Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

2007 prius - started driving at night approx.9pm. both headlights failed luckily still in town where it was well lit. type of headlight was high intensity discharge (hid). this happened less than a week after my 36k mile bumper to bumper warranty expired. dealer says that parts are extremely expensive as is labor (go figure). *tr

My hid bulbs are turning off and on intermittently, i would like to replace but will cost about 900 for toyota to do it. seems like a defect and a danger if they keep turning off and on there own. *tr

Headlamps go off intermittently. *tr

I own a 2007 prius with the "upgraded" headlamps... before the car reached 50,000 they began to flicker and cut off ( at night on the highway) turning them off and then back on resulting in the lamps working again...however, one continued to flicker and go out and i would turn them off and then back on before the other lamp would go out... i am sooo not happy that i am having to pay for replacement bulbs due to the fact that the computer that is responsible for the light source is fried... they should be glad that #1 they came back on and #2 that no one was inured or killed when traveling on the highway at night when the faulty equipment went out. i am hoping these will be recalled at some point....by the way i am also pregnant and was traveling with my other 2 children at the time. *tr

The headlights on my 2007 toyota prius keep turning off @ random times. at first it only seemed to be one headlamp, but now both of them turn off when i am driving. i can only get them to come on by turning the headlamp switch off and back on. at this point i am forced to drive with my fog lamps on all the time at night because of safety. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius. i have observed that one of my headlights flickers and dies sporadically, but relights when the headlights are switched off and then back on. after relighting, a single headlight again eventually flickers and dies. according to internet research, this is a common problem with toyota high intensity discharge headlights, and a case by your office has been opened (and closed) under case number: pe09019. i strongly believe this case should be reopened. *tr

2007 toyota prius hid headlights randomly go black. as i'm driving either one or both of the headlights go black. the only way to fix this is to manually switch the lights off then turn them back on. i've taken this to my toyota dealership (sloane toyota) and they couldn't find any problems. *tr

2007 toyota prius--front right headlight keeps going off. will come back on when i switch off the headlights altogether. bulb seems ok because it works most of the time both hi and lo beam. i contacted my toyota dealer and will have to pay $280 to replace one bulb! i have purchased a pair of specified bulbs for $59 from autozone, but have not been successful following the steps in the manual to remove the old bulb. car has 45,000 miles. *tr

2007 prius started driving with headlights on. drove from a well lit area with many street lights into an without any overhead lighting. realized that the lights were not operating, while i was trying to determine what the problem was, looking at the headlight switch, i veered into an adjoining lane, luckily there were no vehicles in that lane. eventually i turned the lights off and then back on again and they worked properly. now the lights randomly turn off, passenger or driver side, while driving. i continually check the lights and turn them off and on to restart the lights. i have not had the lights fixed, i am waiting for toyota to issue a safety campaign and to extend the warranty on this issue. *tr

2007 toyota prius headlight (passenger side, driver side or both) randomly fails but then works when headlight switch is cycled off and back on. this behavior occurs to either side separately and sometimes both at the same time. *tr

Driver's hid headlamp intermittently goes off without notice. turning the headlight switch to the "off" position and the "on" sometimes solves the problem temporarily. many other complaints from other owners describing the same failure. *tr

In early 2008 during normal driving at night both hid headlights on my 2007 toyota prius went out at the same time. i reached for the stalk and rotated it both ways, and they came back on. i figured i did not turn it fully on, but some weeks later both lights failed again while driving at night. the dealer replaced both bulbs, but nothing else. the car had about 21,000 miles on it. now, august 2009 the passenger side bulb has failed twice at night that i have noticed. both times it came back on after being turned off and back on, as both times before. current mileage 52,433. i worry that both sides will fail at the same time again while driving at night. this is not at all safe. *tr

While driving on interstate 405 in portland, or, the hid headlights on my 2007 toyota prius suddenly turned off. switching them off and then on again caused the lamps to work again temporarily, with the left and the right lights turning off at random. fortunately, i was in a well lit area of the interstate and no harm resulted from this incident. *tr

1. unable to determine any event or cause of headlight failure 2. either one of both of the headlights will go out intermittently, sometimes frequently and sometimes not. it is not possible to tell during daylight driving when they go out. both have gone out at the same time while driving at night. turning the switch off and back on will cause the lights to come back on. two toyota dealers have told me that they aren't sure what the problem is, but they want me to pay to have both headlights replaced at around $500 before they will try anything that is covered under warranty. *tr

I have a 2007 package 5 toyota prius and the headlights keep going in and out. this happens randomly while i'm driving and alternates headlights. usually if i switch the lights off and turn it back they both come on. this was brought to my attention by a friend who noticed i had one headlight out. otherwise i'll randomly notice it in the reflection of the car in front of me. last night both headlights went out while i was driving on the interstate. this is very dangerous and we as drivers may not even notice. it puts me as well as other drivers at risk. i looked online at forums and it looks like this is a common issue for the prius' and it costs $2000+ to repair. i think that toyota should have to issue a recall for this before someone gets seriously injured. they sold a faulty product and should be responsible for resolving the issue. *tr

Hid headlight goes out intermittently. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius. the last few weeks my headlights flicker and then turn off with no warning. sometimes only 1 light goes out but usually they both do given the time. this is a huge safety hazard if you are on a curve road and then all of a sudden see nothing. toyota dealer says my warranty gold plus 6 years 100k miles does not cover this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated the headlights would intermittently fail without warning and would often flicker from on to off repeatedly. the headlights were replaced by the contact yet the failure persisted. the contact stated the headlight was replaced three times within one year. the manufacturer advised there was not a recall for the failure and disregarded the failure as a safety issue. the manufacturer would not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000 and the current mileage was approximately 108,000. updated 10/21/10.*lj the consumer also stated the brake and taillights failed as well. updated 10/25/10 updated 11/15/10 * bf the consumer stated she will be contacting toyota again, as the headlights are not performing as they should. while on her way home, the headlights started blinking on and off, until finally they went completely went out. updated 11/26/10. *jb updated 01/06/11 *bf updated 03/02/11

2007 prius. ~43k miles noticed intermittent outages on passenger side head light. mentioned this to dealer, who said he could change the bulb, but it could be the computer, and that was an expensive repair. a few months later, now at 53k miles, both headlights went out without warning. could turn them off and on again, and they would work for about 90 seconds before one or both of them would fail again. driving down the highway and being caught in pitch black for the few seconds necessary to turn my lights off then on again was not sustainable. i was 2 hours from home at 9:30 pm. had to find alternative lodging, and continue trip in daylight. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota prius with 24,000 miles on the clock. my driver's side high intensity discharge headlamp has failed prematurely. my toyota dealership has quoted me $193 for a replacement headlamp and over $350 to have them replace it. this is outrageous. i have also seen on various online bulletin boards that this is a consistent problem with prius and that toyota is not accepting responsibility for what is clearly a defect. *tr

The headlight on the passenger side of my 2007 toyota prius goes on and off while driving. this can happen at different times without any regular pattern which can cause me to get pulled over by the police. the same thing occurred with the headlight on the driver's side and had to be replaced. this is a dangerous safety defect. *tr

2007 toyota prius, purchased new, now 46k miles, hid headlamp failure, stopped by police, hard to troubleshoot, oem part too expensive, looking for affordable replacement, unsafe / illegal to drive with one headlamp. *tr

2007 toyota prius - 33000 miles - driver side headlight keeps going out intermittently causing potentially dangerous night time driving conditions. if i turn the light switch on and off the light comes back on but goes off again a short time later. *tr

Both 07 prius headlights intermittently go off. took to dealer and was diagnosed as headlight bulbs were going out. for lifetime bulbs to last just 2 years isn't near a lifetime bulb. dealer states the cost per bulb was $175. this issue has been happening the last 2 months. *tr

While driving, the headlights to my 2007 prius go out. at first this happened only to the left headlight,then a few months and many miles later,both headlights go out while driving. so,as i am driving either the left headlight,right headlight,or both will go off unpredictably and sporadically. i have been driving like this for about 15k to 20k miles.if the problem was the light bulb,as the dealer told me,i think it would have gone completely out by now. from what i have read it sounds like the lighting system is faulty in some way.however,toyota corp is not taking responsibility for this issue. when my lights first went out, i knew immediately i needed to turn the light switch to the "off" position, and then back to the "on" position to get the lights back on. i knew this because when toyota sent out information on the floor mat and accelerator defect (witch led to a recall on the accelerator pedal) they also sent out information on the headlight defect. where is the headlight recall?! in these information sheets toyota laid out directions on what to do if your accelerator pedal got stuck, as well as what to do if you lights "happened" to just shut off. so when a notice like that comes out,i assumed this meant toyota would fix the problem on the house. so,when i had this problem,and went in to the dealer for my oil change,i mentioned it,and said i would like to have the issue fixed. i did not expect to get a quote and be charged to fix toyota's quality control issue. *tr

The hid headlight in my 2007 toyota prius isn't working quite right! after a few minutes of running the headlights, the driver's side just turns off. if i turn the headlights off and back on again, it works just fine. i've read that this is a documented problem so i wanted to have my problem put on record. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. her passenger side hd headlights failed, which subsequently reduced her visibility. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a technician concluded that both head-lights needed to be replaced at an expense of $400.00. the vehicle was not repaired, because she believes that the manufacturer should assume responsibility. the failure mileage was 52000. the current mileage was 57000. updated12/11/09 *bf updated 12/11/09. *jb

The hid headlights on my 2007 toyota prius are beginning to go out for a matter of seconds while i am driving at night. my car has 37k miles on it, and i feel it is entirely too early for these headlights to be going out, when they are supposed to last longer than conventional headlights. *tr

The headlight on my 2007 toyota prius, flickered and quit functioning. the car has 27,000 miles and the repair is around $500. is a recall in process? *tr

Headlights intermittently turn off; occasionally both headlights will turn off at the same time. *tr

Prius headlight failure. possibly related to preliminary evaluation pe09-019. for about the last 12 months, i've noticed in reflections in bumpers, and store glass, etc... that either one or the other of my headlights have been turning off while driving. it's more than just an annoyance due to the fact that i can barely see when one (possibly both?) of the headlights is out and i'm driving on a road that does not have street lights. at first, i was going to order a bulb, but then when i tried to figure out which one was out, they would both work. i was told by a police officer on my last trip to maine that i had a light out (not a traffic stop), and i explained the issue, and he suggested i check to see if there were any recalls. i found pe09-019 during a web search, and would like to have my complaint added. the more investigation i do, the more i realize that this happens just about every time i drive. *tr

While driving at night, the drivers side headlight went out with no warning. this is the third time this has happened. this time, a police officer issued me a verbal warning since he saw the light go out. no action has been taken to correct the problem as i was just beginning to research the cause of the problem. the lights will come back on. *tr

2007 toyota prius - head lights shuts off while driving. *tr

2007 prius with 45k miles. headlights have started to intermittently go on and off . can turn the lights completely off then back on and the headlight will come back on. so far, just the driver side headlight. i notice the headlight flickers and fades in intensity as well. *tr

Headlights on my 2007 toyota prius go on and off randomly. both went off at same time almost causing me to wreck. started at 40k miles. out of warranty and dealer wants to replace bulbs for $568.00. this is a rip off and a safety issue. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota prius. in july 2009 one hid headlight began flickering. the dealer told me he would have to remove the bumper to replace the headlight and recommended i replace both headlights at the same time. i did and the total cost $545. the vehicle had 44,000 miles at the time and only 2 years old. i wrote a letter to toyota complaining about the failure of the bulb so soon, the poor design that required the bumper to be removed, and the total cost...i never received a response. this year i was the recipient of the "2006-2009 model year prius hid headlight customer support program". i sent in all of the required information and was recently told i would receive $51 from the program. that is a far cry from the $545 i spent. *tr

On my 2007 toyota prius, i am having intermittent front headlight (hid) failure. i have less than 30k miles on the car and have noticed that the front driver's side hid works and then doesn't work, then comes back on. i have not gone into the dealership yet, but i have read hundreds of forum postings at http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html that all have had the exact same problem with no resolution from toyota. this is a safety hazard!!! *tr

The headlight on my 2007 toyota prius touring has started to randomly turn off. if i shut them off and turn them back on both headlights come on. stopped by state cops for only one headlight but when he had me turn them on both were there. $228.00 to replace one bulb. waiting to see if it is fixed. 37000+ miles on car. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius. at some time in july of 2009, after about 34,00 miles, the driver side hid headlamp began to intermittently dim or fail, but when the headlamp switch was turned off and then on again it would temporarily resolve. this type of failure - either dimming or going dark - would then happen again sometime in the next 30 minutes to 24 hours. i find this dangerous since one never knows when one is driving with one headlamp out unless one keeps checking. i have taken it to the dealership today but do not yet know whether it is under warranty or not. in any event, based on other complaints i have seen in the nhtsa database, i believe this may be a generic problem with the hid headlamps or other electrical parts in prius of the 2006 and 2007 years, so i thought i should report my experience. if this problem persists or re-appears after putative repair, i will file another complaint or will amend this complaint (not sure whether i can do the latter). *tr

My 2007 prius high intensity display (hid) headlights fail intermittently. the driver's side began failing in spring 2009, and by winter, the passenger side light was also failing. there is a toyota service bulletin on the problem, but i am having trouble getting the problem fixed. toyota customer experience hotline gave me a case number and said they would reimburse me the cost of replacement (parts and labor), but the dealer said the reimbursement will only cover the lights (which are defective and will fail again until toyota recalls the lights on the market and replaces them all). also, toyota customer experience would not commit to reimbursing the cost of repair until the problem had been diagnosed by the dealer, which is problematic because the lights always work when they are initially turned on and when they are re-started. this is very dangerous, obviously. *tr

I have a 2007 prius and the headlights are blinking out. the dealership wanted 500+ dollars for the repair, saying they had to take the bumper off. i have since found out its just the bumper cover, not the bumper. the problem is in the electrical system, and this seems to be a prevalent problem with the priuses. *tr

I had no warning leading up to the failure with my headlights. the failure involves both headlights going off while driving. this failure started in july 2009 and continues whenever the headlights are on. the result is total darkness at night while driving creating a serious safety issue. the first time it occurred was on an unlit road with many curves nearly causing me to go off the road. i was able to stop without crashing and turned the headlight switch off and then on again; the headlights came back on, i continued driving and after a few seconds it happened again. in has now become a process of turning the headlights off and on constantly while driving at night. we drive the car as little as possible after dark. i have contacted the toyota dealership where the car was purchased and was told the headlight bulbs needed to be replaced and the cost per light bulb was over $350 each plus labor which is also very expensive due to the need to remove the front bumper in order to change the bulbs. i am looking at least $1000 just to replace two light bulbs!!!! i was given no other options and the technician told me i would still have to replace these every one or two years. i searched online for others having this same problem and found that it is a very common issue and many people are having this same problem. i called the dealer again to ask about replacing the high intensity lights with the conventional headlights used on models without high intensity headlights. although the conventional lights are available for the prius they will not interchange with the high intensity bulbs without major wiring harness changes. i was also told that even the prius with the conventional bulbs needed front bumper removal to change. *tr

Headlights on 2007 toyota prius intermittently flicker on and off. currently, manually turning the lights on and off temporarily fixes the problem, but the problem still remains. i was told by the toyota dealer, where we bought the car, that i need to replace the ballast and both bulbs, which is expected to be ~$1400. i've read that this is a common problem for the prius (2004-2008) that is usually noticed at around 40,000-45,000 miles; my prius has ~40,000 miles. my prius is currently no longer under warranty, but was told that the required parts are not under warranty anyway. *tr

I have a 2007 prius that has intermittent headlight problems. the right headlight will sporadically go off and on. it has been to the dealer twice with the last time the dealer blaming it on low battery charge. well the battery is charged and it still refuses to work. at this point it is unpredictable as to whether or not it will be working at any specific time. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius with 62,000 miles. at 45,000 miles i noticed the hid headlight would go out a short time after they were turned on. if the light were turned off and back on the headlight would stay on for a short time and then go out again. toyota said i could try changing the bulbs. i had bulbs replaced at 60,000 miles with the appropriate hid bulbs. the headlight on the driver side still goes out a minute or two after tuning the lights on and will light up again if the lights are turned on and off; however, the headlight goes out after a minute or two. through the internet i have learned that this has been a chronic problem that many other toyota prius owners have experienced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving 15 mph the passenger side headlight failed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was 35,000. the current mileage was 40,000. the vin was unavailable.

Vehicle has 70,000 miles, 2007 prius. both headlights go off at random. turning them off and back on will correct the problem temporarily until they go out again. dealer says its the bulb shorting out $600 will correct the problem. i'm waiting to get the car home to keep the lights on while at a stand still to disprove theory of bumps in the road causing short. *tr

Passenger side headlight went out during road trip and out for about 3 days, but then came back on again suddenly (i did not realize it--someone else saw it from outside and told me). some other prius owners have also complained of headlights suddenly going out and then some time later coming back on again and replacing lamp or other things does not help. this is dangerous because drivers cannot tell while driving that the light has gone out and particularly dangerous on poorly lit roads at night. please investigate. *tr

Toyota prius 2007, 34000 miles: intermittent headlight failure. hid type headlights. the driver's side headlight goes out intermittently, and can be turned back on by turning lights all the way off and on again. it happens often. the brights on that side also go out. i will contact my dealer and toyota tomorrow for a repair. seems to be a common problem amongst prius owners with this type of headlights, as noted with a internet search. *tr

2007 toyota prius - diver side headlamp goes out intermittently while driving. if the headlight switch is turned off and then on again then the lights go on again. failure repeats itself. *tr