Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Since early december 2009, my 2007 toyota prius has had a safety problem with the hid headlights going out intermittently, usually only one side at a time, but several times both have gone out at the same time. i live just off a dark, winding road, and twice both of the lights went out at the same time, leaving me totally in the dark. i was able to flip then off and back on to narrowly avoid a potential fatal accident. i have been stopped by the ga highway patrol and given a warning due to the driver side headlight not working at dusk once. had it been dark already, the officer would have ticketed me he said. this is a major safety issue that requires the nhtsa to investigate thoroughly with prius owners. there are several blogs on the internet reporting this problem and complaining about the exorbitant cost that toyota dealerships charge to "fix" the problem (from $800 to $1800), only to find that the problem is repeated within a year or two. the local toyota dealership said that my "repair" would be about $1,100, but i declined because i feel that this is an inherent defect in the headlights themselves, the wiring harness, or the computer module (or possibly all of them) that may or may not be fixed by throwing money at it now. i beg you to investigate this issue and consider making toyota issue a general recall due to the headlights issue. someone is going to be killed one day, if it hasn't already happened. it probably already has. this car was purchased new, not driven hard or over bad roads, routine maintenance has been kept up, and it has less than 39,000 miles on it (about 37,000 at the time the problem began). i am in the process of contacting toyota motors now to complain about this safety issue and defective parts to see what they will do to help me. thank you for taking the time to investigate this serious issue and i hope that you will be able to make a difference to save lives because of it. *tr

2007 toyota prius headlight replacements. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact noticed that the headlights shut off. he was able to turn the headlights on and they began to function normally. the headlights began turning off and on every day; occasionally one or both headlights would continue to shut off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where he was informed that the entire headlight system needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired and the contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the current mileage was approximately 65,000.

2007 toyota prius with hid headlights. while driving to work, i experienced the following. left headlight went out. i drove the rest of the way to work with right hid light working and fog lights. called my mechanic, he never heard of this problem. on way home from work, i turned on headlights and they worked. i have not had the same problem since. friend at home notified me of this web site. *tr

I have a 2007 prius. a few nights ago, i was driving up the pch here in los angeles only to have my right (passenger side) headlight go out and my left one start blinking on and off. i pulled over, turned the light off and then on. the left light came on, the right light stayed out. i called the dealership to be told fixing either light would be $350 a piece because they are special hid lights and i'm 2,000 miles over warranty, so too bad. i never asked for these lights, didn't know i had them and now feel unsafe driving with them. and then to charge a ludicrous amount to keep them working is just robbery. it's a prius, not a porsche. i'm very disappointed no one told me the precarious cost and care of these lights and their unreliable nature. toyota needs to be made aware of these problems with their head lamps and have a more advantages replacement strategy. *tr

2007 toyota prius headlight goes out intermittently. *tr

Hid bulbs (front headlights) go out on my 2007 toyota prius. they are on sometimes, and off at other times. replaced the first one at 28k miles, now at 46k the other one is doing the same thing. this is an obvious problem with the high intensity bulbs. *tr

The head lights, turn signals and fog lights turn-off randomly. *very dangerous! i've replaced the expensive hid bulbs, but the problem persists. i've taken the car for repair to the local, "thurston" toyota dealer, but they will not repair it under warranty or recall. *tr

1. headlight on 2007 toyota prius is malfunctioning. 2. the light does not come on/stay on when lights are powered. occurs on an almost daily basis. has proven unsafe when driving at night. *tr

I have a 2007 prius. the last 3 months my headlights have intermittently flickered, and gone out. i rec'd a letter from toyota stating that this was a common problem with 2006-2009 prius'. replacing them will cost $300 +, i have researched this problem on this website, and the problem is consistent! if this is a toyota defect, why are we paying for these bulbs? this is a safety issue! *tr

Hid headlamps fail repeatedly. right front replaced last year at approx. 45,000 miles. left front is failing now at 80,000 miles. *tr

Driver side headlight fails intermittently. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights on the passenger side would intermittently turn off while she was driving. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the light bulb needed to be replaced. the bulb was not replaced. the dealer advised her to only use the headlights when absolutely necessary. the contact called the manufacturer who reduced the cost of the light bulb and filed a complaint. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 45,000. the failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

One or both headlights will fail while driving. problem can be alleviated by turning lights off then on again. *tr

2007 prius, touring model-right headlamp went out while driving-only 26,000 miles on car so far. next operation, light working again. poses very big safety hazard. told that my platinum certified warranty and extended 100,000 mile warranty would not cover this $400 + repair--and i have only owned the car less than 2 months. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the driver's side headlight failed. the contact activated then deactivated the headlight several times and it started to function properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and informed the contact that the bulb needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 46,000.

1. not sure 2. headlights on our 2007 prius go out unexpectedly, sometimes at night both are out, creating a dangerous situation 3. took it to toyota dealer; lights worked fine then; they said it would be my expense to replace bulbs; decided to wait to see if problem happened during daylight hours to take it to them to verify it is a bulb problem; then discovered bulb failure is a chronic problem with the prius; toyota should correct problem and replace bulbs at their expense. *tr

The hid headlights on my 2007 prius would randomly go out. both drivers side and passengers side may stop operating at any time while driving. i have had both inoperable at the same time while driving at night. both headlight bulbs were replaced at my expense. toyota will not reimburse me for the cost of replacing the defective bulbs because the vehicle mileage exceeds the factory warranty, though it is still well within the 36 month warranty period. representatives from both the service and parts department of my local toyota dealership assured me that the 'new bulbs' don't have the same problem that the original bulbs did. so far, that has proven correct. i have read the nhtsa investigation into this problem (pe09019) into this problem and i am frankly shocked that toyota and particularly the nhtsa don't consider having to turn your headlights off and on again while driving at night to be a safety defect worthy of recall. the nhtsa summary states that toyota has acknowledged the defect:: "toyota confirmed that a headlamp could extinguish while driving due to a bulb failure, and that it could be temporarily restored by turning the headlight switch on and off, and that simultaneous failure of both headlamps was rare and unlikely." the nhtsa investigation summary also mentioned the following: "toyota also briefly discussed their intention to conduct a customer service campaign to address consumer dissatisfaction with hid bulb failures. " i filed a complaint with toyota corporate about this problem and was told that they have no intention of a recall or any other action at this time that will address customer dissatisfaction. it is clear to me that toyota will not take responsibility for this obvious safety issue and it will require outside intervention by the nhtsa to push for a resolution that is in the best interest of the general public out on the roads every night. *tr

Our 2007 toyota prius has a defect in the headlight circuitry. when driving with the lights on the head lights will shut down sometimes one at a time and more frightened both will cut off 2 to 3 times during my commute home. this happened yesterday 3 times on the way home. to get the lights to turn on i have to turn the switch off and then back on. the lights will usually stay on for 20 to 30 minutes but will then shut off again at some point . we drive a very dangerous freeway ( california 60 between moreno valley, ca and the junction of interstate 10) and on several occasions the lights have cut out totally causing an unsafe condition as i was driving a very windy road, in the dark and searching for the light switch to flick it off and on. i now drive with my hand on the light switch through the badlands section of california 60 when my hand should be on the steering wheel. we were pulled over by a riverside county sheriffs officer after she noticed the lights erratically blinking on and off. we took the vehicle to the dealership and they stated that they could not create the problem but that there is a computer circuit that controls the lights and that it would cost approximately $800. this is unacceptable and should be repaired as a safety hazard. i have owned many vehicles and have never had a problem with the lights other than a burned out bulb. i have gone online and there are other drivers complaining of the same issue. please assist me by advocating on my behalf with toyota to repair this problem before an accident occurs. *tr thanks

Hid headlamps go in and out with no warning on my 2007 toyota prius. research on line shows several people with the same issue. *tr

2007 toyota prius headlight problem. *tr

2007 prius hid headlights go out intermittently with no observable pattern. while driving, one cannot tell when this happens thus driving with only one headlight. only time i can tell is when i come up behind a vehicle and my lights shine on it. upon observing the internet it appears there are many others with this same problem with their prius'. (don't want to get a ticket or in an accident because of it! it is reported that $1100 to $2600 to get this repaired, hopefully. *tr

Headlights turn off intermittently for no reason on my prius. when i turn them off again, then on, they work. this is very dangerous when it happens at night. *tr

2007 toyota prius headlight failures. problem first appeared after 3rd year after purchase. the driver's side or passenger's side will go out after about 10 minutes of driving. i have replaced the bulbs 3 times so far and still no fix. toyota has recently reduced the price of their bulbs from $300 a piece to $150 a piece with a $300 labor charge, but only warranties it for 1 year. which is still too expensive and not a solution to the problem, but a stalling tactic. *tr

Left headlight of vehicle was out completely. stopped and restarted car and light returned to normal. this event has happened twice before. in october 2009 both sets of headlights went out while driving on a township blacktop road at night. this required stopping car and repeatedly turned lights on and off and restarted car. lights finally returned. *tr

The headlight on my 2007 toyota prius shuts on and off intermittently while i am driving. when i take the vehicle to the dealer, they say they cannot find the problem because it happens to be working when it is there. i find this hard to believe since this is a well-known defect among 2007 prius owners. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving at night approximately 30 mph on normal road conditions suddenly, the headlights failed without warning. the driver experienced extremely limited visibility. the headlights began to function when the control switch was turned to the "off" and "on" position. the failure occurred intermittently. an authorized dealer was notified. the vehicle is in the process of being inspected and repaired. the failure and current mileages were 74,000.

Both headlamps went out in the the middle of a roadtrip at night. had to pull over right away. turned the headlight switch off and back on the lights came back on. this has happened several times already. sometimes this happens with just one headlight and sometime both which is real scary. i never know when this failure is going to happen. please help with a recall on this dangerous situation. i have a 2007 toyota prius which i purchased brand new. *tr thank you,

Left front headlight flickered intermittently for one month. both headlights failed at night while driving on dark country road on wednesday, november 11. the lights resumed working after turning headlight switch on and off repeatedly. *tr

Starting at approximately one year old, the toyota prius hid drivers side headlight started to flicker occasionally. it was mentioned to the dealer however it never seemed to be failing when at the dealer. then at about two years of age, the headlight would blink completely out occasionally, again mentioned to the dealer but would not duplicate at the dealership. it was discovered that just cycling the switch off and back on would restore the headlight. it is now failing on a more regular basis but not when at the dealer. the passenger side is now doing this as well and i have a real fear of both lights failing at the same time and causing an accident. as of today, no repair has been made but toyota has issued a case number but remains firm that an expensive diagnosis should be made without acknowledging responsibility for this failure. i will be getting it repaired and this headlight issue could amount to $1000 or more. this is a badly designed bulb and assembly. consideration should have been made to replace this bulb with ease considering the failure rate it is experiencing. the most recent date is the one listed below. *tr

I have a 2007 prius and the left headlight has gone out. i contacted the dealership and they told me that it is a good idea to replace both headlights due to the cost of labor. the cost for two bulbs + labor; $650! the car is just about to hit 2 years and i'm having to shell out over $600 for headlights! i did some research and this looks to be a common defect with the prius. if it's a common defect, why isn't there a recall for the car? i don't care if i have the hid's, but i didn't have a choice from the initial purchase of the car. *tr

Headlights going out on 2007 toyota prius you never know when or where it will happen. one side will go out when you turn the switch off and back on the light will come back on. later the other light will fail. this should be addressed as a safety issue before some dies. *tr

The passenger side hid headlight on my 2007 toyota prius is malfunctioning. the light on the passenger side will frequently go out, leaving me with one headlamp. if i cycle the headlights off and back on, the passenger side headlight will come back on for a while, and then repeat. this is a safety issue, driving with one (or no) headlight. my car has about 65,000 miles, though it is only 2 and a half years old. this appears to be a common problem with the 2007 and 2006 prius models with the hid headlights. *tr

Either one of my headlights will stop working at random times, progressively getting worse. last week, while driving at night, one stopped working and suddenly the second one stopped working. that is the first time both have stopped. in total darkness i panicked and had to swerve to prevent an accident. *tr

Hid headlights on 2007 toyota prius fail intermittently. turning light switch off/on sometimes makes light(s) come back on. driving country roads after dark with no headlights is very dangerous. toyota acknowledges the problem, but still wants an arm and leg to repair problem. apparently headlights, and computer board with ballasts need replaced to completely fix the problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated both headlights have blown out on separate occasions. the first time the dealer replaced the headlights under the warranty and now the manufacturer is paying half of the repair cost. the failure mileage was 35,500.

2007 prius headlights one or both go out in during drive. *tr

My 2007 toyota prius has been experiencing premature failure of the hid headlights for the past month. they alternately go on and off by themselves sometimes both together. one incident involved them both turning off one night on a dark country road without any illumination. this threw me into immediate panic as everything went completely black. it was only by luck that i was alert enough to have a mental picture of the road that i was on and was able to quickly slow down while navigating away from known obstacles. once stopped i turned the vehicle off and on and the lights returned and remained on for the remainder of the trip. quite a dangerous event. last night i was traveling on an illuminated highway and was subsequently stopped by a state law enforcement officer. when asked if i knew why i was stopped and i replied no, he stated that it was due to my drivers side headlight being out. when i inquired toyota for a price to have this situation corrected i was told $1000+ for the cost of materials and labor and it was not covered under warranty. this situation truly is a safety hazard that needs to be corrected immediately at no cost to the consumer under an official recall. i have to think that there are others out there with a similar problem. *tr

2007 toyota prius - passenger side head-light has stopped working with only 42,000 miles on the vehicle. checked the internet and find that this is not a unique issue, there are quite a few others with the same concern. this is the third toyota i have owned and i've never had a complaint about any of my previous automobiles. *tr

Hid light randomly go out. sometimes the driver side, sometimes the passenger side...sometimes both. they usually come back on by turning them off and back on at the switch. dealer quoted $700 per light to fix. ridiculous for early failure of a "upgraded" light option that we had to pay extra for when we purchased the car. *kb

I have a 2007 toyota prius and the driver's side headlight goes out intermittently. i have had quotes anywhere from $300.00 to $500.00. after getting over the initial shock, i find out this is a common occurrence with prius owners. this is clearly a defect and could cause an accident. i find it rather unbelievable that toyota could charge someone an outrageous amount of money for something that is clearly a defect of this vehicle. *tr

I have owned a 2007 toyota prius since new (3 years). i noticed about 3 months ago that, when i turned on my headlights, the right lamp was starting out at full brightness but gradually dimming until it completely went out altogether. switching the lights off and on again would restore the light to full brightness, but then the light would gradually begin to dim again. this is a very serious safety issue, as i do not know that the light has gone out while i am driving (as i said, it is very gradual and obviously cannot be seen from the drivers seat). the dealership recommends changing both hid bulbs, with a quoted cost of $553 including parts and labor. apparently lightbulbs are not covered, even under extended warranty. after researching this issue further, i have learned that this is an extremely common problem with the 2007 prius. in light of that fact, toyota should absolutely conduct a recall of what is obviously a significant defect, and a very serious safety issue as well. it is extremely unfair to sell us a faulty product and then ask us to pay for the repairs, or else endanger our safety by driving with faulty headlights. *tr

No event leading to the failure on 2007 toyota prius touring model. my wife came home from hot springs, ar around 4:00pm and the passenger side headlight was not on. we drive with the headlights on at all times, or at least we used to. i checked the light assembly for loose wires, but none found. switched lights off and back on and the light was working. the same evening we went to the theater 2 miles from home and while driving home in the dark, the light went out 3 times in the 2 mile ride. i switched the light on and off to restart each time it went out. there is no pattern to the lights-out problem. it can be on for an entire trip or on and off any number of times. we live in the quacita mts. of arkansas and street lights are minimal at best. the headlights are optional hid lights with the touring package (no choice). according to others with the same problem, one lights goes out, then the other one usually follows after several miles. if the situation arrises where both light go out, we could be in grave danger in the mountains. you cannot see anything at night w/o headlights, unless the moon is bright. the repair is exorbitant for the bulb and even more ridiculous for the control module and installation. this is caused from defective parts because the hid headlights are supposed to last 3 times longer than standard headlights. toyota has admitted that they had some defective bulbs from one manufacturer. but my vehicle is beyond the warrantee. i still feel that i should not have to pay for their defective parts that they installed on my vehicle. this is their responsibility to replace at their expense. the labor and parts to replace one light and/or module exceeds $1000. that is not even reasonable. purchasing customers were never told that those lights were that nonsensically expensive. therefore, i am waiting for toyota to be forced by class action law suits or customer influence to take tesponsibility for their idiotic mistake. *tr

Hid lamp intermittent outage in my 2007 toyota prius. *tr

My 2007 toyota prius hid headlights would go dim and finally without warming shut off and become dark. i would need to shut off the headlight switch and turn them back on. this "winking" of headlights would occur continuously. *tr

Driver and passenger side headlights fail intermittently at night for past three weeks. turning off/on headlight switch corrects. *tr

Right front headlight intermittently goes out, can turn lights off & then back on, and headlight comes back on. this particular light had same problem originally under warranty (approx 32000 miles) and was replaced at dealer, but has been going out again over the past year plus. right now i am approaching 85000 miles. based on my reading, this appears to be a manufacturers defect as it seems chronic and prevalent in the prius. *tr

The headlights on our 2007 toyota prius go out at random intervals -- it appears to be related to the ballast controlling the lights. the failure happens constantly -- probably at least every few minutes while driving. sometimes one headlight, sometimes both. it can be "fixed" temporarily by turning the lights off and on, only to repeat itself shortly thereafter. the replacement costs of the system are extremely prohibitive ($1,000), and obviously, this is a very dangerous situation when driving at night. i have been driving and had both lights go out simultaneously on a darkened highway, which is terrifying. *tr

Hid low beam headlamps "winking" on and or off at irregular intervals in our 2007 toyota prius. *tr

One or both headlamps randomly and intermittently extinguish while driving. toyota will "diagnose" and advise of repair. toyota customer care acknowledges there is a known problem, but may only possibly choose "goodwill" action be taken. these are the toyota hid lamps that are documented in pe09019. someone needs to do something about this well documented problem before someone is killed! *tr