842 complaints reported

2006 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
842
Crashes
5
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Aug 2024

The right or left headlight will rabdomly turn off, and tyrn back there 8s no ryme or readon to it,and while driving at night it is cery dangerous, aparebtly its not just this car, this is a common issue and it needs to be fixed

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2024
Jan 2020

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON SIDE STREET TRAFFIC AT MAXIMUM 40 MPH THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT TURNED OFF AND I WAS PULLED OVER FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE BOTH WORKING WHEN I LEFT MY HOUSE 10 MINUTES EARLIER. THEY WERE BOTH WORKING WHEN I LEFT WORK LATER THAT DAY. THE LIGHTS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ON AND OFF FREQUENTLY ON THE HIGHWAY AND SIDE STREETS, BUT EVERY TIME I CHECK AFTER PULLING OVER AND TURNING THE CAR BACK ON BOTH LIGHTS ARE WORKING.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2020
Aug 2019

THE RIGHT SIDE HEAD LIGHT ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WILL TURN OFF ON ITS OWN. IT WILL WORK AGAIN IF I SHUT ALL THE LIGHTS OFF AND TURN IT ON AGAIN. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN WHILE THE CAR IS STATIONARY, BUT WILL TURN OFF SOON AFTER THE CAR STARTS MOVING. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS ON A BUMPY ROAD, MOVING SLOWLY, OR ON A HIGHWAY. IT WILL TURN OFF WITHIN SECONDS TO SEVERAL MINUTES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AROUND JULY 8TH, 2019 WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF ANY DAMAGE AND SAID THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. SINCE THEN I HAVE JUST BEEN SWITCHING THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON WHEN IT HAPPENS. BUT THEN LAST NIGHT ON NOVEMBER 7, 2019 BOTH LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A PUBLIC ROAD. IT HAPPENED AS I ACCELERATED AFTER A FULL BREAK.THANKFULLY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN WORKED. THE RIGHT SIDE TURNED BACK OFF AGAIN THAT NIGHT, BUT BOTH DID NOT SHUT OFF AGAIN AFTER THE INCIDENT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2019
Jul 2019

HEAD LIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. TURN SWITCH OF THEN ON AND THEY GO BACK ON FOR AWHILE. SOMETIMES ONE HEADLIGHT. SOMETIMES OTHER OR BOTH. NOT SAFE WHEN DRIVING IN DARK AND LIGHTS DISAPPEAR IN MOUNTAINS ON VACATION AT NIGHT!!!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2019
Jul 2019

RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT OCCASIONALLY GOES OUT. SOMETIMES IT WORKS WHEN I SWITCH THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF AND ON AGAIN BUT MOSTLY IT HAS ME DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT NIGHT WITH ONLY THE LEFT HEADLIGHT VISIBLE. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, KNOWING THAT MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT WILL MOST LIKELY ACT UP AGAIN. I EVEN TOOK EVERYTHING APART TRYING TO GET TO THIS HEADLIGHT TO CHANGE THE BULB BUT FOUND THAT THE CURRENT BULB WAS WORKING FINE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!! I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE WORKING HEADLIGHTS AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO GET PULLED OVER BY A COP AND ISSUED A TICKET!!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2019
Jun 2019

DRIVING AT NIGHT ALL LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE DRIVER CANNOT SEE ANYTHING. VERY DANGERIOUS! THIS HAPPENED TRAVELING 60 MILES PER HOUR AT NIGHT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 2019
May 2019

THE HID HEADLIGHTS ARE BOTH OUT, AFTER BEING ON MAYBE 5 MINUTES. FROM EVERYTHING I HAVE READ ONLINE AND FROM MY MECHANIC, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY MODEL OF CAR, THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. THE BALLAST IS FAULTY, AND WOULD NEED TO BE TESTED PRIOR TO REPLACING A HID LIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MONTHS, AND I SIMPLY DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT AS A RESULT. WITH THE TIME CHANGE, THIS IS TO DIFFICULT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2019
Jan 2019

THE OPERATION OF MY HID LIGHTS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND THE CURRENT RIGHT HEAD LIGHT WILL OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF ON IT'S OWN. AFTER TURNING THEM ON AND OFF A FEW TIMES, THEY THEN WORK AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS FOR NIGHT TIME DRIVING OR RESULTING IN POTENTIAL TICKETS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2018
Dec 2018

THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. IT HAS HAPPENED UPON START UP, AND WHILE DRIVING. IT IS USUALLY NOTICED WHEN SITTING BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE (SEEING HEADLIGHT REFLECTION IN FRONT VEHICLE'S REAR), SOMEONE TELLS ME, OR, I REMEMBER TO CHECK. WHEN IT'S REALIZED, TURNING THE SWITCH OFF, AND ON AGAIN, MAKES THE LIGHT COME BACK ON. IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY PARTICULAR WEATHER, SITUATION, OR LENGTH OF DRIVE THAT CAUSES IT. IT STARTED AT LEAST 1 AND 1/2 YEARS AGO. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED 12/16/16.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2016
Nov 2018

I HAVE HAD TOO MANY HEADLIGHT ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE TIME I'VE HAD MY PRIUS. I'VE HAD THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY REPLACED ONCE, REPAIRED ONCE, REPLACED COUNTLESS OVERPRICED BULBS, AND STILL CONSISTENTLY IS A PROBLEM. AT THIS TIME, I'M CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. I REPLACED THE BULB AND NOTHING. NOT EVEN A BUZZ NOISE. BUT WHEN I DISCONNECT THE BULB AND TURN ON THE HEADLIGHT, I CAN HEAR THE BUZZ SOUND ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS. I AM BEYOND FED UP WITH THIS PRIUS AND TOYOTA IN GENERAL. IT'S BEEN ONE PROBLEM AFTER THE OTHER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS A JOKE, EVERY TIME. I HAD TO FIGHT THEM FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR ABOUT A WARRANTY REPAIR THAT I WAS REPEATEDLY DENIED BY SEVERAL MANAGERS UNTIL I FINALLY WENT TO CORPORATE AND COMPLAINED AND THAT'S WHEN THEY FINALLY AGREED TO FIX IT. AT THIS POINT, MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT DOESN'T WORK, AND NOW THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT SEVERAL TIMES PER DRIVE, DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M ON A CITY STREET OR A FREEWAY. SOME NIGHTS IT OCCURS MORE OFTEN AND THE LIGHT BLINKS, EVEN IF STOPPED AT A LIGHT. I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE BULB, WHAT IF THAT ONE DECIDES TO STOP WORKING AS WELL EVEN WITH A NEW BULB. TOYOTA WANTS AN ASTRONOMICALLY REDICULOUS AMOUNT TO FIX JUST THE PASSENGER SIDE, AT ALMOST $1200. THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT ISSUE. I WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER PRIUS EVER AGAIN

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2018
Oct 2018

PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT HID HEADLIGHT OPERATION FAILURE, DRIVERS SIDE FAILURE EVEN ON HIGH BEAM WHEN DRIVING, TURNING OFF/BACK ON LIGHT COMES BACK ON BUT MAY FAIL AGAIN. PASSENGER FRONT HEADLIGHT WORKS FINE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Oct 2018
May 2018

THE DRIVERS SIDE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT HAS LONG BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS WAS A REPORTED SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS WIDELY IGNORED WHICH VIOLATES CALIFORNIA LAW. I FINALLY TOOK IT MYSELF TO GET REPLACED AFTER NOT GETTING ANY HELP WITH MY REPORTING. I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A REFUND FOR THE PROBLEM THAT IS A RECALL ISSUE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2018
May 2018

HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS TURNING ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL YEARS ALTHOUGH WE HAVE REPLACED THE VERY EXPENSIVE HEADLIGHTS MANY TIMES. IT HAS LEFT US IN A BAD SITUATION MANY TIMES (AT NIGHT ON A DARK ROAD WITH NO LIGHTS)! WE JUST TRY NOT TO USE IT AT NIGHTTIME. BUT NOW MY SON HAS NIGHT CLASSES AN HOUR AWAY AND WE LIVE SORT OF REMOTE SO I AM SCARED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2009
Apr 2018

WHEN IN MOTION THE LEFT FRONT HID LIGHT GOES OUT. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON (DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT) BRINGS THE LIGHT BACK ON. MAY HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE TRIP OR MAYBE NOT AT ALL. WEATHER IRRELEVANT. HAS BEEN HAPPENING PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2018
Apr 2018

RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT RANDOMLY QUITS WHILE DRIVING, IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2018
Feb 2018

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY PRIUS SOMETIMES DON'T COME ON OR MAY COME ON AND TURN OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. IT'S USUALLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE, BUT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HAS DONE IT ONCE. IF I NOTICE IT, I CAN USUALLY TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON AND THEN THEY BOTH WORK. IT HAS HAPPENED BOTH WHEN I FIRST TURN ON THE LIGHTS (WHILE STATIONARY) AND ALSO WHEN I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. HITTING BUMPS OR PRESSING CONNECTORS HAS NO EFFECT. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A LOOSE CONNECTION. THE BULBS WORK FINE AFTER CYCLING THE SWITCH. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2018
Jan 2018

HEADLIGHT, DRIVERS SIDE, WILL GO OUT OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL COME ON AGAIN IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF THEN ON.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2018
Sep 2017

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 PRIUS HAVE BEEN GOING ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY SINCE APPX. 2010. FIRST, ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WOULD GO AND OFF. I ASKED MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY COULD NEVER CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS STOPPED MORE THAN ONCE BY THE POLICE FOR HAVING A HEADLIGHT OUT. USUALLY IF I TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, BOTH LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. IN 2014 I HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS REPLACED BY MY DEALERSHIP, WHICH COST OVER $1,000. IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR (2017), BOTH HEADLIGHTS STARTING GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME, AND I TOOK IT IN TO MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO "REPEAT" WHILE THEY HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE AND OFFERED OTHER HELP OR EXPLANATION FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WILL OFTEN GO OUT UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2017
Sep 2017

FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS I HAVE HAD THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER. NOW THEY ARE GOING OFF OR DIMMING MORE CONSISTENTLY. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THINKING THAT IT WAS A BULB OR HEADLIGHT ISSUE BUT IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT IT IS A WIRING ISSUE. THE REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHT IS MORE THAN $600 EACH AND I KNOW THAT REPLACING ANOTHER ONE WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BECAUSE PROBLEMS ARE ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH THIS ISSUE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AT ANY TIME OR SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH OR WITHOUT THE MOTOR RUNNING. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2008
Jun 2017

THE HEADLAMPS ON MY PRIUS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES ONE GOES OUT AND SOMETIMES BOTH. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THEY BOTH GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. I CAN USUALLY TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND ON TO GET IT BACK ON, BUT THAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN DRIVING DOWN A DARK ROAD AND HAVE TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND HAPPENS REGULARLY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2017
May 2017

WHILE DRIVING THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER AND TURN OFF. IT CAN BE TURNED BACK ON BY TURNING OFF AND ON THE HEADLIGHTS. I GOT PULLED OVER LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I COULDN'T TELL IT HAD TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AT NIGHT. I CAN TELL WHEN IT GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND GET IT TO TURN BACK ON. I HAVE READ MANY ONLINE FORUMS THAT DEALERSHIPS WILL REPLACE MANY EXPENSIVE THINGS TRYING TO FIX IT BUT IT STILL DOES NOT FIX IT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2017
Jan 2017

CAR I PURCHASED FOR MY DAUGHTER, HAD ITS HEADLIGHTS GO OUT LAST NIGHT IN THE RAIN AS SHE WAS TAKING AN EXIT OFF ROAD. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT SHE IS VERY SHAKEN UP. SHE SAID THE LIGHTS JUST WENT OUT LEAVING HERE IN ALMOST COMPLETE DARKNESS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2017
Dec 2016

TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 RIGHT HEADLIGHT WILL SPONTANEOUSLY AND AT RANDOM TURN OFF. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. OFTEN THE CAR WILL ILLUMINATE BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND IT IS ONLY AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MINUTES, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WILL TURN OFF. VERY DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. COST ESTIMATES FROM RESEARCH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE $400.00 TO $1200.00. TOYOTA HAS STILL NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2016
Dec 2016

THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED ON THIS CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2016
Dec 2016

THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN LATE 2015.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 2016

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2006 Toyota Prius has 842 Exterior Lighting complaints on file. 5 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.