2004 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

SOMETIMES MY LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT WORKS AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY CONSISTENT CAUSE OF THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE. SOMETIMES IF THE LEFT HEADLIGHT IS OUT AND I FLICK THE HIGH BEAMS ON AND OFF, THEN THE LIGHT WORKS AGAIN, BUT THIS DOESN'T ALWAYS SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

BOTH HEADLIGHTS SPONTANEOUSLY WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SINCE THAT DATE, DESPITE CHANGING THE BULBS. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS CAN BE RELIT BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK. PARTICULARLY IF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE ON, THE OFF-ON SWITCHING DOES NOT WORK AND THE HEADLIGHTS REMAIN OFF. *TR

A DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME TOLD ME ABOUT ONE WEEK AGO THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WERE GOING ON AND OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THEN YESTERDAY WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ANOTHER DRIVER GOT OUT OF HIS CAR TO TELL ME THAT MY LIGHTS HAD GONE OFF. I HADN'T NOTICED A CHANGE MYSELF, BUT THEN I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND CUT MY LIGHTS ALL THE WAY OFF AND CUT THEM BACK ON AND THEN THE LIGHT WAS MUCH BRIGHTER. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS STAY ON FINE AND THEN THEY GO OUT RANDOMLY. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A PATTERN TO WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING. BUT IF I CUT THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE PROBLEM WILL FIX TEMPORARILY. I HAVE SEEN ON SEVERAL FORMS THAT MANY PEOPLE WITH 2004-2006 PRIUSES ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT, BOTH HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. NEITHER THE HIGH BEAMS NOR THE LOW BEAMS WORKED. I HAD TO PULL OVER, AND TURN THE CAR OFF. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WORKED FINE. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO, AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THEY BELIEVED ME. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS FOR ALMOST 4 WEEKS. THEN 3 DAYS AGO, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. AGAIN, I PULLED OVER. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THEY WORKED FINE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING. I HAVE CALLED TWO DEALERSHIPS AND NEITHER OF THEM HAVE HEARD OF SUCH A THING. HOWEVER, IN RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I EASILY FIND THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT INVOLVING PRIUS MODEL YEARS 2006-2009. SO THERE SHOULD BE INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE TELLING THEIR DEALERS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER PROBLEM. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. *TR

STARTING LAST YEAR MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY TURNS OFF AND WILL TURN BACK ON ONCE I TURN LIGHTS OFF AND ON. PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT CONTINUES TO PERIODICALLY SHUT OFF FOR NO SPECIFIC REASON THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS LIGHTING SAFETY ISSUES AS WELL AS INSTANCES OF BEING PULLED OVER FOR HEADLIGHT BEING OUT. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON INTERNET I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS. I PETITION FOR THE NHTSA TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THE ISSUE DESCRIBED ABOVE. I SEEK A FAVORABLE AND JUST DECISION IN REGARDS TO URGING TOYOTA TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND ADDRESS THE POPULAR DEFECT IN NOT ONLY.2004 MODELS BUT SEVERAL OTHER PRIUS MODEL YEARS. TOYOTA HAS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR 2006-2009 TOYOTA PRIUS'. THIS PRECEDENCE INDICATES THAT TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NEGLECTED TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACTION IN ESTABLISHING A RECALL. *TR

PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT TURNING OFF INTERMITTENTLY. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 8/27/2013 WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THEN THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING WITH THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. I CAN CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY TURNING OFF & THEN BACK ON THE LIGHT SWITCH BUT THIS CORRECTION DOES NOT LAST LONG AND THE PROBLEM RECURS. I HAVE RESORTED TO DRIVING WITH MY FOG LIGHTS ALSO TURNED ON IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME SEMBLANCE OF LIGHT. IT IS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE LIKE THIS IN THE LONG ALASKAN WINTERS WITH SO MUCH ICE AND SNOW ON THE ROADWAYS. I CAN ALSO MAKE THIS PROBLEM OCCUR WHEN WARMING UP MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

HEADLIGHTS (HID) INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT REGARDLESS OF SPEED OR ROAD CONDITIONS. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH THEY COME ON AGAIN AND IT RANDOMLY OCCURS MAKING DRIVING DANGEROUS. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS YET THE INCIDENT RECURS RANDOMLY MAKING IT NECESSARY TO TURN THE LIGHTS COMPLETELY OUT THEN ON AGAIN. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF AND ON INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE DARK. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. *TT

A COUPLE OF MONTH AGO, I THOUGHT I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WAS OFF WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ON. I WAS DRIVING IN MY OTHER CAR WHILE A FAMILY MEMBER WAS DRIVING THE PRIUS. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PRIUS A SHORT TIME LATER, BOTH LIGHT WHERE ON. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY OFF WHEN IT SHOULD BE ONE. CYCLING THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON APPEARS TO TURN BOTH HEADLAMPS ON FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. THERE IS NO INDICATION IN THE CAR WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, I CAME ACROSS OWNER CHAT GROUPS WHERE OTHERS WHERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO READ THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF AN INVESTIGATION HAS HAPPENED AND IF SO, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF EVERY 10 TO 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. TOYOTA SETTLED A LAWSUIT ON THIS ISSUE FOR 2006+, BUT NOT MY CAR. *TR

RECENTLY, VEHICLE HAS STARTED INTERMITTENT OUTAGES OF HID HEADLAMPS. USUALLY ON THE DRIVER SIDE, BUT SOMETIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. APPARENTLY THIS IS THE RESULT OF A COMPUTER CALLED THE HID BALLAST OR SOMETHING. TOYOTA IS QUOTING OUTRAGEOUS SUMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED FOR FREE. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD CYCLE ON AND OFF. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON WITH THE SWITCH WOULD MAKE THEM BOTH COME ON. UNPREDICTABLE HOW LONG BEFORE EACH HEADLIGHT WOULD TURN OFF, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN SYNC TURNING OFF AND ON. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. MY WIFE AND I ARE ABOUT 95% SURE THE ENTIRE DASH WENT DARK AS WELL. WE STOPPED AND TOGGLED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, AND EVERYTHING CAME BACK ON. THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE "HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE" HEADLIGHTS, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY THE DASH WOULD HAVE GONE DARK. *TR

CONSISTENTLY A SINGLE HEADLIGHT ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WOULD FLICKER AND GO OUT. "IT MAY GO OFF AGAIN, IN ANOTHER FIVE OR 10 MINUTES, BUT I COULD GET THEM TO WORK AGAIN BY TURNING THEM OFF AND TURNING ON AGAIN. *TR

HAD THE HID HEADLIGHTS REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO BECAUSE THEY WERE INTERMITTENTLY GOING ON AND OFF. SAME THING IS HAPPENING AGAIN. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF REPEATEDLY, WILL GO OUT RANDOMLY HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH MOVEMENT, ON TIME, THE LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON IF SWITCH IS TURNED OFF THEN ON AGAIN BUT LIGHTS ARE UNRELIABLE. CONDITION IS OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS DURING NIGHT, FOG OR POOR ROAD CONDITIONS. RANDOM TURNING OFF HAS KEPT RE-OCCURRING UNTIL PRESENT TIME, WHERE LIGHT WILL PERSIST ON FOR ONLY A FEW MINUTES AT A TIME. TOYOTA DEALER WANTS 1,000 OR MORE TO REPAIR, WHILE LIGHT BULB ONLY COSTS LESS THAN 50 DOLLARS ON AMAZON, STATING THE DEFECT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH A FUSE AND OR BALLAST. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HOME AT NIGHT ON A DARK, WINDING ROAD, BOTH HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT!!!! THERE WAS NO LIGHT! PITCH BLACK! CRAZY! I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT MY LIGHTS WERE OUT. MY BRIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING EITHER. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO WRECK/CRASH. I WAS ABOUT 18 MILES FROM HOME. AS I DROVE, I TURNED ON MY DOME LIGHTS SO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC COULD SEE ME. AFTER TURNING THE CAR LIGHTS ON AND OFF, THEY CAME BACK ON, BUT WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!!! I FOUND OUT THAT OTHER TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE CARS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL AND REPLACE THESE FAULTY HEADLIGHTS! *TR

ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS OPERATES INTERMITTENTLY. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON CAUSES IT TO LIGHT AGAIN. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING FREQUENTLY NOW. THE IMMEDIATE REMEDY SEEMS TO BE TO TURN SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN TO RESTORE THEM. THIS HAS RECENTLY BECOME A REGULAR PROBLEM AS I DRIVE AT NIGHT. THANKFULLY THE 'FOG LAMPS' ARE FUNCTIONAL AND NOW I AM SURE TO HAVE THEM SWITCHED ON IN ADDITION TO REGULAR HEADLIGHTS SO THAT I AM STILL VISIBLE TO OTHER DRIVERS. *TR

SINGLE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF/ON INTERMITTENTLY - FIXED BY TURNING HEADLIGHTS OFF/ON. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON NARROW WINDING ROADS AT NIGHT. ALMOST CRASHED INTO TREE. I TURNED THE SWITCH BACK OFF AND THAN ON AND LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. SINCE THAN, THE RIGHT HEADLAMP GOES ON AND OFF AT NIGHT AND SOMETIMES BOTH GO OUT. THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST OVER $1000 TO FIX. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS. AM I ENTITLED TO SOME KIND OF HELP? MY WIFE WILL TAKE THE CAR ON OCCASION AND IT HAS HAPPENED TO HER. IS THERE A RECALL? I DON'T THINK IT IS A LIGHT ISSUE IF THEY GO BACK ON WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE BALANCES ON THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT AND TAILLIGHT STOPPED WORKING. WE REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHT BULB ONLY FOR IT TO STOP WORKING TWO DAYS LATER. WE REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHT BULB ONCE A WEEK FOR A MONTH, AND FOR NOW IT CONTINUES TO WORK. THE HEADLIGHT, HOWEVER, CONTINUED NOT WORKING FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, THEN BEGAN WORKING AGAIN ONLY FOR THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT TO STOP WORKING. AFTER TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN BACK ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS BEGAN WORKING. HOWEVER, AFTER 10 MINUTES BOTH WENT OUT AGAIN. EVER SINCE THEN, IT IS ALWAYS A GUESS AS TO WHICH HEADLIGHT, IF ANY, WILL WORK AT DUSK. SOMETIMES THEY WILL BOTH WORK FOR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE QUITTING. I WAS GIVEN AN ODI# OF 10453541. *JS