general problems of the 2008 Toyota Prius - part 1

Hello. My 2008 Toyota Prius had a malfunction with the "combination meter" which caused the vehicle dashboard to turn off completely, and we could not turn off the engine at times when stopped and parked. The dealer fixed the problem at a cost of $1580, and both the dealer and Toyota corporate through their brand engagement advocate acknowledged a long term problem with the combination meter. They had extended the warranty coverage for owners for this specific problem for about 10 years but not for owners like me with a vehicle 15 years old. I believe Toyota should cover and reimburse owners for this problem, which is potentially dangerous, no matter the age of the vehicle, especially for long term, loyal owners. There are many of these vehicles still on the road. Thank you. Mike norcio mpnorcio@gmail. Com 301 873 7069.

On June 1st yesterday this issue happened again but it was the taillights. The uploaded document is from the most recent repair shop bill for the front headlight (under warranty since it stopped working so close to the previous repair) intermittently without cause the front right head light goes out (seems like every 3-6 months). And every 12-18 months the tail lights go out (the brake lights still work). The mechanics can't tel if it's a circuit board issue (possible lack of cooling/fan), loos connections and or just poor design. No matter what it is dangerous as I I unexpectedly had to drive on hwys in the dark not knowing my lights all of a sudden aren't working. Thank you very much.

I am currently having this issue with combination meter, which means the Prius dash board will not show any speed, fuel, p, r, d label and many more important information is not shown on display. I had complained to Toyota, case # 221219001515 on 19dec2022, I have spoken to danial n and manager alex s from Toyota. They both have denied solving this issue from Toyota as the warranty extension ztv has expired. Even I had provided them proof that Toyota knew about this problem, please see doc#pol-12-05 from Toyota regarding this. My Prius has 258000 miles, and it is 2008, it is high mileage as per their documents this will accrue in high mileage Prius with cold weather. I live in NJ, and it is getting cold and my car as high miles. Toyota refuse to take care of the problem and I as a consumer will have to pay over $1200 to get it fix as this is only done at Toyota dealership. Currently I am thinking of getting it fix at paul miller Toyota of west caldwell, 1155 bloomfield Ave, west caldwell, NJ 07006, 973-287-4050. What's sad is Toyota used to rank at the top of best customer service. I'm guessing most of the problems are just after the 9 years, calculated to guarantee fixing the problem to as few people as possible. There's no extension and Toyota won't help. I tried and was told all deals expired and to help one would mean they'd have to help all. We're on our own. Hoping that Toyota has released a solution to the dangerous and consumer related problem related to the failing combination meter. The previous ext. Warranty was only good for 9 years from date of first use which did not help many drivers. Super negligent and ripe situation for class action lawsuits not to mention many potentially fatal accidents on the roads. Toyota has denied fixing this problem even Toyota knows this is on going problem. As a government official please try to help me resolve this issue as this is a major concern for many millions of drivers which Toyota need to resolve this. Please.

I had purchased this 2008 Prius touring model used on 4/8/22. The first time I drove it at night I was on the freeway traveling at 55 mph and suddenly had almost no visibility due to loss of headlights. It was terrifying and pure luck that I made it off and home. The headlights turn off one at a time. I took the car to atomic auto in portland, oregon and they said the type of bulbs in the car often do this when they are failing and need to be replaced. This shop put new bulbs in yesterday, may 12th. It was raining heavily when I left the shop and I turned the headlights on. They failed again in the same way. I had no idea there was a problem like this with any car. I have searched online and now know that this has been a problem with Toyota Prius.

This model car is equipped with hid headlights. The car has had numerous problems with the bulb not lighting on one side. The light could be cycled off/on and this would allow the lamp to stay lit for an unpredictable amount of time. Sometimes this cycling would allow the lamp to stay on for an entire trip and sometimes the headlights would have to be cycled off/on again. Replaced the lamps today with brand new bulbs. Both lit during the initial testing. Later in the day the left lamp does not light even when cycled off then on. The headlights on this car are unreliable. The trouble in changing the lights would have been fixed with traditional halogen lights but now further troubleshooting is required or replacement of the igniter or bulbs. Headlights on cars in the 21st century should be completely reliable especially after replacing both lamps with brand new bulbs. This is a safety concern while driving at night.

Headlights go out randomly. Have to turn them off and back on to resume normal operation.

For several years our Toyota Prius has exhibited the following issue: intermittently, and without warning, when you start the car the dashboard does not light. As a consequent, you cannot not see the speed you're driving at, the fuel level of the car, any warnings such as check engine, low tire pressure etc, and you're not able to use a number of other important features such as cruise control. In addition, you are not able to turn off the car when you reach your destination. Because you cannot turn off the car, you cannot lock it. Undisclosed to customers, there has been for several years an extended warranty being offered by Toyota, to the dealerships, to fix this problem (warranty policy bulletin, pol 12-05). This information is provided only to dealerships. As I customer, I never received information about this extended warranty. I only found out about it via other customers. Our local Toyota dealership (Toyota of olympia) has refused to apply the extended warranty and fix the problem. We contacted the dealership several years ago about the issue, which they have a record of. Toyota customer service also refuses to help us get this issue fixed and apply the extended warranty. The case number with customer service is 1812072507. Both Toyota and the dealership state that the customer most replicate this intermittent issue to a dealership mechanic before either entity will authorize fixing the issue. Several weeks or months may go by before the issue appears and it appears only for an unpredictable duration before "going away", so this is an impossible burden of proof for the customer -- the customer has to take the car to a dealership at the moment the intermittent issue occurs, and must arrive at the dealership and get the mechanic to immediately drop their other work in order to hopefully witness the issue before it "goes away".

Highlights go out intermittently. Usually can reset by turning on and off. Definitely a hazard. May have caused an accident. Regularly getting told light is out. Stopped by police for lights out. Does not appear to be loose connection or bad bulb.

Combination meter is defective, light panel, including speedometer & fuel levels go dark, unable to tell speed of vehicle or remaining fuel, multiple incidents, all began (thus far) while vehicle was stationary.

My mother has a 2008 Prius that has two serious issues that Toyota has acknowledged and even offered to fix under what they call a support program. Sounds great right? here's the problem. 1. She never received a letter notifying her of the problem and that it needed to be fixed (and only now that the issues have become her issues is she aware there was a recall and 2. Toyota set a time frame to fix these issues which she is now past. Again, sounds like they tried to do the right thing? the first issue is an internal leak causing her brake booster to malfunction (which is a Toyota issue, not an age or wear and tear issue) and the second issue is that there are no lights on her dash board(combination meter) which means that for a Prius, there is no way to tell your speed or gas levels. So take that in. She has a car, that has two major issues, one of which Toyota fixed up until Dec of 2017 and the other Dec of 2016 and are caused by faulty parts and labor by Toyota, and they will no longer fix these. The break issue cost $2400 and the dash $800. For an issue that is caused by Toyota not the driver or wear and tear and is a serious safety issue. This is the kind of company Toyota really is. Several years ago my mom received about 14 letters stating she needed to come in and replace her floor matts because they were part of a recall. Floor mats! she's received recall issues on her door lock among other things that she promptly had fixed. She took her car to the Toyota dealership many times and no one ever mentioned these issues or "support programs". But breaks and dashboards aren't as important as floor mats or door locks. I would love for Toyota to explain to me and everyone else, how something they acknowledge is a Toyota issue, has an expiration date to get fixed by them.

Both headlamps will intermittently shut off while driving. First started with the right side headlamp turning off then progressively both are now turning off while driving at night creating an unsafe driving situation.

I have three major problems with my 2008 Prius. #1 the engine intermittently, will not turn off when parking the car. #2 the dash lights also intermittently will not come on, affecting my ability to see how fast I am going on the highway or streets, it also prevents me from seeing how much gas is left in the tank. #3 the outside air and air conditioner, also will not work, intermittently.

Cluster went blank and vehicle would not power off, key fob stuck in ignition. Toyota service recommended replacing combo meter but I am one month out of warranty. I was driving tried to park but car would not turn off, but would come to a stop in the parking lot.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the high intensity discharge (hid) indicator on the passenger side malfunctioned while driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new hid light. The dealer did not repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.

One head light fades out during use. Turning the head lights off and on again fixes the issue short term.

I have had to replace 6 headlamps on this vehicle. The first two failures were covered under warranty but the problem persists. I now have had to replace 4 other lamps at a cost of about $330 for each lamp. Toyota has not responded. There are many complaints from other Prius owners having the same issue.

Front left light will randomly turn off. Sometimes it occurs after making a turn. Light will sometimes come back on if you turn them off, then turn them back on.

This month, when leaving for a trip, I noticed the passenger side headlamp was out. I planned on replacing it when I returned. Upon returning, the headlamp has mysteriously come back on. I researched intermittent headlamp problems with my car and found out many others have had the same issue. I'm now not sure if the problem is the headlamp or some circuit.

Known formally as high-intensity discharge (hid) lights, they either work intermittently ¿ making nighttime driving a lot more exciting ¿ or fail entirely.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the head lights suddenly failed to illuminate intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000. The VIN was unavailable. Djr.

Driver side head light turns on, then flickers and then goes out . I have been stopped twice. Replaced relay ($75. 00) no differance . . This happens when starting the car before even putting in gear.

I was traveling on a major highway and all my lights went out. Pitch black. Luckily, there were very few cars on the road. I was able to pull to the side and put my flashers on and use their intermittent flashing to slowly find my way home (about 8 more miles). This could have caused fatalities - my own and others who may have crashed into me. This was a terrible situation and from what I have just researched, it happens with the Prius. Now I have the inconvenience (and expense?) od figuring out how to get this fixed so it will never happen again!!!!.

Head lights go out. While driving at night lights went out. Very unsafe.

The headlamps go dark at random times while driving at night. This occurs on the highway or city street and more often shortly after beginning the drive rather than later in the trip. On numerous occasions one or both headlamps will shut off. I am able to restore the lights by switching the headlamps off and then on again. This has been a problem for two years since the car had 45,000 miles until now with 65,000 miles.

Vehicle starts, runs for limited time -2-3 mins. Shuts off vehicle starts no electrical visibility on dash. . Blank. Vehicle starts with electrical visibility, runs for 3-5 miles, looses electrical visibility. Vehicle starts with electrical visibility runs for 3-4 miles . Vehicle stops, shuts off in traffic. Vehicle will not start. Requires jump start,,. And runs enough to take car to dealer. Vehicle will not start, requires jump start and will not hold charge. Requires towing to dealer.

The hid headlamps on this vehicle were part of a class action suit several years ago alleging the lamps failed prematurely. Toyota settled the suit by acknowledging the defective parts and extending the warranty to 5 years or 50,000 miles. I was forced to have both headlamps replaced right at 50,000 as one had gone out and almost immediately the other started going on and off intermittently. It created a significant safety hazard at the time. On Friday February 28, 2014 I had another headlamp go out while on a dark stretch of rural highway in central missouri. I was fortunate enough to get home, but was forced to have the lamp replaced at significant cost ($247. 38) the next day. This headlamp lasted approximately 45,000 miles. Toyota has refused to accept responsibility for this item which I feel is creating a very significant safety hazard. While I was fortunate enough to be in a dark area at the time of the failure that made the issue quite obvious, drivers in a more urban environment would have easily never noticed. Even for those who did notice most drivers would be unaware of the proclivity for these lamps to fail and the imminent danger they are in driving at night on a single lamp with these particular lamps. Unfortunately headlamps have been such a reliable part that most drivers will feel it's a once in a blue moon event and there is no urgency for the replacement. It appears that while they said as part of the suit settlement that they had resolved the issue with the lamps failing prematurely they quite clearly have not. They are most definitely putting drivers in danger. It is my hope that NHTSA will look into this issue.

Purchased car used. I noticed immediately that the right light was flickering. In a few days, it started going out. Came back on later, then went out again back and forth. After having bulb replaced, with in 2 days, it did the same thing. Left hid light is now doing the same flickering, though not going out totally yet that I have noticed. Turning lights on and off make them work again until the next time they randomly go out. They will randomly go out or on even if sitting still. After researching, I am finding that people are spending 1000s of dollars and still not getting this fixed.

Pulling away from home after starting car, I noticed dashboard lights were out, no speedometer, etc. Although blinker lights worked. Later, backing up, I noticed the camera image did not work. Big problem was when I got to work and car would not turn off. I tried for 20 minutes including that I made the mistake of putting Smart key into slot thinking that would help only to realize that key could not be removed without car being off. I absolutely had to go to my office; had to leave car unattended in downtown. When returned a few hours later to go to dealer, I tried it again and it turned off.

Intermittent headlamp failure. Flicking lights on and off will temporarily remedy only to fail again during the same drive. Near accident on pitch black mountain road when both lights failed. Bulbs have been replaced multiple times by dealer and problem continues. I've been pulled over by law enforcement and given warnings. We have two young children and cannot safely drive our car during the night or for travel. There is clearly a problem. . . Why is there no accountability? must there be deaths or injuries to get this resolved?.

Every few weeks (even several times in the same week), the dashboard lights on the car go completely dark, without warning (no, the dimmer switch is not turned to "low" or "off"-- that is the first thing we tried). Simultaneously, or sometimes at different times, the car refuses to turn off, even when the "off" switch is pressed constantly or intermittently, for up to a half-hour. Obviously, it is extremely dangerous to leave a car running, so one cannot leave the car; when driving, the loss of all the dashboard information is terrifying, especially at night when it is so distracting as to be potentially crash-causing. The Toyota dealer first claimed it was the 12-volt battery, so we replaced it. This did not fix it. At the dealer's request, we left the car with them for a long weekend, and they claimed that since they weren't able to reenact the situation, they could not help us. After some back-and-forth, they agreed to replace a "combination meter," which Toyota had apparently found troublesome enough to offer free "out-of-warranty" repairs of. However, the dealer first said Toyota would not pay for it unless the dealer was able to independently verify the trouble, and they were not able to recreate the distressing situation. As if we would lie in order to receive a new combination meter! we just want to car to work and be safe. Now we are waiting five-plus days for the part to come in, and not even sure if it will fix our problem. There's plenty of discussion of this exact same issue all across the internet. Why has the company not figured this out, and trained its mechanics accordingly?.

2008 Prius headlamps intermittent hid problem. This is a known and common problem with Toyota Prius 2004-2009. No recall for it that I am aware of, however they light will go out randomly. The cost of repair can been extreme. . Read more...

All lights suddenly went black, front, back everything. I was going 50 mph on a mountain road and was on a straight road section out of the curves when everything went black. It was night-time at about 9:30 pm so very dark. I went into shock immediately slammed on brakes, just glad no one in back of me and carefully tried to feel to the side of the road. This is a road with alot of 18 wheelers as it is a major route. Also very curvey, and I was lucky not to get killed!!!!!.

Light will turn off, I will turn the switch and they come back on but don't stay on, I have been using the high beams but now they will not work. The regular beams are staying on a little longer but have to do the same thing, turn the switch and on again, the dealer can't seem to find the problem at a cost of $1100, and now replacing the light bulbs at $350 is a bit much. I do a lot of driving during dawn hours and night. Why is Toyota not cover the cost of this problem. This is an issue with many of the Prius from 2005 to 2008 it should be a recall to have the control module replaced on all hid lights d2r.

Left head light goes out while driving. I can turn head lights off and back on and it starts working again. The dealer says I need a new bulb at the rate of $330. 00 dollars plus tax and $50. 00 to install. I asked if it was guaranteed they said no once it is installed there is no guarantee. I was born at night but not last night!! I think they have another problem and don't have a clue what it is! at $400. 00 a light bulb-good money if you can get it.

When I started the car, the lights on the dash didn't come on so I could see how fast I was going or how much gas I had. I called the dealership and they said it's due to cold weather. After 15 minutes, the dash lights came on. Toyota suggested I could get the issue fixed for $1500 but it wouldn't be easy to get the part. Could take 30 days or more and may not 100% solve the issue.