2009 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

THE 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS IS NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING HEAD LIGHT PROBLEMS. WHAT HAPPENED IS WHEN THE HEADLIGHT ARE TURNED ON THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF SOMETIMES IT'S THE LEFT ONE SOMETIMES THE RIGHT ONE SOMETIMES BOTH THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS IF YOU'RE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON A CITY STREET OR NOT IN-MOTION. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAPPENS ANYTIME THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON IT IS DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS TURN COMPLETELY OFF ON A REGULAR BASIS YOU LOSE VISIBILITY. AND CONSIDERING 90% OF THE TIME WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON IT'S NIGHT TIME EVEN WORSE. IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF AND THAT WILL SOMETIMES MAKE THEM TURN ON AGAIN THE THEN BEHOLD THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF AGAIN LIKE I SAID THIS HAPPENS TO ME AT LEAST 10 TIMES EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT NIGHT. IF YOU LOOK ONLINE YOU WILL FIND COUNTLESS PRIUS OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME YET TOYOTA HAS NOT PUT A RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

THE HEADLIGHT JUST GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. ONCE YOU TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND THEN ON THEY COME BACK ON FOR A SHORT TIME. THE DEALER IS WANTING $1,400 TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES.

HEADLIGHTS FAIL WHILE DRIVING. AT FIRST ONLY THE DRIVER SIDE WOULD GO OUT, THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WOULD GOT OUT AND MOST RECENTLY BOTH LIGHTS HAVE FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

MY HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. SOME TIMES IT'S ONLY ONE, OTHER TIMES IT'S BOTH. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A SHORT TIME. THIS IS VERY SCARY TO HAVE HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE. *TR

I BECAME AWARE THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT MY RIGHT HID HEADLIGHT WAS GOING OFF AND ON WHEN I WAS DRIVING. I WAS FIRST ALERTED TO IT BY OTHER CARS FLASHING ME. THEN TIME WOULD GO BY AND IT SEEMED TO WORK. YET, THE PROBLEM RETURNED. ONE TIME THE LEFT LIGHT WENT OUT AS WELL, AND I WAS WITHOUT EITHER LIGHT. BUT GENERALLY IT IS JUST THE RIGHT LIGHT. IF I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON, THEN BOTH LIGHTS WORK, AGAIN USUALLY UNTIL I GET HOME, I AM AWARE THAT THESE EXPENSIVE BULBS (MORE THAN $600 FOR BOTH) ARE THE COMMON SOLUTION, BUT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAD THE REPLACEMENT BULBS GO OUT, AS WELL ,AFTER A FEW MONTHS. SO IT MUST BE THE CIRCUIT. I WILL TRY TO LIMIT MY DRIVING TO DAY TIME, AND TO BE DILIGENT TO REMEMBER TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SUDDEN LIGHT FAILURE AND SWITCH,THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF. MY MEMORY ISN'T AS SHARP AS IT ONCE WAS, BEING AN ELDERLY RETIRED PERSON. THIS MAKES ME QUITE NERVOUS ESPECIALLY ON ICY ROADS IN AN AREA THAT DARKENS EARLY. SUGGESTED REPAIRS ARE CURRENTLY ABOVE MY MEANS. THANK YOU FOR HEARING THIS. *TR

RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OFF RANDOMLY ALL THE TIME WHEN DRIVING IN CITY STREETS OR HIGHWAYS, I HAVE TO TURN LIGHTS OFF AND TURN THEM ON AGAIN UNTIL IT GOES OFF AGAIN, CHANGED BULB DID NOT HELP. THIS IS HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. AS A RESULT, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO SEE THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,757. UPDATED 05/31/17*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE LIGHT BULB. UPDATED 08/30/2017*JS

ONE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, THEN THE NEXT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AFTER DARK AND REALIZED THAT BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS HAD GONE OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. TURNED SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON (I ALSO PUT FOG LAMPS ON) AND THEY WORKED FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN THEY EACH DIMMED AND WENT OUT. I CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT AND AM UNABLE TO CHANGE THE LIGHTS MYSELF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THE COST QUOTED WAS NEARLY $600 TO REPLACE THE HID HEADLAMPS BECAUSE THE BUMPER MUST BE REMOVED TO REPLACE THE BULBS. THE DEALER SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE UNTIL I MENTIONED THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN 2011 AGAINST TOYOTA FOR THIS VERY ISSUE.

HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY FAILED AT NIGHT ON 8/31/16 WHEN CAR PARKED ON STREET AND HAVE NOT WORKED SINCE. DEALER REPORTED NOT THE BULBS AND RAN DIAGNOSTICS, TELLING ME IT WAS THE THE 'BODY ECU' . I PAID $703.86 FOR A NEW ECU ON 9/1/16 WHICH WAS PUT IN TODAY, 9/7/16, AND DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. CAR REMAINS WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS.

FIRST THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, AND THEN BACK ON AFTER A DAY OR TWO. THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT DID THE SAME THING. I NEVER KNOW UNTIL I START UP THE CAR WHETHER OR NOT I AM GOING TO HAVE BOTH HEADLIGHTS WORKING. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I FIRST START UP THE VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT ALSO HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING.

TAKATA RECALL THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT IS NOT WORKING.

RIGHT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS OUT ABOUT 2-3 MINUTES AFTER TURNING IT ON. BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND ON, THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. BUT IF FAILS AGAIN IN A FEW MINUTES. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, BUT ALSO HAPPENS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE ENGINE OFF.

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS PASSENGER HEADLIGHT GOES OFF SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY. WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, THEN TURN THEM ON, THE HEADLIGHT TURNS BACK ON FOR A WHILE. THEN AFTER A WHILE THE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF AGAIN. THIS DEFECT WAS A NHTSA RECALL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY PROBLEM BUT THE DEALER SAID THE WARRANTY AND RECALL HAS EXPIRED. THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME OVER $500 TO FIX THIS DEFECT. NHTSA NEEDS TO EXTEND THE RECALL AND WARRANTY BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENT DEATHS AND INJURY RELATED TO THIS DEFECT. YOU CAN SEE THE DEFECT DOCUMENTED ON SEVERAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS: TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHT FAILURE. PLEASE ISSUE AN ORDER FOR DEALERS TO RECALL AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO FIX THIS HEADLIGHT DEFECT AT NO COST TO OWNERS !! *TR

LEFT HEADLIGHT STARTED SPORADICALLY FLICKERING IN APRIL 2014, THEN RIGHT HEADLIGHT STARTED FLICKERING AND GOING OUT IN AUGUST 2014. BOUGHT REPLACEMENT BULBS, WHICH WORKED FOR 3 MONTHS, NOW BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AS THEY JUST SUDDENLY GO OUT WITH NO NOTICE. HAVE DISCUSSED WITH MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT IS A "BALLAST" PROBLEM WITH THE 2009 PRIUS AND A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT EXISTED, BUT SINCE MY CAR WAS OUTSIDE OF THE 5 YEARS 50K MILES COVERAGE THE COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND $1200.00 PER LIGHT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AS A DEFECT!!!

SOMETIMES ONE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF. WHEN I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF, THE HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY DAY.

WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF. SOMETIMES THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER SIDE...SOMETIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TONIGHT, I HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING HOME DOWN A DARK, WET, VERY CURVY, LEAF COVERED ROAD. QUICKLY TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF BRIEFLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND POSES A TREMENDOUS THREAT OF BODILY HARM NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVERS/PASSENGERS IN THE PRIUS, BUT TO OTHER TRAVELERS AS WELL. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA FOR REFUSING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE MANY CONSUMERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DIM INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DAILY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

RIGHT HEADLIGHT DOES NOT STAY ON. HAD THE FILAMENT CHANGED 2-3 TIMES AND STILL BURNS OUT. THIS IS NOT SAFE. CANNOT GET A GOOD ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING!!!

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO ONE OR ANOTHER OF MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OFF INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN I TURNED THE SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON, THEY'D BOTH BE ON. THIS WAS IRRITATING BUT IT WAS RANDOM AND SPORADIC ENOUGH THAT I DIDN'T TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE UNTIL BOTH LIGHTS STARTED GOING OFF IN RECENT WEEKS. I THEN DISCOVERED ON THE INTERNET THE HISTORY AND EXTENT OF THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP ONLY INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED WITH THE 2005-2009 PRIUS BUT WEREN'T FORTHCOMING WITH OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION. $500 LATER I HAVE NEW LIGHTS. MY PLAN IS TO HAVE "PROBLEMS" WITH THEM EVERY 11 MONTHS AS LONG AS I OWN THE CAR, IF THEY DON'T GO OFF ON THEIR OWN, SO THAT I CAN GET THE PROBLEM FIXED UNDER THE DEALER'S 12 MONTH WARRANTY. FORTUNATELY, MOST OF MY DRIVING IS DOWNTOWN IN A LARGE CITY WHERE OTHER LIGHTING IS AVAILABLE. I DID THINK WHENEVER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT I'D BETTER HAVE THE LIGHTS CHECKED. ALTHOUGH THERE APPARENTLY ISN'T A BODY COUNT WITH THIS PROBLEM, OR IS THERE?, IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED SOME WRITTEN INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA OR NHTSA THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PERVASIVE AND COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS 2009 PRIUS FROM MY ELDERLY PARENTS WHO DIDN'T DRIVE AT NIGHT SO THE HID ISSUE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY. MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING AT NIGHT IN JAN. 2012 AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I CALLED TOYOTA (LIMBAUGH AND HOOVER) IN BIRMINGHAM, AL. ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY SAID THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY ISSUES AND TOYOTA HAD NO RECALL. AT THIS POINT, I'M OUT APPROXIMATELY $400 AND MY TIME AND THE ISSUE KEEPS COMING BACK. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? THANK YOU. *TR

DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DRIVERS SIDE HID WOULD FLICKER AND THEN SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHILE DRIVING A DARK ROAD, BOTH HID SHUT OFF LEAVING ME IN TOTAL DARKNESS.

THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM. THE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THEY TURN BACK ON IF I FLIP THE SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN. THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE HOUSE (I CAN SEE THEIR REFLECTION AGAINST THE GARAGE WALL) MEANS THEY ARE NOT BURNT OUT, BUT THE FACT THAT I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT MULTIPLE TIMES BY PEOPLE WHO THEN HONK AND FLASH THEIR BRIGHTS TO TELL ME MY HEADLIGHTS ARE OFF MEANS THAT THEY ARE TURNING OFF ON THEIR OWN. THROUGH INTERNET SEARCHES AND CHAT FORUMS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS.

MY 2009 PRIUS RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT PERIODICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF & ON AGAIN, IT WORKS AGAIN, BUT ONLY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. *TR

THE HID LIGHTS HAVE BECOME INTERMITTENT. FIRST THE LEFT ONE WOULD RANDOMLY GO OFF AND THEN LATER COME BACK ON, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. MORE RECENTLY THE RIGHT ONE IS SHOWING THE SAME BEHAVIOR.