Problems with 2006 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

We have experienced intermitment headlight issues on the driver side going off and having to pull over and turnoff headlights and turn back on to get light back on. we have complain many times to the toyota dealer. finally driver side headlight was replaced, then weeks later on the passenger headlight started doing the same i.e., headlight going off and having to turn off and turn back on light control. to this day this not resolved please advise. *tr

Headlights intermittently go off when placed in the on position. sometimes one, sometimes both. does not matter if it is low or hi beam. this problem is ongoing since incident date. toyota sent letter describing how hid bulbs reach the end of their life by intermittently going out and states that you should minimize turning them on and off which can't be prevented if they go out while you're driving. i don't accept this to be fact, i think it's an electrical problem . *tr

2006 toyota pruis option 6 problem with passenger headlight going on and off. hid's. *tr

Since around 40,000 miles i have been having intermittent headlight failures in my toyota prius. the headlights continue to flicker out, before it only happened on my driver's side headlight or my passenger's side headlight, but now it is both times. this happened randomly and there were no crashes or damages to the car involved. i have the hid headlight option installed. i brought the car to a dealership and they reported that there were no issues. they said that the problem couldn't be recreated and only offered to replace the parts but not under the warranty. the headlights continue to flicker out. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. he stated that intermittently the headlights failed. occasionally, he was able to immediately turn them back on; however, an impairment of visibility while driving increased the risk of a vehicle crash. he was advised by an authorized technician that the failure is common among his model type. the vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure nor has the vehicle been repaired. the vehicles identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage was 12000. the current mileage was 46000.

Intermittent and frequent failure of hid headlights in 2006 toyota prius. one light or the other and sometimes both will go out. turning the light switch from on to off and back on will relight the bulb but at lower brightness. frequently must do this several times as the bulb may stay on for a few minutes to 1/2 hour. toyota refuses to acknowledge design / faulty components in hid control / power module. *tr

The hid headlamps, flicker, go-out at will, sometimes its just one head light other time its both at the same time!!!! toyota has fixed it but after maybe a month it went back to do the same exact thing! this is dangerous!! and apparently happens very very often to alot of other 2006 to 2009 toyota owners. *tr

My 2006 toyota prius driver side head light goes out after driving the car for a few minutes. when i turn the switch off then on the headlight comes back on again but for only a few minutes. it happens every day, intermittently and at night it can be dangerous. it appears to be a common problem with only the 2006 prius with hid headlights and only on the drivers side. as of this date i understand from other owners that toyota does not know how to fix it. i am going to have it looked at this week. *tr

1. headlight or headlights turn off unexpectedly 2. occurs regularly on my car. other owners report this problem and say it is a $1000 repair that doesn't always work. because the headlights dim, or shutoff on their own. i will often be driving with one headlight or no headlights and not be aware of it. because they were working when i drove off. due to the dimming feature, i cannot easily tell if they are off or dimmed until someone tells me. then i turn off and on my headlights and it works for a while. 3. i am told it is a $1000 toyota repair, that is not a permanent fix. i think it occurred under warranty, but i was not aware of what i was experiencing until after warranty expired. *tr

My headlight goes out. i alerted the dealer when purchasing the car. they said it just needed replaced. they didn't tell me this was common problem, nor did they offer to correct it. i found other complaints of this problem on this website. no notification was given to consumer. *tr

Both headlights go out on a random basis while driving. this may occur 30 - 50 times in 5 mile trip.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. while driving at an unknown speed, the front headlights would shut off without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer twice and they suggested that the contact replace the headlights for $500 per piece. the current mileage was 70,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. while driving the head-lights intermittently fail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times. during the first inspection the head-lights were replaced. at the second inspection, the technician concluded that a remedy was not available to remedy the failure. the current mileage was 10,000. the failure mileage was 74000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

In sept 2006, my left headlight began to go out intermittently. it can be restored by cycling the light switch off and back on. toyota at first said that they could not duplicate the problem. the frequency increased, and finally, they (1) asked me if i had had any accidents (no), then suggested that the bulb was defective. it costs ~$1,000.00 to replace it. i didn't at the time, but eventually the sheriff caught me and i had to fix it. it was ok for a while, but now the right side lamp is also doing the same thing, and occasionally, both lamps go out at the same time. . i can't afford another $1000 light bulb. this is really getting to be a *)#*. and, it's unsafe. (i spend 5 hours a day in the commute, and eventually it's going to get me killed). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. it took several attempts to activate the head-lights. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, and the technician stated that the head-lights needed to be replaced at an expense of $700.00. no repairs were made. after the repair identical failures occurred. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. the passenger side headlight failed after the repair. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure mileage was 10,000. the current failure was 95,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

The hid headlamps of my 2006 toyota prius, simultaneously shut off. turning them off and then on again restores them. toyota's answer was to replace the bulbs as they will reportedly do this when they are on the verge of expiring. i have replaced both bulbs, and the problem was not solved, in fact it worse than ever, rendering my vehicle unsafe to operate after daylight hours. i replaced both bulbs with high quality oem bulbs, and the first time i drove the car after replacement, the lights shut off more than 10 times during a 13 mile trip. please reconsider your finding from this case: pe09019 as these cars age, more and more people are reporting both headlamps shutting off - with the only solution being turning them off/on. *tr

I own a 2006 prius and usually have to drive to work or from work before the sun comes up or after it goes down. i do not keep my headlights perpetually on while driving. at about 40,000 miles (weeks after the warranty ends) my left headlight flickers off, but i turn the light switch quickly off and on and the light works again for a while longer, then it goes off again. i take it in and the dealer says $646 to replace one, and other will need it too, so $936 for both. dealer says the bumper has to be dropped down to get to the lights, that is the biggest expense. when i drive it home right from the dealer the right headlight goes out too, with the same quick off/on to get it working again. some days i can turn it on once and drive 52 mile to work without them going off, other days one or the other cut off 5-10 times or flicker for a few minutes. many of my colleagues and friends say they drive their new expensive cars with headlights perpetually on with the same type of headlight, and have no problem or no expensive replacement costs. i fell that the shortlived headlamp is a product defect and bizarre process to drop the bumper to replace the headlight is a manufacturers defect. *tr

The headlights on the car have an intermittent failure problem - they go "off" at random times when you are driving. *tr

On 8/16/06 i was driving to work in the morning and after about 15 minutes on the road i got a warning sound and light (triangle) on my dash and a headlight leveling indicator on the monitor. i had 61,000 miles (of course 1,000 miles over my extended warranty). i called the dealer to make sure this was not a problem and that i could get it looked at on my next visit in early sept. they indicated it should be ok so i did. after diagnostics it turns out the auto headlight level had shorted out (not sure what that means) and it was going to cost about $650 to replace. i had to replace to get a safety inspection and this warning also impacted other automated checkout features with the system. this could be luck of the draw but i did some web checking and several folks have had this kind of problem so i am wondering if this is documented and hopefully in line for a recall. *nm

While driving the right passenger side headlight flickers on and off and then turns off completely a few minutes after starting the vehicle. this occurs every time the vehicle is driven.

Failure of hid headlights. starting at about 15,000 miles my driver side headlight starting going out on occasion, i figured out i could turn the headlights off and on and it would reset. other toyota vehicles that are equipped with hid's all have on auto sensors on the headlights so one can't turn them off, not so on the prius. i find that interesting, because if one can turn the lights off and on, one would be able to "easily" and quickly remedy the situation of not having headlights. seems to me that toyota knew about this problem before the car was even in the market. the problem got increasingly worse over the next 3000 miles, at times my passenger side would go out at the same time leaving me with no headlights, that's both dangerous for me and other motorists. i was going on a night drive from st cloud minnesota through montana in winter so i went to the dealership in st cloud mn to fix it. they told me since the light/s wasn't out at the time they couldn't do anything. i had to drive i-94 in the snow, wind, and ice with my headlights going out! i got back after the trip without the headlight on for about 50 miles just to show the dealership. after a lot of noise at the dealership they agreed to pay for the "repairs" (over $400). but since the problem didn't appear with the passenger side light they couldn't fix that. when i went back the dealership after i got pulled over for not have headlights they informed me that my manufactures original warranty was up i would have to pay the $450 it was going to cost, and my extended platinum coverage would not cover it either. the "fix" on the drivers side only lasted to about 28,000 miles which was about 5,000 miles after the "fix". ever since then i have been driving with or without headlights (it's hard to tell at night in a city!) there is so many reasons why this defect is against the federal motor vehicle safety standard that a recall should be issued immediately! *tr

My toyota 2006 prius has intermittent headlight failures. the dealership claims to be unaware of the problem and has changed the bulbs, but the problem continues. i have taken it to the dealer about 9 times and they continue to tell me it is bulbs despite bulb and entire headlamp assembly replacement. i continue to be pulled over by the police as a result. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius. the headlights have been shutting off, sometimes seconds after turning them on. sometimes the drivers headlight and others the passengers headlight. i've even been pulled over by an officer , told him about the ongoing issue with trying to get toyota to own up to it, and was told that he had run across this before. he let me go without as much as a warning. this problem is all over the internet. toyota refuses to take responsibility. help. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2006 toyota pruis headlight failure. on going problem with one of the head lights spontaneously turning off. taken to dealer and they said it was a bulb issue. bulb replaced for approx $200 but it did not resolve the issue. when one of the bulbs does burn out there is a real probability that there will be no headlights. this is not right and needs to be addressed and corrected by toyota. *tr

I own a 2006 toyota prius with high intensity discharge headlights. both headlights go dim and then go out while driving independent of each other. many times both will go out one right after the other. they do this often, but on a random basis. when the switch is turned off then on the come back on for a short period. the toyota dealerships i have taken the car to say they think it is the bulbs, however they can not guaranty it. they also tell me that toyota has a long back order on the bulbs. in reading a few hybrid web sites and blogs, i have read numerous other owners complaining about the exact same problem. when driving down a dark highway it is very dangerous to all of a sudden have no headlights on a car and then to be told that it will be over $750 to "maybe" fix the problem. the problem started with one light a few years ago and was sufficiently intermittent that after the $750 estimate i decided i could live with it. now it happens often and to both lights. *tr

Hid headlights on 2006 prius keep failing. first failure at about 14k miles; two failures between 20k and 30k miles. total of five hid failures: 2 for passenger side light; 3 for driver's side light. failures are intermittent, often while driving. hitting hid lamp lightly often restores light. initially bulbs were replaces (twice). subsequently, the entire unit (including computer board) were replaced. bulbs should last life of car-- neither original hid light lasted the first year. *tr

2006 toyota prius one or both headlights turn off suddenly while driving. *tr

Hid driver side headlight fails intermittently. first noticed spring 2007, at about 20,000 miles; occurred rarely, about once every two - four weeks. now is a regular event. headlight goes out almost every trip. after turning the headlights off and on again, driver side headlight restarts and is less likely to fail again. both high and low beams are affected. i see a lot of prius vehicles with a headlight out. i am concerned about having the other headlight joining this behavior. *tr

Intermittent functioning of driver's side headlight on 2006 prius after 37,000 miles. dealer/service says it needs to be replaced and will cost $420 for the one light. i expect that the other will follow suit and i'll be out another $420 soon. this is a ridiculous amount to have to pay for a headlight, and not getting it fixed is, obviously, illegal and a safety hazard. since it is near impossible to replace oneself, they seem to have "cornered the market" and can thus charge whatever they like. *tr

My front headlight does not always work reliably. it will stop working sometimes when i am driving, but may return to normal operation when i power off the car. when i tried to get this repaired, the technician could not find anything wrong. after researching on the discussion boards, i have learned that there are many other prius drivers that have this same problem. the car is only 2 years old. i believe that there is a design issue with the headlight drive electronics. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota prius with hid headlight system that constantly goes out. i am without headlights until i turn off the unit and turn them back on, this only last for a little while and i have to repeat the process. i have brought the car to toyota dealer numerous times to have them fix the issue and they return the car to me without trying to resolve the problem. it is a very dangerous incident that can possibly cause and accident or serious injury. 1. normal driving, nothing out of the ordinary leads to the lights going out. 2. 10 minute drive... occurs atleast half the driving time. 3. taken to toyota dealership 3 times to investigate and repair with no resolution.*tr

2006 toyota prius hid headlamps turn off while driving. this occurs all of the time; first one headlight goes out, then the second one... in order to remedy for short time you need to turn off headlight and turn back on. toyota denies any wrong doing and it will cost $1000 to fix which is not fair as i have brought the car in numerous times to be repaired and nothing was done to it. very dangerous for those that cannot tell if their headlamps goes out. accidents. *tr

The driver's side headlight (hid) goes out while driving every time we drive the car. turning the switch on and off restarts the bulb but only for a minute or two. we have been stopped by police twice but so far have only received warnings. the car has 40,000 miles and is not covered by the warranty and we did not purchase the extended warranty, the bulbs cost about $409 to replace because the bulb costs $316 or so. we have chosen not to incur this expense and are unable to drive the car at night. i currently have a case number with toyota experience and they are researching the problem. priuschat.com has a lengthy thread on "headlight problem." after reading a toyota tsb (see below) i wonder if my 2006 prius, (accepted delivery 1-1-2006) contained 2004 or 2005 bulbs. a toyota technical service bulletin t-sb-0030-08 rev1 april 11, 2008 states the following on the bottom of the second page. note: the hid bulb and hid ecu service parts for 2004 - 2005 model year are not compatible with 2006 and later model year vehicles. installing a 2004 or 2005 model year hid bulb or hid ecu on a 2006 or later model year vehicle may cause an intermittent operation/flickering of the hid bulb. *tr

I owe a 06 toyota prius both of my headlight keep turning off .....if i turn my switch on and off they work but then it'll do it again