2006 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

MULTIPLE FAILURE OF HID HEADLIGHTS WHICH DIM OR GO OUT. BULBS AND MODULES HAVE BEEN REPLACED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. *TR

OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS (60,000 MILES) HAS A DEFECTIVE FRONT HEAD LIGHT WHICH FLICKERS AND GOES OUT UNTIL I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF, WHICH THEN KEEPS IT ON FOR A SHORT TIME. REPAIR COST HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT $1000.00. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THEIR PRIUS YET. THEY DO NOT WARRANTY THE REPLACEMENT PART. THIS CAN CAUSE AN EXTREME HAZARD TO DRIVING ON UN-LIT ROADS. THE BULB ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLICKERS AND GOES OUT WITHIN MINUTES OR WILL STAY ON 15 MINUTES OR SO. AS OF THIS POINT I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO AFFORD THE COST TO REPLACE BULB. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS - HEADLIGHT (HID) FAILURE. STARTED WITH LEFT HEADLIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES, THEN RIGHT HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO FAIL AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES. HEADLIGHTS FLICK OFF WHILE DRIVING. ONE OR BOTH FLICK OFF AT ANY TIME. CAN TURN BACK ON BY TURNING HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY OFF, THEN TURNING BACK ON. BUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES, DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND FLICK OFF AGAIN. TOYOTA DEALER HAS ADVISED THIS IS "NORMAL", THAT THE LIGHTS HAVE A HEAT SENSOR AND TURN OFF WHEN THEY OVERHEAT, AND THAT I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES. *TR

HID HEADLAMP(S) FAILURE OF MY 2006 PRIUS. ONE (1) LAMP CAN BE INTERMITTENT (OFF & ON) WITHOUT DRIVER BEING AWARE OF IT, BUT WHEN BOTH OF THEM GO OUT YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY IN THE DARK AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. TOTAL OUTAGE ONLY HAPPENED ONE (1) TIME, THEN THE DEALER REPLACED THE BULBS. THE CAR HAD 45,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS ONE HEADLIGHT GOING OUT AT IRREGULAR TIMES. IT CAN BE TURNED ON AGAIN IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED COMPLETELY OFF, THEN TURNED ON, BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE THE HEADLIGHT STAY ON. I HAVE HAD THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH REPLACED, BUT THAT HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. IT IS MAINLY THE LEFT HEADLIGHT, BUT AFTER THE SWITCH REPLACEMENT, VERY OCCASIONALLY THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AS WELL. VERY RARELY, BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. I HAVE CONSULTED THE DEALER AND THEY WANT ABOUT $1000 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT GIVE NO GUARANTEES THAT THIS AMOUNT WILL FULLY CORRECT THE DIFFICULTY. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THIS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IF WE DRIVE AT NIGHT. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH RETIRED AND WE NEED ALL THE LIGHTING FROM THESE HEADLIGHTS TO SEE SAFELY. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IF THE PROBLEM SHOWS UP ON STATE INSPECTIONS, MY CAR WILL NOT PASS THIS INSPECTION. THE PROBLEM DID NOT SHOW UP FOR THE FIRST YEAR OR SO WE OWNED THE CAR, BUT HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT OVER THE PAST YEAR. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PATTERN TO THE FAILURES. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH LESS THAN 45,000 MILES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT IS EITHER FAILING TO LIGHT, LIGHTING AND THEN GOING OUT AT SOME POINT WHILE DRIVING, AND SOMETIMES CAN BE RESET. COST TO FIX IS BETWEEN $400-500 AND IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. PROBLEM COULD LIE IN THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS AND MAY BE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THESE BULBS THAT RUN AROUND $150 OR MORE EACH. IF THAT IS SO, THEN THIS PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. TURNING OFF AND BACK ON SEEMS TO CORRECT. *TR

LIKE ALL THE OTHER NOTICES FROM 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS, BETWEEN 55,000 AND 60,000 MILES, THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS BEGAN AN INTERMITTENT TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF QUICKLY (A SAFETY ISSUE IN ITSELF!). STARTED WITH THE DRIVE SIDE LIGHT, THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE BEGAN, WHICH MADE ME FEARFUL OF LOSING MY HEADLIGHTS TOTALLY WHILE DRIVING. WAS TOLD THAT THE "BALAST/COMPUTER" OVERHEATS & SHUTS DOWN. GOOD SOLUTION TO PREVENT A FIRE, I GUESS, BUT NOT GOOD FOR DRIVING SAFETY. REPLACEMENT QUOTE WAS $600 EACH -- DEALER DID GIVE ME A 15% DISCOUNT, SO ENDED UP COSTING $510 EACH ($1,020.00 TOTAL!). CALLED TOYOTA OF AMERICA AND THEY ARE INVESTIGATING, BUT, BASED UPON ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND MY OWN EXPERIENCE, THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY TOYOTA. I LOVE MY PRIUS RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE, BUT TOYOTA REALLY NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS NOW. *TR

2006 PRIUS HIGH INTENSITY HEADLAMPS FLICKERED WENT OUT AND RESTARTED WHEN TURNED OFF AND ON AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING AT 40,000 MILES IN MARCH 2008, HAD BULBS REPLACED BY TOYOTA LOYALTY, NOW IN APRIL 2009 WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MORE MILES SAME THING HAPPENING, UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, TOYOTA LOYALTY REFUSES ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE, REPAIR ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $600.00. OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART OR DESIGN. TOYOTA LOYALTY CLAIMS THAT CONTROLLERS WERE REPLACED IN 2008, BUT DEALER DENIES, STATING ONLY REPLACED BULBS. *TR

HEADLIGHT/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. ONE HEADLIGHT OUT INTERMITTENTLY STARTING IN MID-NOVEMBER. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON 12/27/2008. WE PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND WHEN WE TURNED THEM BACK ON BOTH RE-LIT. ON 1/2/2009 WE WERE PULLED OVER BY POLICE AND GIVEN A VERBAL SAFETY WARNING THAT ONE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. LATER THAT EVENING, AFTER STOPPING THE CAR FOR A SHORT TIME BOTH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. ON 1/5/2009, WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WITH THE LEFT LIGHT OUT. WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR THE NEXT DAY THEY FOUND BOTH LIGHTS TO BE WORKING. THEY INSPECTED ALL CONNECTIONS THEN FOUND THAT THE RIGHT LIGHT WAS OUT. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $250 TO REPLACE THE BULB. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND ON 1/7/09 THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE RIGHT BULB FOR FREE. I DROVE HOME BEFORE MY WIFE AND AS SHE ARRIVED HOME I SAW ONE LIGHT OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME I GOT OUT TO THE CAR, MY WIFE HAD SHUT IT OFF AND I COULD NOT RECALL WHICH ONE WAS OUT. WHEN WE RESTARTED THE CAR, BOTH LIGHTS CAME ON. *TR

THE HID HEAD LIGHTS ON MY PRIUS BURNED OUT QUICKLY, AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO REPLACE THE BULB, AND THEN BURN OUT AGAIN! I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING AROUND DANGEROUSLY WITH JUST ONE HEAD LIGHT. *TR

INTERMITTENT HEADLAMP FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. TURN LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND LIGHTS WORK. HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES BOTH SIDES REPLACED 1/2008 REPLACED BULB PASSENGER SIDE 6/1/2009 AND DRIVER SIDE 7/31/2009. *TR

20-06 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHT FAILURE. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS 58,000 MILES. THE PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT ON LOW BEAM. THE HIGH BEAM WILL NOT WORK. TOYOTA WANTS $150 FOR THE BULB PLUS INSTALLATION COSTS. I HAVE VISITED MANY WEB BASED SITES THAT INDICATE THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD REQUIRE TOYOTA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY HEADLAMPS ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS GO OUT BY ITSELF ( SOMETIMES ON THE RIGHT) AND SOMETIMES ON THE LEFT. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF AGAIN IT COMES BACK ON. BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING IT JUST CUTS OUT BY ITSELF. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FROM TOYOTA WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER. THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ACTUALLY HAD THIS HAPPEN MANY MANY MONTHS AGO WHEN MY BROTHER SAID MY HEADLIGHT WAS OUT, I TURNED IT OFF AND ON AND WENT TO LOOK AT IT WAS FINE. DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT, UNTIL NOW WHEN MY UNCLE DRIVING IN FRONT OF ME TOLD ME THAT MY LIGHT WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. *TR

THE HID (HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE) HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS ARE FAILING. TURNING THEM ON AND OFF WILL USUALLY RESULT IN THEM LIGHTING UP, BUT THEY WILL GO OUT AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THIS TO BE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. IT STARTED AT APPROX 40,000 MILES WITH THE DRIVER-SIDE, AND THIS SPRING THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO STARTED TO GO OUT. THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 53,000 MILES. *TR

THE HID HEADLAMPS ON MY 2006 PRIUS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON. I AM CURRENTLY ON MY SECOND SET OF HEADLAMPS. THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLAMP WAS REPLACED BUT THE BULB CONTINUES TO GO OUT AT RANDOM. *TR

I HAVE OWNED A 2006 PRIUS SINCE FEBRUARY, 2006. I NOTICED (AND SO DID THE POLICE WHO STOPPED ME ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS!) THE HEADLIGHTS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THIS STARTED IN OCT. 2007. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 OF THE HEADLIGHTS AND 2 OF THE HEADLIGHT MODULES AT A COST OF $1589.35 TOTAL. THE HEADLIGHTS STOP WITH NO WARNING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS I DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILD. THE LIGHTS HAVE ONLY STOPPED ONE AT A TIME, NEVER AT THE SAME TIME, AND I PRAY THAT THEY NEVER DO. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND THEY ARE REVIEWING MY CASE TO SEE IF THEY CAN REFUND SOME OF MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR THIS. I WOULD LIKE THEM TO REPLACE MY LIGHTS WITH RELIABLE LIGHTS, BUT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO THAT. THEY HAVE REPLACED MY LIGHTS AND MODULE WITH THE SAME KIND OF PART AS THE ORIGINAL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. *TR

TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLIGHTS. LEFT SIDE WENT OUT AT 35,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY. RIGHT SIDE WENT OUT AT 38,000 AND WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY, REPLACEMENT COST WAS $700. *TR

PASSENGER HEADLIGHTS OF 2006 PRIUS ARE TURN OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, LIGHTS MUST BE TURNED ALL THE WAY OFF AND ON AGAIN TO HAVE LIGHTS COME ON. (WHICH INDICATES THE BULB IS NOT BURNT OUT). *TR

HEADLIGHTS ARE DROPPING OUT AND NEED TO BE TURNED OFF/ON VERY FREQUENTLY TO ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY AT NIGHT. BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE DROPPING OUT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IN THE PAST AT THE SAME TIME WHICH CAUSES A VERY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITION ESPECIALLY FOR OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROADWAY AND THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS HID FAILURE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM ON 2006 AND 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THESE FAILURES. THE MEDIA IS FINALLY COVERING THIS SOMEWHAT BUT IS IT GOING TO TAKE AN INJURY OR WORSE YET A DEATH TO CAUSE SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT? INDIVIDUAL DRIVERS LIKE MYSELF ARE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP OUR CARS SAFE AND ROAD WORTHY BUT AT A COST OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN $500 - $2000 TO HAVE "WORKING HEADLIGHTS" THAT MAY ONLY LAST A FEW MONTHS OR A YEAR AND THEN NEED REPLACED AGAIN WE CAN NOT INCUR THESE COSTS. WITH AN APPROXIMATE 1.5 TO 2 HOURS (TOYOTA SPECIFICATION) TO CHANGE A BULB AND REQUIRING SPECIAL TOOLS (TOYOTA SPECIFICATION) OWNERS ALMOST HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE THE CAR TO A TOYOTA SPECIFIC DEALERSHIP. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ESCALATE THIS INVESTIGATION AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR TOYOTA PRIUS HID BULBS FOR THE 2006 - 2009 MODEL YEARS. YOU HAVE NOTICED THAT THE NEW "IMPROVED" 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS DOES NOT USE HID BULBS AT ANY TRIM LEVEL CORRECT? TOYOTA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS WHY THEY STOPPED USING THE HID'S. NOW SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE ON THE 2006 - 2009 VEHICLES. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR QUICK AND COURTEOUS RECONCILIATION OF THIS ISSUE. *TR REGARDS, CHRIS BARR

WE HAVE EXPERIENCE FRONT HEADLIGHT BULB FAILURE TWICE ON OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. ONE FAILURE IN MARCH 2008 AND AGAIN JUNE 2009. IN BOTH CASES, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND COULD ONLY BE RESTORED BY TURNING THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS OFF COMPLETELY AND TURNING THEM BACK ON AGAIN TO FAIL A SHORT TIME LATER. BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A SUBSTANTIAL COST OF APPROXIMATELY $400 PLUS THE DANGER OF HAVING TO REACTIVATE THE LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND MULTIPLE POLICE STOPS DUE TO THE FAILED LIGHT. TWO TIMES IN ONE EVENING ALONE. *TR

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS BAD. DEALERSHIP COST PROHIBITIVE SO I BOUGHT 4 REPLACEMENT BULBS. REPLACED BOTH BULBS MYSELF, FAIRLY EASY TO DO. PASSENGER SIDE BULB CONTINUED TO GO OFF EVERY NOW AND THEN. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE BALAST. SAID LIGHTS OK. DROVE TO WORK NEXT MORNING, BULBS WORKED GREAT ON 19 JULY 09. STARTED TO DRIVE TO WORK ON THE MORNING OF 20 JULY 2009 AND PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT FAILED AND BLEW APART. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IT'S THE BULB'S ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE BULB IS JUST FINE. *TR

HEADLIGHT ON 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY DIES CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS THE LIGHTS FLICKER AND SOMETIMES GO OFF. *TR