Problems with 2006 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Toyota prius 2006 headlights intermittently shuts off. it is temporarily fixed by manually turning the headlight switch off and on but this will only last for 2 minutes before it turns off again. it started with the driver side first and now both lights are affected. *tr

Headlights intermittently turn off while driving. although several people had told me my headlight was out for several months, it seemed to be functioning when i checked it. then, once i saw that passenger side headlight was off when i was behind a shiny vehicle. i turned the lights off & then on & it immediately illuminated. i noticed from time to time that i had this problem, but it always corrected by turning off & back on. since i leave my headlights turned on all the time, i thought maybe every time i started the car i needed to turn them off & then back on. it is impossible to detect that i am having this problem unless i hit a dark patch of road or get behind a shiny vehicle at a red light. then the driver's side headlights began having the same problem. i took the car to my regular mechanic twice, but he was unable to find anything wrong. the frequency of the problem seemed to grow over time. saturday, i made an appointment with the dealership & that's where my car is today. sunday evening i googled prius & up popped 'headlights.' i was very surprised! i began to read & every story was my story. the repair can be very very very expensive. this appears to be a serious safety hazard to me, especially since the driver often has no clue of the problem. i feel fortunate that i did not cause a wreck or get a ticket because of this. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. randomly and with out warning the hid head lights on my prius turn off. this has happened at least 25 times and i have almost crashed several times. when this happens, i have to reach and turn off my lights with the switch and turn them back on. then they stay on from 2 minutes to 2 hours. this is a huge danger to public safety. there are hundreds of prius owners that have documented the exact same problem with their cars. please look at this link http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html#comment-46741. you can see all of these people are having the exact same problem. thank you. *tr

While driving my 2006 prius one head light will go out and then the other and i have no headlights. some times its the drivers side some times the passenger side and sometimes both. but on the freeway it's scary when they both go out! *tr

We purchased our 2006 prius from stafford toyota, stafford, va in aug. 2006. just short of a year, we started having a problem with the driver's side headlight that we just thought to be a loose bulb and when going down the road it would pop back on and my husband being out of town alot with his job, never took it in. then a year and a half into owning the car the light would not come back on until you recycled by turning off and back on the switch, which is un-nerving since other motorists don't have a clue as to why you are doing it. then at 43,000 miles the passenger headlamp began doing the same and by 52000k miles we had loss of both headlamps for periods of time to where the problem became to blatant. we then began looking into the problem and found online that other's were having the same problem and called corporate directly after hearing many people were took by their dealers for several hundreds of dollars, which never fixes the problem. corporate has agreed to pay for replacement, but cannot tell me my recourse after todays repair and i am afraid we have a lemon and wonder what can be done. will they also pay for a ticket that may be issued when it starts to happen again? the parts taken off were kept by the dealer, and we have faxed the replacement request for reimbursement to the corporate level for immediate reimbursement. *tr

Both of my headlight go off while i am driving from time to time, incident happening more and more frequently. *tr

There is an intermittent power loss to the headlights. this is a safety issue. the problem is random and the dealer has not been able to see the issue. while the car is running, the headlights turn off. if i turn the headlights off and then back on, they come on for a period of time. this happens with both headlights. sometimes at the same time and sometimes only one will turn off. i have researched several websites for prius owners and this problem seems to be fairly common. as you cannot pass vehicle inspection with defective headlights and you can be pulled over by the police for having lights out, this is a serious safety issue and toyota should be forced to recall this issue. i am the second owner of this vehicle and the previous owner reported to the dealer the same issues. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. while driving approximately 35 mph at night, the passenger side headlight intermittently shut off. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle has not been taken to an authorized dealer for repair. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 37,000 and current mileage was 39,000.

I have a 2006 toyota prius with 35,543 miles on it. the driver's side headlight intermittently goes off. i will be bringing it to the dealer today. *tr

Headlight failure. *tr

There is a class action suit against toyota due to intermittent headlight failure. please check this link to see if a recall should be imposed. thanks http://www.lemonlawclaims.com/toyota_prius_headlight_failure.htm. *tr

Toyota prius 2006. rt. front (passenger side) headlight goes out for no reason. after this is will not come back on, even if i switch from low to high beam. i turn the lights off and on that corrects the problem for about 3 to 15 minutes, then it goes off again. toyota said it was the bulb and replaced it at about 34,000 miles under warranty, but it did not change anything. then the next chance i had to bring it in it was out of warranty, so they will not cover. i thought it may be the igniter or transformer so i replaced that, but it still does the same thing. i see many prius' around town with their right front light out, so it seems to be quite common. i read on the internet that lots of prius people are having the same exact problem, but of course toyota denies that there is one. toyota simply charges $300. to replace the bulb, or $600 to replace the igniter, or $1,100 to replace the whole headlight assemble. replacing the bulb does not fix it, neither does the igniter, not sure about the whole assembly. the light goes off whether the car is parked or driving down the road, so vibration is not the problem. this is a huge safety hazard. toyota is producing lemons, then simply replacing the bulbs and hoping your warranty runs out. toyota is making a ton of money off of this defect at $1,100 per light assembly, and even then i am not sure the problem is being repaired. this problem seems to be more common on 2006 and 2007 models. i just drove to the airport and back (45 min each way) and my light went out probably 30 times. many owners don't seem to know that their light is out. i notice, but i still feel like i am a huge road hazard. i would repair it if i knew what the actual problem was. the toyota factory surely knows what the problem is and how to correct it, but if they bring the problem to the surface they know that they will be forced to pay for another recall, meanwhile they make a ton of profit off parts and repairs. *tr

I have an issue with the headlight (hid) on my 2006 toyota prius. i have discovered that i am not the only one. one headlight will go out, and if i turn it off and then back on it will come back on. the dealer told me i need to replace the bulb - for ~$725. the hid headlights are supposed to last the life of the car. however, the bulb is not under warranty (i have the extended super duper deluxe warranty). so i have to pay this out of pocket. now if the bulbs were regular bulbs - i would just replace them. if this was not such a common problem, i would not be complaining. the issue seems to be widespread, and thus i believe this is a manufacturing defect that should at least be covered under my warranty - if not deserving of a recall. *tr

2006 toyota prius headlight failure. complete failure of the headlight system during nighttime operation. requires emergency manual switching off and then on of light switch to reignite lights. called toyota and they did not indicate that this is a massive defect. took it to dealer and they quoted expensive, exceeding $800.00 bulb replacements. my car is a commuter car and is beyond warranty. this failure has now occurred 5 times, during evening operation at speeds between 35 and 65, requiring emergency reaction. *tr

The hid headlights on the vehicle randomly go off (both sides, but independently). toyota has replaced both headlight assemblies at different times and the control module under warranty. turning the headlights off and then back on again returns both lights to being on. this occurs at least once a week that we can notice. we are now out of warranty and toyota indicates we will have to pay for all diagnostics and repair. *tr

When driving my 2006 toyota prius before dawn, the hid headlights failed. i turned the light switch off, then back on, and the lights came back on. the security guard at my place of work had told me before that one of my headlights were out when i entered the parking lot, but when i turned the car back on, the lights were both working. this is an obvious intermittent, but serious defect. having researched this problem on the various prius chat boards on the web, this is obviously a widespread issue with the hid headlights on the 2006 prius. i would hope that no one has to be seriously injured or die before the nhtsa forces toyota to address this problem. *tr

We started having an intermittent problem with the driver's side headlight on our 2006 prius. it would go out for no apparent reason. if we turned the lights off and back on, most of the time it would come back on, but not always. we asked our dealer to check it out for a possible "short" during a regular oil change. they said that they could find nothing wrong with it. on july 11, we brought it to a different toyota dealer and got them to check it out. they said it was the bulb that needed to be replaced and charged us $427.99 to replace it!!! they had to remove the bumper to replace the bulb! i immediately got online and emailed toyota. i let them know how ridiculous it was to charge $320 for a light bulb and then build a car that had to have the bumper removed to change the light bulb! i also said that i would not assume that a light bulb is burned out if it comes on most of the time. how did they know that it was the bulb and not some wiring or other problem? just a few days later, i got a call from toyota saying they were investigating and wanted all of the details from me. then yesterday, toyota called me and told me that they were mailing me a check for the full cost of $427.99! *tr

2006 toyota prius headlight system is faulty...numerous consumers having problem with intermittent headlight operation on relatively new vehicles. this is a manufacturer fault, not an owner/operator problem. *tr

Known failure of hid headlamps on 2006 prius. the lights prematurely fail as found on priuschat.com over and over. my lights failed the same way with the passenger side light shutting off. turning off then back on the headlamps cures the problem temporarily. *tr

We have had intermittent problems with the hid headlights on our 2006 toyota prius for years. one light will just go out intermittently. usually, just turning the lights off and then back on will cause the headlight that is out to come back on. this is a well known problem with this model and has been well documented all over the internet. in july of 2008, we finally decided to fix the driver's side headlight after being stopped by police multiple times because it was out intermittently. the dealer charged us $427.99 to change one hid bulb!!! i wrote to toyota motor sales, usa to complain. a few weeks later, i received a "goodwill reimbursement" from them for the full amount of $427.99! now we have been stopped by police several times because our passenger side headlight has been going off intermittently for a while now. after being stopped by police while out of state last week, we decided to call to see if toyota was fixing this problem since there was a class action lawsuit about this very issue that toyota settled. we were told that the price to change the light bulb would now be $254.85! since this is definitely a defect that toyota knows about, why haven't they been made to recall the car and fix the problem? *tt

For many months, left (usually) or right headlight goes off while driving without warning. turning the light switch off and then back on causes the faulty light to come back on. sometimes it will stay on for hours, sometimes for less than a minute before i have to repeat the switch off/on maneuver. dealer says its the bulb ($362). how can it be the bulb if it goes back on when the switch is toggled? from what i see online this headlight problem is common with prius. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius with hid headlights. the right lamp started shutting down without warning when the car was about 18 months old and 16,000 miles. then in a few weeks, the left lamp started doing the same. through out a typical week, the right lamp shut down about once very 3 times i drove it. the left lamp would shut down about once every 5 to 6 times i drove it. both lamps could shut down in any single trip. i took it to the dealer and they would not fix it unless it failed in their shop. i said that it could sit there for a day or two before either one of them shut down. about 3 hours later, the right lamp shut down.....they fixed it no charge (it was under the normal 36/36 warranty....but said it would not be fixed under the extended warranty - which i bought for about $1000 when i bought the car). i asked about the "failing" left lamp and they said it too had to fail. i asked what if it failed the next evening (sunday).....they said that i should pull over and call them.....which was not possible as they are closed after their normal hours and do not take calls. well, the left lamp did shut down again within the week. i pulled over and took a picture of the left lamp out and the right one on. since then, the left lamp goes out nearly every time i drive the car and headlights on. this is most of the time, as i always drive with my lights on for conspicuity and safety (have done this for over 35 years in all cars that i drive). i essentially do not drive this car now until i get the left lamp fixed....and i will not pay the $460 that the dealer wants to charge. this is a design defect and a significant safety problem with these cars. toyota must take accountability and fix this problem at their cost. you cannot have a safety component/sub-system fail without warning.....on this many cars (many, many reports). i solicit nhtsa's support in forcing toyota to schedule a safety recall for these vehicles. i want all of us to drive safely. *tr

Around 40k miles headlights would shut off. first occurrence happened on major freeway at night. immediately pulled over and turned off car. when starting car back up, headlights turned on. this problem occurs at least every other day. big safety issue considering headlights can go off at night while operating vehicle. *tr

The left and right headlights sometimes go out independently of one another. other times they both go out. of course, this is not good while driving in darkness. flipping headlight switch to off and back on fixes the problem, but sometimes it's only a temporary fix and i have to do it again a few minutes later, and other times both lights remain on. for unexplained reasons, the problem is occurring more frequently now. it seems that this is not uncommon in the prius and i, myself, have seen other cars with a headlight out here in the burlington, vt area. in fact, a co-worker took his into the shop and they said it was a bad bulb. what i'm reading is that it's not the bulbs.*tr

1) intermittent failure of the headlights (hid). typically, passenger headlight will go out but now affecting driver's side headlight too. sometimes, they will start working when the lights are turned-off and then on. it has been diagnosed as both problems with the ecu and the hid bulbs. 2) intermittent electrical failure affecting ability to put the car in park. i receive a message warning me that the "p" park could not be engaged and to park it on a flat surface (which i virtually always do). some of these problems first manifested when the car was at 1,796 miles and 2 months old (documented by the dealer with a request to toyota for technical assistance) but they were uncertain as to the problem and suggested we monitor it. now, it is a frequent occurrence and a significant safety issue. it is 37 months since purchasing the car and it has 43k miles. i have an (essentially) worthless toyota, 7-year, platinum, 100k mile warranty with 0 deductible, which will only cover the ecu (cost $678.66) but i will have to pay $927.02. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlight (driver's side) fails intermittently. the light will go out intermittently, but will come back on i the switch is turned off and on again. this problem began several months ago, and is getting progressively worse (more frequent). i was advised by the dealer that i would have to leave the car with them so they can "watch it until it fails", which is impractical since i need the vehicle on a daily basis. *tr

After 3-5 minutes of running the headlights, the driver's side just turns off. i can turn the car & headlights off & when i turn them back on again, it works just fine. the dealer cannot replicate the problem. although they have seen the same complaint from another owner. they recommend replacing the hid headlights for $385 plus labor. after searching the internet, it appears this is a known problem with the pruis and toyota should cover it. i have 47k mile and an toyota expended warranty but they say it is not covered. this begin occurring for over 2 months. the light does not fail every day. *tr

Passenger headlight goes out while driving and will only work again if you turn off the headlights. *tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlight failure. started with left headlight, 2 years ownership, 1st owner, new in march 2006. left headlight flickered off, but turned back on when the lights were reset. problem became worse over time and now both headlights constantly flicker out. lights will come back on when turned off, then back on. do not remain on for long. taken to the toyota dealership twice, dealer claims no inherent issue with the lights, not covered under my extended warranty, and will cost $850 to replace. (john elway's toyota in ontario, ca). lights do not remain on and creates a hazard to driving. i have been pulled over by the california highway patrol for the burned out headlight(s). *tr

My hid headlights started burning out, one by one, before the mileage was 20,000. i was told, "probably bad lights." now that the car (2006 prius) is out of warranty, i am told that the problem (continuous headlight problems) is probably a "bad computer/controller". replacing this will cost over $900. there was no problem or mention while the car was under warranty (and i did ask them to check it, but they said it wasn't necessary). i have read about a number of people with the problem on prius chat. *tr

Headlights go out intermittently, usually when the car goes over a bump in the road. turning the headlights off and back on, usually corrects the problem until the next bump. have taken the car to two different toyota dealerships. first one said that because the car is out of warranty, toyota is not willing to cover the cost, said to be $1800.00 to replace both headlight assemblies. second toyota dealer also said that toyota would not cover the cost, said to be $850.00 to replace only the headlight bulbs. *tr

Driver hid headlamp works then does not work. you can turn off the light and back on and it will work. then sometimes behind a car or in a reflection i will see the headlamp working or not working. people on priuschat.com are mentioning this is a common problem on a 2006 prius. if this is a defect then i should not have to pay $500 or more per headlight to fix. i am going to the dealer on wednesday. *tr

My prius 2006 driver side headlight is malfunctioning. i took it to toyota dealer to check it out and they said the headlight 'leveler' sensor was defective - which i didn't replace because it was out of warranty. two weeks later (june 2008), i got in a car accident (side-swiped). it was the other driver's fault (uninsured). however, since it was dark, the police suspected the defective headlight may have caused the accident. my insurance paid for repairs ($3,000) and replaced the headlight leveler. the driver's side headlight is still malfunctioning and i was stopped by the police on 11/16/08 about my defective headlight. my car is past warranty and research on prius chat forums shows that it's a toyota defect. i'm concerned that i will get into another accident because of this http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11141&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=135. *tr

Hid drivers side headlamp turns on when switched on but after a few minutes it flickers and turns off. the headlamp must be turned off and back on to re-light the whole time the car is being driven. this defective light is clearly more dim in color as well.*tr

Since 2008 both headlights would randomly go out usually one at a time but sometimes both. by turning them off and back on would get them working again. the frequency kept increasing till 2013 when i called toyota corp. # and told them the problem. they said to have the bulbs replaced at my own expense because i was out of warranty . 142000 miles. i called toyota dealer to have this done and got a price of $550.00. wow. with a lot of research i purchased 2 headlights that were exactly the same on line for $90.00 and replaced them myself (not an easy task). at this point i'm not happy but can live with it. now for my real complaint!!! 2 weeks after the bulb replacement my lights are doing the same thing. sometimes one then the other or the real excitement when both go same time. turn them off and back on and they always come back on, maybe for a minute or two. toyota assured me before i replaced them that that would solve the problem. i was at a dealer yesterday and they had no input. to me it sure seems there is another problem other then the bulbs that toyota will not admit. we try to not drive this vehicle at night but at times we have to. i wouldn't feel right selling the vehicle either, it's not safe!!!! kinda stuck with no solution or help from toyota. any feedback would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance. *tr

Toyota prius 2006 model has issue with hid headlight sensor. *tr

Intermittent outage of 2006 prius hid headlamps. this is a continous problem and did not occur on a single day. *tr

Intermittent hid light failure on 2006 toyota prius. one side will go out and will come back on after i turn off the lights. *tr

The hid head lights on my prius burned out quickly, and very expensive and difficult to replace the bulb, and then burn out again! i am currently driving around dangerously with just one head light. *tr

The headlights on my 2006 prius will go off for no apparent reason. most of the time this involves only one headlight, but i have had both go off. if i turn off the lights and turn them back on the lights come back on. i've read several complaints on the internet on this problem. clearly a safety concern. *tr

My hid headlights will "flicker" and then one would go out. i can get the headlight back on by simply turning the lights off and back on. this problem was rarely intermittent around 25k miles and started getting worse as i approached 40k miles. i reported the issue to the toyota dealer on every visit and they could not locate any issues with the headlamps. i can't get in my car without having to shut off the hids multiple times during a very short trips and get pull over several times by the police. recently i got frustrated and took the car in the dealer and ask that they replaced the bulbs. they now acknowledge that driver side bulb is broken and that i have to pay $520 to replace it. i told them that both headlamps go out and so it must be defective or electrical issues. i have searched some owners blogs and found many users reporting this same issue. *tr

2006 prius w/hid headlights...they intermittently fail. turn the off/on knob and they come back on. started at about 30k on left side, left side failed 90% of time and @ 35k right side started failing. dealer had no knowledge of problem when discussed at 35k service. now 40k and trying to get covered under warranty. *tr

The headlight on my 2006 toyota prius (passenger side) failed just as the warranty ran out. it was an intermittent issue so it was hard to have it occur when it was in the shop. my dealer split the parts/labor with me, which i appreciated. now my driver side headlight is intermittent off/on. after reading other toyota owners complaints it appears to be a common problem. *tr

The driver's side hid headlight in my 2006 prius has been malfunctioning for nearly two years now. when i drive, the left headlamp will turn off and stop working after a short while, and if i turn the lights off and then back on again, it works again for a while. i've had it fixed twice now. the first time, it worked normally for a while, but it started failing again after a few months. the second time it was fixed, it actually worsened. at this point, i'll have to cycle my headlights every ten minutes or so. impaired vision at night due to headlight failure is a safety issue. i was told by friends in the toyota service department that it's a "known issue" with the prius equipped with high-intensity discharge (xenon) headlamps. if it's "known", why isn't it recalled? it's hazardous to drivers. *tr

Driving down the road and one headlight or the other or both go out! sometime 5 to ten times in a trip. i haven't gone to the dealer since they want 250$ just to look at it.. and from the chat room they cant figure out the problem so i don't want to waste my money. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. the contact stated that intermittently while driving the head lamps shut off. an impairment of visibility while driving increased the risk of a vehicle crash. the vehicle was taken to the dealer twice for two sets of replacement lamps. the repairs performed have not remedied the failure. the failure mileage was 25,000. the current mileage was 40,000.

Driver's side headlamp unexpectedly turns off while driving. on one occasion both headlights turned off while driving at night. turning the headlight switch off and then on again will cause the headlights to come back on. having both headlights unexpectedly turn off while driving at night is clearly a safety issue. there are hundreds of on-line complaints and posts detailing this issue. the toyota dealer says this is a common problem for 2005, 2006 prius equipped with hid headlight. toyota states that replacing the bulb and/or the hid controller (ecu) "may" fix the problem. dealer says that replacing the bulb and the ecu is ~$1,000 per side. a total of $2,000 for both sides. $2,000 to replace the headlights in a three year old car???? dealer has asked that i switch bulbs and see what happens. dealer is asking that i pay for a new headlight ecu and see if the headlight still shuts off while driving. in essence the dealer is asking that i risk my safety by experimenting with repair attempts. toyota needs to find out what wrong with the headlights on these cars, identify a fix and issue a recall before someone gets into a serious accident (did we not learn from the ford pinto?) *tr

Our 2006 toyota prius with hid headlights intermittently and suddenly turn off, mostly on the driver side, but can happen on the passenger side. it is sometimes difficult to know when a bulb goes out, so this is clearly a safety issue since oncoming traffic can misjudge my car's position with only one headlight, not to mention reduced visibility for my car. when i went to the city toyota dealership in daly city, ca near my house in 2008, i was shocked to find out the toyota parts department was charging $300 for one bulb. i read online that turning the headlights off and then on can revive the bulb, and i found this method to work, but often the bulb would then randomly turn off again. this make-shift temporary solution, plus the very high price for a bulb as well as unclear instructions from toyota whether it was the expensive electronics unit or the bulb discouraged me from doing anything. then i read that even after bulbs were replaced with oem bulbs some prius owners had recurring issues. was i going to spend $300 per bulb only to find out it didn't work? no way. i consider this issue to be a reliability and safety issue that toyota should rectify at their cost 100%. all i received in the mail from toyota was a letter saying they would reimburse me if i had performed headlight issue service with them. i am frustrated this issue is still not being officially dealt with by toyota in a responsible manner. my post to this site is in an attempt for the proper government authorities to force toyota's hand to do the right thing, and that is to face up to an obvious design/quality issue.

There are over 800 nhtsa registered complaints regarding the 2005-2008 toyota prius intermittent hid headlight defect. yet, the nhtsa has not opened an investigation. will someone or some family need to suffer through a deadly accident before an investigation is opened? *tr

Headlamp on my 2006 toyota prius sporadically goes out while driving. sometimes its own for 2 minutes, other times its own for 30 minutes. this is a safety issue. had the lamp replaced for $300 and still having the same problem. now toyota is telling me it's the computer $1100. many members of online forums are having the same issue and its determined that toyota does not know what wrong. average loss is $1500 for replacement parts and labor and the problem continues. *tr