Problems with 2008 Toyota Prius EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Driving to work in the a.m., and about 5 minutes after leaving the house, my driver's side headlight went out again. i turned off my headlights, then back on and both lights came back on. there is definitely something wrong with the electrical system supporting the lighting. this is a safety hazard and it now has me nervous every time i get on the road that it will go out at any time day or night. it is likely making prius owners focus too much on watching for signs their headlights are still on instead of concentrating on their driving. *tr

Driving down the road last night (6/19) and my driver's side headlight went out as i was crossing over a bridge. i closely followed the car in front of me and as soon as i got off the bridge i turned off, then back on my lights, and both headlights came back on. this is a continuing safety issue that needs to be addressed!!! *tr

Toyota prius headlight defect. the light intermittently shut off. at times it would begin working by turning the lights off and on again, other times it would come on without doing anything and at times it wouldn't come back on at all. *tr

2008 toyota prius hid lights go out at night. started to happen around 50k miles. i replaced the passenger side hid twice. the first time, it fixed the problem for several months. now, after about 10 minutes, it turns off. turning the lights off then on will bring the light back on, sometimes for minutes, often for seconds. *tr

Hid headlights unexpectedly shut off while driving. when i turn them off, then back on, they work perfectly fine, but i don't know when they'll go out again. this is clearly a safety issue. it does appear that the hid headlight equipped prius has some electrical or design defect. *tr

Hid headlights unexpectedly shut off while driving. this is clearly a safety issue and appears to be a defect with the electrical system or design of the lighting components other than the bulbs because if i turn them off they come back on fine every time like there's nothing wrong with them. *tr

Hid headlights that unexpectedly shut off while driving, but come back on when manually turned off, then on. appears to be problem with the electrical system, not the lights, or a design defect. *tr

Headlight passenger side going while driving coming back on do not know when both will go out. cost to replace one headlight $150 for bulb $95 to replace. have heard other owners having same problems and more then one time. have heard of overheating problem causing early outage of bulbs over and over. also problem with computer causing these problems. problem show up for first time i believe in 2010. it is getting worst and i'm no longer driving. *tr

Driver's side headlight on 2008 prius fails intermittently. *tr

Our prius headlights go out intermittently. usually one at a time, but several times they have both gone out at the same time almost causing a crash. i took it to the toyota dealer it was purchased from while still under warranty, they claimed it was a light bulb "going" out, that was 3 years ago and the bulb still isn't out. *tr

The headlights and rear lights on my 2008 toyota prius intermittently go out. several times i've brought the car to the local toyota dealership to have them repaired only hear there is nothing wrong or get a bill for replacing the lights or various associated parts. on at least six occasions i've been stopped at night by people at traffic lights telling me my lights are out. my husband was stopped and cited by a police officer for both headlights being out. at the time my husband was traveling for business and had to stop and spend the night at a hotel because he couldn't safely continue driving. the last time i brought the car in for this issue the previous night the light had been out but it was working when i got to the dealership. the serviceman said he would look at the issue but if the lights weren't acting up then there was nothing he could do. while i was waiting i googled "problems with prius headlights" and found the issue was common, and in fact, had caused a class action lawsuit. when i brought the attention to the serviceman he said, "that's why i said i'd heard about the issue but toyota isn't taking monetary responsibility for this issue." essentially, i repeatedly engage is the same routine of going to the dealership, paying for something that doesn't work, then having my lights malfunction at night when i need them. *tr

A number of times since we purchased our new prius in september of 2007, i've questioned in my mind whether our hid headlights were bright enough. i would normally put the thought out of my mind since i wear glassed to read, and i figured that maybe i just need regular glasses. about a month ago things changed while my wife and i were driving from atlanta, ga., to pensacola, fla. to visit family. about 15 minutes from our destination, a sheriff pulled us over, informed, us that one of our headlights was out and almost gave us a ticket. since we obviously had no idea that one of our lights was out, he gave us a warning instead. the next morning i opened the hood to see if there was a loose connection. when i turned the lights on to test them, they were working and i was not able to duplicate the issue. every time that i started our prius while we were in florida i checked the lights and they were both on. there were a couple of times, after we had been driving for 30 minutes or so that i would check the lights before turning the car off and the passenger side headlight was out. i tried turning the light-switch off and then on and some times the passenger headlight would turn on and other times it would stay off. since that time, i have checked our headlights on a regular basis and found either the passenger headlight was out or the driver's side headlight was out. turning the switch off and then back on would sometimes cause the light to come back on but other times it would cause that light to come back on and the other headlight to turn off. other times, by turning the light-switch off and then back on, both lights would turn off. this is frustrating for me and worries me greatly since my wife is the primary driver of our prius. i hate to think what would happen if both headlights would turn off while my wife was driving at night on a dark street or highway. this is a gravely important safety issue for my wife and i. *tr

2008 prius driver-side headlight goes out frequently but will come back on if you turn the lights on then off again. there is a problem with toyota hid lights as the vehicle is only 2 years old. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius and on two separate occasions the hid lightbulbs have flickered and gone out while driving. the replacement cost of the lightbulbs is in excess of $200. *tr

My 2008 toyota prius had a problem around may 2009 with it's hid headlamp - the headlamp will turn off without warning while i am driving the car - toyota replaced the passenger side hid headlamp. same problem i am experiencing with the driver side hid headlamp - light turns off while driving the prius. *tr

multiple occurrences over the past 3 years of headlights (one or at times both) going out unexpectedly without warning. you go into partial lighting or total darkness. after a few minutes you can turn the headlights back on and they may stay lit for few minutes or several hours. i have had dealerships look at the car and say that it is just the bulbs failing (bulbs that are suppose to last 10 times longer than conventional bulbs). the car is now 4 years old and i have had to replace the bulbs yearly. dealership costs that was originally $350 plus installation per bulb. toyota has now dropped their price to $150 per bulb. aftermarket bulbs now available but you still only get a life of 7 months to a year per bulb lots of talk from dealers but no solution. i went to after market bulbs thinking that the problem was toyota bulbs. the same problem occurs. the problem is not the bulbs, the problem is in the vehicle wiring. this is a severe problem that must be looked into in that it putting a lot of prius owners along with others on the highway at risk. *tr

Both hid headlights have gone out in under 40,000 miles in my 2008 toyota prius. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius that has intermittent headlight failure. i have been traveling to and from washington hospital center and my residence in southern maryland. approximately, 75 miles each way daily to visit my mother in icu. i have been stopped on numerous occasions by the metropolitan police department as well as the maryland state police for a headlight out. while being issued a citation, i turn my lights off and on again so the officer can see that it is a mechanical failure, not negligence on my part. this is a safety issue that needs to be repaired by toyota. *tr

2008 toyota prius hid headlamps are intermittent while driving. public and personal safety hazard! replaced hid bulbs with the proper type, and the intermittent continue to occur. phillips d4r hid bulbs are the recommended replacement bulbs. hid headlamps wink off at random, when the brakes are applied. i think that the internal mechanism of the headlamp beam adjuster (which consists of a weighted, damped and movable subreflector) may be hitting the bulbs and causing them to prematurely fail, or the bulbs and ballast are faulty. phillips d4r hid bulbs are extremely expensive, and are extremely difficult to replace because the access to the back of the headlamp assembly is very cramped and confined. *tr

2008 prius with hid headlights. the problem is that the driver's side headlight goes out intermittently. turning the lights off and back on again sometimes restores the defective light. this is a safety related issue that appears frequently on the prius chat list and is an expensive fix. toyota has chosen not to address this issue at this point. *tr

2008 toyota prius headlights - the car only has 2 years and 30k miles and the passenger headlight flickered until it finally stopped working. went to the dealer and they want over $300 to change a light bulb!! so trying to do it myself and i have to take the car apart. it is unbelievable! *tr

The hid headlamp of my 2008 toyota prius was working intermittently and i got a traffic ticket for it. since i was unaware that the lamp was out, the ticket was only a warning. i had the lamp replaced at my expense at 36300 miles and $300! *tr

Hi, while driving to work this morning, my left headlight flashed and then stopped working. my 2008 toyota prius is about 1.75 years old with approximately 28,000 miles. i have heard from other prius owners that they have had problems with their headlights. i have also heard the replacement cost for the headlight is $300.00. i find that hard to believe, nonetheless headlights in everyother car i have owned seem to have a life of 10 or more years. this is a safety issue because i drive to work early in the morning when it is dark and i sometimes don't return home until after dark. the bulk of my driving has been in the daylight, however i need my car to get to work. also on 3 occasions my cruise control accelerated beyond where i set it. for example i reset the control after having hit the brakes. i got back to my speed and set the cruise control at 70mph. i noticed a short while later the car was going 95. i hit the brakes to slow down and the car immediately came out of cruise control and slowed down as it should. i now take the car all the way out of cruise control shutting it off after i hit the brakes. i next turn the control back on and reset the cruise. using the cruise this way i have not had the problem of the car speeding up. ii figure i will continue to use the cruise this way and observe whether there is any problem. however,i don't believe toyota intended for the cruise control to be used this way. thank you *tr

Hid headlights on 2008 prius failing without a known fix from toyota. each bulb costs over $150.00. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. the contact stated that whenever he would drive 35 mph or above, both headlights would intermittently fluctuate on and off. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed her that the failure was common for her year, make and model therefore, the dealer was willing to take the liability for fifty percent of the repair cost. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 76,000. updated 03/03/11 *bf upated 1/4/11 *cn

Feb 6, 2010 - purchased 2008 toyota prius with 40,940 miles. march 1, 2010 - passenger side headlight failed during night driving. mileage approx. 42200. light worked the next day, but only for a short time. worked intermittently throughout that day. contacted dealership. march3, 2010 - headlight replaced by dealership for cost of labor only. april 3, 2010 - new passenger side headlight again failed during night driving. worked the next evening without incident. will contact dealership 4/5 to address intermittent headlight issue. *tr

I noticed the passenger side headline on my 2008 prius start flickering, my car has 44k miles. according to my dealership, the fixture is overheating and will fail soon. total cost to replace and install new bulb will be over $400 for a light bulb. i believe that this part or design is defective.

Toyota prius - 2.5 years old, under full parts & labor factory warranty head lights hid bulbs work intermittently. dealership response: pay $771.43+tax for bulbs - got written quote *cn

I was driving to the airport one night and the headlights on my 2008 prius turned off. i was able to turn them back on by reseting the light switch. this happen several times during my trip to and from the airport. i took the vehicle into dublin (ca) toyota but they were unable to accurately diagnose the problem. everything checked out ok to them even though the lights were turning on and off in their service bay. they suggested changing both lights for $600 which they said was a discount from toyota. however they could not guarantee this would correct the problem. i decided to order the bulbs and change them myself. i understand this is a fairly common problem with the prius. need your help to force toyota to find the root cause of the failure.

2008 prius. at 35,000 miles the passenger side headlight burnt out, covered by warranty. at 40,000 miles the driver's side burns out, but it is not covered by warranty. $200 to replace. i've never been told by carson city toyota that prius cars have a problem with headlights. *tr

Left from headlight has failed at 28 months / 36,000 miles, and i've been quoted >$200 to repair! *tr

Toyota prius vin=[xxx] passenger hid headlight failed while driving at night. stopped, shut off engine, restarted and headlight reenergized, but failed again while driving after a few minutes. miles on car 35,499. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The driver's side hid headlamp intermittently fails while the car is in operation. i have brought this to the toyota dealers several times, only to be told the problem cannot be recreated. *tr

Premature failure of hid light bulb on 2008 toyota prius with 49,000 miles on it . then being told by the dealer it will cost 250.00 to replace it.i understand this a really common failure on prius with hid light bulbs and it happens alot.. *tr

2008 toyota prius hid headlamp has gone out on the drivers side...dealership in asheville only says its past the 36,000 miles and out of warranty. going to have the dealership check out the light and what is wrong. saw all the complaints with other owners and this is a problem, and a safety issue. there should be a recall on this or a lemon law put on it so toyota will handle the costs. i am just wondering how much it will cost. the light alone is about $150.00 each. *tr

2008 prius head light failure. both headlights have gone out. not under warranty i had new headlight put in (1-2009 & 1 in 2010). *tr

Headlights often go out. if i stop and manipulate the connection, it will come back on. there is no guarantee the light will stay on. primarily happens on the drivers side light but passenger side has also gone out. they have never(as yet) both gone out at the same time. *tr

Toyota prius hid headlights fail intermittently when driving. sometimes it is the left headlight, sometimes it is the right headlight and sometimes it is both. especially dangerous when both headlights turn off by themselves and we are driving at night. *tr

I purchased a 2008 prius with hid bulbs and they both started going out a couple weeks after owning it while i was driving home at night. in just a matter of minutes, i had no lights at all! i was in a urban area, so the street lights were there so that i could see. but if i were in the country, as i usually am about once a week, i would have been in big trouble. *tr

Prius 2008 headlamp: both the passenger and driver side headlamps, one at a time, intermittently turn off. if i turn the lights of for a few seconds, the light comes back on and stays on, sometimes for a short while and sometimes for a longer period. i have not had both go out at the same time. this has been going on for at least one month.

The high intensity discharge ("hid") headlamp on the driver's side continues to flicker on and off. the car is still under warranty, but according to toyota, they are unable to replicate this and continue to send me back on the road with malfunctioning headlights. this combined with issues surrounding the traction control (submitted in a prior complaint) render the vehicle dangerous and i am now uncomfortable driving this vehicle. toyota and my dealership, walser toyota of bloomington (minnesota) have refused to do anything. i have now scheduled an appointment to have the lights replaced at my own expense (despite the factory warranty). *tr

I have a 08 prius. several days ago someone told me that one day-time running light was out. two nights ago i checked and both lights were working so i thought i was ok. last night after driving about an hour, both head lights went out. i turned the switch off and on again and the lights came back on. about a minute later the right light went off. after another hour of driving the left light went out and i repeated the turn on cycle and it stayed another coupler hours. (i drove home with the flasher as this would have enabled me to see the road a little is case the light went out again., ) i made it home ok and am contacting my dealer today. *tr

Intermittent operation of hid headlight (one side) on 2008 toyota prius. sometimes both hid headlights work as intended; sometimes one (in this case the left) headlight ceases to work. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. while the contact was driving approximately 30 mph the driver side headlamp flickered and became inoperable. the vehicle continued in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection where the technician stated the headlamp failure was common. the headlamp was replaced at the cost of $250.00. the identical failure occurred on a separate occasion with the passenger side headlamp. the authorized dealer had been notified to schedule an appointment for the other headlamp replacement. the failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Premature headlight failure at 20,000 miles. *tr

Headlights flicker and turn off and on. have had headlights replaced 3 times and problem reoccurs. lights are on when i start driving then turn off and sometimes turn back on.

Approx. one month ago i noticed that the headlights on my 2008 toyota prius would intermittently turn off while i was driving. this has happened on at least 4 occasions. three times only the left headlight would go out, and one time both headlights went out simultaneously. i don't do too much night driving so i don't know exactly when the problem began, but my best estimate is one month ago. again, this is an intermittent problem as the vast majority of the time the headlights are working as they should. i know of no cause for this problem as the situation has occurred during freeway driving during clear conditions and rain conditions, as well on when driving on surface streets. when both headlights went completely out it was dusk and i was only a block from home. the 3 other times when just the left headlight went out i knew of no way to get the light back on and just continued my trip with one headlight functioning. *tr

Hello....i just received a notice from toyota entitled customer support program..(no mention of recall). in it, they say that there is a problem with headlights going out...and while they've been charging for them at 300 dollars each, they now realize that it's some kind of electrical issue....that causes the lights to fail...now, in light of everything else, it seems that this is a potentially serious problem and should be a recall...not a "hide the problem" kind of customer support letter......someone should be monitoring this one too....if toyota can hide something that is a recall-warranted problem, what next..? it worries me.... *tr

To whom it may concern, i am writing to file a complaint about the short lifespan of the hid headlights of my 2008 toyota prius. after less than a little over two years both headlights require replacement as they have been shutting off while driving on the interstate/surface streets resulting in being pulled over by the highway patrol and local police departments. the failure of the hid headlights represents a serious safety issue for both myself/passengers in my vehicle and surrounding cars driving next to me on the road. for such an expensive vehicle (over 28k sticker) - the headlights should have a longer lifespan than a little over two years. i have brought my vehicle back to the dealership and have been informed that each headlight costs near $200/each and would require an hour and a half labor to replace them as the front bumper needs to be removed to replace the headlights bringing the total replacement cost to near $600. for a company that touts having such high quality and being so eco-friendly - you would think that they would use parts that lasted much longer and were not so expensive to replace? it is nonsensical that toyota has designed a car with headlights that require professional installation and cost near $600 to replace. the short lifespan and expense of the hid headlight replacement should be enough to warrant an investigation. any assistance that you can provide is greatly appreciated. thank you. *tw

My 2008 toyota prius, touring edition with hid headlights: the passenger-side headlamp goes out intermittently after initial ignition at start. turning off the headlamps momentarily will restore illumination, but it will again malfunction after 20 minutes or so. other exterior lamps will also shut off momentarily without indication or reason. toyota refuses to admit their defect, which could prove very dangerous. *cn