FaultScore

2008 Toyota Prius headlight problems

587 of the 1,894 complaints about the 2008 Toyota Prius are about the lighting — 31% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 56,451 miles.

D

587

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Exterior Lighting 553 94.2%
Headlights 29 4.9%
Interior Lighting 4 0.7%
Concealment Devices 1 0.2%

Lights across every Toyota Prius year

2004 185 5.3%
2005 349 10.0%
2006 948 27.1%
2007 1,069 30.6%
2008 587 16.8%
2009 111 3.2%
2010 151 4.3%
2011 49 1.4%
2012 36 1.0%
2013 12 0.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Olney, MD

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11566820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Port Orchard, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11525005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Parsippany, NJ

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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[XXX] 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 [XXX] 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 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

NHTSA complaint #11498203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mcminnville, TN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

NHTSA complaint #11467396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Portland, OR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11464451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DASHBOARD SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, HEADLIGHT INDICATORS, TRANSMISSION STATUS, CRUISE CONTROL DO NOT SHOW, ARE NOT LIT UP. BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK NOR DO THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. THIS OCCURED AFTER THE AUXILIARY BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND BACKUP CAMERA WILL OCCASSIONALLY SPONTANEOUSLY RETURN WHEN THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WEEK OR LONGER BUT THEN WILL GO OUT NEXT TIME THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR TURNING OFF CONSISTENTLY AND AT TIMES THE START BUTTON NEEDS TO BE MANUALLY DEPRESSED FOR 5+ SECONDS TO SHUT DOWN.

NHTSA complaint #11457816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Salt Lake City, UT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11432486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 198,000 miles Wilbraham, MA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT A TRACEABLE CAUSE. PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED THE LIGHT OUT WHILE AT MOTION ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT LOW SPEED, ON A HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH AND AT REST.

NHTSA complaint #11403917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 190,000 miles Littleton, CO

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

PRIMARY HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OUT WHILE BOTH PARKED AND DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. SOMETIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TURNING THEM OFF AND ON AGAIN MANUALLY RESETS THEM TO WORK AGAIN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A HUGE DESIGN FLAW AND MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, SINCE IT LEADS TO DRIVING IN THE DARK WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. REPAIR SHOPS WANT $100S PER BULB TO REPLACE HID BULBS THAT SEEM TO NOT ACTUALLY BE BURNED OUT. THE DESIGN CHOICE FOR HID BULBS THAT EXHIBIT THIS TEMPORARY FAILURE MODE SEEMS TO BE A FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED ENGINEERING CHOICE COMPARED TO OTHER, MORE RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS LEDS. NO EXISTING RECALLS WERE FOUND WHEN SEARCHING THE DOT.GOV WEBSITE FOR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11395642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 261,000 miles Lansing, MI

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT ON MY 2008 PRIUS GOES OUT PERIODICALLY WHEN DRIVING BUT, TO DATE, NOT WHEN STATIONARY. I RECENTLY DROVE TO TEXAS AND BACK AND THIS DIDN'T OCCUR ON THE HIGHWAY OR COUNTRY ROADS. IT SEEMS TO ONLY HAPPEN IN CITY STOP-AND-GO DRIVING, BUT I CAN'T BE SURE. IF NOTICED, BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON IT COMES BACK ON BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS NOTICEABLE. INFORMATION ONLINE INDICATES THAT COSTLY HID BULB AND BALLAST REPLACEMENTS, AND/OR OTHER COSTLY REPAIRS, DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS POSES A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK AND HAS GOTTEN ME PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE COMMON WITH 2006-2009 PRIUS'S WHICH WOULD INDICATE A DESIGN/MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS AND CORRECT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND ADVISE ME ON HOW TO PROCEED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THANK-YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #11364830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,700 miles Westminster, CO

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

08 PRIUS HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING GO OUT FOR UP TO ABOUT 1/2 HOUR AT A TIME. EITHER ONE WILL DO IT ALMOST EVERY TIME THEY ARE USED AND SO FAR, ONLY ONE AT A TIME. UNTRUSTWORTHY AND VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA complaint #11339400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 170,000 miles Norfolk, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CHANGED THE RELAY SWITCH, COMPUTER HID AND HEADLIGHTS AND THEY STILL ARE NOT WORKING. I'VE ALSO HAD TO PAY A TICKET AS A RESULT.

NHTSA complaint #11315711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Minneapolis, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF UNPREDICTABLY, USUALLY WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING TIME. TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON SOMETIMES GETS THE HEADLIGHT TO TURN BACK ON, BUT NOT ALWAYS. THEN WITHIN 10 MINUTES IT WILL TURN OFF AGAIN. NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AND DRIVING VIOLATION, I ALSO CANNOT SELL THE CAR WITH NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA complaint #11280770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 175,000 miles Tacoma, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY WIFE AND I OWN 2 PRIUS 2ND GENERATION MODELS SINCE 2014. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RANDOMLY MALFUNCTIONING AND NOT DISPLAYING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, STATIONARY, RAINING, JUST RANDOMLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES ON MY CAR ALONE, AND MY WIFE CAN CONTESTS TO HERS AS WELL. WHAT WE BOTH ARE EXPERIENCING IS ONE OF MANY SITUATIONS. WHILE DRIVING THE DASH LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL JUST NOT WORK: I'M UNABLE TO SEE DRIVING SPEED, IF MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. EVEN WHILE STATIONARY WE EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. THE MAIN REASONS FOR REPORTING THIS IS BECAUSE COINCIDENTALLY IT HAPPENS TO BOTH OF US AT RANDOM TIMES IN 2 DIFFERENT VEHICLES SAME MODEL AND YEAR. FROM MY OWN RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE WITH OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME MODELS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES AS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR RECALLS, BUT I FEEL THIS IS ONE. I'M FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS SO FAR. BUT FOR OTHERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THIS CAN ACCIDENTALLY START SPEEDING, OR BECOME STARTLED BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN LOSS OF DASH VISUALS, AND RESULT IN HARM OF OTHER'S OR PROPERTY. THIS JUST HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY AND I JUST HAD TO SAY SOMETHING SINCE THIS HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT ISSUE FOR MY WIFE AND I. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS AND PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS.

NHTSA complaint #11270351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 98,000 miles Tacoma, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY WIFE AND I OWN 2 PRIUS 2ND GENERATION MODELS SINCE 2014. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RANDOMLY MALFUNCTIONING AND NOT DISPLAYING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, STATIONARY, RAINING, JUST RANDOMLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES ON MY CAR ALONE, AND MY WIFE CAN CONTESTS TO HERS AS WELL. WHAT WE BOTH ARE EXPERIENCING IS ONE OF MANY SITUATIONS. WHILE DRIVING THE DASH LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL JUST NOT WORK: I'M UNABLE TO SEE DRIVING SPEED, IF MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. EVEN WHILE STATIONARY WE EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. THE MAIN REASONS FOR REPORTING THIS IS BECAUSE COINCIDENTALLY IT HAPPENS TO BOTH OF US AT RANDOM TIMES IN 2 DIFFERENT VEHICLES SAME MODEL AND YEAR. FROM MY OWN RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE WITH OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME MODELS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES AS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR RECALLS, BUT I FEEL THIS IS ONE. I'M FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS SO FAR. BUT FOR OTHERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THIS CAN ACCIDENTALLY START SPEEDING, OR BECOME STARTLED BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN LOSS OF DASH VISUALS, AND RESULT IN HARM OF OTHER'S OR PROPERTY. THIS JUST HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY AND I JUST HAD TO SAY SOMETHING SINCE THIS HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT ISSUE FOR MY WIFE AND I. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS AND PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS.

NHTSA complaint #11270350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 90,000 miles Suffern, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

RIGHT HID HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT DURING SHORT OR LONG TRIPS. IT IT'S NOW OCTOBER 2019. THIS SAME LIGHT WAS REPLACED FOR SAME PROBLEM IN JULY 2018 AND I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT MY BALLAST AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IS FINE. IT SHOULD NOT BE BURNED OUT BY NOW. I ONLY USE THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT OR DURING RAIN. I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM PRIUS OWNERS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11267516 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 196,050 miles Waldo, ME

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE 2008 PRIUS HAS A DIGITAL DISPLAY. SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTS UP THERE IS NO INFORMATION DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN. NOTHING SHOWS WHAT GEAR (REVERSE, NEUTRAL, FORWARD) IT IS IN. THERE IS NO SPEEDOMETER DISPLAY. NO ODOMETER DISPLAY. NO FUEL LEVEL DISPLAY. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE DASH DOES NOT LIGHT UP, I HAVE NOTICED THERE IS NO BACKUP CAMERA OR BACKUP LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, THE START BUTTON WILL NOT FULLY SHUT DOWN THE CAR. IT WILL CYCLE BETWEEN ACCESSORY MODE AND FULL START WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE IS ALSO NOT KEEPING TRACK OF THE MILES DRIVEN WHILE THE DASH IS NOT DISPLAYING - SO WHEN THE DASH DOES START WORKING AGAIN, THE ODOMETER IS NOT SHOWING TRUE MILEAGE. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE TO FINALLY SHUT DOWN, I HAVE SOMETIMES HAD THE ISSUE NOT PRESENT THE NEXT DAY AT STARTUP. OTHER TIMES IT WILL LAST THROUGH SEVERAL STARTS AND STOPS. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT WITH A FAULTY COMBINATION METER. AND I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11265944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 179,000 miles Tunnel Hill, GA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WAS PARKED IN LINE TO PICK UP CHILD FROM SCHOOL. TURNED CAR ON AND PUT IT ON DRIVE, MOVED SLOWLY WHEN PARKING BRAKE LIGHT, ABS WARNING LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ALL CAME ON AND THEN MY BRAKES WENT LIMP. HAD TO PUSH ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND STOPPING WAS STILL HARD TO DO. ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN SUDDENLY ALL LIGHTS WENT OFF AND BRAKES JERKED TO A SUDDEN STOP. I'M TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY CAR AT FASTER SPEED KNOWING MY BRAKES BASICALLY WENT OUT. PRETTY SURE IT'S FAILING BRAKE ACTUATOR AND TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBABLY BUT DIDN'T DO A RECALL ONLY EXTENDED WARRANTIES... I DIDN'T OWN THE CAR WHEN THOSE WARRANTIES WE'RE GOING ON IN 2016. HEADLIGHTS ALSO WILL RANDOMLY TURN OFF AND I HAVE TO TURN THEM OFF AND BACK ON CONSTANTLY DRIVING AT NIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #11257443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 108,000 miles NEW Bedford, MA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAY OR NIGHT, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR (NON-SEASONAL), BOTH HEADLIGHTS (HID) FLICKER, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF COMPLETELY AND INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES IT COMES BACK ON IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOESN'T. WE HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER TWICE FOR THIS AND RECEIVED TWO TICKETS FROM POLICE. IT DOESN'T WORK TO EXCHANGE OR REPLACE BULBS. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY 2008 PRIUS OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE TOYOTA NEEDS TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED.

NHTSA complaint #11256985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 192,000 miles Forest Park, OK

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE DIM HEADLIGHT ONLY, NOT THE BRIGHT, ONLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT GOES OUT 4 OR 5 TIMES A YEAR. THE FRONT BRIGHTS ARE NOT AFFECTED AND HAVE NEVER GONE OUT NOR HAS THE DIM HEADLIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT EVER GONE OUT. THE CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY USUALLY AND ON CITY STREETS ONLY.

NHTSA complaint #11230458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Vancouver, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FOR THE THIRD TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT AFFECT HOW THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK. THE BREAK LIGHT SWITCH, WHEN MALFUNCTIONING PREVENT OR INHIBITS THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING PROPERLY. IF THE SWITCH FAILS WHILE DRIVING, IT CAN CAUSE PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY REGENERATION, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO CAUSING A DRIVING HAZARD WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #11222270 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mariposa, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, LEFT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY (ABOUT EVERY 3 MINUTES). I HAVE TO TURN LIGHTS COMPLETELY OFF THEN ON AGAIN TO RESET. THIS IS ONGOING AND APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY WITH TIME.

NHTSA complaint #11221501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 213,529 miles SAN Jose, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF OR FLICKER WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AS IT NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. USING THE HIGH BEAMS HELPS FOR A SHORT PERIOD BUT THE HEADLIGHTS STILL TURN OFF ON THEIR OWN. TURNING THEM OFF AND ON BRINGS THEM BACK ON MOST OF THE TIME BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

NHTSA complaint #11221231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grass Valley, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE HEADLIGHTS WILL SUDDENLY FAIL, EITHER ONE AT A TIME, OR MORE RECENTLY BOTH AT THE SAME TIME WHEN NIGHT DRIVING. I AM ABLE TO FLIP THE SWITCH TO TURN ONE BACK ON BUT NOW THE PASSENGER LIGHT WILL NOT COME BACK ON AT ALL. I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN I NOTICE THIS HAPPENING BUT IT PROBABLY ALSO HAPPENS IN DAY LIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #11207004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 156,000 miles Nacogdoches, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. I RECEIVED TWO WARNING TICKETS FROM HIGHWAY PATROL AS I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM FT. WORTH TO NACOGDOCHES, BUT WHEN I STOPPED, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE WORKING. THEN AS I WAS DRIVING, BOTH HEADLIGHTS (WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS ON) TURNED OFF. HAD TO PULL OVER AND THEN THEY STARTED WORKING AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #11192354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 208,360 miles Brooklyn, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE LIGHTING SYSTEM HAS ELECTRICAL MARKINGS ON THE RELAY AND FUSE BLOCKS FOR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, WITH NO DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS INSTALLED. HEADLIGHT AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHT SYSTEMS WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. CAUSING BULBS TO FAIL.

NHTSA complaint #11183313 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 154,000 miles Salem, OR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11170751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Olympia, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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".

NHTSA complaint #11157078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 71,000 miles Whitefish, MT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. KALISPELL TOYOTA (2845 U.S. 93 S, KALISPELL, MT 59901, (406) 755-6060) REPLACED THE BULBS, WHICH COST OVER $600. THE CONTACT FOUND A WARRANTY THAT EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018 AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2018. THE DEALER DID NOT ADDRESS THE MAIN ISSUE OF A POSSIBLE COMPUTER BOARD MALFUNCTION IN THE VEHICLE THAT MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT AN ADDITIONAL COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

NHTSA complaint #11155720 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Davidson, NC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. SOMETIMES IT TAKES REPEATED ATTEMPTS TURNING OFF AND ON TO GET IT BACK ON. BOTH BALLASTS AND HID LAMPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, YET THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM PERSISTS. I KNOW OF MANY COMPLAINTS BUT DO NOT KNOW IF TOYOTA HAS AN OPEN RECALL ON THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11151547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2008 Toyota Prius problems

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