Headlights problems of the 2006 Toyota Prius - part 2

Passenger headlight goes on and off intermittently.

On July 20,2014, I noticed my passenger side headlight is out. I started the car and put the light on, it came on fine. . While driving on high way at night all the sudden the light went out again passenger side. I pulled it on the side and inspect driver side light was working fine but the passenger side was out. I turn the light off and on again it came back on. At this time I am scratching my head that what is going on. I take my car to the mechanic he tells me the bulb is fuse. It cost me $300. To change the bulb. After few days after the bulb goes out again. I take it back to the mechanic he checks every thing is fine, tell me the bulb went out again. Scratching my head again "bulb went out again after few weeks" I went to amazon and bought another bulb. . And it went out again. I was pulled over September 20, 2014 buy cops to fix my headlight. Headlight are still going out and I have to keep buying the headlight bulb.

While traveling in the dark at 6:00am on i64e my headlights went completely out. I had to move off the highway, turn my vehichle off and restart the vehichle. When I restarted it, the lights turned back on.

The contact owns 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the headlights would sporadically fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the bolts would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was alerted of the failure. The failure mileage was 219,600.

Both hid headlights go on and off randomly. The dealer wants more than $1000. To repair each one.

I bought my 2006 Prius in October of 2012 and ever since buying it I've noticed that the headlight on the driver's side goes out by itself. I actually went into the dealer within a week and told them my headlight was out but when I got there and I turned them on it was working. I was baffled. They didn't say a thing to me that this was a commonly reported problem that Toyota wasn't going to be addressing. Anyway, I left and the headlight problem has been happening ever since. I decided to just live with it because when I turn the lights off and back on, the headlight comes back on - at least for a while. I'm very worried that the same thing might happen to the other headlight at the same time. I've read online about the cost of replacing the bulb ($330) which is ridiculous since this is obviously a mfg flaw that Toyota just doesn't want to pay for. Please issue a recall on this before someone gets killed!!.

I notice occasionally the driver's side headlight will go out requiring me to turn the lights off then on again. Most recently both headlights will go out. I can get them on again by turning them off then back on but it is unnerving and occurs every day now whenever I use the lights. I checked for a loose wire and found nothing. These are the original hid headlights. I can reproduce the problem every time I drive the car.

The headlights of the 2006 Prius intermittently fail suddenly. This will affect either headlight, although, on occasion, both headlights unexpectedly failed while the car is in motion. The problem is temporarily fixed by turning the headlight off then on again. Several Prius owners describe this exact problem. They also describe that replacing the headlights themselves does not fix the problem.

This is my second Prius and both have been excellent except for the headlights on this one. It is a 2006 with hid lights. The driver's side headlight always comes on in the morning when I leave for work, but it started going off after several miles (maybe 20-30, or so). This first started happening about October, 2013. It has progressively gotten worse until the headlight now goes off in only a few miles (5 - 10). Interestingly, the headlight seemed to stay on longer during the colder weather (around zero degrees) this winter. Other than checking for a loose connection, I have not tried to have the headlight repaired or replaced. It certainly needs to be because driving in the winter darkness is a safety concern. Thank you.

I was driving at night. There happened to be a little fog in the air. My speed was 45 mph on a dark country road. My passenger side hid headlight went out, followed by the driver side headlight within 20 seconds. I was able to turn the light control off then back on. I did this as I was slowing down and keeping straight. I managed to stay on the road and did not have any further problems that night. All in all it was a pretty scary experience.

I have hid headlights. My headlights go on and off intermittently. Sometime one head light goes out; sometimes both go out. If they go out, I can usually get them to go back on by turning them off and then turning them back on. I have to constantly check my car's reflection in the back of other cars to make sure both lights are on. My mechanic made me aware that this problem has been a constant complaint for this model and replacing the headlight will not help. Accordingly, the problem is caused by a defective module that ceases to work when it heats up. My research indicates that the fhtsa has had several complaints about this exact problem, and that Toyota settled a class action suit (for which I was never notified) regarding the exact problem. Toyota now refuses to repair the problem for cars out of warranty. This is potentially a very dangerous problem effecting thousands of cars. I have not had an accident yet, but if you don't make Toyota do a recall, I expect there will be several accidents across the country due to this defect.

Purchased 2006 Toyota Prius used on Aug 17, 2013 (61,500 miles). Within a month I was pulled over by police for passenger side headlight out while driving at night, but when headlamps are turned off and on again the headlight came back on, and the police officer thought he was crazy so he just issued a warning. The headlight continued to go out intermittently and I replaced the bulbs myself in November 2013 (philips hid headlight bulbs $95). The headlight still went out intermittently and I finally replaced both headlight assemblies in July 2016 by an independent mechanic (approximately $1000 at 143,000 miles). Passenger side headlight still goes out intermittently. Nhtsa launched a probe in April 2009, but then dropped the investigation after Toyota said it would initiate a "consumer service campaign" to address the issue. Then there was a class action settlement in 2011, all of which the previous car owner missed. Toyota uses "campaigns" to avoid recalls. . Read more...

On multiple occasions now, while driving my Prius both headlights spontaneously go out. I notice it when I'm driving at night. It is not safe. There is nothing wrong with either bulb - they just don't work. I have to turn the lights off and then on again for both lights to work again. Sometimes it happens again within minutes of it happening a first time.

Sudden extinguishing of one headlight, then the other.

Ever since I bought this car the headlights have been problematic. I have had either light go out intermittently and flicking them off/on fixes them until the next day. I have even had both lights go out at the same time. Replacing the bulbs fixes the problem for about a year but the problem returns. I am now preparing to replace my 5th bulb for what is sure to be a temporary fix. Toyota's offer to replace the bulbs several years ago was not an actual fix for the problem.

My 16 year old daughter was driving at approximately 10:00 on a steep, curvy country road when both headlights went out! it is a miracle she's alive. Took the car to the local dealership today and was told it would cost nearly $500 to replace the bulbs. After doing research, it has come to my attention that this is a common problem with this vehicle yet there has been no recall. This is a serious safety issue and should be investigated (again) immediately!.

Both the right and the left headlights keep turning off during driving. The right one is more common than the left. I noticed this problem almost 1 year ago and thought that this is a temporary glitch, but the frequency of this increased over time. I constantly need to turn off the light and turn them on, but again in few more minutes one or both of them gets out. This is a serious problem. Especially in the city, when there are street lights on or during dawn or dusk, you are never sure if the lights are working or not. On top of risking an accident, there is always a worry that a cop might pull you over for non working head light, while in fact your lights appear to have been working when you started, but turns off some time later and it is difficult to notice in low light situations. Toyota charges huge amount of money to fix this problem. I hope that Toyota will take care of the problem sooner than later. I know that my car is more than 5 years old but that shouldn't be a matter for them to fix it. Because this light situation is a problem because of defective parts to begin with.

I can no longer drive my Prius at night. Sometimes one headlight will go out, sometimes the other, sometimes both. The bulbs themselves are not bad. I have to turn the lights off then back on to reset them approximately every 25 seconds. When I took it to the dealer they said "we can not re-create the problem". I left, in the rain and had to reset them 6 times before I was a mile down the road. Toyota knows about this problem, they need to fix this problem. Our extended family owns 4 Prius vehicles, we will never own another since Toyota is not standing up to fix this problem.

This is 2nd time for the hid head lamps intermittently flickering/failing on my 2006 Toyota Prius. The 1st was in Aug 2009 at about 86k miles. Thankfully the local koons Toyota dealership in westminster MD replaced both bulbs at no expense thanks to the koons Toyota dealership in annapolis MD where I had originally purchased the car arranging approval through the regional office. Now about another 3 years and 145k miles, the same problem. Toyota u. S. A. Acknowledged the problem and that in some cases the hid headlight control ecu may have been replaced but was unnecessary, needing only bulb replacement and reducing the pricing to $150/bulb. While most vehicles today operate with headlights on automatically, I've only used my daytime running lights to preserve headlight life but these bulbs are still a problem. Headlights are absolutely critical vehicle equipment and must be reliable. Headlamps that fail every 3 years do not meet the reliability test in my view. Please look into this ongoing issue. I'm asking Toyota to work with me on replacement cost and the type of hid bulb they're using. I'm told by maintenance technicians that visual inspection will show a small bubble somewhere in the base that indicates it's going bad. That tells me that something about the bulb is not right and therefore not reliable/safe. Thank you.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 1 mph, the headlights stopped illuminating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated the headlight would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Kmj.

Driving along a country road at night and the headlights went out. Very scary. Went off the road a bit and the car got scratched. Restarted car and headlights went on for a short time, then dim, then off. This a huge safety problem that NHTSA has failed to do its duty with. Toyota says thought luck, you are past the extended warranty. Light suddenly going out while driving at night is clearly a safety issue. Is NHTSA simply going to wait until there are enough fatalities to take meaningful action. Toyota clearly doesn't want to take any responsibility for their clearly defective and dangerous product.

I pulled into my garage after picking up the car from the dealer after purchase to find that the left front headlight was out. I turned the lights off and on again and both lights lit. The left front headlight continued intermittently to be non-operative over the next four weeks. I took it back to the dealer on 1/23/13 and they found that the left front headlamp ecu needed to be replaced. I later found out that a class action lawsuit had been brought against Toyota for this same issue, however due to the age and mileage on my vehicle, I was not entitled to compensation under the settlement. This is a serious safety problem and a known common problem on hid equipped Prius models, yet I was forced to pay $288. 81 to have the problem repaired. I have filed a case with Toyota customer experience center, #1301220397. Headlights that shut off while driving is clearly a safety issue. It appears that hid headlight equipped Prius models contain a design defect. It is for this reason I am reporting to the NHTSA in order to force Toyota to conduct a recall on all such equipped models.

The headlights on my Toyota Prius 2006 intermittently go off while driving. It seems to affect only one of the headlights right now. I do not see any issues with the bulbs as such since they do come back on. But this happens very often while driving and while coming to a stop sometimes.

Hid headlights on this vehicle and taillights go out on there own sometimes just one or sometimes all lights go out. Problem is fixed when you turn the lights all the way off and all the way back on and they stay on for the duration of my drive or go out a few minutes later. Have been pulled over by police multiple times for having lights out. Have seen many Toyota Prius complaints about this same exact problem.

The passenger side headlight went out. Next time I drove it the light was back on. Maybe a week later the driver's side headlight went out. Again, next time I used the lights they were both on. This went on for awhile. The escalation was when both low beams shut off leaving just the running lights on. High beams seemed to be unaffected so I drove home with high beams on. Currently, any of the lights can go out at any time. Turning them off and on again brings them back. On a half hour ride home tonight, to keep both lights on I had to shut them off and turn them on 7 times. I googled this and was very disappointed to find this problem has been reported, reviewed and dismissed as not a safety issue. It does not feel very safe to be driving at night and discover oneself suddenly in the dark. It seems this will be a recurring problem for me as replacing the headlights is likely to fix the problem for a short time (3 m seems to be common) before I will have to replace them again. Sounds like a recall should be in place.

The headlights flicker and then go completely out. The beam can usually be restored briefly by turning it on and off again but the lamp will then stay illuminated for an unpredictable length of time (seconds to minutes). This is a recurring problem and both headlights have been "repaired" at the dealership multiple times. Before the repairs, there was an occasion where both headlights went out simultaneously while driving on an interstate tollway. After the repairs, the problem has recurred in only one light (so far). These are Toyota's hid lights.

One of headlights (passenger side) suddenly shuts off. Then I completely turn them all the way off, then it works again for a few minutes. So far we have changed: headlight assembly, lights computer controller, and numerous lights bulbs. So far this issue has cost us over $3000 but Toyota does not take any responsibility for this issue. This is apparently an issue with everyone that owns a 2006 Prius from what it looks like on line with other users.

The right hid headlight randomly turns on and off.

The right headlight went out and then went on. The problem has recurred. Now the left headlight went out and then went on. We read that this is a common problem with the 2006 Toyota. Will there be a recall?.

2006 Toyota Prius with hid headlights with 55,000 miles is used as a taxi cab. On July 11th, 2012 and progressing, the passenger side hid headlight would flicker and then turn off completely after 5-15 minutes of operation. Headlights must be turned off and then on to resume normal service. Hid bulb replacement did not resolve the issue. Toyota dealership only offered to replace the headlight without any explanation to what might be causing the issue.

I was driving home on suburban surface streets at dusk, following a friend to my home. My cell phone rang, and I answered using the bluetooth feature of the vehicle. It was my friend, calling to let me know that my left headlight was out. It had been flickering and having issues over the past few weeks, and we thought the bulb might be loose. We took the car to our mechanic on June 19th, 2012 to have the serpentine belt replaced and the headlight looked at. He indicated it was the bulb, and that it would cost $350 to replace. Coincidentally, a relative saw a news story the other day about many similar complaints made to your organization and to the Toyota company, so I did some online research. I was very disheartened to read an investigation made by kctv5 out of kansas city which explained your failure thus far to demand a recall, despite ample evidence that the system flaw has been corrected in the 2010 and newer Prius models. Please demand a recall before someone is injured or killed! as the daughter of a retired highway patrol officer, I understand the need for on-the-road safety. At this point, I am afraid to drive my vehicle at night, and it is my family's only vehicle. Please do something!.

I own a 2006 Prius 2006. One of the headlights keeps going out and I have now received a fix-it ticket from the local police. The problem is that I already took it to the dealer to get it checked out and they couldn't find any problem. Also, I can't really tell when or how the head light goes out since I can't see it. I can only tell when I see the reflection in the back of another car or when in front of a store/wall etc. If I turn them all the way off and back on couple of times then the light comes back. Sometimes it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. Sometimes it will go out, sometimes it won't. It is not an event I can make happen and as I mentioned before I took it to the dealer (Toyota of orange) and they can't make it happen either. I have also come across a blog where many Prius owners are experiencing the exact same issue. . Read more...

Passanger side headlight dims and then turns off at random times - light will sometimes come back on when you turn the headlights off and then on again. Problem has returned within minutes of turning them off then on again.

On numerous occasions both headlights have spontaneously gone dark while driving at night, either singly or in tandem. Other times they fail to come on at the start of a trip, but one or both will be on at the destination. It only seems to affect the main headlamps, not the amber lights or the small round lights below them. When it first happened we replaced the bulb in one headlamp, but that had no effect on the problem. It's frightening when driving home from work at midnight.

My headlights keep going out with no warning. I am driving and lights will go out -- dashboard signal indicates lights are on. I have been stopped twice by police for driving without lights (sometimes hard to detect when driving in well lit area). If I turn lights on and off they come back on. I first started seeing this problem over a year ago but it has been more pronounced in past few months. I have brought the car to dealer and they have not seen a problem although now I am reading that there is an issue with the nih lights. No lights, no warning that there are no lights . . . This is a safety issue.