Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger side hid headlight suddenly shuts down, no indication in car. restarting headlights brings it back. may happen every five minutes or not at all during a trip. replaced both bulbs, problem still occurs. researched web and this is a common but expensive problem. *tr

Headlights to toyota prius flicker and turn off while driving once i turn the headlight switch, off then on again, lights come back on. this only occurs with one headlight at a time

2007 toyota prius - the headlights go off intermittently with no warning, rhyme or reason. turning the switch off and then on temporarily fixes the problem but not completely. toyota dealer says the bulbs are burned out and wants $1000 to replace them. if the bulbs were burned out, why do they come back on? *tr

Both headlights on our 2007 toyota prius have begun either to flicker and dim, or else fail completely, and apparently at random, whilst the vehicle is in operation. the passenger-side has suffered the problem for the last several months, again sporadically, but only recently has the driver-side begun to show similar troubles. it has proved very difficult to operate the vehicle at night, when the lamps can suddenly and unexpectedly fail, and leave the driver entirely at the mercy of his own, unilluminated, sight. the dealership has quoted a replacement cost of over $800 for both lights, and claims them not covered under the company warranty. *tr

Periodic hid headlight failure in 2007 prius. requested the problem be fixed with in the initial warranty and problem still persists. *tr

The headlight is physically going out. i noticed it when i pulled into my driveway last night and had only the driver's side headlight shining against the garage door. i did the same thing i have done before, i turned the lights off then back on again and it again came on. this is typically how i have noticed the light has gone out, with what should be two lights shining against the back of an suv, van, truck, garage door etc.. like last night, last week it was doing it frequently enough that i would see the light pop off while driving in the rain. otherwise it hasn't been very noticeable when it has happened while i'm driving it. always when i pull up to something. *tr

A second incidence of the same problem. see odi number 10285154. on the original complaint, the driver's side headlamp on a 2007 toyota prius was intermittent.(date of incidence was 9/16/09). the headlamp was replaced. on 10/27/09, the same problem occurred with the passenger side headlamp. the lamp goes off. to reactivate, the headlamp switch is turned off and then turned back on. headlamp is to be replaced on 10/30/09. nhtsa closed action with toyota a couple of months ago on this problem because it was stated that both bulbs would not go out at the same time. as a former automotive industry professional, i say that this second occurrence indicates that both bulbs could go out simultaneously and that this case with toyota should be reopened. since i do not know the root cause of the problem, i do not know if the problem has been solved on the replacement lamps. *tr

Both headlights go off at frequent intervals, but presently if i turn the switch totally off and back on they come back on. right side happens more frequently than the left side although there is no consistency as far as timing. can happen as soon as i start the car and not again for an hour. at times after turning the switch completely off (not a real comfortable feeling while driving down the road) and on they do come on but go back off within seconds and it has to be repeated. i pull in to check and all the lights are on, so the bulbs are good. it also is affecting the high beams. they do not work if the light has blinked off once and i have turned it back on and then try to use the high beams. they will not work at that point. if i turn the high beams on before the headlight has blinked off they work as they are supposed to so those bulbs are also not burnt out. this blinking of lights now occurs daily. started out happening every so many days (i drive 50 miles to work 4 days a week) and now happens at least once each day. i never know how long it will stay on after returning. dangerous. *tr

2007 prius with 36k miles, hid headlights. stopped by police who told us that we had both a headlight and a tail-light out. this was only a couple of weeks after the car passed state inspection. upon returning home, found that both headlights were working but that taillight was out. my wife mentioned that other people had been telling her for a couple of months that there was a taillight out on the car, but it was always working when we checked. the next day after the police stopped us, i noted that all lights on the car were working. took car to dealer, where they claimed that they thought it was a bulb issue and could replace if i wanted. i countered that a bulb should either work or not, and that this intermittent operation seemed to indicate an electrical or wiring problem, but the dealer didn't agree. the dealer checked all the lights, and found them all to be working. just after returning from the dealer, i discovered that the passenger headlight was out. *tr

On several occasions i have taken my 2007 back to the dealer for intermittent headlight failure, while driving! one light would go out, or both would go to while driving the vehicle creating a potential life threatening situation. the dealer could not identify the problem, then on october 23 2009, they were finally able to replicate the problem and said i needed two new headlight units at the cost of $400 each (parts and labor). i decided to document this potential life threatening problem to the nhtsa, so you could add my complaint to the complaints that you have already received in order to pressure toyota motors to take corrective action. *tr

Have had problems with 2007 toyota prius several months. different times neighbors and other drivers pointing out headlight that was out. turned them back on and thinking nothing was wrong with my headlights when i got out of the car and looked but noticed they had been dimming trough time. could not tell which lights were out because then they would work. 2 near misses when other driver noticed my headlights were out but due to heavy traffic was able to drive due to other drivers lighting. driving the other night with family in car and lights went out completely. panicked and turned them back on and they came on but still dimmer. coming home from work the other day and then stopped by police in which i explained my headlight problems and informed them that my plans were to take prius to dealership. after this incident and driving at night with my family in car this was my final step. took 2007 toyota prius 10/20/09 to dealership and they said it would cost me replacing the headlight. of course at my cost. they performed diagnostic testing and could not find any problems other than the headlights needed to be replaced at a cost of several hundred dollars. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota prius. the driver side head light goes out now and then as i am driving. it is unpredictable. if i turn the lights off and then back on, the light works again. it has been going on for 2 months. now the other light is doing the same thing. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota prius and my headlights keep going on and off. quoted from 150 to 800 to replace. i think this is a factory defect. *tr

Toyota prius headlamps are intermittent. toyota dealer replaced the bulb but it's still intermittent. *tr

For some time the headlights on our 2007 toyota prius have been behaving strangely, with one or the other going out intermittently, then later coming back on. last weekend while driving at night on dark, narrow, twisty mountain roads, they both suddenly went out. the car can not be driven at night due to the risk of headlamp failure and crash. toyota dealers quote $1000-plus cost to repair an obvious design flaw with serious safety implications. *tr

My 2007 toyota prius headlight modules need to be replaced. headlights go off and the switch must be toggled to remedy. the car is under warranty but toyota says the lights are not covered. toyota knows this is a chronic defect. do i have any recourse? *tr

2007 toyota prius. passenger side headlamp turns off after several minutes of operation. it will come back on if you turn the headlights off and then on. this is a serious safety issue that one headlight goes out and it requires that both be turned off to come back on. *tr

Hid headlamps failure. driver side headlamp was going out randomly in august 2009. vehicle is in warranty (20k miles) and dealer replaced bulb at no charge. in october the same problem began to occur on the passenger side. again, the dealer replaced bulb at no charge. these bulbs are very expensive and difficult to replace and should last longer than 20k miles. *tr

2007 toyota prius intermitant headlamp issue. *tr

Lights intermittently fail while driving. usually only one side but occasionally both at once. very dangerous and scary. toyota has told me they don't know what the problem is.

The right headlight went out on my 2007 prius that has 40k miles on it. i didn't know the headlight was out. it was pointed out to me at the time of routine maintenance. i don't know how long i've been driving without a headlight. there's no warning signal in the car to alert me to the problem. i had the bulb replaced and it is working now, but i have since learned that this problem is not uncommon and is likely to recur so i'm concerned about it. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius (touring edition) with hid headlights. my headlights continue to flicker as if they are going out, and quite often i notice that one or the other bulbs isn't working. once i even had both headlights go out without any notice on the dash board, and only noticed they were both off when entering an unlit street. *tr

The driver's side headlight turns off while driving. if i turn it off and back on, it will come back on, but it will only remain on for a short period of time. the dealership says that it is a problem with the computer that controls the hid headlights. *tr

Headlights dim or go off by themselves. come back on if you turn lights off then on. dangerous at night. *tr

Headlights, both driver and passenger sides fail. can be corrected temporarily by turning off and then turning back on. already stopped by police with a warning. has been occurring for a month or more. happens in all conditions, sun, rain, cloudy, etc. *tr

Hid lights on 2007 toyota prius are going out. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius and the hid headlights will unexpectedly shut off while driving. *tr

I purchased a new '07 toyota prius in may, 2007. in the last two months, we noticed that sometimes the right headlamp was working, sometimes not. i took it to the dealership where i purchased the vehicle for an estimate on replacing the bulb. generally, my husband performs all maintenance, etc, on our automobiles. he was unable to get the headlamp assembly disassembled, even while using the owner's manual as a guide. initially, we thought it could be a problem with the electrical system, because if it works sometimes and not others, then maybe it was a short and should be repaired. the dealership looked at the headlights and told me that my car had the hid headlamps (interpreted, this means expensive) and to replace it would mean removing the bumper, etc, etc. they told me that it would have been covered under warranty, however, my car's odometer was at 36,900. they told me i should make an appointment and bring it in for replacement of the bulb, and it would cost about $150 for the replacement. for the record, i paid $1,499 for the most comprehensive extended warranty that they offered, and still this problem is not a covered repair. when my husband called for the appointment, they quoted him in excess of $300 to replace the bulb. in my research, i have found that this type of bulb should last the life time of the vehicle, hence the reason that it is so hard to get to that a regular person cannot replace the bulb. i feel very strongly that toyota has an obligation to replace the headlamp or repair the "short" in the electrical system, even thought it is slightly past the warranty miles, and seven months under the 36 month warranty period. the problem began well before the original warranty had expired, and my only fault was that i did not recognize this problem soon enough. toyota is well aware of this problem and is content to allow the dealers to take advantage of prius owners with this problem. *tr

Hid headlight on driver's side went out. *tr

The car was used very rarely and headlights were rarely turned on. the driver side headlight turned off on its own and could be turned on again by flipping headlights switch off then on again. it would then turn off shortly again thereafter. a night drive in yosemite proved to be quite frightening with this happening over and over. i complained to toyota while my car was still under warranty and they denied the problem because they could not reproduce it. shortly thereafter, the company sent a letter to all prius owners confirming the problem. it's disappointing to see that toyota knew about it yet denied it completely. when the letter came out, my car was no longer under warranty. the product was defective because it's lifespan had nothing to do with the amount of time it was used. i think to say the headlight flickers is incorrect-it shuts off completely and sporadically. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while traveling 70 mph, both low beam headlights shut off without warning. the vehicle was merged to the side of the road where the lights were reset and began to function normally. the contact stated that the headlights would sporadically fail. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the issue. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 101,000.

I currently own a 2007 prius. the passenger side headlight shuts off intermittently when in use. i have also experienced the problem with my driver's side, but not as frequently. i have already replace the light bulb and this has not fixed the problem. i am able to quickly turn my lights on and off to turn them reactivate the light bulb. i noticed this problem around 50,000 miles. *tr

Headlight(s) go off and people have stopped to tell us that one of lights must be burned out. previously we had noticed others blinking their lights at us but we just thought it was because our lights were on, not that one or both weren't on. there is a period of time, usually 1 or two weeks, and it will happen again. we have found that if we turn off the car and turn it back on that the light(s) work..............but for how long? it's is very scary at night but so far we have been lucky and we very seldom drive at night. *tr

Headlights randomly fail while driving. the issue is not the bulb as the headlights will turn back on if you flick the lights off and on again. toyota dealership claims it's just the bulb, wants $800 to repair. this is clearly a safety defect since hid bulbs are supposed to last significantly longer than regular bulbs and since the bulbs can fail at random times, yet work fine at random times as well. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated while sitting idle with the engine running, the driver side hid headlight failed. the hid headlights were replaced and the contact was reimbursed by the manufacturer. after speaking to the manufacturer, the passengers side hid headlight also failed and was replaced by the dealer. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

On multiple occasions one or both of the headlights on my 2007 toyota prius have gone out without warning. the lights come back on when i turn the light control completely off and then turn it back on. the lights will then work for awhile before turning off again. there is no alarm or notice the headlights have gone off. *tr

Original complaint number odi 10281115 on 3 consecutive evenings 092209, 092309, 092409, one or both headlights have failed independent of each other and also simultaneously together resulting in no lighting. this is happening every evening and is now especially dangerous due to morning and evening commutes in darkness. when will the nhtsa force toyota to issue a safety recall? *tr

Prius head light keep going off. turning the switch off and back on brings the head lights back on. this happens at least 3 times each time we start a trip. i cannot afford a $300 light bulb replacement. please help! *tr

Front passenger headlight intermittently goes on and off with no reason. if the other headlight would burn out, i would be left in the dark. replaced headlight and computer sub assembly $514.00 old part not available the day after this was repaired, the other headlight started doing the same thing! suspicious? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving 35 mph at night, the headlights failed without any prior warnings. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection; however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 23,000 and the current mileage was 25,000. update 12/14/09 *cn the consumer stated the headlights were replaced. updated 12/16/09*jb

The headlights on my 2007 toyota prius go out randomly. i have spent over $1500 to have the problem fixed and now less than a year later the problem is occurring again on a daily basis. i have been ticketed by local police and placed in danger of crashing on several occasions when they both decide to go out. *tr

I was driving down the road at night in my 2007 toyota prius and both headlights went out. every time i drive at night one of the lights will go out. this is a routine thing with the car. i took the car to the dealer and they said they know about the problem but it is not a safety issue. toyota said it would cost me over $800.00. *tr

Left headlight failure 2007 prius. we are not getting satisfaction from toyota. the dealer tells us it will cost $220 dollars per light. he said it used to be $350 per light. our headlight went out on a wet and gloomy night trip from new ulm mn to minneapolis. *tr

Driver's side headlamp periodically goes out and then will come back on after i turn off the lights and turn them back on again. cause of failure is unknown. the headlamp will then work for several more trips and several more miles. but then, at random, it will fail again. the connection is not loose and the bulb is not burned out. *tr

I have recently been experiencing the headlights on my 2007 prius going out intermittently. when i addressed with my dealership, they replaced the bulbs on both lights. unfortunately after the replacement i am still experiencing outages with the headlights intermittently. it's difficult to know how often this occurs since it either needs to be nighttime or i need to see my reflection to know when it happens. i am convinced that the issue is not bulb related since when i cycle my lights off and back on, the headlights come back on. i have read via various articles and postings that other prius drivers (including friends of mine) are experiencing the same problems. i feel this trend indicates a faulty wiring or mechanical problem with the headlights which is not simply rectified by replacing the bulb. this has the potential to cause significant damage/injury when the lights go out at nighttime. *tr

I have had both hid headlights on my 2007 toyota prius replace with the computers for a total cost of $600.00. i already have the second bulb in the passenger going bad and they want another $300.00 for bulb and labor. this is a car that isn't even three years old yet. *tr

31,000 miles on 2007 toyota prius. headlamps would come on and off. it alternated between lamps. bulbs were both replaced. *tr

Driver's side headlamp is intermittent on 2007 toyota prius. neither dealer nor toyota has given a definitive answer on the corrective action. one time they say it is the ecu; the next time they said it was the headlamp. failure was not duplicated at the dealer so they do not know what to do. calls to toyota do not provide any definitive corrective action other than what we have already done turning the lights off and then back on negates the immediate failure. police have stopped my wife for the problem once. *tr

Headlamps 2007 prius began to "wink" intermittently. i reported it to service department nothing was done. (date ?? 2008) a policeman on military base cautioned me that a headlamp was out. i reported it to service. they said they saw nothing wrong with the lamps . third time service (june 2009) i was charged for replacement of a running light bulb. following that encounter, i experience a total loss of head lamp illumination in interstate 65 traffic in the dark (july 27, 09). i quickly slowed and flicked the light switch on and off and light was restored. the lights continued to "wink" and again on 9-14-09 lost total headlamp illumination in traffic on ky natcher parkway, again flicking the switch restored lights. took it to service 9-15-09 they asked for $440 to replace both lamps saying it "might" fix it and if not, i would need to spend an additional $335 for a switch box or computer component but they could not assure me that these expensive measures would actually correct the problem. i declined and reported the incident to a service department online questionnaire. i was contacted via e-mail by toyota service representative and was told and i quote "we have replaced a few of these bulbs with success 85-90% of the time. on occasion we have replaced a control unit for headlights" . when the problem was first observed and reported the car was under warranty. warranty has since expired, my assertion is that the condition then and now are related and should be fixed as if warranty was in force. that was not acceptable to toyota service and the issue lies unresolved. *tr

Drivers side headlamp goes off randomly. auto is 2007 prius. *tr