Problems with 2008 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Left front headlight on 2008 toyota prius keeps going off. *tr

Driver's side hid headlight spontaneously failed, both high and low beams, was able to continue driving with only passenger-side headlights but was concerned they might fail as well. car is less than 2 years old; dealer covered replacement under standard toyota prius warranty. *tr

Hid headlights on 2008 toyota prius began to dim suddenly and stay dim. flashing lights on and off temporarily brighten the lights but they become dim again. happens constantly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. on october 28, 2009 both headlights failed. he turned the vehicle off for a few minutes, and then the head-lights turned back on. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. he will contact the manufacturer. the current and the failure mileages were 60,000. the vin was not available.

I was driving my 2008 toyota prius on the highway at night, and both headlights suddenly cut out. i immediately pulled over, put the car in park, and flipped the head light switch back and forth. in doing this, both lights came back on and remained on for the remainder of my trip. the following day the driver's side light went out, but came back on after i flipped the headlight switch back and forth. the car continues to have this same headlight issue on a daily basis, though it is typically the driver's side headlight that goes out. i first contacted the dealership, and they encouraged me to merely change the bulb. however, i investigated the problem further, and contacted toyota directly. they confirmed that they have had other cars with the same issue, and that the light will actually burn so hot, that a mechanism shuts them down, so that it doesn't burn up a sensor. they went on to say that they have issued a technical service bulletin because the bulbs should last longer, however they do not plan to issue a recall at this time. *tr

My right headlight goes off and sometimes it will come back on with me turning off the on the headlight. my wife today had the light turn off and the maintenance light came on. i tried to turn off then on but the light stayed off. i am going to have the vehicle towed 55 miles to the toyota dealer in redding ca. upon reading the prius chat site i have found out that this is a common problem with prius's with hid lights. this i feel is a factory problem and should not cost me anything to fix. thanks dennis swope *tr

Both headlights on our 2008 prius began flickering on and off, and ultimately would flicker off at night leaving us with no lights. if we turned the lights off and then on again, the lights would work for a few minutes then turn off again. the car was only two years old. when we took the car to the dealership, we were told we would need to replace both bulbs at a cost to us of over 600 dollars. *tr

The right head light will intermittently go out while vehicle is being driven. turning off the lights completely and then turning them back on will sometime solve the problem and the head lights will work for a while. driving visibility is greatly affected. since the problem is intermittent, i never actually know when both my headlights are working properly. and, turning the headlights off and on while driving is not really a safe thing to do. *tr

The hd headlights on my 2008 toyota prius go off at times. last night i was driving and both headlights went off, i tried the brights but they didn't work either. i pulled over to a gas station and turned of the car and restarted it. this time only one light came on and the brights worked only on one side. this happened in august too but then the lights came on again and there wasn't a problem. however in the past 3 days the problem has resurfaced. the bulbs are not burnt. i live in the mountains so it was very scary when the lights suddenly went off on the winding mountain road. *tr

I work in the field of law enforcement. i got off duty and was getting ready to leave when another officer notified me that my drivers side headlamp was not operable. as a peace officer i can testify that i've had numerous contacts with the owners of late model prius' pertaining to headlamps and tail lamps being inoperable. this is a serious safety issue and toyota needs to recall the vehicles and make the necessary repairs. i can say that the local toyota dealer fixed the issue immediately when i took it in for repairs. i told them i was not going to pay the $300.00 plus to fix the issue considering it's a common problem with the late model vehicles. the dealer is very reputable and fixed the vehicle without charge. now i'm concerned about the other head lamp and having it replaced before it goes out. *tr

I had a headlight go out. before i could get it fixed i noticed that it would come on when i turned the lights on and then fade out. subsequently, the other headlight went out while driving down the road, at night. i turned off the headlight switch and then turned it back on and the one light came back on. i took it to the dealer and they replaced one bulb. it lasted a week and then driving at night the lights went out again. i again turned the lgithts off and on and the came back on. i have researched this problem online. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=2h&oq=&ie=utf-8&rlz=1t4ggik_enus283us283&q=prius+headlight+problems. this is a clear safety issue that needs to be addressed. who is to say that someone hasn't been killed already. are there any unexplained prius accidents running off the road for no reason? *tr

Off and on high intensity discharge headlights on 2008 prius with nearly 23,000 miles. since october 2009 my right side hid headlight intermittently turns off. to get the headlight working again i have to pull over, turn the car off, wait a minute, then turn the car back on. once the light is on again, sometimes it will stay on for the remainder of my trip and other times it will go out again. this is dangerous, especially at night. this is definitely a safety issue. *tr

The headlights on my 2008 prius will intermittenlty fail, sometimes both at the same time while driving. the intermittent failure is daily, and will happen several times depending upon the duration of the drive.

The hid lamps in my 2008 toyota prius began flickering about 4 months ago. after being pulled over by an officer for an out headlight, i noticed the headlight would shut off at random times. the problem has only increased in frequency. one of the headlights now goes out about every 20 minutes; a couple of times they both have shut off at the same time. i keep my lights off during the day, but this has not helped the problem. i was lucky to not get a ticket from the officer, and even luckier to not wreck on the pitch black road when they both shut off at the same time. *tr

Safety issues with toyota 2008 prius headlight system. after living with poor headlight illumination and other headlight issues for about 19 months, i am registering what i consider to be significant safety issues. headlights: 1. not bright enough. 2. cannot be aimed to give distance illumination 3. blink off driving at night i have made numerous, mostly unresolved, trips to the dealer where we bought the car new. 1. it took two trips to the dealer, to resolve problems with the automatic system for raising and lowering the headlights. i was told the assembly has no shielding or seals to protect it from physical or corrosion damage 2. after alignment adjustments, the headlights continued to be aimed too low. with low beam they are so low that a pedestrian, bicycle, animal, more than about 30 feet away is very difficult to see at night. the high beam setting is somewhat better. we have had several close encounters with deer standing on the road and seeing them barely in time to avoid them. on several occasions i have not seen bicycles or people walking on the edge of the road in the dark again, avoiding them at the last second. the high beam the headlights are not bright enough to cause anyone to flash back at me when they approach from the opposite direction. i have the (expensive) high intensity lights. they have investigated auxiliary headlights for me but have nothing to offer, suggesting i go to an aftermarket person to install additional lights. (i am reluctant to do this, for reasons of complexity, and potential legality.) 3. i have made three additional round trips to the dealer for the problem of headlights (high and/or low beam) that turn off for no reason after driving a short period of time. luckily it is just one'.usually but not always the right side. one 'computer' has been replaced. the dealer's service shop personnel indicate all these are problems they have seen previously and are characteristic of the car. *tr

Toyota 2008 prius hid headlights randomly turn off (one at a time, usually not together) while driving at dawn, night or dusk. no repairs done at this time until toyota or the vendor who supplies toyota hid headlights, computer chip, electronics, software, sensors, etc. evaluate why this is happening. the workaround is drive to the side of the road and stop, and to unsafely turn the light switch off, then back on. it is unfair to the consumers to pay for replacement components, labor when the manufacturer(s) does not understand why this is happening (based on talking to service rep in july 2009, no service bulletins from toyota, at airport toyota in vandalia, oh). *tr

Hid headlamps began to randomly turn off on their own at around 34k miles. driver's side or passenger side; one or the other. paid for and replaced both hid lamps, but not controller computer. at 42k miles, problem returns. one time while driving at night, both headlights blinked off without warning. turning headlight controls off, then on again resolves the problem until problem recurs. lights may stay on for duration of trip, or turn off again after just a few minutes. *tr

The driver side hid headlight intermittently would turn off. once i discover my headlight is off, i can turn off my headlights completely and turn them back on immediately and have both headlights working again. initially i called the dealership and brought the car in but we were not able to reproduce the issue. as time goes by, the intermittent issue is becoming more often. the dealership has recommended that i have both headlights replaced when i called initially but i understand hid headlights should last longer than 1 year of usage. i have been driving with these issues for 3 years and the headlights still work as long as i monitor them consistently while i drive. *tr

Both front headlights go out without warning. the high beams work but one or both of the regular hit lights go out intermittently. the issue has been happening sine approx. 30,000 miles (the car is currently at 61000 miles). *tr

Passenger-side hid headlamp failed on my 2008 toyota prius at ~36,400 mileage. took it to dealer 2 days later and they said problem could be lamp or computer and that both were expensive ($300), but since lamp was on they could not investigate the problem. i took car back and once again light dimmed then flickered off while driving. i did some reading and found that this hid failure is a well-known defect on second generation prius. current mileage is 36,900 so not under warranty. placed call to manufacturer to find out if there is any remedy for this defect and they will get back to me w/in 24 hours. i will have to get a replacement since it is unsafe to drive at night in semi-rural area with on-again/off-again headlights. this is a safety issue and i hope we don't have to wait for a fatality, like with the floormats, to get some action. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. while driving 45 mph at night the driver-side headlight failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the headlights' computer chip was replaced. after the repair both exterior head lamps failed. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and both computer chips were replaced. the failure mileage was 24,000. the current mileage was 25,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailble. updated 10/29/09. *lj both headlights failed and were replaced. updated 10/29/09*jb

2008 toyota prius (touring model) -- driver side hid headlight began to fail in sept 2009. became more frequent as time elapsed (would occur 3+ times during 30 minute trip). turning lights off and back on temporarily resolved issue, but driver bulb would eventually fail again. resulted in reduced visibility and potential blind spot for driver in front of vehicle. researched online - suspected ecu. contacted toyota corporate around december 2009. was advised that ecu was not the problem - bulb repair suggested. dealer diagnostic suggested. did not go to deal to spend $100 to tell me a light bulb should be replaced. received notice jan 2010 that symptoms matching mine was due to headlight reaching end of life. ordered and attempted to replace bulbs in jan 2010. did not bring to toyota as cost to replace bulbs was at least 6x more that "do it yourself". attempt to replace bulbs resulted in mixed success. was able to get both hid headlights replaced and functioning (after passenger side or driver side would not remain on consistently). tested high beams - after high beams were disengaged both headlights went out, but headlight switch remained engaged. disconnected and reconnected wiring. only passenger side bulb functioned. afraid to use high beams and no faith in headlights. reluctant to spend hundreds of dollars to have dealer change bulbs, same problem occur, and spend hundreds or 1,000+ dollars. original bulbs retained and i will be putting them back in once weather is warmer. strong belief that bulbs are not to blame and ecu or other electrical component is at fault. dozens of similar issues reported online. *tr

Both headlight bulbs will go out when the vehicle is hot. it can be one at a time or simultaneously. additionally both tail light bulbs stopped working approximately 1 week prior. when the rear bulbs were replaced the headlight problem seemed to worsen. *tr

The right hid headlamp on my 2008 toyota prius has failed. the headlamp now goes on and off intermittently. i looked into replacing the bulb, but upon being told the cost would be up to several hundred dollars and not covered under warranty, i decided to find a bulb and replace on my own. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that as he was driving 40 mph his headlights shut off and he could not see which resulted in him hitting a dog. the manufacturer was notified and a representative stated that someone would return his call. the vehicle has not bee diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 60,160.

I have a hid headlight on a 2008 prius that appears to flicker and then goes out. the problem seems to be intermittent and was brought to my attention by a policeman. when i start the car at home the headlight comes on brightly. a few miles down the road the problem starts. repair cost is very expensive. *tr

My 2008 prius frequently had failure of one and both headlamps at the same time. i was unable to bring them back on by turning them on and off. they would reset after vehicle sat for a time. *tr

I have a 2008 prius with about 40,000 miles on it, the headlamps are turning off randomly. i quickly flip the switch off, then back on and they remain on for about 2 minutes, then fail again. very dangerous when on country roads. i keep the fog lights on as back up. just got back from dealer and they told me $400 to replace. ouch! i decided to take the risk and keep on driving due to the extremely high cost and no decent guarantee after the install. *tr

Both headlights went out periodically without warning making it unsafe to drive at night. then noticed the drivers side went out periodically and had to flip the switch for light to go back on. this happened for month or so. then it completely went out. then about month later - the passenger light would go out without warning leaving me with no lights while driving at night. by flipping the switch, the light would go back on for few minutes and then again shut off. car is a 2008 prius. this should not happen to a barely 2 year old car. there seems to be some sort of malfunction with the wiring, etc because the lights should not be going out so soon... *tr

Headlights on car go off while driving. i have to keep turning the switch off and on to get them back on. this is happening more and more. i will be driving on a dark road with no streetlamps and my headlights will go completely out. all of a sudden i find that i'm driving blind. . i have found that other prius cars are having this same problem. i have a 2008 prius with 41,000 miles on it. it's scary and very dangerous: http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html#comm... *tr

2008 toyota prius - hid headlights. lights turn off independently and intermittently. sometimes one, sometimes both. restarting vehicle will resolve problem temporarily, but they usually fail again. i contacted toyota experience hotline. a case manager stated that this is normal behavior for these headlights when they are starting to need replacement. this vehicle had 38000 miles when problem started. if the behavior were normal, wouldn't it be in the owners manual? a normal behavior wouldn't create such a safety hazard without some kind of warning light. for instance, when my tire pressure is low, a warning light comes on. we were only told to bring it to the dealer for inspection. *tr

I currently own a 2008 toyota prius, and formerly owned a 2003 prius. after approximately 30,000 miles, i was made aware by others that my driver's side headlight was out. after further investigation, i learned the lamp would turn on if i turned off the lights and then turned them back on again. i have since been pulled over three times due to a headlight being out. the function of the light has become very inconsistent- i conducted a road test of over 30 miles (auto mileage 47000) resulting in the drivers side lamp burning out seven times without relationship to driving conditions (speed, bumps etc). this is a serious safety hazard. i have paid almost $200 to toyota dealers who could not isolate a problem. since then, i carry the dealer info with me so when i get pulled over again, i can show the officer i have attempted to fix this problem to no avail from the manufacturer. since then i have discovered this is a common problem in this model. i have even seen other prius' with the driver's headlight out. *tr

2008 toyota prius headlight failure--headlights will go out at anytime. driver switches lights off then back on to regain headlight. dealer said it is a failure of the high density lamp assembly. entire assembly replacement is the only repair. cost of assembly is 250 dollars and 50 dollars to remove & install. *tr

Passenger side headlight suddenly went out. *tr

Headlights intermittently turn off while driving or parked. headlights must be cycled off, then on to make them work again. *tr

Toyota prius hid headlight unexpectedly turns off. car only has 42,000 miles on it. this is second headlight to go through this problem. first occurred at about 15,000 miles. replacement costs upwards of $300+. first light was covered under warranty. second, the dealer simply told me to "pinch pennies." *tr

Both the driver's and passenger's side high intensity discharge (hid) headlamps in my 2008 toyota prius have been flickering while driving over the last several weeks, creating a sudden unexpected hazardous limited visibility condition. there is less than 40,000 miles on the car, which i bought brand new from the dealer in november 2007. toyota's warranty does not cover the exorbitant repair cost of the prematurely expired hid bulbs, though there have been over 400 complaints against this defect. therefore i am filing an official complaint, and a suggestion for a full investigation into the possibility of a recall of the hid lamps. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius. my passenger headlight began to change color and intensity and then began to turn off while driving. then both headlights started to turn off while driving. the headlights will come back on if i turn the switch off and then back on. the headlights have been inspected at a toyota dealership who said that they need to be replaced. the dealership quotes $655 for this repair. after researching the problem, i have found this is a known defect among many prius owners. *tr

Passenger side hid headlight failure on 2008 prius touring model. the light failed suddenly while driving at night. it flickers when turning the headlight switch off then on again but does not reilluminate. mileage is 30. *tr

The hid bulb on the passenger side of my 2008 toyota prius with only 40k miles on it, goes out intermittently. if i turn my switch off and then back on, the bulb will come back on, for a little while. the dealership wants $300 to replace the bulb. the hazard of possibly losing the driver side light before i can get the passenger side repaired is of great concern. this is a continuing, constant problem. *tr

Defective hid headlights of prius by toyota. my 2008 toyota prius hid left side headlight began fading, intermittently ceasing and eventually ceased completely around 2nd week of july, 2009. the 100k mile bumper to bumper platinum extended warranty on the vehicle purchased from the toyota dealer when i bought the car would not cover this replacement. so, i had to pay $325 dollars on july 24th to replace it. that evening, the right side hid headlight began having the same gradual failure and it's now working weakly and intermittently. another $325 dollars will be needed to pay for it and i don't have it. for months, i have observed other prius with 1 headlight out and this is obviously a defective product. please investigate, punish and mandate a recall from toyota. *tr

Headlight passenger and driver side will intermittently turn off. if i turn off the headlights completely and turn them back on they will sometimes correct themselves and stay on for up to 15 minutes before turning off again. *tr

The driver's side hid headlight system malfunctions (light goes out) approximately 30-60 seconds after vehicle startup. the passenger side hid headlight system failed (replaced) nine months ago. *tr

Prius 2008 headlight go off and back on. dealer says this is a known problem but toyota has not done a recall. new light will be $500 plus labor to put it in. asked if this can happen with the other side and dealer says yes. *tr

The left headlight goes on and off. this is a recurring problem with 2008 prius according to other internet sites i have visited. there should have been a recall.

Headlights unexpectedly stop working. *tr

We have 2008 prius that first began having left headlamp go out when driving, we would have to pull over safe place along road turn mess with turning headlights on and off... created unsafe driving remainder of trip, aprox 200 miles night drive to get home with one headlight... not good on montana roads with wildlife prevalent on roadway... dealer replaced under warranty... two weeks later same trouble with right headlight while driving home at night from spokane wa. to bigfork, mt again dangerous 5 hr drive at night on freeway with poor visibility... this time dealer said they needed to replace both the right headlight and a computer sub assy... help.. both instances caused unsafe driving conditions, night with only one headlight with lots of wildlife crossing the hwy... and it is important to know we can not simply pull into service station and replace the headlight, it is a dealer only item that we are told involves removing the front bumper to replace... *tr

Constant headlight bulb replacement - serious safety issue - while driving on the highway a headlight bulb will go out; first on one side then the other side. bulb replacement has occurred every couple of months for several years now. what happens if both headlights go out at the same time??? i loose time from work to have the replacements done. why has there been no recall?

The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius go off intermittently and at random. it is a daily occurrence. sometimes it is the left sometimes the right. turning the headlights off and then back on will relight the headlamp that has stopped working. turning them off and then on while driving is not always easy to do and presents a safety problem since i am temporarily not visible to other drivers. on one occasion while making a left turn on an unlite street both headlamps went off and another vehicle almost hit me because i was not visible. i am not always aware that one of the headlights is out. i took the vehicle to the dealer and was told they did not see any problem with the headlights and i must have imagined it. so, i took video. now they say i need new bulbs at a cost of just under $400.00 each. i cannot afford it. this is a factory defect that i was never informed about prior to purchasing the vehicle brand new in september 2007. i have been taken advantage of. i would have never purchased the vehicle had i known or been informed of a problem. there are two additional undiagnosed problems. i am told that none will be covered by the dealership or the manufacturer. the cost of the replacement bulbs (which are also defective) will not be covered, regardless of how often i need to replace them. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that the passenger side headlight was dim, but the other headlight illuminated properly. she took the vehicle in for inspection, but the passenger side headlight was working normally at the time. a few days later, the failure recurred. while driving 15 mph, the passenger side headlight suddenly dimmed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the headlight began working normally again. the dealer replaced both headlights. through research, the contact found this to be an ongoing issue with her make and model vehicle. she believes that it is a safety hazard and a recall should be issued. the current and failure mileages were 23,000.