Headlight Switch problems of the 2005 Toyota Prius - part 2

The driver side headlight intermittently goes on and off without warning. This began over a year ago, but we cannot name the specific time. We initially thought it was just a light bulb, however, we learned that it can be reactivated by briefly turning the headlight switch off and on. This is a safety hazard if driving at night. It can happen several times during one trip or not at all. We have taken it to a few Toyota dealers and they have indicated that it could cost 400-800+ to repair the problem, which we believe to be excessive so for now we are tolerating the problem.

The left headlight went out and the operator turned the lightswitch off then back on and the left headlight restarted. This happened intermittently at no particular time interval up until September 29, 2012 when both headlights began to go out and the operator now has safety concerns.

Passenger headlight keeps going off. . . When it goes off, I can turn the headlight switch off and then on again and the headlight comes bask on. As of 11. 29. 11 after many incidents, the headlight is now dimming more and more.

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact was driving approximately 65 mph with the headlights activated and suddenly the driver's side headlight changed to an orange illumination and then became inoperative which resulted in the reduction in visibility. When the light switch was turned on and off repeatedly the driver's side headlights began to illuminate properly for a brief moment. The vehicle was not repaired nor was the failure diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

The right, passenger headlight goes out and by turning the headlight switch off and back on, the headlight comes back on. It will go off again and I will have to perform the same procedure to get it to come on again. This happens repeatedly during any given trip.

Right front headlight would go off while driving. Required that I switch lights off and back on to get the light to work again. I had the front right headlight replaced and three weeks later the left front headlight followed the same sequence of events. I purchased a new headlight and had two different auto mechanics replace it and the left front headlight will not work. I am scheduled to take the car back to the last mechanic next week. Very unsafe to have this happen while operating the car at night and annoying and frustrating that the Toyota dealership wants $300+ to replace their obvious manufacturing malfunction.

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the headlights failed without warning. The contact had to play around with the headlight switch in order for the lights to illuminate. The failure had occurred previously but was only exhibited on one side of the headlights at a time. The recent failure was exhibited on both headlights. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where he was advised that the control could possible be the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 160,000.

The headlight level switch failure (water-rust in switch) is causing real danger. When located in up while in dim - oncoming traffic impaired. When level switch ends down, the line of sight is only several feet in front of vehicle. A shorter person (wife) is unable to see any lighted road. Driving really becomes bad with the bright switched on. Oncoming traffic becomes impaired causing danger. The wife actually refuses to drive at night. Just unable to see properly. I have tried unsuccessfully to contact directly to Toyota with this situation. Service garages want just under $ 500. 00 to correct problem. I feel this should be a recall item because of quality, but more importantly the driving danger. The actual switch should be purchased much lower cost. The value of switch alone without the brackets. We feel the danger on highway to be a real concern. I have spoke with other 05 Prius owners and each has express the problem. Most have just had it repaired under warranty.

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact was driving 35 mph when the head lights failed. The contact was able to reactivate the headlights by toying with the activation switch until the lights came back on. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure and repairs would be at the expense of the contact. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 126,500. Updated 03/07/lj updated 04/13/11.

While driving, the low and hi beam headlamps repeatedly turn completely off. It seems to occur randomly every single day, sometimes alternating between either headlamp going out and sometimes both headlamps turning off at the same time. At night this is quite concerning. Once the headlamps turn off, I must quickly turn off the and on the headlight switch until the lights come back on. If only one headlamp is off, it immediately comes on after turning off then on the headlamps. If both headlamps turn off, it sometimes takes many attempts to get them back on. It may be worth noting that I have the hid headlamps from the factory. I am in the process of taking the car to the dealership to have the problem corrected.

Starting in late winter, early spring of 2010, we noticed intermittent occasional failure of one or the other of our hid headlamps on our 2005 Toyota Prius (which we were told by the Toyota salesman were lifetime headlights). This situation could be immediately rectified by quickly turning off and on again the headlight switch at the steering wheel stalk. Then, on July 24, 2010, while on a remote and steep winding mountain pass road in California, (sonora pass road) in pitch dark, both headlamps failed simultaneously and could not be rectified with a quick flick of the headlamp switch off and on. I braked heavily, keeping in my mind a vision of the curve in the road I had just seen ahead of me. Braking heavily and trying to steer in the dark, I put the flashers on so I wouldn't be rear-ended. This ended up being a fortuitous decision, because it was so dark that the momentary flashes of the forward flashers allowed me to see just enough road in brief snippets so that I could steer my vehicle safely around the curve and get it off the road. I figured out that with both lamps out, a much slower off/on again cycle of the headlight switch would bring them back on, and I limped the vehicle home. Having driven over a million miles in my adult life, luckily I had the experience and the calm to handle this situation without catastrophic result. Had my wife or my daughter been driving, we certainly would have gone off the road and crashed the vehicle. Immediately the following day I scheduled an appointment with a Toyota dealership service center; end result of which they want me to pay nearly $900 to replace these defective headlamps. I called Toyota, and upon initial contact, won't do anything for us. Needless to say in this economy, we do not have the money, and we have been relegated to driving our Prius mostly daytimes, and certainly not on mountain pass roads at night. Reading online Toyota forums, I am very obviously not the only person who has this problem.

I drive a 2005 Toyota Prius and the headlights have started going off intermittently without warning. When I start the car (light switch is always in the on position), sometimes both lights are on, sometimes one, sometimes none. While driving the car, the lights will suddenly go out, usually one or the other, but there have been times where both went out. I have researched the problem and there doesn't appear to be a known solution. I plan to purchase a replacement bulb to see if that solves the problem.

The front headlights will randomly flicker out, usually one at a time but sometimes both at the same time. One can get it back on by toggling the headlight switch on and off, but extremely dangerous when on an interstate at night. A ton of owners are having this same problem, but apparently there is as of yet no recall. You can switch out the expensive bulb, but that also apparently doesn't fix the problem.

Over the past two months, my 2005 Prius has developed an intermittent headlight failure. The headlight in question is on the passenger side of the vehicle. Turning off the headlights and turning them back on resolves the issue, thus the bulb is not the issue. This defect makes the vehicle less safe to operate and holds me civilly responsible for "fix it" damages. The "fix" for this defect is a replacement should not be my responsibility for it is not a failure of obsolescence. I will cheerfully accept the bulb ending life, but for the sensors, switches, and computing behind the headlamp switch to have this level of dependability is not my problem to fix.

In my 2005 Toyota Prius, one or both of the headlights spontaneously go out while driving. If you turn them off using the switch and then turn them on, the re-illuminate so the bulbs are not burned out.

My headlight on the right side of my Prius goes out intermittently, then when I cycle the switch (not safe to do at night) it turns back on. I have had it in to the dealer for repair, at a large cost, with no improvement. Online forums tell me this is a problem not solved by light replacement or by replacing the computer board that controls the lights. This is a problem for multiple cars on the road, and according to the online forums is starting to show in other Toyotas.

Headlight goes out and comes back on only after turning switch on & off.

While driving our 2005 Toyota Prius, my wife was traveling at 65mph, at night when the right headlight went out. A moment later, all forward lighting failed. She cycled the headlight "on-off" switch and the good left headlight relit. A few minutes later all went dark again. She turned the headlight "on-off " switch off then on, and the left headlight relit. This repeated several times until she got home. On Monday, 10-2-09 we took the car to san luis obispo Toyota for repair. They had it till 10-5-09,replacing the right headlight, at a cost of $528. 82. On 10-20-09 while I was driving on us101 at 65 mph in the dark, the left headlight went out. A moment later all forward lights went out. Due to my wife's previous experience, I cycled the headlight "on-off" switch and got the right headlight to relight. This sudden loss of lighting recurred 2 more times prior to the sun rising enough so that I did not need the headlights. On 10-28-09, after returning from a trip, I had the left headlight replaced at miller Toyota in anaheim at a cost of $362. 31. On both occasions of the lighting failure the vehicle was traveling at 65mph, or approx. 100 feet per second. It took approx. 5 to 10 seconds to recognize the defect and make a correction that relit the lights. The vehicle traveled from 500 feet to 1000 feet per incident. Fortunately there was no collision. At neither Toyota dealer, were we advised that this was a recurring problem on Prius's, which I found out on-line.

I have a 2005 Toyota Prius. At first the lh headlight would internittently go out. It would also come on during my drive also. Then my rh headlight would do the same. I have had four instances where both headlights have gone out completely leaving me in a serious situation since I live in a rural area with no street lighting and curvey roads. I have read online of the thousands of people blogging and complaining of their same problems. I was told by lancaster, CA. Dealership it needs headlamps replaced. Online people all state they haved had them replaced and the problem still exists. Mine goes out sometimes minutes after turning on the car. Other times it goes for about 20 minutes before shutting off. It is random and seems to have no pattern. I do not believe it is only the headlamps because of what the numerous people online have said is the result after their headlights being changed. It still goes out on them, just every 30 minutes not every 20 seconds they write. This is not acceptable. I have also tried like the online people suggest by turning on the switch back and forth. It works so how could it be the lamp only? the dealership wants $600. To change the lights. I say they need to address this.

In 2009 was the first time the warning light was displayed regarding the headlight leveler sensor. Contacted Toyota and because it was out of warranty, they would not repair unless we paid in full for repairs. Advised the sensor alone was approx. $400, plus whatever labor is involved. Have lived with the intermittent warning light coming on and going off ever since. In December of 2011, began having problems with the passanger side headlight going off for no reason. Replaced the bulb and it still goes off intermittently while driving. If the headlamp switch is turned off and back on from inside the car, the headlight comes back on. I see that there was a recall for similar issues recently; however, it only covered Toyota Prius vehicles year 2006 and newer. I've gone on several Prius chat sites, and apparently other 2005 Prius owners have the same issues. I would like to know why other year Prius were not included in the recent recall.

Toyota Prius hid headlights blink off and on. Sometimes stay off until switched off, and back on. Repair cost including labor, bulb and new hid driver "chip" excessive at $1,200 per side. Driving with unreliable headlights is dangerous.

Like so many other complaints I've read today, I am experiencing problems with one of the headlights turning off intermittently, without reason (it happens when just sitting idle). When the light goes off, I flip the headlight switch off and on, and it comes back on. It will then remain on for a while (could be 30 minutes, or it could be 2 minutes). I was told that this is unlikely to be the hid bulb or ballast. I have read many complaints on different forums. This is a serious safety concern, and Toyota should find the cause, and recall for repairs.

Passenger side headlight fades then goes out. Turning the switch off/on will turn the headlight on again but still it goes out.

Right headlight goes out intermittently. Can turn light switch off/on and it will relight for a while. Began having problem at about 95,000 miles. Dealer said it's a bulb for $350. I declined to have it replaced. Now the left headlight also goes out,. Turning switch off/on will relight for a time. Might have to turn off/on 4 or 5 times in a 6 mile trip. The dealer suggested that a filament might be broken and making intermittent connection. These are high intensity discharge lamps - I don't think they have filaments. I am currently searching on line for replacement parts to fix this myself.

Right headlight goes out at will. Flipping the on/off switch will turn it back on temporarily. Hard to tell when driving without light. Dealership said to replace hid bulb, for $458. But the bulb isn't burned out. Its an electrical problem, and according to others it continues to happen, even after bulb change. This is a very big problem in the dark, and a major safety issue for hundreds of Prius owners.

Driver's side headlight began going out intermittently, first rarely, then gradually more frequently. Switching them off and on would restore it temporarily. The first time I took it to the dealer they couldn't reproduce the problem. By the time it became very bad, they diagnosed that the headlamp was overheating, and replaced it ($360). Now, less than two months later it has started going out again, at infrequent intervals. This is clearly a safety issue and needs to be investigated.

Hid headlights fail intermittently. They either fail to light up or go out while driving. Sometimes they operate normally, other times they fail. No pattern to it -- it seems random. Dealer said Toyota is aware of the problem but has no fix. They advised me to simply turn switch off, then on again until they light up. This does not always work.