety issue is a manufacturer defect. the safety issue and cost is exorbitant. *tr

I have a toyota prius 2006. its headlight bulbs are not working. lights go on and off. sometimes we don't even know if they are off and other drivers blink us on the road to warn. toyota dealership is telling us that we need new headlight bulbs. i have extended warranty through toyota. toyota denied coverage from my bulb replacement. this problem has been reported by many prius owners. toyota needs to recall the defective bulbs and take responsibility for this defective part. this is a dangerous neglect by toyota and can result in serious injuries and damages to its customers. *tr

The hid headlights on my 2006 toyota prius intermittently fail, but will re-start if i turn off, then on, the switch. this has happened at night, which is an extremely dangerous situation. toyota does have a tsb out on this issue, and did replace both bulbs under warranty at 30k miles, but frequently this does not resolve the problem, according to complaints on mycarstats. *tr

Hid left headlamp blinking went to dealer they replaced 300.00 bulb, had to fight for warranty (25,000 miles). the very next night the right side went out. got a warning from the police. they replaced that one under warranty. now at 46,000 they are doing it again. 600.00 plus labor! out of warranty now. also the self leveling feature points the lights all over the place. these things are a safety hazard. *tr

Front left headlight stopped working at night on a 2006 toyota prius. it never worked again. this is a safety issue. i understand this is a common problem on the 2006 prius. have to have it replaced at a cost of $325 at dealership! there should be a recall. *tr

Purchased 2006 prius in jan 09 immediately had the driver side headlamp go out and then fix itself. this has been a continuing problem of flickering since i have been driving it for a year. at night this is scary especially on mountain roads where there is no light from street lights. i am no longer driving in the rain or at night until toyota addresses this problem. dealer wants $489.38 to replace them both will not replace one alone. the news has reported that thousands have a complaint with toyota about this problem but toyota will not address this issue eventhough i believe it is a safety issue and i have an extended warranty which does not cover this even though it is bumper to bumper warranty. the cost of $489.38 is way too high for a car that only has 32,397 miles on it and much to expensive for a senior citizen who is on a limited income. *tr

I have 2006 prius. the passenger side headlight is intermittent. i have noticed this for about 2 months now. it has 35,000 miles. have been reading this is quite common in 2006 prius yet toyota has not offered recall. obviously driving with a headlight out is not only a safety issue but a legal issue as well. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. for the last 6 months the driver side front headlight intermittently goes out. if we shut off our headlights and then back on, it will re-light for an indeterminate amount of time and then the problem repeats itself. i've been stopped twice by the police and given warnings. i'be taken it to the dealership three times now to have it fixed. the first time, they said they couldn't find anything wrong. the second time, they could make it happen, but by banging the front of the hood could get the headlight to illuminate, and suggested i just live with the issue, as replacing the headlight would be "expensive" (no amount mentioned). today i brought the car in for its regular maintenance work, as the light on the dashboard suggested it was time. the dealership is ira toyota of manchester nh 03101. their # is: 603-624-1800. my complaint is that when they changed the bulb they charged $157.82 for the lightbulb and another $180 for labor to replace it. i've never heard of such costs to replace a headlight. i went on the www tonight to see if my situation was unusual and found that many consumers are having this same issue with their 2006 prius. it was recommended that we file a complaint with you....here i am. the website with the information regarding this common incident is: www.hybridcars.com/forum/replacing-headlight-bulb--t910 please look into this. thank you.

Toyota 2006 prius hid headlight. hid headlight works intermittently. it comes when lights are turned on then goes out suddenly. turns lights off and on cause the light to burn again. as time goes by have to do this more frequently. the left light problem was solved by replacing the bulb (expensive). now the right light is beginning to have the same problem. i looked on the internet and see that many other people experiencing the same problem. one person is experiencing it with their second set of bulbs. i feel toyota has an issue as the bulbs should last 10 years. *tr

2006 prius headlight problems. headlights go out intermittently. if you flip the lights off and back on, the lights are temporarily restored. both headlight do the same thing. lights flicker then go out; some time both at the same time. *tr

2006 toyota prius. beginning at approximately 45,000 miles right front hid headlight would go out without notice. by turning off the headlights and turning back on, it the headlight would relight. started intermittently, then constantly until replacement 11/3/09 ($200). one week later, the left front headlight began doing the same thing. i drive on dark, rural roads with deer and other wildlife. this defect is extremely dangerous. have read news reports about hundreds of complaints about this problem. *tr

I purchased a used 2006 prius with 16,000 miles. i now have 44,000 miles and i began to notice my hid headlights dimming, first one then the other. it has now progressed to the where they turn off completely. toyota does not seem to have a sure way of diagnosing the problem, leading to upwards of $2,600.00 to troubleshoot. this is a ridiculous amount to pay for headlights and seems, according to the chats, to be a pervasive problem. this now occurs ever time i turn on the lights. within 15 minutes they go out. if i turn the light switch on and off they come back on for a bit, then go out again. *tr

2006 toyota prius driver side headlight flickers and goes off. it restarts if i turn on and off the headlights. *tr

I have been having problems with my headlights going out for several years now. this is the same problem described by other drivers when the lights go out and can be reset by turning them off and back on again. for the first few years, the only bulb to go out was the right side. the bulb appears to have no bearing on the problem. i have put in new bulbs and had the same problem. i even tried switching the non-working bulb with the one that was working on the left side. the left side worked fine like this and the right side continued to fail. now, several years later, the left side appears to be failing also. even though i have gotten other recall notices, toyota never notified me of a settlement in this case. and, by the time that i found out about it, the settlement had expired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius which was purchased in december 2008. when the headlights were turned on, the left headlight became dim and shut off within 30 seconds. the headlights remained on after they were turned on and off continuously; however, they would shut off again. the previous owner replaced the headlight assembly at 43,000 miles. the contact is aware of the safety risk while driving at night without headlights. the dealer quoted that the repair would cost $560 to replace the entire headlight assembly again. the current and failure mileages were approximately 82,500.

In 2006 i purchased a 2006 toyota prius package 6 which includes hid (high intensity discharge) headlamps. starting approx. 1 year ago, i noticed a headlamp out while i was driving. when i took it to the dealer i was told it would cost $400+ to repair 1 headlamp. after doing some research on the internet, i found many complaints about prius hid headlamps. i also found out that if you turn the light switch off and then on, they would work again temporarily, so i decided to tolerate a headlamp that is periodically out and would work again if i turned the switch off and on. sometimes the driver side light would be out and sometimes the passenger side light would be out. approx. 6 months ago, i discovered that both headlamps would be periodically out while i'm driving, a real safety problem. i stopped driving at night. approx. 2 weeks ago, i received a letter from toyota that they recognize the problem and will discount the headlamp bulbs from $300 each to $150 each plus labor. even $150 is totally outrageous but i needed to drive that vehicle at night so i had both lights replaced for a total of $504.87. there should have been a recall from toyota and they should fix that safety problem for free. *tr

My 2006 toyota prius with hid lights has a serious safety issue in that at any point while i am driving, one or both of the headlights will flicker, dim, and eventually turn off. the only way that i can get the headlights back on is to turn the headlight switch all the way off, then turn it back on again, causing my car to be without headlights for at least two seconds each time i must do this. at times, it is difficult to notice that one light has gone out, and on multiple occasions, i have found myself driving without any headlights as they have both turned off due to this electrical/bulb failure. i am very afraid of driving at night, as at least one headlight, if not both, will turn off about every thirty seconds. it is very dangerous for the headlights to turn off without any warning. i have contacted toyota and they claim that bulbs are not covered under warranty, so they will not pay to fix the problem. the dealership has quoted me at $1,500 to replace the bulbs and computer ecu unit, which is an exorbitant amount to pay for something that is clearly defective and very dangerous. *tr

Passenger side hid headlight goes out every 3-4 months. at first it is intermittent, and difficult to say when failure occurs. over time the period for failure gets shorter. dealer says it is my problem. cost of continual repair is over $300. per light. also, fuel gauge say add fuel when tank partially empty. *tr

I am having the issue reported in nhtsa action number: pe09019. issue with 2006 toyota prius exterior lighting: headlights. sometimes one of my headlights is off or is dim/flickering. turning the headlights off and back on fixes the problem most of the time. i rarely use my high beams, but around christmas 2008 i was using my high beams and was either turning them off or on and all my headlights went out. i also had my fog lamps on and can't recall if they went out as well. turning the headlights off and on brought back the headlights. i've had this issue with the headlights on and off since that time. *tr

Both headlights on my 2006 prius go off intermittently. when i turn the headlight switch on and off they come back on (until they fail again). this has been happening for over 6 months but was infrequent at first. now the failures occur almost every time i drive the vehicle. i understand that many prius owners have the same problem. some have been charged as much as $500 per headlight to repair. this is not an ordinary issue of replacing worn out parts but is clearly a safety related engineering defect. i am trying to get toyota to repair this without charge - but from what i know there should have been a recall to fix this problem. *tr

On my 2006 toyota prius left headlight intermittently keeps going out. when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. *tr

No injuries yet, but with headlights continuing to go out, it is only a matter of time. i just hope it isn't me or my kids. http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html. *tr

2006 toyota prius package 6. hid left headlight intermittent failure. will turn back on if you cycle on/off switch. car has 57,000 miles. problem may have been occurring much sooner. hard to tell unless looking at headlight reflection in car ahead of you. several priuschat.com members have reported same problem. difficulty getting dealer to solve or cover repair. *tr

Headlight/electrical problem. one headlight out intermittently starting in mid-november. both headlights went out on 12/27/2008. we pulled over and turned the lights off and when we turned them back on both re-lit. on 1/2/2009 we were pulled over by police and given a verbal safety warning that one headlight was out. later that evening, after stopping the car for a short time both lights came back on. on 1/5/2009, we took the car to the dealer with the left light out. when they started the car the next day they found both lights to be working. they inspected all connections then found that the right light was out. they said it would cost $250 to replace the bulb. we contacted toyota and on 1/7/09 they offered to replace the right bulb for free. i drove home before my wife and as she arrived home i saw one light out. unfortunately, by the time i got out to the car, my wife had shut it off and i could not recall which one was out. when we restarted the car, both lights came on. *tr

2006 toyota prius front driver side hid headlight turns off. if i turn the lights off and then back on, the headlight comes back on and functions perfectly. this happens at random occasions (day, night, smooth roads, dry, wet conditions), checked connection and all connections are fine. *tr

Intermittent bilateral headlight failure of 2006 toyota prius. the car has less than 30,000 miles on it. when lights are turned off and on quickly the failing light will come back on again. however, this has only proved to be a temporary solution since both headlights will randomly turn off again at a later time. *tr

My wife almost hit a trio of pedestrians who were walking in the road, and who were very poorly lit by the 2006 prius headlights. these headlights (low beams) are always extremely dim and in my opinion are unsafe to drive with at night. high beams seem to light the road adequately. this problem is not caused by intermittent operation of the headlights (a problem we've also dealt with), but is caused by the fact that the headlights do not provide adequate illumination of the road. we also drive a 2005 acura tl and a 2004 toyota sienna and both of these vehicles provide good illumination of the road at night. a vehicle driving behind our 2006 prius will often cast a shadow of our car in the area in front of the car, in the area that's supposed to be illuminated by the headlights. i'm surprised that there's no recall on this vehicle and that toyota hasn't rectified this problem, which in my opinion makes the vehicle extremely unsafe to drive at night. *tr

Our 2006 toyota prius (60,000 miles) has a defective front head light which flickers and goes out until i turn the light switch on and off, which then keeps it on for a short time. repair cost has been estimated at $1000.00. i have been told that this is a common problem, but toyota has not recalled their prius yet. they do not warranty the replacement part. this can cause an extreme hazard to driving on un-lit roads. the bulb on the passenger side flickers and goes out within minutes or will stay on 15 minutes or so. as of this point i have been unable to afford the cost to replace bulb. *tr

2006 toyota prius headlamp goes out intermittently, turning lights off then back on temporarily fixes problem. since problem is intermittent it is impossible to know if front lights are working. *tr

Drivers side headlight goes out after being on 1st. after the headlights are on, the left(drivers side) headlight simply goes off. if i turn the headlights off again, they both come back on, and then again, the drivers side headlight goes back off. prior to this issue, both headlights would go off, i would turn both headlights off, back on and they'd be fine for a little while, and the cycle of off and on, on and off would continue! *tr

Standard headlight failure in a 2006 toyota prius. i've replaced 4 sets of bulbs since december 2008. the bulbs fail in normal operation, typically the low beam fails first, then the high beam. generally both bulbs fail within a few hours of each other. i've had he car to the dealer twice for this problem. the first time, they could find no problem. the second time - today - they say the sylvania silverstar bulbs i've been using aren't toyota parts so that's the problem, not the car. i was convinced this is defect in the vehicle that the dealer just can't be bothered to identify, but after a brief google search i found that i am not alone. most complaints involve hid systems, but there are numerous posted complaints involving the standard headlight system installed on my car. this is a serious safety defect and it will lead to serious injury and/or death if it is not investigated and corrected quickly. please intervene on my behalf and on the behalf of all the other prius owners who are getting no support from toyota in resolving this defect. *tr

Driving at night, the passenger side headlight sometimes goes out, sometimes works. i would say it works 25% of the time. this results in limited visibility when driving at night. at this point, nothing has been done to correct the failure because the headlights are very expensive and so far there has never been a total loss of visibility. *tr

Nhtsa pe09019 - 2006 prius, have had 1 passenger and three driver's side hid bulbs fail within 6 months. *tr

Hid bulb intermittently shuts off in my 2006 toyota prius. toyota wants to replace bulb ($162.50 each). however, according to the blogs, this is a recurring problem with prius's and may be a "controller" problem, not a bulb issue. *tr

The front hid headlights on my 2006 prius periodically go off, with no explanation -- both the right and left side have failed on occasion, but never at the same time. if i turn the lights off and then back on again, the light comes back on. this has been occurring over a number of months, so today i had it analyzed and was told the hid computer for each of the lights is ok, but the light bulbs themselves needed to be replaced, which i did at a cost of over $200 per bulb. i was told at the dealer that they've had numerous complaints about this, but were not aware of any factory authorized repair of said problem. after reading an internet blog on this issue, and hearing of numerous identical complaints, i'm convinced toyota ought to be held accountable for this serious and potentially dangerous problem. *tr

I was stopped in 2006 prius by state trooper for headlight out on passenger side. local dealer told me new hid lamps will cost $350 without installation. i ordered them and then found out that the lamps should last at least 10 years and that the problem affects most prius cars with hid headlights from 20,000 to around 50,000 miles and that toyota is well aware of the problem but has not issued a defect recall to date. the failure appears to be random and the lamps will re-start when switched off and back on again. since the lamps extinguish randomly, there is the possibility of both failing simultaneously with serious safety issues. *tr

2006 toyota prius. passenger light (both low and high beams) intermittently goes out. turning car off and back on often brings light back on. toyota dealer has had other complaints and recommends replacing headlight (one headlight is nearly $400, with labor it is nearly $500). i've always been told to replace headlights in pairs which makes that $1000 repair when clearly the headlights are failing widely and i suspect prematurely. this is widely reported in priuschat and other internet user groups and no one has identified the root cause. surely there aren't *this* many bad bulbs. if it is a computer problem it could lead to other failures. this is a safety issue! toyota needs to investigate the cause and offer a recall solution. it appears that complaints through this website are increasingly frequent. thanks! *tr

Our 2006 toyota prius has a headlight that will randomly turn off while driving. it is very difficult to tell when a headlight turns off. if we do realize that the headlight has turned off, we can turn both headlights off while driving and then turn them back on. this "resets" the lights and they both come back on. living in the country where roads are very windy and illuminated streets are uncommon, this is a serious safety issue. the dealer claims they are bad bulbs; however, the hid bulbs should last 8-10 years. our bulb has lasted only 2.5 years. to replace the bulb it costs over $500, which is ridiculous. there are obvious safety problems with bulbs randomly going out while driving. based upon discussions with other prius owners, this is a common problem. other have been charged upwards of $1800 to change both headlamps on cars under 50k miles. something should be done to make toyota recognize this significant safety risk. *tr