Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger (right) headlight not working. it could be "turned on" by switching light switch off, then on. this has happened multiple times. bright lights would not turn on, even with turning switch off, then on. low beams did work and failed light on passenger side turned back on. took car to dealership. passenger bulb went out during inspection and high beams were both working. both headlights replaced with a cost of $500! this is the second time the lights had to be replaced. the last time was in 2009.

The driver's side headlight has an issue where it will go out. generally, it will stay out unless you turn off the lights and then turn them back on. engaging high beams does not fix the issue. it occurs anywhere from 2-3 times in the course of a 15 minute period if i am on top of turning them off then back on right as it goes out. the bulb has been replaced before and it has not fixed the problem. this issue has been going on for longer than the stated date above, but the date above is the point at which i have owned the car. several mechanics and even the dealers have been unable to diagnose the exact problem causing it. i still have no solution to my issue. *tr

Headlights sometimes go out or fail to stay lite---turning them off and back on seems to correct issue for my 2007 prius,so far. there is a service notice issued but we need a required recall to make dealers correct issue for free. *tr

The plastic weld process or other type of gluing process used to make the vehicles exterior front and rear turn signal, brake and back up light lense assemblies or housings fails. all four, two front and two rear, exterior combination light lense assemblies suffer this premature and serious failure. when these exterior lenses begin to fail they allow water intrusion from the exterior of the vehicle. this allows moisture to penetrate into areas of the lense assembly which support all of the light bulbs used to warn or signal other drivers or pedestrians. at a very minimum this problem results in premature bulb failure for all of the signaling systems specified above. researching your site this problem has been reported to you many times and toyota motor corp. is also aware of this problem. what you don't seem to be aware of is the most serious concern resulting from this problem; if the right (passenger side) rear lense suffers this problem and begins leaking, the water runs or drains directly into the interior 12vdc starter battery well. this battery well is as deep, or deeper than the factory installed 12vdc starter battery is tall and can result in water overtopping the battery. this causes shorting/grounding across the positive/negative 12vdc starter battery terminals. this prevents the operator from starting the vehicle and cuts off power to all 12vdc electrical systems including emergency flashers. it could easily result in serious damage to the 12vdc starter battery and many expensive 12vdc electronic components or systems. this problem is more serious in areas that receive high amounts of rainfall. i called a toyota authorized dealership, lum's auto center, and reported my car wouldn't start. they suggested i bring it in. after 4 days they were unable to find the problem. no diagnostic codes were logged. this is a serious problem needing immediate attention! *tr

Both headlights went out without warning. this has recurred numerous times since then, also with taillights. i've been pulled over 4 times by police for lights out. next day, they're fine, or a different light is out.very dangerous and scary, as we live in a rural area with windy roads and no street lights. *tr

The drivers side headlight goes out for no apparent reason. the headlight will come back on if you shut off the lights and turn them back on. this is dangerous and a known problem by the manufacturer and nothing is being done to fix it. *tr

The right front head lamp goes off out after 10-15 minutes of being on. once i turn the car off and allow it to rest it will begin to work again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, both head lights failed. the contact was able to turn the lights back on once activated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the headlights needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights became inoperable intermittently. the contact stated that after turning the headlight switch off and back on, the headlights functioned normally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the headlights would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000. *tr

Was driving approximately 10:30 at night on 01/14/12. pulled up to a stop light, gentleman next to me informed me my headlights were off; however were turned on per inside panel. in previous reports, i had been told that one head light was off, never both. it appears that if a bump or dip in the road is hit the headlights go off/on. i commute 2 hours daily (mon-fri). there is a rural area that i drive with no street lights. no headlights would be very dangerous. *tr

My headlights keep going out. both headlights will go out at once. i've replaced the bulbs which did not change anything. i also contacted toyota multiple times, all incidents ending up in them telling me they would do nothing about the issue, it's not a recall and will not be a recall and it's my responsibility to take care of. even after i pointed out the multiple articles i read of toyota reimbursing and extending the warranties for this issue. along with the class action lawsuit. i've long extended the warranty because i bought the car used. it had over 30,000 miles on it when i bought it. the toyota dealership is even less of a help! going down a dark highway at 65 mph and both headlights going out is insane. not to mention being pulled over multiple times for the headlight(s) being out. this is one of the worst safety hazards a car can have and should recalled and every prius owner should have this issue taken care of! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the headlights failed. the contact was able to turn the lights back on. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 46,000. *tr

In the beginning we would be driving down the road the left headlight would go out then the right side starting going out. if we turned them off and right back on the would come on and sometimes stay on and sometimes not. then occasionally the y will both go out at the same time leaving totally in the dark. we replaced the bulbs and that helped for a while but they started again. i then replaced the ballasts. that did no good. this is not only annoying but a big safety hazard. *tr

While driving to the store one evening, the headlights suddenly flickered and went out. i turned the light switch off and on then they went back on. ever since this the lights(driver side) go off and usually come back on after turning the light switch on and off. no resolution to this after contacting toyota since i appear to not be under warranty. *tr

Lights go out randomly while driving. dangerous, inconvenient, and illegal. *tr

Left headlight comes on for a few minutes then goes to. i have replaced the bulb and ballast and light still not functioning properly. i bought extended warranty with car but w/ 100 dollar deductible but they say headlight isn't covered.[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

When i turned my car on to go home my dash lights did not work or backup cam or seat belt alarm nothing was showing i could not tell if i was going forward or backwards etc i parked it turned off 2 times then 5 mins later it can back on automatically fixxx this. *tr

The headlight was on, then turned off after a few minutes. took the car to a local shop (dealer price is way too high), replaced the bulb and board, problem persists. search internet, found a lot of posts for the same issue. it is a car we bought for my 16 year-old daughter. now we are horrified. we do not know if there is a fix for this problem, and how can our government not force toyata to fix the problem. we paid a boundle for this car even it is used, now we are stuck and will be worried to death when my daughter drives is in the dark. please take action, it is serious. *tr

Driving down the freeway in the fod and the drivers side headlight went out. turned off and on again, the light reilluminated. this has happened four more times since then and have been pulled over by the local police because of it. because of the geographical area that i am in and the fod is prevalent during the winter months this poses an extreme danger to both myself and others around me. *tr

The rh (passenger) headlight turned off. this was not a burnt out bulb, because after turning the headlights off for a few seconds and turning them back on the headlight would come back on. after driving a little while it would happen again. this happened many times until the hid bulb was replaced, but then after having a new bulb for about a month the problem came back, but this time turning the headlights off then back on would not turn the rh headlight back on. the rh (passenger) headlight will not turn on at all now.

I purchased my 07 prius from a dealership in september of 2012. there was only 1 previous owner & at that time my car's mileage was around 55k. i commute 1 hr and 20 minutes to work (one way) & my first incident occurred after dropping my son off at daycare early in the morning, almost a month after purchasing my car. i noticed my right headlight was out. when i got into my car, i turned the headlights off and back on. both my headlights came back on so i didn't think twice about it. afterwards, almost every month i noticed my right headlight turned off, which started to concern me, but after getting quotes on how much the repairs would be i knew it would take some time for me to budget the costs into my monthly expenses. after another month or so, i found myself driving on highway 55 westbound (cary, nc) at around 9pm at night & both of my headlights suddenly shut off. highway 55 does not have much lighting in the first place & i am very lucky that my 2 year old son was not with me. i panicked but quickly turned my headlights off & on again. fortunately, they turned back on. now almost every month, & aside from one of my headlights failing nearly every 2 days, both of my headlights randomly shut off. in fact, my headlights shut off again this morning at around 5:45am during my commute to work on highway 55. i did some research but found toyota has only agreed to pay for repairs for '04-'09 models (with the same hid headlight issue) through the earlier of 5 years warranty and 50,000 miles or reimburse drivers who have already paid to have the problem corrected. i've already contacted toyota at 1800-331-4331 and filed a complaint but i was told that my car (at 102k miles) was now ineligible for this program. this issue should be an official recall to avoid any severe accidents it can cause for owners who cannot afford upfront repairs. *tr

During cold weather i lose all odometer speedometer backup light gas gauge . back up lights have caused a lot of close call when i'm backing up one time i got close to hitting a pedestrian because they did not know i was baking up i have ran out of fuel on the freeway and i never know how fast i'm going. this problem is well documented and toyota knows a bout the problem but will not issue a recall. *tr

The hid headlights on my 2007 toyota prius go off without warning - it was once the driver's side, and yesterday it was the passenger side - but they comeback next time i turn them on - *tr

Recently purchased vehicle approximately 4 months ago. headlights suddenly go out while driving, are unpredictable and at times will not stay on. they may work for days and then suddenly will start going out. one headlight, both headlights, hi beams, lo beams, no pattern to what goes out or works when problem starts to occur. each time headlights are turned off and back on the result of what is working or not working is different. at times turning on high beams results in all lights going out at the same time. presents a dangerous situation making it unsafe to be caught away from home with the car at dusk. my 19 year old son spent his hard earned money to buy this toyota for transportation while away from home at college. toyota is unwilling to accept responsibility for costly repairs in a hit and miss game of lets throw money at the problem replacing parts trying to resolve it until they "fix it". i have no comfort that the problem is ever fixed regardless of how much money is spent since the problem is intermittent and may not be seen for weeks at a time. how can toyota get away with not addressing this safety hazard? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights randomly shut off while driving. the vehicle was repaired by the dealer, but the specific repairs were unknown and the failure recurred. the dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

The passenger side headlight will go out after a few minutes of driving. by turning both headlights 'off then on' this seems to cure the problem for a few minutes, however, inevitably the passenger headlight will turn off again on it's own. the dealer replacement cost for this is $400 which is excessive for a headlight. replacing it myself requires removing the bumper and skid plate, which is ridiculously difficult just to replace a simple headlight. regardless, i don't think the headlight is burning out because there are hundreds of people that have the same problem online. it seems like more of an electrical issue toyota should deal with. *tr

While driving, the car's headlights suddenly turn off whether it be the right or left light. the only way to make the light turn on again is to flip your headlights off then on again. and even then, the lights would seem to do the same thing but in shorter intervals of time. i happened to receive a ticket for "driving without headlights" when in fact they just turned off without my knowledge. i have brought my car into toyota with this being a popular manufacturing defect amongst other 2006-07 prius models, but to my surprise, the cost for bulb repair would be approximately $660. even after such payment was given and repairs were performed, that would not fully guarantee a full fix on the problem. *tr

Almost every time i use the headlights, one or both will extinguish at some point. if i turn them off and back on, they will come back on as if nothing had happened. the occurrence is random, but happens most of the time i use them. sometimes i can see when one goes out, but frequently, i don't know until i either get on a very dark road or am stopped behind another vehicle and see the reflection in their car. i think this is dangerous on at least two levels - they will go out when i really need them or oncoming traffic won't see me properly. *tr

The head lights turn off, while driving, when turned off, and on again it comes back on. toyota will not replace the lights because we are over 50000 miles. this is an ongoing problem with the prius high intensity head lights, and the whole component should be replaced with a better version. they want to charge us 450 dollars for replacing the light bulb, which according to research will stop working again, after a period of time. please have toyota recall this light system and replace it with a better system. its a great hazard when your lights go off while you are driving at night. thank you for your consideration. *tr

I have purchased the vehicle nearly two years ago... and i did purchase an extended warranty just in case a mechanical failure would happen..i have visited the dealer complaining about the regular battery not the cell because the battery should at least last me 4 years,nothing happened,they have flatly refused to do so ,now i am constantly having problem with the passenger headlight that is going in and out sporadically. i have read in the forum that so many toyotas having the same problem and that toyota want to charge to fix the problem instead of a recall....i am writing to you so i can get help with these problems. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact noticed that the headlights began to flicker abnormally. the headlights eventually stopped flickering and would completely fail intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Non-hid headlights go out without warning. this happens daily! very random. sometimes they blink, sometimes they just go out altogether. these are not hid! we have had new headlights put in by toyota and they also replaced the relays - but the problem has only gotten worse. we called toyota corporate, but because the dealer can't figure out what is wrong - they say that there is nothing they can do and that there is no diagnosis, so therefore no issue they can address. we need help. this is a massive safety issue. now toyota wants to replace the computer - but it will cost us over $1,000 and they said they don't even know if it will work. if it doesn't work, they said they will replace a second and then third computer in the car, but that might not work either. from what we've researched online, others have had this done and the headlights still do not work. to those out there considering a prius from this year, please do not make the purchase! we wish we had known. nhtsa needs to reopen the class action case and include those without hid headlights. we are begging you for our safety and the safety of others on the road. *tr

I am having extreme problems with my 2007 toyota prius with xenon headlights system. they turn on an off randomly. most of the time only one headlight is on but they come and go. sometimes they go out altogether when i am driving at night which is extremely dangerous and scary when my toddler is in the car. i can turn the headlights off and back on and they will stay on for a while but inevitably go out again. i think this is a huge problem that toyota should address as there has been no recall yet. i read multiple complaints on the internet of prius owners with the same problem. i would not mind paying to replace the bulbs if they were burnt out but this is clearly an issue with the lighting system. please help! *tr

Headlights (left, right and/or both) intermittently go off and on while driving. this has happened before and toyota replaced the bulbs (i think) as a defect. several blogs report this problem. it is dangerous and could result in an accident at worst and a ticket at best. toyota should recall and correct the problem permanently and not require owners to pay for what is an obvious design defect. *tr

While driving our car, the driver side light has been shutting off. if you turn the light off and on it usual comes back on. recently we have had both lights shut off on their own while driving. this is extremely dangerous, but fortunately we were able to turn them back on by turning the lights off and on. i contacted toyota and they said they extended the warranty for this problem to 50,000 miles, but our car is 4,000 miles past. they admitted this was a problem but offered no remedy other than taking it to the dealer. not only is this a very expensive problem, it is a very dangerous situation. i was driving on a dark country road when the lights turned off, and i was essentially driving blind for a short time. at the very least i feel that toyota should tell all of it's prius owners that the potential for this problem is out there. some quick investigating on the internet shows that this is not an isolated problem. it appears to be a rather common problem. i am writing in hopes that toyota can be persuaded into doing the right thing to protect the safety of their customers, because they made it clear that they are not willing to do so on their own imitative. thank you! *tr

Suffering from the commonly reported hid headlight intermittent outages. it is outrageous that the cost of replacing a single headlight is over $400 at the local toyota dealer. the vehicle age does not exceed the normal mtbf for the bulb. i have already replaced the left headlight and now the right one has gone out. i replaced 1 headlight in 45 years of driving before i bought this prius. now 2 headights go out. this is a design defect. and can go out while driving. the failure mode is intermittent before total failure. *tr

When driving i noticed my headlight turned off for no apparent reason. i turned the head light switch off and back on again and about 20 mins later my left head light turned off. by turning my headlight switch off and on again will fix the problem but only for a short while. i have had this problem before and took my car to the toyota dealership where i bought the car. they replaced the headlight, one on 12/16/2008 and the opposite headlight on 6/13/2009. now the problem has started all over again. back in 2008 i logged my complaint here about the headlights and just wanted to let all the prius owners that it may happen again. *tr

Either one of the two headlights will randomly turn off while driving. they will sometimes come back on by themselves, or i can reset them by switching the headlights off and on again. the first time it happened was probably more than a year, ago, but it has been getting worse. i am no longer driving my car at night, for fear of getting into a wreck, until i can get it fixed. *tr

The following described incidents have taken place at least three times with no warning. upon starting the vehicle there is no instrument panel display which is digital. the vehicle could still be driven. the vehicle's engine would not turn off without making numerous attempts.this has sometimes taken up to 10 min.. then for whatever reasons after several hours the mentioned malfunctions stop and everything works correctly.i am very concerned the dash display showing speed and other necessary information will malfunction while the vehicle is being driven.especially at night.being able to turn the vehicle off immediately is also important.this vehicle is regularly serviced by toyota who have been unable to locate or correct the problem. i have researched this issue online and have found that there is a large number of toyota prius owners having the same type of safety issues with their vehicles. i have read but not confirmed that toyota is aware of the mentioned problems with the prius. there are some serious safety issues with this make and model of vehicle that need to be addressed as soon as possible. i hope nhtsa will be able to assist in this matter. thank you. *tr

Head keeps going out - we've replaced it and now were having the same problem again. *tr

I was issued a warning ticket for having one headlight out. when i tried to investigate the failed headlight, i could not replicate the problem... every time i looked at my headlights they were both on and fully functional. one week later i was driving in the desert on a road with no street lights and both headlights went out while i was driving over 45 mph while heading into a curve. fortunately i was able to keep the car under control and arrive safely at a stop, as it was pitch black outside. i was able to turn the lights off and back on to restore lighting, but it happened again 5 minutes later. weather condition was mid-70's and a clear dry night. when i brought the car to the dealership they said they saw one headlight going bad after leaving the lights on for ten minutes, but wouldn't deal with the other headlight or investigate any problem that may have led to the incident. they insisted that there was no problem and that the only way they could test it is if i purchased and paid for installation of 2 new hid lamps... over $800. they said toyota's official position was to not take responsibility for it and that both lamps must be replaced. they would not answer any questions pertaining to testing the ballast, nor would they address why both headlights failed within less than a week of one another. ultimately, the dealer's solution was to tell me to just turn my lights on and off real quickly. *tr

The passenger side headlight frequently fails to turn on. sometimes it turns on, then shuts off within the course of a drive. sometimes it doesn't turn on at all. it seems like it must be a problem with the electrical system, as the bulb itself continues to light, it just doesn't light all the time. the driver's side headlight, in the mean time, is perfectly fine and never has problems, which also suggests some kind of electrical/connector issue. *tr

The head lights just go off while you are driving and you must turn them off and back on again to get them to work .i already had this repaired and it is happening again and to my knowledge there has not been a recall and obviously its a safety hazard. *tr

I was pulled over while driving at night by kansas highway patrol and advised that the passenger side front headlight was out. i exited a few miles up ahead at wichita and spent the night. the next morning i drove to my original destination of enid, ok and took the car to the toyota dealership for service, and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong because the headlight worked perfectly. since then, i have had problems with that headlight working only intermittently and i've taken it to my home dealership in columbia, mo (machens toyota) and been told they can't find anything wrong. my daughter has been stopped in this car by local police twice, advising her that the headlight is out, and i've been told this same thing by friends on numerous occasions. it seems that the headlight works initially when turned on, then it ceases to be illuminated after about a minute or so. if i go ahead and turn the lights completely off and then turn them back on, it will work again for a minute or two and then go out again. i have "googled" this and discovered that this is a common problem, and some consumers have spent up to $2600 trying to get various parts replaced and still, the problem has not been fixed. this appears to be a serious manufacturing defect and i cannot or will not be able to afford spending thousands of dollars trying unsuccessfully to remediate this important safety issue! *tr

i have been having problems for about a year now with my prius 2007 when i apply the brakes. the car stutters when it changes from hybrid to gas. serviced only by toyota. when i brought the car in for a recall i asked them to fix the problem . they could not identify the problem and called in a specialist and subsequently was told that this is typical wear on a car this old (5 years, 59,000 miles). this was from a repair specialist sent from toyota when the regular service department could not identify the problem. i drive on highway s everyday to work and home and i am a nervous wreck, worrying that the car will just come to a stop in the middle of traffic. over the past 2 years when i go thru a car wash the front driver side headlight gets moisture inside. when i brought this to the attention of the service dept at toyota i was told it would cost approximately $600 to replace the headlight. this was way before it had fallen out of warranty (36,000) but of course they did not tell me that it was covered, in fact they told me what it would cost to replace! now the bulb is also flickering on and off in this same headlight. definitely a safety issue. toyota quoted me $270.00 to change the light bulb. the reason i was given was that they have to take off the entire front bumper to change an $11.00 bulb at autozone. we were told that if my hand was small enough i could try to do it myself. i called toyota corporate, and was told that toyota was discounting the bulb, it normally should cost $420.00. they were aware of the problem and extended the warranty to 50,000 miles but did not issue a recall for this issue either. i only found out because the service department was dragging its feet in diagnosing the problem with the braking system so i called corporate and mentioned the moisture problem and that was how i found out that it was not only my car. *tr

Hid headlight random failure while driving prius. unreliable to drive vehicle during the night. *tr

About a year ago, the passenger head light started going out. we would select the lights off and then back on and they would come on. this would happen a couple of times in a 30 mile trip. more recently both head lights would start going out. sometimes it is the left, sometimes it is the right, sometimes it is both headlights. it is getting more and more frequent. today, at 6:30am (still very dark outside) both head lights went out approx 6 times in a 30 mile trip down the interstate. i have talked to toyota about the one headlight before and they said they are aware of the problem, but they will not cover any cars over 70,000 miles. they say that the headlights will never go out. for one light, it is $400. reading forums they say it can be a computer module which runs approx $3500. i believe that this vehicle is incredibly unsafe if both of the headlights are going out while at high speeds (or even anytime while it is dark outside). *tr

Hid headlights failed, go on and off at random times. it started at 45,000 miles and the dealership replaced them at no cost to me and now the lights are failing again at 109,000. i was told not to turn them on during daylight to help them last longer. i use them during the day, depending on what road i am on for safety reasons. i don't believe that lights should fail so frequently.

Drivers side headlight fails intermittently. first failure was at 39k miles. *tr

This is a well publicized problem. this problem now occurs multiple times every day> i took possession of this vehicle in march, 2011 at about 40,000 miles. it is not possible for me to verify that the problem was or was not occurring from the first day i had the vehicle.. i first noticed the random and variable headlight failure about four months ago... it occurs on a regular basis now.... and is temporarily "fixed" by cycling the headlight switch.... it is not always the same headlight that fails, which should tell you it is not the bulb... which so many dealers are happily charging to replace. my vehicle now has over 84000 miles on it and the problem persists.... so whoever decided that 50,000 miles is a reasonable cut-off for toyota's responsibility for the problem.... i don't know what they were thinking... thousands of cars do not fail over 5 model years starting at as low as 20,000 miles from "normal wear and tear aging and failure".... this is a serious and inexcusable design flaw which should have been added to the long list of recalls which today's toyota is coming to be known for.... they resisted a recall because even people who have spent almost $2,000 for the dealer to fix this issue have reported that it recurs after the so-called "fix". toyota must know that there is no easy fix, and is not willing to take the hit for correcting their defective design. i guess it will take several wrongful deaths due to headlight failure before this issue can be raised to a new level of intervention.... the class action lawsuit was an exercise in moronic irresponsibility... mostly by the courts for allowing such a pitiful and ineffective ruling. one more exhibit to demonstrate that corporations run the world today.... not governments..... pathetic...... *tr