Problems with 2008 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Both headlights go out without warning, i can turn the headlights back on by turning switch off and then back on. in doing research i have found this is a common defect with the toyota prius years 2006-2009. why isn't this a recall? when getting an estimate to fix is up to a $1,000. i feel like toyota needs to step up before someone is hurt or dead from an accident pertaining to this issue. *tr

Water drops observed in both headlights most likely due to faulty seals in both headlights. went to several dealerships and i was told by one that this is "normal". this is my niece's car and i have several other vehicles and none of them have ever had water condensation in any of my headlights! i have also called other toyota dealers and get a mixture of whether or not this is a covered item under the certified pre-owned warranty. now that her warranty is coming close the end of term (12 months or 12000 miles) the dealership that she bought it from is balking at replacing the headlights. i don't know what the problem is, since i would think that the dealership would get reimbursed by toyota north america (similar to what my bmw dealership would). not sure if she has the halogens or the hid's, which have other complaints of random failures while driving. *tr

Approximately february of 2012 my headlights began to randomly turn off. if i turned the headlights off, and then on again, they would turn back on. however, since this first occurrence, both headlights would turn off. one will no longer turn back on. i have replaced the bulb ($300) and this did not fix the problem. i was told from the toyota dealership that the headlight computer would need to be replaced ($1800). to date, i have been pulled over approximately 5 times for driving without headlights. this is a huge safety issue. i am terrified that the safety of my two boys, along with myself is at stake. please investigate this. this is not o.k. *tr

I received a warning ticket for the driver's side headlight being out while using windshield wipers in rain. when i got home after less than 50 miles, both headlights were working. during the next 3 days both headlights were on every time i checked. on monday at about 5:30 pm the passenger side headlight was out. when checked several hours later only the driver side headlight was out. on tuesday i took the car to the gateway toyota dealer service at route 37 east and batchelor street in toms river, nj. there i was charged $521.56 for the replacement of both headlights. it took from 2 pm to 5:45 pm. in addition to this repair they wanted to do about a thousand dollars additional work. i purchased my prius from towne toyota in ledgewood, nj and take it there regularly for service. the most recent service was about jan. 12th, 2012. that dealer performed the regular 60,000 mile service and suggested no more. i have found information about this intermittent headlight problem on line and the class action suit. unfortunately, my car is beyond the mileage limit of 50,000 miles. my concern is safety should both headlights fail at once and that no warning about this problems comes from toyota. and i don't like getting tickets for problems that come and go. *tr

Each headlite goes out everytime youdrive now both headlites go out been doing it sometime dealer says 3200.00 to fix really the car only worth 4,000

Similar to other complaints regarding the headlight bulb on the toyota prius (http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/replacing-headlight-bulb-t910.html) when i turn them on to drive at night, after a couple of minutes the driver, passenger, or both headlights will go off (as if the bulbs have burned out) but if i turn off my lights and turn them back on, both lights will come back on and will eventually turn off again. in most cases when the headlights randomly turn off, both lights turn off when driving at night and i have to quickly turn off the lights and turn them back on so that i have temporary visibility with the headlights until they go off again. for example, my commute from work to home is roughly 45 minutes and every 5 - 7 minutes the lights will go off and i have to turn them off and then back on to regain visibility at night. for example on the forum, the following toyota prius owners had similar problems with their vehicle. 1) [xxx] 2) [xxx] 3)[xxx] 4)[xxx] 5) [xxx] 6) [xxx] 7)[xxx] list goes on and these complaints have been going on for at least 3 yrs. *tr

My passenger headlight will sporadically go out. shutting off and turning back on works, but the light dims and then goes off completely. i don't know how long it's been this way, but it is a recent occurrence. it happens whether the car is parked or in motion- no certain speed causes it to happen. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that his headlights would diminish slowly and over time they would not function. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised him that he needed to replace the bulbs. within a few months after the bulbs were replaced, the failure had recurred. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000. rvk

Hid headlights have failed twice on driver side and twice on passenger side. we continue to replace the bulbs and they continue to fail. *tr

I have had a recurring problem with the hid headlamps on my 08 prius. i have replaced one ecm module in the light do to moisture from an improperly sealed headlamp unit. since that time the same headlamp has begun to flicker on and off, working about 90% of the time in the beginning and now only working about 10% of the time. i thought that it might be related to the ecm that was replaced but just the other day the other headlamp began to flicker on and off as well. there are an abundance of prius owners who are blogging and commenting on forums about having the same problem. one website prompts users to report this incident to your site so that this safety problem will be resolved. *tr

Passenger side head light went out in november, 2011, tried to replace bulb myself, took to dealer who replaced it "free, under warranty!" now driver-side head light went out, called dealer, told no longer covered under warranty and referred to lawsuit which had toyota not taking blame or doing a recall but extended warranty to 5 years, 50,000 miles. but my car was at 60,000 miles in november. called dealer again and told that they did it as a "courtesy". huh? why? if they told me it wasn't covered but they were doing it as a courtesy, i would still be singing their praises. but instead, i feel i was lied to. so i took it to another dealer, repair cost $211. for about 5 minutes of work. from the lawsuit, i read that this can happen over and over again. my bf says that sometimes when i'm following him in my car, my light would randomly go out! definitely an expensive & dangerous problem w/ these great cars!! *tr

Prius 2008 headlights turns off intermittently. one can never be sure when or how if fails. at times it works fine then it does not. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights malfunctioned. the contact mentioned that the lights would flicker and if she would turn them off completely, they would resume normal function. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the headlights needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 75,000.

Hid bulbs turn off randomly while driving. the cost was over $700 to replace. *kb

While driving at night, the drivers side headlight will intermittently dim and then turn off. turning the light switch off and then back on will allow the lights to come back on but the drivers side headlight will immediately dim and then without warning turn off again. *kb

Intermittent hid headlight failure. headlights - passenger and/or driver side headlight goes out. replaced headlight bulbs (2x) - this did not fix the problem. turning off the headlights and turning them back on restores the light, however, the lights will again intermittently fail. on a longer trip, this can occur repeatedly. *tr

I have had intermittent trouble with headlights on either side of the car going out spontaneously while driving. i have been able to correct it by turning the switch off and then back on again and they come back on. i have now had an instant where both headlights went out at the same time. this is quite scary when you are traveling at 65 miles an hour with limited street lights. *tr

Around or just after 40,000 miles the right headlight on my 2008 toyota prius started turning off while driving. turning the lights off then on corrects the problem -- but this is annoying and dangerous when driving at night. *tr

Intermittent headlamp failure. *tr

In august 2011, a princeton, nj, police office stopped me to report that my right headlight was not working. on september 1, 2011, i paid lawrence toyota $281.84 to replace the right side headlight. later that month, when i drove home, i noticed that the right light was not shinging against the garage door. when i got out of the car, i saw the headlight was not working. early in october, the front end of the car was damaged by another vehicle, including both headlights. the body shop replaced the headlights. shortly after i took the car home, i notice both the left and right headlights failed randomly. while driving, i notice the light would not be uniform along the pavement. when traffic was stopped at a light, one light would reflect from the car in front of me. when i took the car back to the body shop, they confirmed that the lights would go on and off spontaneously. they replaced both lights and the "modulator" that governs the headlights. the problem persisted. they took the car to freehold toyota who "adjusted" the lights and modulator. when i drove the car away from the body shop, i light was higher than expected; reflecting off tree branches well above the car. a few days later, i drove the car to a store and noticed the right light was not shining against the wall of the building. a person the car that pulled in before me commented that the left leadlight was aimed so high that it blinded him, making his rearview mirror unusable. *tr

2008 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to both headlights failed while driving at night. *tgw the consumer stated the headlights did not flicker, nor was there any gradual flickering dimming of the lights. about a month before, one headlight went out. the next day, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but both headlights were operational and no repair was made. the dealer informed the consumer the lights were working and that the hid headlights sometimes exhibit an erratic behavior when they were in the process of failing. the consumer agreed to let the dealer replace the hid bulbs at a cost of $ 555.32. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced both headlights. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance with the repairs. the failure and current mileage was 39,000.

The headlight on the right side of the car goes out while driving. it comes back on when i turn the headlight off and turn them back on again. the headlight will go off again at different speeds. the headlight may go off multiple times when driving. this is a very large safety concern. *tr

My headlights turned them self off on any given time either one on a time or both at the same time same thing happens if the highbeams are on day or night to correct this problem temporarily you have to turn the lights on and off quickly and you have no guarantee how long it will stay on i spoke to the toyota corporation and they will not help because my car has 90,000 miles my car is 2008 to fix this problem the dealership is charging $1200 i have extended warranty on the car but electrical is not covered. *tr

My 2008 toyota prius headlights work intermitently. sometimes one side goes out, flickers or both go out. this occurred while driving at night on the freeway several times. i turned the light switch off and back on and the lights work again. it is extremely dangerous. i have contacted toyota and they say there is nothing they can do but replace the bulbs at a big cost. i looked on a blog and many are experiencing the same problem. this is a safety hazard. what can i do? *tr

Almost weekly my passenger side headlight goes very dim or out completely. i know it when i turn right as it is dark as i enter a side street until driver's headlight illuminates area. bulbs are $ 279 and new ones don't correct it. i keep getting defective equipment tickets as well. thank you *tr

Hid headlight bulbs go out and come back on sometimes both at the same time. i am told by many other prius owners that this happens a lot. *tr

The headlights have repeatedly burned out since the car warranty expired. the don't just slowly dim like other headlights. they go completely out of a sudden. i have had to replace headlights five times. *tr

Headlamp went off and on while driving. driver's side headlamp was replaced and now the passenger's side is doing the same thing only a couple months later. *tr

Both headlights and inside lights failed, suddenly and without warning, while traveling on a dark stretch of interstate highway at night. for the past two months, the right headlight failed suddenly on occasion, but it could be turned back on my switching off the headlights and then turning them back on. this is the first time all lights failed, and it almost caused a crash.

One headlight on my toyota prius keeps going out. 3 new lamps in just 6 months. it is only on the passenger side. *tr

Hid headlamp intermittent, replaced under warranty but has failed again @ 76,000 mi. *tr

I will start the car and both headlights are on then one or the other will just turn off, luckily both have not turned off at the same time. sometimes they can be on for a long time and sometimes a short time, there is no rhyme or reason for it. it happens all the time, enough that i was stopped by the police for having a headlight out. *tr

Condensation builds up inside the hid headlights during humid days, after rain, and after carwash. inside of headlight is streaked with water stains. *tr

Passenger side headlamp goes out and come back on intermittently-had to hold headlight switch manually to have headlight stay on. *tr

While driving at night i noticed the left headlight was out. when pulling into garage i turned lights off and back on and the left headlight had came back on. with knowing this i have noticed this repeating over and over again. if i turn the lights off and on again the headlight will come on again. it has also occurred that both headlights have gone out at the sametime. we were pulled over by the police for the headlight being out. so we turned the lights off and on again and the headlight came back on. this seems to be a on going problem with the hid headlights of the prius. this is a very dangerous situation! *tr

2008 prius; headlights go off randomly, and can be turned back on by recycling the off-on switch. this is very dangerous, as it has happened with my 15 year old son driving and he panicked when the lights went out. was told by dealer the would need to replace the bulbs (even though they still work) for $560, and that may not solve the problem. next step is to replace the computer which controls the lights for $1200. so, possibly $1,760 for headlights! this is a crime, and i feel like toyota and their dealer have raped me. i am totally disgusted. *ln

Headlights for 2008 prius keep burning out, toyota dealership replaced the bottom pair of lights last year and passenger side lights keep going off certain days. toyota is refusing to fix it, they want me to pay large amount of sum for new lights. *tr

Headlights on my 2008 toyota prius intermittently go out. the left side or the right side or both headlights at the same time. a very very hazardous condition at night! i checked the toyota site, but no sign of a recall going on. i can't understand why a recall hasn't already been issued, as i understand they are aware of the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact was driving 35 mph when the driver's side headlight failed to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the headlight needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 75,000.

Hid headlights flickering on and off - 2008 prius w only 28,000 miles. *tr

Purchased new 2008 prius august 13, 2008. has hid headlights. present mileage 45000. around january 15, 2011, first noticed headlights appeared to not be on in early evening. check switch, turned it off-on, headlights came on. 2nd time, 2 days later, lights again seemed to not be one, checked switch, which was on. turned switch off then on, lights came on. subsequent times, problem with driver side headlight intermittently turning off. sometimes turns on without doing anything, other times must turn switch off, then on. no noticed problem with passenger side headlight. dangerous when headlight switches off at night. noticed on websites that others experiencing same problem. contacted dealer from whom purchased vehicle. told that since car out of warranty, would have to pay for any diagnostic and repair costs (estimated $300-$500 cost). indicated problem is most likely bulb going bad, but couldn't guarantee repair work would fix problem. asked dealer why hid bulb goes bad after only 30 months of operation (have original headlights in 2004 chevy cavalier and 1976 gmc pickup). was told that should only expect 24 months of life with hid bulbs which contradicts what was told by dealer when car purchased that bulbs should last lifetime of car. toyota implies that issue is my problem to solve.

2008 toyota prius driver side hid headlight went out prematurely. *tr

The passenger side hid headlight went out suddenly, flickered back, and then went out permanently. *tr

The complaint is for the hid headlight system on a 2008 toyota prius. the driver's side headlight initially failed randomly and eventually failed completely. the problem would occur randomly while driving where the headlight would fail. the only way the light would turn back on would be to cycle the power to the headlights. more recently, this problem is now occurring with the passenger side headlight. the car now has 88k miles and continues to be a problem. to correct the failure, i brought the car in to a toyota dealer for repair. i was told that the driver's side headlight bulb was bad. i have not addressed the passenger side headlight at this time. *tr

Problems started in 2010 driver head light would go off, replaced the relay with no effect, just lived with it would turn the lights off and back on and would then work. now at 72,500 miles both head lights and all running lights go out while driving! you can't see anything and other drivers can't see you! very dangerous! water pump went out should have been covered with a recall a year later but toyota would not reimburse the part.

Toyota prius 2008 touring model with hid headlights. currently have about 80,000 miles on car issue started after around 30,000 miles. the drivers side head light sporadically shuts off. i am able to turn lights off then back on and it will work again however this happens in a 30 min drive as often as about 15 times and seems to get more frequent the longer the drive. i ride with myself my husband and 3 kids and do not feel safe driving at night in my car. i do not feel this is the light itself because i am able to turn them off and back on again. if it was the light it would not turn back on. *tr

There were no distinguishing events that led up to the total failure of my 2008 toyota prius driver side headlight and door lock assembly (front). they both no longer worked within a 1 day period and required replacement. noticing 2 or more other vehicles of the same make and model there for light replacement caused me to inquire what caused their light malfunctions. in the matter of minutes of my calling in, roughly an hour into the dealerships opening, i was told the lights were available, by the time arrived, within 5 minutes, enough autos had arrived also with the "hid" headlamps out that the dealerships entire stock of lights had been used up, and required my having to return after another shipment of lights were received, as well. i did not request the old part. *tr

At 39,000 miles my 2008 toyota prius headlights failed. just driving down the road at night and they just go out. after a few minutes they came back on enough to drive home. i took it to dealer the next day and they said the bulbs needed replaced for 400 dollars. i asked them why and they said was normal wear and tear. these lights were supposed to last much longer than normal lights but it doesn't seem that way. they never worked right as far as being able to see any distance at all and now all of a sudden they go out. makes one afraid to drive after dark not knowing now when this will happen again for another 400 dollars. *tr

I was driving to work in the dark. as i was turning left onto the fry. ramp my lights went out! i couldn't turn around so i tried to guess where i was by the taillights on the fry. then they came back on. this continued , on-off for ten miles. toyota said they would fix it that day. chg. $556.59. car has 27,554 miles. *tr