Problems with 2008 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The 2008 prius has a digital display. sometimes when the vehicle starts up there is no information displayed on the screen. nothing shows what gear (reverse, neutral, forward) it is in. there is no speedometer display. no odometer display. no fuel level display. at the same time that the dash does not light up, i have noticed there is no backup camera or backup lights when the vehicle is in reverse. in addition to the above, the start button will not fully shut down the car. it will cycle between accessory mode and full start when the button is pressed. i have noticed that when the problem is happening the vehicle is also not keeping track of the miles driven while the dash is not displaying - so when the dash does start working again, the odometer is not showing true mileage. after getting the vehicle to finally shut down, i have sometimes had the issue not present the next day at startup. other times it will last through several starts and stops. i have read online that this problem is consistent with a faulty combination meter. and i feel it is a safety issue.

For the third time i have had to replace my brake light switch, this is a safety issue as it affect how the brake lights work. the break light switch, when malfunctioning prevent or inhibits the vehicle from starting properly. if the switch fails while driving, it can cause problem with the battery regeneration, this is in addition to causing a driving hazard while driving.

The dim headlight only, not the bright, only on the drivers side front goes out 4 or 5 times a year. the front brights are not affected and have never gone out nor has the dim headlight on the passenger side front ever gone out. the car is driven daily usually and on city streets only.

Headlights turn off or flicker while driving. it happens intermittently. it is a major safety issue when driving at night as it nearly caused an accident. using the high beams helps for a short period but the headlights still turn off on their own. turning them off and on brings them back on most of the time but only for a short period of time.

The headlights will suddenly fail, either one at a time, or more recently both at the same time when night driving. i am able to flip the switch to turn one back on but now the passenger light will not come back on at all. i am driving at night when i notice this happening but it probably also happens in day light.

While driving at night, left headlight goes out intermittently (about every 3 minutes). i have to turn lights completely off then on again to reset. this is ongoing and appears to be happening more frequently with time.

Headlights shut off while driving at night. i received two warning tickets from highway patrol as i was driving back from ft. worth to nacogdoches, but when i stopped, both headlights were working. then as i was driving, both headlights (with bright lights on) turned off. had to pull over and then they started working again.

The passenger side headlight turns off unpredictably, usually within 10 minutes of driving time. turning the lights off and back on sometimes gets the headlight to turn back on, but not always. then within 10 minutes it will turn off again. not only is this a safety issue and driving violation, i also cannot sell the car with non-functioning headlights.

The lighting system has electrical markings on the relay and fuse blocks for daytime running lights, with no daytime running lights installed. headlight and license plate light systems works intermittently. causing bulbs to fail.

For several years our toyota prius has exhibited the following issue: intermittently, and without warning, when you start the car the dashboard does not light. as a consequent, you cannot not see the speed you're driving at, the fuel level of the car, any warnings such as check engine, low tire pressure etc, and you're not able to use a number of other important features such as cruise control. in addition, you are not able to turn off the car when you reach your destination. because you cannot turn off the car, you cannot lock it. undisclosed to customers, there has been for several years an extended warranty being offered by toyota, to the dealerships, to fix this problem (warranty policy bulletin, pol 12-05). this information is provided only to dealerships. as i customer, i never received information about this extended warranty. i only found out about it via other customers. our local toyota dealership (toyota of olympia) has refused to apply the extended warranty and fix the problem. we contacted the dealership several years ago about the issue, which they have a record of. toyota customer service also refuses to help us get this issue fixed and apply the extended warranty. the case number with customer service is 1812072507. both toyota and the dealership state that the customer most replicate this intermittent issue to a dealership mechanic before either entity will authorize fixing the issue. several weeks or months may go by before the issue appears and it appears only for an unpredictable duration before "going away", so this is an impossible burden of proof for the customer -- the customer has to take the car to a dealership at the moment the intermittent issue occurs, and must arrive at the dealership and get the mechanic to immediately drop their other work in order to hopefully witness the issue before it "goes away".

The right headlight intermittently goes out. sometimes it takes repeated attempts turning off and on to get it back on. both ballasts and hid lamps have been replaced, yet this intermittent problem persists. i know of many complaints but do not know if toyota has an open recall on this important safety issue.

Highlights go out intermittently. usually can reset by turning on and off. definitely a hazard. may have caused an accident. regularly getting told light is out. stopped by police for lights out. does not appear to be loose connection or bad bulb.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. while driving at night, the headlights failed to operate. kalispell toyota (2845 u.s. 93 s, kalispell, mt 59901, (406) 755-6060) replaced the bulbs, which cost over $600. the contact found a warranty that expired in september of 2018 after the vehicle was bought used on september 28, 2018. the dealer did not address the main issue of a possible computer board malfunction in the vehicle that may have to be replaced at an additional cost. the failure mileage was 71,000.

One headlight or the other or both go out randomly.

Headlights have been replaced more than once and now are flickering again and have gone out completely. this has been an ongoing problem since it was new. dealer has not resolved the problem nor given us a reason why.this is becoming a very expensive problem, we were told that there was a recall but we were not notified. we love the prius except for this,

Electrical issue with headlight - drivers side front headlight turns off within 2-3 minutes. i've replaced the bulb and the issue persists, and many prius owners have faced a similar if not identical issue. if you turn the lights off and on again, it turns back on but only for a few minutes. seems like a wiring issue and there should be a recall.

The hid headlamps flicker and turn off by themselves randomly while driving. sometimes only the drivers side turns off and then later the passenger side, but sometimes both sides turn off at the same time while the vehicle is moving at various speeds. this is very dangerous especially when it happens while driving at night at high speeds on a dark road. it happened at speeds of 60mph while on a 2 lane highway late at night and at lower speeds such as 30-45mph on city streets. the headlamps also flicker and randomly turn off while the vehicle is parked with headlights on. the only remedy is to completely shut off and turn back on the headlamps and then they work for a few minutes then turn off randomly again. this is a recurring issue. these cars should be issued a recall for this problem. this is a serious safety issue.

Both headlights in the front of my car have burnt out multiple times and it happened again today. one first went out in 2010 when the car had 35k miles on it and each light has been replaced at least twice since then each time costing $300-400. most recently the replacement lights have not even lasted six months. this is not only expensive and a major annoyance but also a safety hazard when driving at night. i feel that toyota should provide a proper fix for this problem and compensate me for the multiple times i have needed to pay for the repairs.

When driving at night, headlights will go out on their own, left, right, or both at same time. have to turn light switch off and on till they come back on. driving on road or highway. smooth road. so now i can't drive after dark.

Driver's side headlight goes off after driving a few minutes. turning off the lights and turning them back on resets the headlight back on, for a short time, and then goes off again. this is a serious safety hazard and toyota should fess up to the design flaw and recall all the affected cars and fix the problem.

Combination meter is defective, light panel, including speedometer & fuel levels go dark, unable to tell speed of vehicle or remaining fuel, multiple incidents, all began (thus far) while vehicle was stationary.

Driver side headlight randomly shuts off while the vehicle is in motion. have replaced the bulb and fuses, but the problem persists.

My mother has a 2008 prius that has two serious issues that toyota has acknowledged and even offered to fix under what they call a support program. sounds great right? here's the problem. 1. she never received a letter notifying her of the problem and that it needed to be fixed (and only now that the issues have become her issues is she aware there was a recall and 2. toyota set a time frame to fix these issues which she is now past. again, sounds like they tried to do the right thing? the first issue is an internal leak causing her brake booster to malfunction (which is a toyota issue, not an age or wear and tear issue) and the second issue is that there are no lights on her dash board(combination meter) which means that for a prius, there is no way to tell your speed or gas levels. so take that in. she has a car, that has two major issues, one of which toyota fixed up until dec of 2017 and the other dec of 2016 and are caused by faulty parts and labor by toyota, and they will no longer fix these. the break issue cost $2400 and the dash $800. for an issue that is caused by toyota not the driver or wear and tear and is a serious safety issue. this is the kind of company toyota really is. several years ago my mom received about 14 letters stating she needed to come in and replace her floor matts because they were part of a recall. floor mats! she's received recall issues on her door lock among other things that she promptly had fixed. she took her car to the toyota dealership many times and no one ever mentioned these issues or "support programs". but breaks and dashboards aren't as important as floor mats or door locks. i would love for toyota to explain to me and everyone else, how something they acknowledge is a toyota issue, has an expiration date to get fixed by them.

Both headlamps will intermittently shut off while driving. first started with the right side headlamp turning off then progressively both are now turning off while driving at night creating an unsafe driving situation.

Headlights intermittently go out when driving at night. the vehicle is in motion on an interstate or even a 2 way highway. i am able to use light switch to turn off and turn on again, but will happen again while driving. have not repaired as of yet, but have read about several issues of this sort with this model. have stopped driving at night because of these issues. this has been getting worse every time i drive this vehicle. started with 1 headlight, now it is both.

Headlight will unexpectedly turn off, despite working bulb. this happens without warning when driving. both headlights will work fine for a while and then one will turn off, even though the headlight bulbs are ok. we bought the car used around 2014 and has happened about 4 times a year since then. no other problems with car.

The headlights go dim and /or shut off as i am driving. this problem usually starts with the right headlight shutting off and sometimes both will go dim or shut off completely. both lights work initially on startup and shine bright at first but immediately dim to a lower level and then as i drive they will dim or the right light will turn off or sometimes both turn off all together. they will come back on if i turn off and back on the headlight switch.

Headlight high beams and low beams sporadically stop functioning while driving. toyota has known about this problem for years and failed to remediate problem or notify owners. problem stems from a faulty ballast in headlight assembly.

For over a year now we have had major issues with our prius headlights going out while driving at night on freeway, local streets and sitting parked. you can turn the lights off and back on and the lights will work again. the lights at this point will go out about every other minute or two. this is a serious and dangerous problem that needs to be recalled by toyota.

The passenger headlight turned off and refused to go on so i removed it and put it back. it worked for a month longer, then blew up. i just put in a brand new bulb which turns on, then immediately goes out. after checking online, this appears to be an ongoing issue which toyota hasn't addressed. i don't know what to do.

Had a blown right side headlight. i had it replaced and now headlight comes on and turns off and sometimes stays off. only one dose it.

Replaced the headlight, after a few months the new headlight shuts itself off. have to turn the headlights off and back on to get the headlight to come back on. this happens while driving and you never know when the light shuts it's self off.

I had the dealer check driver side light, said it was good. after very recently purchasing my pre-owned prius i did a night test drive. the driver side headlight would dim then go out. during a nighttime emergency, all the lights went out while traveling a back country road, i flipped the switch and they came back on, only to go off again while traveling the highway, flipped switch again to turn on again. upon investigating the problem, i found this is an ongoing problem. why is there no recall??????? this is extremely dangerous and scary!!!!!!!! this is happening every time headlights are on and in motion!!!!!!!! recall now!!!!!!!

The headlights flicker all the time - then both will automatically, randomly turn off during night driving...extremely dangerous

Right front light began failing sometimes recently, apparent at night, occasional. left front light quit for awhile yesterday, then relit and worked for awhile. both are unreliable and replacement is complicated, expensive, and does not work often it appears. we will try replacement of bulbs, it is unreliable and headlights are required at night to work, always! pure scam it seems, by toyota and us governance, both for sale, so sad. let us buyers beware.

The hid headlights go out while driving every couple of months and need to be replaced. this is a known issue to toyota who has made no attempt to fix it. consumers are being told by dealers that they need a new hid computer at their expense ($1800). it is dangerous to be driving at night and have your headlights go out! the only "fix" besides spending a ton of money on the new computer is to replace the bulbs every 3 months, which is crazy.

I have replaced my headlights twice and they still will go out. they switch from passenger to drivers side headlights going out. they go out while driving on the highway which is extremely dangerous. i have spent over $400 trying to fix this safety problem with no solution so far.

I had a headlight failure a few weeks ago. it came back on after a few days. now the other one is out! this is dangerous.

Starting about a year ago, our prius headlights have begun to fail while driving car. it first started with the left headlight going out occasionally while driving, and now it is happening to both headlights while driving. at first i thought i hadn't turn headlights on or i had a burned out bulb. now it seems to happen all the time. if i turn headlights off and back on tends to temporarily resolve issue. however, problem seems to be getting worse as time goes by.

I have three major problems with my 2008 prius. #1 the engine intermittently, will not turn off when parking the car. #2 the dash lights also intermittently will not come on, affecting my ability to see how fast i am going on the highway or streets, it also prevents me from seeing how much gas is left in the tank. #3 the outside air and air conditioner, also will not work, intermittently.

The passenger light keeps failing when it is on at night when i am driving. it has started to happen more and more. it is definitely dangerous. i have already been pulled over once for the headlight being out.

Pasdanger headlight goes on and off without cause and at will

The headlights flicker or/and turn off without notice and quite often, regardless if the vehicle is stationary or in the middle of the freeway at night. replacing the hid bulbs doesn't remedy the problem. this may be very dangerous.

I bought my 2008 toyota prius from by boss in june 2016. when i bought the car the passenger headlight was out, so i bought a new one and had it replaced. for the past few months i have noticed that the driver side headlight goes out just out of the blue, it comes on when i turn the lights on and it may stay on for an entire trip or it may just stay on for a few minutes. i can turn the lights off and back on and it will come on and like i said, it may stay on the entire trip or just for a few minutes. i haven't noticed any specific thing that makes it go off such as road condition, weather, it will even go off while sitting in the driveway. i have had it checked for loose connections, wire damage and none was to be found. i have read that this has been an issue for several people that have the prius. this has caused me to be pulled over and fortunately the officer understood, once i showed him that it comes on and i explained that i can't determine when or if it will go out, and he gave me a warning. this is also very dangerous with limiting lighting for visibility while driving at night.

Just purchased this vehicle. left headlight will flicker a few times and then go out. the whole light is off, both low and high beams will not work. if i turn the lights off and then back on it will work again.

The headlights turn off randomly as i'm driving. it happens at any speed (even when i'm stopped) and on any road, in any condition, in any weather. sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. it makes driving at night both a hassle and hazardous.

The drivers side headlight will go out while driving the car. this happens without warning and with no apparent resaon. toyota fixed the problem under warranty in 2009, however the problem is still happening. this is a true safety defect with this car!! toyota knows about it but has not offered to fixed the problem beyond their warranty extension of five years and 60k miles. i must say it's quite uncomfortable to be driving at night on ther highway and other un-lit roads and have one of your headlights go out. this safety defect is expensive to fix. $800.00 to $2400.00. depending on how may defective parts need to be replaced!! i contacted the local toyota dealer and the national toyota customer service center. i opened a case with them (171-0041862). however toyota did not offere to fix the safety defect on my car.

My 2008 toyota prius has hid headlamps. when the vehicle was still under warranty, aon of the headlamps went out, so i took it to toyota, and they replaced the burned out headlamp and also replaced the other headlamp, saying that there was a problem with the headlamps, and the new headlamps should solve the problem. i had to replace another headlamp at about 80,000 miles, and the opposite side headlamp at about 90,000 miles. since i replaced the last headlamp, the right one, it went out again, so i replaced it again. now that same headlamp keeps going out, and then it goes back on, it doesn't appear to be heat related, as sometimes it is off when i first start the car and shortly thereafter, it comes on. if i flash the bright switch back and forth it makes no difference. it always seems to be the low beam. if i repeatedly flash the hi-low switch, eventually the low beam will go out, then if i turn the light switch off and on again, the low beam returns back on. i have replaced the lamp with one that i thought was burned out and the same thing happens. i have checked on line, and have read how people taking their prius to the dealer are being charged from $300.00 to $4000.00 for changing various parts, and still are having the same problem. i have bee stopped by the police twice for having 1 headlight out, and i never know when it is going to be out. i have read of some people having the problem with both headlights, and know that it is an accident just waiting to happen. i have even tried to see if there was an option available to change the headlights from hid to halogen, but could not find any such option available. since this seems to be a widespread problem, and an obvious safety issue, shouldn't toyota step up and offer a solution? i would appreciate if this problem could be investigated. thank you. *tr

Two problems 1. in cold or cooler weather, my dash does not display. after sometimes 1 hour, it will suddenly turn on. also, when the dash does not display the car does not turn off, unless i hold the start button for a long time. also the rear view camera does not work. also my smart key does not start the car, unless inserted. 2. sometimes my headlights and running lights do not work. it always happens in an alternating manner. if my front right head light is not working, then my rear left running light is not working or vice a versa. this problem also appears and goes away at random intervals. i have checked and there was a recall for the combination meter, but when i called toyota customer experience center, they told me that the recall expired. i was not informed of the recall and even when i searched on line, no recalls show up. what do i do? can i still have toyota fix this problem? the lighting issue seems to be related to a faulty hid computer. again, no recall shows up, can i get this fixed? i have been pulled over one time by police, and am afraid of driving at night because of this problem. this has been ongoing, intermittently, since last winter.

I bought my 2008 prius used in 2016, the headlights worked for a little while, then they started to randomly shut off. sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. i have replaced the headlights twice and it is still happening. i have googled this problem and there are several people saying their prius' are having the same problem. toyota refuses to fix the issue.