2009 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

Apparently a known issue with the HID lights coming on or off intermittently.

The front lights and break lights sometimes turn off while I am driving. Both of the lights or one of them.

Headlights intermittently go off, and I wound have to switch it off and on for light to come back on, but for few minutes until it does it again, and I drive Uber at night. I have searched the problem online, it seems to be a common problem on the second generation Prius from 04-09, I called few repair shops and they acknowledged the problem but did not have an answer to solve it.

My 2017 Prius is having headlight failure. I was told by my neighbor that my headlight was out. I bought a new one and went to replace it but they were both working. Thought it was a defective bulb so waited to replace it. I check both headlights when I come to a stop behind a car so I can check the reflection of the headlights. Sometimes they are both on sometimes only one is on, Occasionally both are OUT. What I have noticed is when I turn on the car, immediately the headlights are bright,(not high beam) and immediately go dim. This acts like a bad contact or high resistance somewhere in the circuit. The headlights going on and off seems to be a circuit breaker of some kind. Fortunately I don't drive much at night, however I am having to drive more at night and the possibly of the headlights both failing is TERRIFYING. I started to research the problem and it seams I am not the only person having the problem. The internet is full of other people having the same problem. It seems that nothing is being done about it. I am hoping that Toyota is NOT deciding to just let the people kill themselves because it will be nearly impossible to prove that the headlights were out at the time of the accident so they will not have to pay a lawsuit and not have to fix a recall problems. I am 74 years old and been an auto mechanic all my life so I know about automobiles and wiring. I doubt that anything will be done, and wonder how many people have been killed because no one will dig deep enough into the problem to find the problem and fix it.

IN DECEMBER OF 2018, I PULLED MY CAR UP TO A REDBOX STATION TO RETURN A MOVIE. I PUSHED THE PARK BUTTON ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PUT THE MOVIE INTO THE SLOT. THE CAR APPARENTLY WAS NOT IN PARK AND CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD (I TRIED TO CATCH IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND HURT MYSELF IN DOING SO) UNTIL IT SLAMMED INTO A PARKED CAR IN THE SAME PARKING LOT. MY INSURANCE LISTED IT AS AN AT-FAULT ACCIDENT AND FIXED MY CAR AND THE ONE THAT MY VEHICLE HAD HIT. (I TOLD THE ADJUSTER I KNEW THAT I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK) I ALSO HAD A 700.00 DEDUCTIBLE TO PAY FOR FIXING MY DAMAGED CAR. AS TIME WENT BY, THIS STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I WOULD PUSH THE BUTTON FOR MY CAR TO GO INTO PARK MODE AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE CAR INTO ANOTHER GEAR AND THEN IT WOULD GO INTO PARK. OTHER WEIRD THINGS WITH THE CAR WERE HAPPENING AS WELL. SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND MORE AND MORE WHEN I WOULD START THE CAR, THE DASHBOARD WOULD BE COMPLETELY BLACK. I MENTIONED TO MY MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING, HOWEVER, I COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPEN WHENEVER I TOOK IT TO HIM. I DID MANAGE TO GET IT ON VIDEO THOUGH THAT IT WAS HAPPENING. I JUST RECENTLY LEARNED FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND THAT IT'S A BAD COMBINATION METER. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA ONLY ALLOWED FOR 9 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED FOR THIS PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. HOW COME I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND HOW DO YOU PUT A TIME LIMIT ON A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS THIS ONE. MY CAR DID NOT GO INTO PARK MODE AND ENDED UP SLAMMING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE EASILY FALLEN UNDER THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE AS IT KEPT ON MOVING OR IT COULD HAVE EASILY HIT ANOTHER PERSON. I AM HOPING SOMEONE CAN INVESTIGATE THIS FOR ME AND GET BACK TO ME WITH INFORMATION ON HOW I CAN GET THIS FIXED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER MOOR AUTOMOTIVE LOCATED AT 1246 HARTFORD TURNPIKE, VERNON, CT 06066, WHO REPLACED THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT BULBS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS LATER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE LIGHT BULB FAILED. BOTH BULBS WERE REPLACED AT DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA LOCATED AT 451 N NOVA RD, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOR A 3RD TIME AND WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,667.

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS.. REPLACED OVER 8 BULBS. CHECKED CONNECTORS, CHECKED WIRING.. NO PROBLEM FOUND AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST.

ONE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT SOMETIMES WORK SOMETIMES NOT.I JUST GET THIS CAR TODAY AND AFTER PURCHASING I SAW THIS PROBLEM.

THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP BLOWING OUT DUE TO POWER SURGE. LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT - RIGHT NOW LEFT AGAIN!!! EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE I BOUGHT IT LAST FEB 2017.

THE HEADLIGHTS COME ON AND OFF. BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, FUSES AND STILL THEY PERIODICALLY COME ON AND OFF. WHEN I TAKE THE TO DEALER THEY SAY NO ISSUES.

LAST YEAR MY HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKING ON AND THEN WHEN I TURNED THEM OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THEY WOULD BOTH WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST ONE HEADLIGHT, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AND SOMETIMES ITS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME OR ONE AND THEN IN A MILE OR TWO THE OTHER MAKING IT SO BOTH ARE OUT. I'VE HAD MY BULBS REPLACED AND SINCE LOOKED AT AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THE BULBS WERE BOTH STILL GOOD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROCESS FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WITH TWO KIDS IN THE CAR AND HAVE BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ON YOU. IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TYPE OF SURFACE WE ARE DRIVING ON. I HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME I DRIVE MY CAR.

DRIVERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT PERIODICALLY. RESEARCH ON LINE SAYS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2006 - 2009 PRIUS. IS THERE A RECALL? GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING.

HID HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON HEADLIGHTS, STAYS OFF.

EVERY DAY ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. ONE DAY IT COULD BE THE LEFT ONE, THE OTHER DAY COULD BE THE RIGHT ONE. I'M AFRAID BOTH MIGHT GO OUT DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING.

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN STARTING TO DRIVE BUT AFTER A WHILE INTO DRIVING ...13 MINUETS (IS WHEN I NOTICED) HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. I DRIVE HOME AFRAID TO GET A TICKET. HOME IS 5 MINUTES AWAY. I PULL IN DRIVEWAY AND HEADLIGHTS COME BACK ON AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT WHEN USING HEADLIGHTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE HEADLAMPS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TARBOX TOYOTA (3671 QUAKER LN, NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02852, (401) 884-5438) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HID BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE HID BULBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

THE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAMS ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS DRIVERS SIDE AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE KEEP BURNING OUT. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS THREE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. TOYOTA HAS A RECALL ON THE 2010 THRU 2011 PRIUS HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS FOR THESE YEARS BUT NOT THE 2009 PRIUS. A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE COULD HAPPEN IF BOTH LIGHTS BURN OUT BEFORE YOU GET THE BAD ONE CHANGED. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT.

AT NOT GIVEN MOMENT DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITH GO OFF. IF YOU TURN OFF AN ON IT WILL GO ON AGAIN. BUT, WILL GO OUT AGAIN. IF YOU TRY TO PUT BRIGHT LIGHTS ON ALL LIGHTS GO OFF. ALL WHILE DRIVING.

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ALL THE TIME. I'VE REPLACED THE BALLASTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS 5 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. 1 MONTH AFTER NEW HEADLIGHTS AND NEW BALLASTS THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BACK OUT AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I GOT THIS CAR. SOMETIMES I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF AND IT WILL WORK FOR A BIT.

WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. MOST OF THE TIME IT IS THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND AT OTHER TIMES THE RIGHT OR BOTH OF THEM WILL GO OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN OFF AND THEN BACK ON IT WILL TURN THEM ON FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS. I WAS PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER AND THEY LET ME OFF WITH A WARNING TO FIX IT. IT TURNS OFF EVEN WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AS WELL AS WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN. *TR

THERE IS A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR MY 2009 PRIUS WHICH EXPIRES IN MARCH OF 2018 FOR THE COMBINATION METER KNOWN AS CSP ZTV. I TEXT MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID ITS WARRANTED. THE FIRST DEALER I TOOK IT TO REFUSED TO REPLACE IT 2 DAYS AGO SAYING IT EXPIRED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T AFTER I READ THE DATE IT STARTED BEING IN SERVICE AND SHE SAID IT IS IN PLACE UNTIL MARCH.THE 2ND DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE CONDITIONS. I CAN NOT TELL THE WEATHER TO FREEZE I AM NOT GOD BUT THEY ARE PLAYING GOD WITH MY MONEY AND MY LIFE TO SAVE THEIR MONEY AND THEIR JOBS. I WANTED REPAIR DONE BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN BUT THEY ARE REFUSING. I COULD RUN OUT OF GAS AND BE KILLED BECAUSE OF FAULTY METER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T READ DISPLAY OR GET A SPEEDING TICKET. THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM CAN VERIFY THIS IS THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE NOT A TOYOTA DEALER. WHAT IF WE HAVE A MILD WINTER AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR BUT HAPPENS FALL OF 2019 THEN I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND ITS THEIR FAULT NOT MINE THIS IS LAWLESSNESS BECAUSE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KEEP FROM PAYING FOR THEIR ERROR. THIS IS STEALING. HOW CAN I GET A REMEDY TO THIS? THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DO A RECALL INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING IT IS NOT RIGHT TO DO TO CONSUMER. IT IS STATIONARY FOR DISPLAY LIGHTS BUT YOU DON' T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL TURN ON AND RESTARTING CAR DOES NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN YOU CAN'T LEAVE CAR THERE BECAUSE LIGHTS AREN'T ON IF CAR DOESN'T SHUT OFF THIS A DILEMMA AND TOW TRUCKS DON'T CARRY THESE METERS. ALSO WHEN CAR DOESN'T QUIT RUNNING IT IS STATIONARY. THE RECALL IS CSP ZTV.

LIGHTS FLICKERING GOING OUT

DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN IT GETS BELOW 30 THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD GO OUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND REMAIN OFF WHILE DRIVING AND YOU CAN'T SEE HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING OR ANY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OR WARNING LIGHTS TO KNOW IF YOU NEED GAS, TIRES ARE LOW, ETC. I TOOK INTO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON IT BUT I DO NOT SEE IT LISTED.

WHILE DRIVING, MY HEADLAMPS WILL FLICKER AND THEN GO OUT. SOMETIMES THIS COULD TAKE 5 MINUTES, SOMETIMES THIS COULD TAKE 20. WHEN FLICK THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, THEY RESET FOR A LITTLE WHILE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING, BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. MY VEHICLE BEGAN DOING THIS AT 98,000 MILES AND CONTINUE TO DO THIS AT 130,000 MILES. I'VE READ ON FORUMS THAT OTHER DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME THINGS.

OVER THE COURSE OF MY OWNERSHIP OF THE PAST 3 YEARS, I HAVE REPLACED 3 HEADLIGHTS, DUE TO BROKEN/FAULTY SEALS THAT ALLOW MOISTURE INTO THE HOUSING, AND BURNING OUT THE BALLAST WHICH IN MY OPINION IS A DESIGN FLAW AS THE BALLAST RESTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I CURRENTLY AM DEALING WITH A RIGHT HEADLIGHT THAT GOES OUT AND I NEED TO TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND ON FOR THE LIGHT TO RETURN BRIEFLY. THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS ABOUT $250 PLUS LABOR COSTS OF INSTALLATION.