Headlight Switch problems of the 2007 Toyota Prius - part 1

Headlights intermittently fail. Sometimes one headlight will go out and other times both. So far, if I detect one or both headlights are out, turning the headlight switch off and back on will correct the problem. Depending on street lighting, I am not always able to detect if the headlights are off until another car flashes to let me know or I enter a dark roadway where it becomes obvious.

Similar to this complaint (NHTSA id number:�11268053) I have been struggling to keep both of my headlights working for over a year now. I have tried replacing the lightbulbs and the ballasts without success. Both the regular lights and the high beams turn off about every couple of minutes and sometimes faster. I drive with one hand on the switch and constantly turn them off then back on in order to get where I am going. Please help! I am intending to go to the Toyota dealer but it is expensive and I believe this is a flaw in the vehicle. This problem occurs regardless of whether the car is in motion or not.

Headlights are intermittent. Sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes both will turn off. So far, turning the the switch off then back on cures the problem, but only temporarily.

Headlights (low-beam) turned off randomly while driving at night. Flicking light switch off and back on usually turned lights back on. Flicking on brights and then back to low didn't help.

The headlights might go off when I have them on. Sometimes on the drivers side sometimes on the passenger side. If I turn the headlights on and off they will come back on. Sometimes this happens a couple of times in a 1/2 trip sometimes it does not happen at all. A loose connection does not seem to be the problem because I can go over bumps and the lights don't flicker or go off. There is no rhyme or reason, I will just be driving and a headlight will go off and will come back on if I turn the headlight switch off the back to on.

My passenger side headlight bulb goes off suddenly and I have to switch it off and on and it will back on for some time and goes off again. I paid $ to replace the headlight bulb and after couple of months the problem arise again and this time it's ballast failure which I still didn't fix due to high cost. I need help if Toyota can look into this issue which deals with our driving safety.

I was driving home yesterday evening when both of my headlights went off. Unfortunately for me I was in the middle of going through a long curve in the road. I quickly turned off the headlight switch and then back on again. They did come back on but I nearly drove off the road going 45mph! could have had a serious accident due to the headlight failure. I can no longer take the risk of driving late at night when I need to due to this safety hazard!.

One or both of the Prius headlights will switch off on its own and I have to turn off the lights and turn them on several times in order for the headlights to stay consistently on. This is a serious safety issue when I am traveling at highway speeds at night and lose my headlights and then have to switch them on and off to make them work.

The headlights of my 2007 Prius go off unexpectedly while driving. I have learned that if I then turn the switch off and on again they will come back on, but only for a short time. This has occurred as many as eight times during a 45 minute drive. At night on dark roads this is dangerous. I have had three near-misses as a result. Toyota had issued an "enhanced warranty" (5 year 50k miles) because of the many complaints filed around this situation, but I purchased my Prius used, older than 5 years, and more than 50k miles. I have spoken to Toyota north America, obtained case #1609193626, but they refuse to cover the cost of repair. Local Toyota service centers also refuse to do the repair work unless I pay full cost out of pocket. At this point I seem to have no options but to pay the cost myself, which I understand can be as much as $1,500!.

The trunk release latch on my 2007 Prius has deteriorated almost to the point of not being able to open the trunk. The same part was replaced about 4 years after I purchased the vehicle. And now, it's happening again. It's like the plastic stuff is melting and falling apart. We are having to purchase this same part, for the second time now. Love my Prius, but hate having to make repairs on the same issue 2 times. Also, I had the headlights repaired (from a recall) about 2 years after I purchased the car. The front headlights are still doing the same thing. The problem was never really fixed. While driving at night and in day time, the headlights go out. Usually they go out one at a time. Like the right side will go out. Then you can flip the switch to turn them on and off, and it'll work again for about 5 minutes. Then the left side will go out. This usually happens every night while driving and I have to flip the switch on and off about 9 times while driving short and long distances. I just usually flip the switch and they come back on again. Sometimes while driving at night, they both go out at the same time. Really a safety hazard when driving around with my 2 small kids!! brought it back to Toyota dealership in lake charles to be repaired. But they said they couldn't re-create the problem, so they couldn't fix it. How long do you think I can keep driving around in the dark with malfunctioning lights and kids in the car????????????????? this happens daily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

While driving, at night, both headlights went out (went dark). Since I was near home, within my subdivision, I stopped the car immediately and switched the lights off and then back on again. The lights came back on, so I drove home and have not driven the car after dark, again.

The headlights on my Prius randomly go dark. Sometimes 1 headlight and other times both. Turning off the light switch and then back on is a temporary fix. The problem comes back minutes later. This is very unsafe for myself and other drivers on the road. This happened while I was on the interstate going 70 mph last night!.

The headlights go at without warning. Sometimes one goes out sometimes both while we are driving. Bulb replacement does not fix the issues. This has continued to be a problem for years. Toyota service has not offered a fix that works! I have been driving on the highway or local roads when, all of a sudden, all the lighting goes dark. I have had success in relighting the headlights by turning off the headlights at the main switch and then turning them back on. Extremely dangerous. Breaks are also a menace: on wet roads it is especially noticeable when using the breaks. If you are breaking and a tire goes over a more slippery surface than the pavement, such as a manhole cover, the abs system cuts breaking to all the wheels such that the car continues on as if the breaks are not being applied - the car effectively releases the breaks and you loose control of the car until its systems decide to return controls to the driver. This happens over and over and over. Try it on a road with a bit of loose gravel on it or the leftover coarse sand from winter road maintenance or going through a milde pothole where gravel has spilled onto the road. . . . Breaking in these conditions will consistently cause the car to diminish breaking power to such an extent that the car is no longer lowing down. We own 6 cars of varying makes and this is the only car that has this issue. The other side of this same issue is that if you are pulling out into traffic and a drive wheel hits a slightly slippery patch, the engine power is cut for so long and so severely that we are at risk of being hit. This happens every single time. Toyota service has not offered a fix. Though we have told them abou this issue repeatedly, they typically do not write it down and tell us it is normal. It is not normal or safe.

When my vehicle has the headlights on while I am driving one or both will spontaneously go off. This occurs more when it is wet out, and seems to occur more when I hit a bump, but it will occur often with no antecedent. If I turn the headlight switch off and then on again the headlight (or headlights) will turn back on but then may go off randomly again later while driving. The bulbs are fine. I've read online and this seems to be a common problem for the 2006 and 2007 Prius. So common I doubt it is a random malfunction but a engineering/electrical design or equipment problem. Very dangerous when driving at night. Occurs almost every time I drive it.

The lights on this vehicle have been an issues since I bought it in 2012. The headlights randomly go off while driving, usually one at a time. They will come on again if you notice it and flick the switch. Replacing the bulbs has not solved the problem(had one replaced) now my daughter is driving the vehicle and she has been stopped a number of times with a headlight out. I will again replace the bulb, but this does not appear to be the underlying problem, which appears to be a manufacturers problem to me.

Headlights go out while driving, and come back on when headlights are switched from on to off then back on again. This can happen 1 time during a trip or multiple times. Diag of issue is not easy and usually multiple parts are replaced trying to fix the issue.

My wifes 2007 Prius headlights continue to flicker while driving at night. Then one side or the other will go out. The headlights have been inspected by 2 certified mechanics neither can find any faults in the headlights or bulbs even applying contact grease to assure electrical continuity. Attention NHTSA administrators ( this certainly could become a deadly problem. ) we have had both lights go out simultaneously. The driver must immediately turn the light switch off then on to restore lighting. I hope they never fail to re-light!! of all the problems- attention surely must be given to these lights. Almost a thousand complaints here. . How many people keep taking this problem to the dealers, only to have it repeat itself? immediate action is required by the NHTSA.

My headlights randomly quit working, sometimes the left, sometimes the right, sometimes both. I can restart the headlights by turning the switch off and back on. This has been going on for 3 or 4 years. The dealer can't reproduce the problem (they always work there), and there is no suggested fix.

My 2007 Prius has the hid (high intensity) headlights. Sometimes both headlights go out at the same time and sometimes just the passenger side headlight goes out. I originally thought that the problem was the bulbs so I replaced both bulbs just a few weeks ago with new bulbs, but the problem is still occurring. Sometimes when I turn the light switch off and then on again the headlights come on again. It seems to be a random occurrence but it is happening more and more frequently. This is a very dangerous situation especially when driving at night.

The headlights have started working intermittently. First one at a time and now both. If they go out, turning the switch off and then on again will make them come back on. The repair cost for the headlights to be replaced is $350 + it is extremely dangerous to have headlights that do not work reliably. The fact that the repair cost is so extreme will lead to many of these cars to not be fixed. Toyota should take responsibility for the defective lights and issue a recall.

The headlights went out by themselves. I turned the switch off and then back on and the lights came back on but this problem repeated itself multiple times (20+) on my way home.

I was driving at 5:00 am on 5-3-14 to the beach and my headlights went out in complete darkness. Luckily there was no other traffic around and I was scared to proceed on my trip. I turned the headlight switch and the headlights came back on. I proceeded on my trip with caution and when it got light I drove without my headlights and safely got to the beach. This incident could have resulted in a bad car accident and death since I was in complete darkness. What should I do ?.

Right headlight will go off. Recycling the switch will usually relight the lamp.

While driving at night, both headlights simultaneously turned off, without warning. Some panic,but, turned light switch off/on (pure luck on my part) and lights again came on -- probably within 10 seconds of having an accident or going off the road. No emergency pull-off lane, or area was available.

Both headlights suddenly went out while driving on an unlit mountain highway. Happened again the next night while driving on another highway. Turning the light switch off and on again brought the headlights back on. Previously, driver's side headlight would suddenly go out intermittently. This was the first time both headlamps went dim at the same time. Very scaring and dangerous situation as there was no visibility as soon as the lights went out.

While driving vehicle at night, noticed that passenger side head lamp turned off. Vehicle was stopped on the curb and tried to turn the headlight switch on off again, but could not turn on one head light. I was afraid to drive the vehicle with one lamp, since local township police can give me a violation ticket. The high beam works but not the low beam. Toyota needs to fix this issue via product recall.

Driver side headlight, keeps going out. Switch off the lights then back on it works for a little while, but stills go out.

While driving home late at night, the hid headlights started failing. First, the driver's side went off, then the passenger side went off. After driving to the shoulder in the dark, I turned off the lights and switched them back on. I was able to make it home with the passenger side light working for the rest of the way. Driver's side failed again after 10 minutes. I ordered replacement bulbs online and replaced both lightbulbs. Passenger side seems to work fine. Driver's side however turns itself of anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour. I am told by Toyota dealer that the ballast may be defective. Ballast replacement is about $250 parts and $100 labor. My headlights were already changed under "warranty" at around 35,000 miles for the same problem. Going by the countless complaints about the Prius hid headlights on the internet, why is there no recall? Toyota is clearly creating a security risk that may cost lives. Is the NHTSA going to wait until someone actually gets killed because of failing headlights before mandating a recall for Toyota?.

My headlight problem has gone on for as long as I have owned the car. I have asked the dealer to check the lights on numerous service calls and was always told they could not find a problem. The bulb was replaced at a cost of $300 but the problem persists. The right light goes out . It comes back on if I turn the switch on and off, however I do not always realize the light is out. I have been stopped numerous times and given work orders to get my light fixed. I am tired of this problem and I don't know how to fix it.

Passenger (right) headlight not working. It could be "turned on" by switching light switch off, then on. This has happened multiple times. Bright lights would not turn on, even with turning switch off, then on. Low beams did work and failed light on passenger side turned back on. Took car to dealership. Passenger bulb went out during inspection and high beams were both working. Both headlights replaced with a cost of $500! this is the second time the lights had to be replaced. The last time was in 2009.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the headlights became inoperable intermittently. The contact stated that after turning the headlight switch off and back on, the headlights functioned normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the headlights would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

When driving I noticed my headlight turned off for no apparent reason. I turned the head light switch off and back on again and about 20 mins later my left head light turned off. By turning my headlight switch off and on again will fix the problem but only for a short while. I have had this problem before and took my car to the Toyota dealership where I bought the car. They replaced the headlight, one on 12/16/2008 and the opposite headlight on 6/13/2009. Now the problem has started all over again. Back in 2008 I logged my complaint here about the headlights and just wanted to let all the Prius owners that it may happen again.

Either one of the two headlights will randomly turn off while driving. They will sometimes come back on by themselves, or I can reset them by switching the headlights off and on again. The first time it happened was probably more than a year, ago, but it has been getting worse. I am no longer driving my car at night, for fear of getting into a wreck, until I can get it fixed.

This is a well publicized problem. This problem now occurs multiple times every day> I took possession of this vehicle in March, 2011 at about 40,000 miles. It is not possible for me to verify that the problem was or was not occurring from the first day I had the vehicle. . I first noticed the random and variable headlight failure about four months ago. . . It occurs on a regular basis now. . . . And is temporarily "fixed" by cycling the headlight switch. . . . It is not always the same headlight that fails, which should tell you it is not the bulb. . . Which so many dealers are happily charging to replace. My vehicle now has over 84000 miles on it and the problem persists. . . . So whoever decided that 50,000 miles is a reasonable cut-off for Toyota's responsibility for the problem. . . . I don't know what they were thinking. . . Thousands of cars do not fail over 5 model years starting at as low as 20,000 miles from "normal wear and tear aging and failure". . . . This is a serious and inexcusable design flaw which should have been added to the long list of recalls which today's Toyota is coming to be known for. . . . They resisted a recall because even people who have spent almost $2,000 for the dealer to fix this issue have reported that it recurs after the so-called "fix". Toyota must know that there is no easy fix, and is not willing to take the hit for correcting their defective design. I guess it will take several wrongful deaths due to headlight failure before this issue can be raised to a new level of intervention. . . . The class action lawsuit was an exercise in moronic irresponsibility. . . Mostly by the courts for allowing such a pitiful and ineffective ruling. One more exhibit to demonstrate that corporations run the world today. . . . Not governments. . . . . Pathetic. . . . . .

One vehicle headlight keeps going out but when you turn the lights off at the switch, then back on the light comes on again. The dealer changed the bulb despite us telling them the light comes on if you turn the switch off and back on. We had the connector checked and cleaned to no avail. I did a littel research and it turns out that many other Prius owners are experiencing the same problems. This is a safety issue that is very expensive to troubleshoot and fix.