Headlights problems of the 2008 Toyota Prius - part 2

Pasdanger headlight goes on and off without cause and at will.

The headlights flicker or/and turn off without notice and quite often, regardless if the vehicle is stationary or in the middle of the freeway at night. Replacing the hid bulbs doesn't remedy the problem. This may be very dangerous.

I bought my 2008 Toyota Prius from by boss in June 2016. When I bought the car the passenger headlight was out, so I bought a new one and had it replaced. For the past few months I have noticed that the driver side headlight goes out just out of the blue, it comes on when I turn the lights on and it may stay on for an entire trip or it may just stay on for a few minutes. I can turn the lights off and back on and it will come on and like I said, it may stay on the entire trip or just for a few minutes. I haven't noticed any specific thing that makes it go off such as road condition, weather, it will even go off while sitting in the driveway. I have had it checked for loose connections, wire damage and none was to be found. I have read that this has been an issue for several people that have the Prius. This has caused me to be pulled over and fortunately the officer understood, once I showed him that it comes on and I explained that I can't determine when or if it will go out, and he gave me a warning. This is also very dangerous with limiting lighting for visibility while driving at night.

Just purchased this vehicle. Left headlight will flicker a few times and then go out. The whole light is off, both low and high beams will not work. If I turn the lights off and then back on it will work again.

The headlights turn off randomly as I'm driving. It happens at any speed (even when I'm stopped) and on any road, in any condition, in any weather. Sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. It makes driving at night both a hassle and hazardous.

The drivers side headlight will go out while driving the car. This happens without warning and with no apparent resaon. Toyota fixed the problem under warranty in 2009, however the problem is still happening. This is a true safety defect with this car!! Toyota knows about it but has not offered to fixed the problem beyond their warranty extension of five years and 60k miles. I must say it's quite uncomfortable to be driving at night on ther highway and other un-lit roads and have one of your headlights go out. This safety defect is expensive to fix. $800. 00 to $2400. 00. Depending on how may defective parts need to be replaced!! I contacted the local Toyota dealer and the national Toyota customer service center. I opened a case with them (171-0041862). However Toyota did not offere to fix the safety defect on my car.

Two problems 1. In cold or cooler weather, my dash does not display. After sometimes 1 hour, it will suddenly turn on. Also, when the dash does not display the car does not turn off, unless I hold the start button for a long time. Also the rear view camera does not work. Also my Smart key does not start the car, unless inserted. 2. Sometimes my headlights and running lights do not work. It always happens in an alternating manner. If my front right head light is not working, then my rear left running light is not working or vice a versa. This problem also appears and goes away at random intervals. I have checked and there was a recall for the combination meter, but when I called Toyota customer experience center, they told me that the recall expired. I was not informed of the recall and even when I searched on line, no recalls show up. What do I do? can I still have Toyota fix this problem? the lighting issue seems to be related to a faulty hid computer. Again, no recall shows up, can I get this fixed? I have been pulled over one time by police, and am afraid of driving at night because of this problem. This has been ongoing, intermittently, since last winter.

I bought my 2008 Prius used in 2016, the headlights worked for a little while, then they started to randomly shut off. Sometimes just one, sometimes both at the same time. I have replaced the headlights twice and it is still happening. I have googled this problem and there are several people saying their Prius' are having the same problem. Toyota refuses to fix the issue.

My headlights intermittently go off and it will change which headlight (between my two white front headlight and gold headlights). It happens while I am driving. I can turn my headlights on and off and it sometimes fixes the problem. On one occasion all my headlights went off.

Headlights go out unexpectedly.

Both headlights cut off at the same time while driving at night (55-65 mph) on an unlit winding road above a reservoir. Managed to stop the car near the right side of the road without going off the edge and although the headlights did not come back on, we used the high beams to get us down the hill to our destination.

Passenger side headlight will come on normally but then will dim and go out while in operation (parked or in motion). Headlight will come on again briefly when headlights are turned off and then on again, but then dims and goes out. Mechanic said bulbs are fine, that the problem is the computer.

Headlight go out while driving car . Sometimes one light goes out and both have gone out at highway speed.

Driving at 35 miles per hour on a rural paved road both headlights failed simultaneously nearly causing myself and my son go off the road down an embankment while trying to get the lights to come back on at night. The hid headlights have been an issue in the past with a class action lawsuit being paid. I need to get this repaired and want Toyota to cover the recall warranty work.

Right front headlight fades out after 9-10 minutes of driving. Toyota dealer says it's due to some "overheating" issue and wants $600+ to replace!!.

The headlights have started to randomly turn off -- sometimes just one or the other, other times both turn off at the same time, requiring that I turn them on again manually. This has happened a few times in the past week on the interstate, along a rural stretch with a 70mph speed limit in maine.

Same issue as described here. . Read more...

While driving the vehicle at night, the driver's side headlight goes off. The lights have to be turned on and off repeatedly to keep the headlight lit.

Both headlights come on when turned on, however after an undetermined amount of time (the time frame varies) the drivers side hid light turns off. I am able to temporarily correct the problem by turning the lights off and then back on. This, however, is a huge safety issue, as I am unable to see the roadway during the time the lights are off (I drive on county roads where there are no street lights). I have replaced the bulb, however that did not fix the problem.

While driving, high intensity headlights are unreliable - each side randomly turns off. This is a dangerous issue.

I've got a 2008 Prius. One of the headlights keeps going out. I can't really tell when or how it goes out since I can't see it. I'll notice it when I see the reflection in the back of another car. If I turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when I turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. Sometimes on long trips it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. Sometimes on short trips it will go out, sometimes it won't. It is not an event I can make happen.

The hid headlights on my 2008 Toyota Prius touring model have numerous critical safety problems. The headlights go out completely and randomly at any time while driving. I have been thrown into complete blackness on windy country roads. I have had several vehicles swerve to avoid me as I have swerved to avoid cars, trees, curbs, poles etc. Furthermore, the lights are very dim causing further driving difficulty and danger with even worse performance in inclement weather. I have become very anxious and the lights going on and off distract and worry other drivers. It is so bad that I risk my life by driving the car at night.

While driving at night one or both of the front headlights will go out. Sometimes they also go very dim. When either headlight goes out, I have to turn off the lights and turn them on again. I have almost gone off the road a few times on a windy stretch of road where the lights kept going off every few seconds. I've already gotten a ticket over this, when I was on a well-lit main road and didn't even know a light had gone out. I've been dealing with this for 9 months. Everything I read says that buying the expensive new headlights again doesn't fix the problem. I try to avoid driving at night, but I can't always, and I shouldn't have to. Nothing draws the attention of the cops like blinking your headlights on and off repeatedly while going down the road. We had a few really stormy days and my choices were to leave my headlights off, which was completely unsafe in that heavy of a tucson monsoon, or to drive knowing I'd only have one headlight on after a few minutes, and I wouldn't know which one, or to drive in a storm, calling attention to myself for only having one headlight, and inviting a second ticket.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 50 mph, the headlights failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the headlights needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.

This is the intermittent headlight issue for 2008 Toyota Prius' a front headlight will go out, and if you turn off an on the lights, they both come back on. This first happened to me a few months back. The only suggestion to fix this is from Toyota which is to take the car to a dealer and for $550 they take off the bumper (do some trick), and put in new bulbs. Instead, I spent $180 for 2 new bulbs, and replaced them myself (without taking off the bumper and doing the trick), and it worked for 2 weeks before 1 or the other bulb intermittently goes off. At least they are brighter now, though this is 1) a safety issue as the lights act unpredictably, and 2) replacing headlights is on the order of changing a tire or windshield wipers. It's like changing a light bulb, no?! the real issue is the ballasts which as I understand it regulate the lights. These are not easy (for me) to fix. This only seems to happen on some cars, and I think that Toyota should replace the ballasts when this comes up. All the back and forth has left me with not great headlights (going off randomly) for 2 months now while I've been trying to figure this out. I hardly see why I should pay $550 at a dealer, when I'm not even sure that will fix the issue. I have requested Toyota (national) should fix the issue whatever it is (not have me keep going back for estimates and submitting them). Thank you.

One headlight turns off randomly. Every now and again turning the lights off and on again will fix the problem for a short time.

The headlights on my 2008 Toyota Prius are totally unreliable, have been replaced once, and now I find there was a class action lawsuit - and there should be one again. The dealer does not know what to do. They do not know if the bulbs or the headlight mechanism is flawed. The lights flicker, go out (both or each) unexpectedly, and while driving - this is terrifying. Turns out it is a well known problem and NHTSA has not addressed it fully. Most recent was at the dealer 12/17/2015, flickering, going out, and not properly going to brights. The bulbs cost $188/each. Ridiculous.

Headlights randomly shut off, can sometimes be turned back on if headlights are turned off and then on, but they never stay on. Very unsafe when driving at night. Toyota should recall and fix this issue.

Headlight went out on highway at 65 mph at night . Was very dark and created a blind spot on the left side of the car. I now find that Toyota knew about this and tells me to just turn the lights off and on and the headlight will come back on, thats fun at 60-70 mph. Very dangerous.

Headlights go completely out or the right headlight goes out. . . Both situations are randomly occurring. I was driving on the beach line hwy. In florida, at night, on my way to the orlando airpirt, when my headlights went completely out. The beach lineis a 2 lane hwy. With no center barrier or median, no exterior lighting, and cars coming from the opposite direction going 60+ mph. Needless to say, it was a "white knuckle" experience. I thought that there was only something wrong with my car, but when I recently researched thus problem, I became aware that it effects 2006-2009 Prius's. Why hasn't there been a forced recall on Toyota to fix this serious safety issue? it needs to be addressed!.

Bought the car in late October and the left front headlight has gone out twice.

Left headlight goes out while setting still and while driving. On a ten mile trip the light will go out 6 - 10 times. Turning the light off and back on makes the light to burn again. I have been stopped by the police for this. When I stop I ,turn the headlamps off, when they tell me why I was pulled over for I play dumb and they instruct me to turn on my lights and dim them or put on high beam. They are left scratching there head and I'm on my way. This happens every time the vehicle is driven at night. Also happens setting still.

Headlights intermittently flash off with no warning. Can not be repaired. Sometimes both flip off at same time. One goes out (or both) appr. Every 5-10 minutes of driving, or while car is stationary with lights on.

The headlights on my 2008 Toyota Prius turn off sporadically sometimes one sometimes both very dangerous at night because they both turned off so I need to get ahold of somebody and see what I need to do to get this problem solved my name is janet cuaron and the phone number to reach me at is 505-489-8951. The lights turn off in all weather on country roads of the free way.

Headlights short out intermittently. Both headlights have gone out, the left has gone out, the right has gone out. If I turn off the lights and flip them back on, they occassionally both come back on, or one comes back on or neither come back on. This is extremely dangerous at night. It has to be electrical. There's no way it's the bulbs, I've owned the car for a year and have blown through many bulbs already. This is getting expensive besides dangerous. This happens on bumpy roads, smooth roads, turning, going straight. I haven't found a certain thing that makes them turn off. This has been happening for a long time, but I can only choose one date below.