2006 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 PRIUS WILL GO OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. MOST OF THE TIME THIS INVOLVES ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT, BUT I HAVE HAD BOTH GO OFF. IF I TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON. I'VE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ON THIS PROBLEM. CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS - HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HEADLIGHTS WILL DIM UNTIL THEY ARE TOTALLY DARK. IF I TURN THEM TO OFF AND THEN TURN THEM ON, THEY WILL STAY ON FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT SEEMS TO BE A RANDOM OCCURRENCE THAT HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. *TR

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF HID HEADLIGHTS ON 2006 PRIUS BEGINNING AROUND 30K MILES. TEMPORARILY FIXED BY SWITCHING LIGHTS OFF AND ON. UNABLE TO REPLICATE FOR DEALERSHIP. OCCURS AT LEAST ONCE EACH DRIVE IN CAR, ANY MILEAGE. OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS. COST OF REPAIRS AT DEALERSHIP HAVE RANGED FROM $380 PER LAMP. IN ONE CASE A DEALER CHARGED A PRIUS OWNER $2600 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN UNSAFE MANUFACTURING DEFECT WARRANTING A RECALL BY TOYOTA. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PRIUS AND USUALLY HAVE TO DRIVE TO WORK OR FROM WORK BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP OR AFTER IT GOES DOWN. I DO NOT KEEP MY HEADLIGHTS PERPETUALLY ON WHILE DRIVING. AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES (WEEKS AFTER THE WARRANTY ENDS) MY LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS OFF, BUT I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH QUICKLY OFF AND ON AND THE LIGHT WORKS AGAIN FOR A WHILE LONGER, THEN IT GOES OFF AGAIN. I TAKE IT IN AND THE DEALER SAYS $646 TO REPLACE ONE, AND OTHER WILL NEED IT TOO, SO $936 FOR BOTH. DEALER SAYS THE BUMPER HAS TO BE DROPPED DOWN TO GET TO THE LIGHTS, THAT IS THE BIGGEST EXPENSE. WHEN I DRIVE IT HOME RIGHT FROM THE DEALER THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT TOO, WITH THE SAME QUICK OFF/ON TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. SOME DAYS I CAN TURN IT ON ONCE AND DRIVE 52 MILE TO WORK WITHOUT THEM GOING OFF, OTHER DAYS ONE OR THE OTHER CUT OFF 5-10 TIMES OR FLICKER FOR A FEW MINUTES. MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS SAY THEY DRIVE THEIR NEW EXPENSIVE CARS WITH HEADLIGHTS PERPETUALLY ON WITH THE SAME TYPE OF HEADLIGHT, AND HAVE NO PROBLEM OR NO EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT COSTS. I FELL THAT THE SHORTLIVED HEADLAMP IS A PRODUCT DEFECT AND BIZARRE PROCESS TO DROP THE BUMPER TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AFTER BEING ON FOR AWHILE TURNING THE SWITCH OFF THEN BACK ON THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON IT HAS HID LIGHTS. *TR

TOYOTA HAS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH HEADLAMPS FAILING INTERMITTENTLY ON 2006 AND NEW PRIUSES RATHER THAN FIXING THE ISSUE, THEY'RE CHARGING CUSTOMERS UPWARDS OF A $1000 TO REPLACE (2) *DEFECTIVE* HEADLAMP BULBS. IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A MAJOR ISSUE, HOWEVER I ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER PRIUS OWNER ON THE FREEWAY, WHO WAS DRIVING BOTH LIGHTS OUT. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT THING IN MY OWN PRIUS, IT'S A VERY SCARY SCENARIO. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/FORUMS/CARE-MAINTENANCE-TROUBLESHOOTING/34584-HEADLIGHT-PROBLEM.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.MERCURYNEWS.COM/TOPIC/ROADSHOW-COST-TO-REPLACE-ON-AND-OFF-PRIUS-HEADLIGHTS-CAN-RUN-950-MDASH-OR-NOTHING PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW TOYOTA TO KEEP SCREWING CONSUMERS INTO PAYING FOR $1000 BULB REPLACEMENTS. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE GAMBLING WITH INTERMITTENT LAMPS DUE TO THE HIGH REPLACEMENT COST. *TR

JUST A FEW HUNDRED MILES SHY OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY (JUST ON THE HEADLIGHTS), MY LEFT SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. WHEN FLIPPING THE HIGH BEAMS ON DID NOT LIGHT THE OFFENDING BULB (I DID NOT AT THE TIME REALIZE THAT HID HEADLAMPS DO NOT HAVE SEPARATE HIGH AND LOW BEAM FILAMENTS, BUT SIMPLY CHANGE THE FOCUS OF THE ONE HID CAPSULE.), I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED INTO A PARTS STORE AND BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT BULB (NON-HID). I DID THINK IT STRANGE THAT THE LIGHTS BOTH WENT BACK ON WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, BUT I DECIDED THAT I SHOULD REPLACE IT ANYWAY. ON THE NEXT DAY, I REMOVED THE OFFENDING BULB (NOT AS DIFFICULT AS SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK) AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS SOME SORT OF RARE-EARTH DISCHARGE LAMP. BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF ILLUMINATION SYSTEM SHOULD BE VERY RELIABLE (THERE BEING NO FRAGILE FILAMENT TO FATIGUE AND BREAK), I FIGURED THAT I JUST HAD THE BAD FORTUNE TO RUN INTO A RARE CASE OF INFANT MORTALITY, OR JUST A DEFECTIVE BULB TO BEGIN WITH. ALTHOUGH THE BULB CAN BE RELIGHTED (BY SWITCHING HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON), IT MUST BE DISTRACTING TO OTHER DRIVERS, NOT TO MENTION: WHAT IF I TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TO RELIGHT ONE AND BOTH DECIDE NOT TO REIGNITE. WHAT THEN? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! FORTUNATELY, I GOT BOTH LIGHTS REPLACED (THE RIGHT SIDE WENT SHORTLY THEREAFTER) UNDER WARRANTY. (PLUS $80 LABOR) NOW, AT 82K MILES, HERE WE GO AGAIN. THIS TIME, I CALLED TOYOTA. I COULD GET ABSOLUTELY NO COMMITMENT OUT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE, BUT HE INSISTED THAT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP MUST DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BEFORE HE COULD MAKE A DECISION ON A "POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT." I TOOK THE CAR IN YESTERDAY, WITH THE HEADLIGHT OUT. THEY CLEANED THE CONTACTS AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. BEFORE I ARRIVED HOME, THE LIGHT WAS OUT, SO I DROVE RIGHT BACK. THEY LOOKED AND SAID: "YUP, IT'S OUT." SO I LEFT. NOW THE REP SAYS I SHOULD HAVE STAYED! *TR

DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AFTER BEING ON 1ST. AFTER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON, THE LEFT(DRIVERS SIDE) HEADLIGHT SIMPLY GOES OFF. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AGAIN, THEY BOTH COME BACK ON, AND THEN AGAIN, THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES BACK OFF. PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OFF, I WOULD TURN BOTH HEADLIGHTS OFF, BACK ON AND THEY'D BE FINE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THE CYCLE OF OFF AND ON, ON AND OFF WOULD CONTINUE! *TR

SAFETY ISSUE: MY 2006 PRIUS HID HEADLAMPS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. ONE OR THE OTHER WILL RANDOMLY GO OUT. CYCLING POWER USUALLY FIXES THE PROBLEM. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF, SEPARATELY AND INTERMITTENTLY. MUST TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON TO TURN LIGHT(S) BACK ON WHILE DRIVING. INCREASING IN FREQUENCY. *TR

HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY... TURNING OFF ALL LIGHTS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN BACK ON TURNS THE LIGHT BACK ON.... DEALER SAID BULB NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $300..... INTERNET FORUMS INDICATE THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS OVER SEVERAL YEARS... AND DOES NOT FIX PROBLEM... OTHERS HAVE REPLACED CONTROLLER BOARDS, BULBS, WIRING, ALL TO NO AVAIL... THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.... I HAVE ALSO PURCHASED THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS BLINK ON AND OFF. SOMETIMES THE LEFT SOMETIMES THE RIGHT AND SOMETIMES BOTH. THE FAILURE OCCURS ALMOST DAILY AND SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN OFF USUALLY TURNING THEM OFF AND BACK ON WILL MAKE THEM WORK AGAIN. BROUGHT MY CAR TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPLETE HEADLIGHT UNIT AND CASING ON BOTH SIDES (COST $350 EACH PLUS LABOR. TOTAL COST ABOUT $800) I FOUND THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT SEALED UNITS AS I WAS TOLD AND HAVE NOT HAD THEM REPLACED YET. *TR

DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT SOMETIMES GOES OUT, SOMETIMES WORKS. I WOULD SAY IT WORKS 25% OF THE TIME. THIS RESULTS IN LIMITED VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. AT THIS POINT, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND SO FAR THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TOTAL LOSS OF VISIBILITY. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS FAIL DURING OPERATION AND THE DRIVER HAS TO TURN POWER TO THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON FOR LIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON. THIS CYCLE HAS TO BE REPEATED EVERY 0-5 MINUTES SINCE THE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN OUT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE ACTIVATION SWITCH ON AND OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE HEADLIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT HEADLIGHTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $600 PER LIGHT, PLUS LABOR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THEREFORE, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,600. 4/01/09 *NJ UPDATED 04/06/09. *JB

BOTH HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF, THEN BACK ON, AND THEY WOULD WORK FOR A WHILE, THEN ONE OR THE OTHER WOULD GO OUT AGAIN. FINALLY, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COME BACK ON. MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN AT THE TIME, AND FORTUNATELY FOUND A DEALER OPEN ON SATURDAY. WE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AS WELL. *TR

HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. LATER IT COMES BACK ON AND THEN GOES OUT AGAIN UNPREDICTABLY. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM DRIVING WHEN IT HAPPENS. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS AND HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE HID HEADLIGHTS. MY HID HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND THEN ONE GOES OUT. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON, THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A SHORT TIME, YET THEN ONE WILL FLICKER AGAIN AND TURN OFF. THIS HAPPENS TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS. IT SEEMS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY 2006 PRIUSES, HOWEVER THE TOYOTA DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT ANYTHING COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND WANTS TO CHARGE AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT IT IS A DEFECTIVE LIGHT, WHICH POSES A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT (ON THE PASSENGER SIDE) INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS OFF FOR A SECOND AND THEN BACK ON AND IT COMES BACK ON. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY ON FOR HOURS, SOMETIMES IT WILL ONLY STAY ON FOR MINUTES. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY WITH THE SAME CAR AND TOYOTA REPLACED THE BULB, BALLAST AND HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY BEFORE IT STOPPED HAVING THE ISSUE. NOW ABOUT 20 MONTHS HAVE PASSED AND I AM SEEING THE SAME THING AGAIN. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 06 PRIUS HAVE STARTED GOING OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I REALLY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH MY CAR NOW. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 PRIUS GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES ONE LIGHT GOES OFF AND THE OTHER STAYS ON. SOMETIMES THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHTS VARY. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I HAVE TO TURN MY LIGHTS ON AND OFF. ALSO MY BRAKE LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES BY THE POLICE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

HID HEADLIGHT IN 06 PRIUS BEHAVING BADLY. *TR

PURCHASED A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS IN 2007 AND I HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT. I FIRST NOTICED THEM GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. AND BECAUSE THEY HAD TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM, I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS. THREE HEADLIGHTS LATER, NOW NEEDING A 4TH. ONE AND THE CARS WARRANTY IS UP. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WANTS APPROX. $270.00 PLUS SALES TAX TO REPLACE IT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED I AM WONDERING IF THE DEALERSHIP NEW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE ONE OF THERE SHOP PEOPLE HAD OWNED IT PREVIOUSLY. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP ON 8/07-12/07- 3/09 AND NOW AT THIS DATE (11/02 I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER SHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE) AND THEY NEVER MENTIONED THAT THIS CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA. THEY JUST WANTED 270 PLUS TAX TO FIX IT. PLEASE HELP! *TR

I OWN A 2006 PRIUS- THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK (AND DAY) EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF. THIS IS SO UNSAFE. FIRST THE DEALER EXPLAINS THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS; THEN THEY ADMIT THERE ARE MANY ISSUES. WHEN SEARCHING ONLINE I COME TO RELEASE THERE IS A BIG ISSUE. TO DATE TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I'VE GOT A PACKAGE 6 2006 PRIUS. THE HEADLIGHTS KEEPS GOING OUT. SOMETIMES ITS JUST THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SOMETIMES BOTH. I CAN'T REALLY TELL WHEN OR HOW IT GOES OUT . IF I TURN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ON AND OFF IT HAS NO EFFECT, BUT WHEN I TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF AND BACK ON THE LIGHT COMES BACK. SOMETIMES ON LONG TRIPS IT WILL STAY ON THE WHOLE TIME, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. SOMETIMES ON SHORT TRIPS IT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. THE PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT HID HEADLIGHT OPERATION APPEARS TO BE COMMON WITH THE PRIUS. *TR