Headlights problems of the 2008 Toyota Avalon - part 2

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the passenger's side headlight malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the wiring harness and headlights needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 73,000.

We purchased this car in may 2013. For the past few months, the right headlight has been going off intermittently and now the left headlight is starting to do the same thing. The headlight may or may not come back on while driving but will come back on the next time the car is started. Checking online revealed other complaints concerning the same issue, including both headlights going off at the same time - definitely a safety issue. At this point in time, it appears the high beams are okay.

The headlights go off intermittently. First it was the driver side then the passenger side and recently both on a dark road. Very dangerous and I have read other accounts that Toyota charges huge amounts when this is clearly a safety issue.

When driving, my car has the drl option that utilizes the high beams at a lower voltage during the day. About a couple weeks ago I noticed that my high beams seemed to not be working which is very odd for both bulbs to be out at the exact same time. Sometimes, I need my high beams on dark curvy roads in the area that I live in. I called my dealership(capital Toyota) about it and of course they swept it under the rug "we havent heard of that before" the service writer was gratious enought to give me a Toyota corp. Number 18003314331. So I called and through a couple holds they proceeded to tell me that due to "legal" (you would think that they would be concerned "legally" that owners are having issues seeing at night due to an substandard parts)resonsibilities they would not cover my car in what they are calling an extended warranty soley for the headlight issue they are fully aware of. They said the warranty was for 5 years from the date the vehicle was put into service. My car is one month past said date. Keep in mind that I purchased this car in early June '13. So I was not aware nor did I receive any sort of notification that there was anything that needed to be done or it would have. In fact when I purchased this vehicle I called my local dealership to see if it needed to be caught up on any recall's/TSB's and they said "no". This is a big safety issue that needs to be brought to the national recall level of service if Toyota does not see the need in fixing something beyond my control. From what I understand about the issue, simply replacing the highbeam/drl's will not fix the issue. Not to metion the fact that I could receive a ticket by the police for my high beams not working properly. Please keep me informed of any forthcoming information.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated the driver's and passenger's side headlight stopped illuminating independently. There was a manufacturer recall for the exterior lighting. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 49,500. Da.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that the headlights would fail sporadically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 48,000.

Both high beams went out at same time while on dark country road. Low beam on right side cuts out after a few minutes of driving. Toyota knows there is a problem because they extended warranty to 72000 miles for the hid lights. This happened after the warranty. The sudden loss of both high beams created a dangerous situation. Fortunately it did not cause a crash. The low beam cutting out as it does is dangerous. My local dealer says both headlight assemblies need to be replaced at a cost of $2660. 00. Headlights are a necessary safety feature. Toyota must know they have a problem because of the warranty extension and the numerous complaints on the internet. A friend with the same model had the same issue. I am requesting NHTSA to demand Toyota recall the Toyota Avalon limited cars with this type of headlight assembly and replace the lights with a reliable system.

Bought used in Feb 2013. Used little until may. Headlights off and on without warning. Got progressively worse. Took to dealer and they had to install new headlight assembly as per Toyotaservice bulletin 0044-10 at a cost to me of $2600. Calls to Toyota corporate and Toyota extra care resulted in there maintaining that though they knew the problem existed (they even designed a new system) but maintained it was my responsibility and at my cost. For sure most manufacturers would have issued a recall.

Hi beam headlights failed while driving at night on dark country road. Took car in for repair. Both hi beam bulbs were broken. They were replaced second incident appx. 8 mos, ago. Hi beams failed to work. Had bulbs replaced. Third incident 2 weeks ago. Inspected bulbs. They are burnt out. Bulbs not yet replaced.

On February 27, 2013 I noticed that both high beam headlights were not working. At that time our 2008 Avalon had about 73,000 miles on it. After doing some research on the internet, I learned that Toyota had a known problem with the headlight assembly mechanism on the 2008 Avalon and had extended the warranty to address this issue in certain circumstances. I contacted my Toyota dealer and was informed my car was not eligible for this assistance due to the age and mileage. On may 3, 2013, I noticed that my driver's side low beam light was not working. I did some additional research and learned that the progression of the known headlight assembly problem would eventually lead to the intermittent failure of all head lights. I called two repair locations and received quotes in excess of $2800 to replace the headlight assembly mechanisms. I then called Toyota's customer service number and was informed that Toyota would not do anything to assist fixing a known safety defect.

The high beam headlights stopped working. I later learned the bulbs were shattered. Toyota dealer says because the car now has 80,000 plus miles they will not fit it. The cost to repair is $2600.

While driving on the freeway one or both headlights flicker then turn off. This happens all the time and the only way to get the lights to come back on is to turn them off and then back on again. It is getting progressively worse and the dealer said I have to bring the car in for evaluation when the lights go out. Unfortunately I have to do this during business hours when it is dark to know that my lights are out. And when both lights go out it isn't a good idea to leave them off so I can drive to the dealer. Both bulbs have burst in the past and have been replaced twice by the dealer. This time the new bulbs don't appear to be bursting but just turning off by themselves. The burst bulb problem started occurring when I had less than 20k miles but now the dealer said both light housings needs replaced at my cost of over $5000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated the high beam headlights exploded after the vehicle was parked. There was broken glass all around the headlights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated there was no recall and the contact would have to pay for the repairs. The manufacturer was notified and a claim was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 53,000. Mw.

Lost both high beam lighting while driving in a snow storm at night, on a dark mountain road in oregon. I have 2002 chevy silveraldo pickup with over 150,000 miles and no headlight problems ever. The last known headlight failure I had was on my 1957 chevy around 1970. You would think headlight problems in todays cars would not exist, ever! I checked all four fuses per Toyota's maintanance manual, and they are good. I see there are several complaints on Toyota's. Seems like they would fix our problems before there is a fatality. Thanks.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that the low beam headlight malfunctioned and would fail sporadically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 71,500 and the current mileage was 78,697. ## VIN passed ## Toyota Avalon 2008 ##. . . Updated 11-12-13.

Left headlight works for only about five minutes then turns off but turns back on right away if I turn off then on all lights dealer replaced light in August 2011 but within a few months same problem is occurring. Return to dealer got only a denial of any "ongoing" problems reported (edmunds says otherwise from many irate Toyota owners). Dealer only offered to replace the built again ($178. 00) or "charge labor to ck the full electrical system (ignoring that only the headlight electrical assembly need be checked and that the assembly can be replaced for around $300. ) dealer really wants to ignore the problem and just sell more bulbs. This is likely my last Toyota (after having four. ).

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the driver's side headlight failed. The contact mentioned that the driver's side headlight would fail intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was advised that the entire headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. The VIN was not available.

I was driving at night and noticed my headlights were not on. Both seemed to have burnt out at the same time.

My 2008 Toyota Avalon has a light problem where one or the other or both headlights go out randomly. We have asked the dealership where we have the car serviced to look into it and on every occasion have been told they can't get the car to recreate the issue. We have actually been pulled over not once but twice for having a headlight out but when we turn them off and back on they work again. It was bad when it was just one or the other but recently both will go out. We feel like this is a huge safety issue. .

Headlight on low beams goes out while driving. Will come back on if the car is turnd off and restarted. Happens multiple times. Replaced that light, now the other light started doing the same.

Toyota sent out a warranty enhancement notice about June 2012 that if you had problems with high beam headlights on my model vehicle to take the car to a dealer. Car had to be less than 5 years old a under 72,000 miles. I ask about my car and they said my mileage was to high. Within a month I found out what the problem was. The high beam bulbs would explode as mine did. I went back to Toyota to ask for a waver for the repair to be done. They again said no. But would be happy to repair it for $2284. 66. The cost of new headlight assemblies. It seems that the original bulb was no longer made and there was no direct replacement for it. Solution was the $2284. 66 repair. I believe this is a safety issue and should be covered no matter the age or miles of a vehicle. There was no mention in the notice of bulbs exploding or that the entire assembly would need to be replaced. Very misleading on the part of Toyota.

High beams worked sometimes and not other times. Now the high beams and daytime running lamps are completely out. While getting service at the dealer last year, I asked them to check the high beams, but they just said that they were working at the time and they couldn't find any problem at the time. Now that they have stopped working all together - I went to a new dealer and they said that Toyota was aware of the problem but didn't do a recall to notify owners, instead Toyota just replaced the headlight assemblies as new customers went into dealers with headlight problems. Then Toyota extended the replacement to cars up to 40k miles. When I complained to the original dealer who couldn't find any problem, my car was well under 40k miles; however, now I'm told that it will cost $2,600 to fix since the car is now over 40k miles! why didn't Toyota proactively alert owners to this problem so the lights could be replaced? I will never buy another Toyota product again.

While driving my vehicle the headlights will go out intermittently. Initially we thought it was the right bulb but sometimes its the left bulb. After contacting the dealership, we were told that it will be about 1500. 00 to fix this problem. After doing some research, I found out that the problem will not be solved and many owners of the cars are spending in excess of 2500. 00 and the problem continues. Its a safety hazard. I contacted Toyota CO and the response I received was "the high intensity discharge bulb has an enhanced light output for a better field of vision and thus safety. The bulbs will turn off if the bulb is starting to overheat in order to protect the electronic control unit. There are times by simply turning off the headlights and then back on the hid will turn back on. " the lights can be on for 5 minutes and they will turn off. After doing further research I learned this is not an isolated incident but widespread with 2008 Toyota Avalon. Its dangerous and a safety hazard. Something should be done.

In September 2011, the driver's side front headlight failed on my Toyota Avalon at around 62,000 miles. The car was immediately taken to the dealer and they replaced the bulb at a cost of $217. 99. I have received a notice of the extended warranty from Toyota for high beam and driving light bulbs but nothing for low beam bulbs. I have submitted this last service visit for reimbursement but do not know if it will be covered. Now, 5 months and 3,000 miles later, the headlight (probably the low beam bulb) on the front passenger side has failed. The dealer has informed me that they will replace that bulb as a courtesy for a charge of only $40 instead of the full price of $217. 99. This is the third Toyota Avalon I have had and the first time I have had any reliability problems with one. Clearly Toyota needs to reimburse owners for the cost of these bulb replacements.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. While parked, the contact noticed that the passenger side headlight stopped functioning. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where the mechanic replaced the passenger side headlight bulb. The failure continued after the replacement of the bulb. There was a manufacturer's recall for the headlights but the vehicle was over the mileage limit. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

The high beams both blew out in December of 2011. One low beam also goes out occasionally, either the right or left. I can usually turn the lights on and off and get the low beams working. The Toyota garage said I needed new high beam bulbs. I replaced the bulbs, but still had issues with the low beams going on and off. On June 12, 2012 the high beams blew again. The Toyota garage said I needed new headlight assemblies for a total cost of $2500. 00. I have a 5 year 100,000 mile extended warranty but have been told the headlight assemblies are not covered. I am going to take this decision to arbitration with Toyota.

Head lights flickering. . . One day one headlight would go out, the next day, the other light. . . Essentially taking turns going off. Then both would be on. Per some recent complaints, it doesnt look like replacing the low beams will fix this issue. This is a clear manufacturing issue considering the other complaints for this same model. Toyota dealership advised this had nothing to due with the extended warranty for the high beam issue.

Driver side low beam intermittently goes out. Turning lights off and on makes it work again, but problem is occuring more frequently and the duration the headlight stays on appears to be shorter after each on/off cycle.

The low beam headlights (hid bulbs) go out intermittently while driving. We have replaced the hid bulbs and the problem has continued. The vehicle has been taken to a local Toyota dealer for evaluation. They have been unable to say definitively what the issue is. They want to change the bulbs (total cost of $800) in order to make a determination of whether the problem is with the bulbs or not. Since the problem has continued the vehicle can't be safely driven at night for long distances for fear the lights will go out. This is a major safety issue that Toyota does not seem to want to acknowledge nor resolve.

Idling in the driveway with the high beams illuminated, we heard what seemed like a firework or small arms fire. Moments later the vehicle was on fire. We extinguished the fire and disconnected the battery cables. The vehicle was towed in to the local Toyota body shop where it was examined, diagnosed, & repaired. The drivers side headlight lens, bumper cover, & cowling were replaced due to melting and fire damage, the wiring harness was inspected and repaired(it had been determined it hadn't been damaged other than inspection) all parts were reserved for my inspection. I had been told the high beam had worked itself loose & caused the fire. This did not happen!!! the bulb had exploded in the housing, minute pieces of glass were inside the headlight housing, & the only damage to it was external charring. I have stored the lens for inspection, proving the explosion theory. I thank the lord we were not driving at the time or the vehicle would have burned to a crisp. We received a form letter from Toyota a "warranty enhancement notice" concerning certain 2008- 2010 Avalon's high beam drl bulbs. Obviously they have had other issues as they have offered reimbursement if we have had any repairs paid for "out of pocket" this bulb exploded. . . . . It caused a fire in the engine compartment, its only by the grace of god that we were idling in a driveway near a water source, and I have had fire safety training. I have since purchased a large extinguisher and carry it it the vehicle. We are very anxious & cautious driving the vehicle now.

Right low beam headlight / daytime running light goes out approximately three minutes after vehicle is started. Occurs whether vehicle is stationary or moving. Turning off vehicle and restarting will reset light for a few minutes.

Over the course of 1 month both high beams exploded while driving at night. Bulb chips are inside the assembly. Headlight leveling system not functioning on 1 side, light is pointing to the ground.

The headlights on my Toyota Avalon 2008 touring go out without warning. It started with the drivers side low beam and now both go out occasionally. Very scary when driving in early a. M. Rush hour traffic and driving at night and your lights go out.

Sept. 11, 2011, while parked, at night, automatic headlights on, both high beam headlight lamps exploded. The very next day, I took my Avalon to the dealer and was told that since the car was above 36,000 miles, that the repair would cost $2,700. I was told that both lamps and assemblies must be replaced. I was presented a toyoto service bulleting stating that both assemblies must be replaced. Got no options from the dealership. Nov. 9, 2011, I received a warranty enhancement notice stating that my warranty was extended to 75,00 miles and the it covered the head lamps and assemblies. It took until Jan. 10, 2012, to settle this issue. The lamps and assemblies were replaced by the company and I received a full reimbursement.

Driving down the road and the headlights go out.