2009 Toyota Avalon Lighting Problems

When driving my 2009 Toyota Avalon my headlights sporadically go out. Mostly on the drivers side. I have replaced the headlight on 3 separate occasions with in the last 3 Years and each time it cost me $185.00 for labor and the headlight. I also got stopped by the POLICE for it! Now in 2023 the right head light goes on and off sporadically since March 2023. Again, I got stopped by the POLICE! Now it's JUNE of 2023 and both lights went out while driving home at night. We took it to a different repair shop and was FINALLY told that this has been a problem for the 2009 Toyota Avalon for a while as it was a manufacturing DEFECT. A head light ballast I think. Why should I pay to fix this as well as tickets from the POLICE for a manufacturing ERROR!!! Now I have to pay for 2 Ballasts and 2 headlights????.

THE BRIGHT LIGHTS DO NOT WORK DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. TOYOTA WILL NOT HONOR RECALL BECAUSE THEY ADDED EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT NOT ALL OWNERS NOTIFIED. IT IS COST PROGIBITIVE YO REPAIR, SO MANY MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF DRIVE WITHOUT BENEFIT OF HIGH BEAMS, A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE EAPECIALLY DRIVING IN RURAL AMERICA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW AND HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND DAY TIME RUNNING LAMPS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. *BF *TR

HIGH BEAM LIGHT BULB SHATTERED, NO HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. POSSIBLE HAZARD FOR FIRE OR ACCIDENT AT NIGHT.

DRIVING ON AN UNLIGHTED TEXAS HIGHWAY AT NIGHT MY HI-BEAM LIGHTS WENT OUT. WHEN I CHECKED THEM LATER , BOTH SIDES THE BULB HAD SHATTERED. I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 AT THAT TIME COUNTING ON THOSE HI-BEAMS TO SPOT WILDLIFE AROUND THE ROAD AREA. AFTER I LOST THE USE OF THE HIGH BEAMS I HAD TO LOWER MY SPEED AND THE AREA WHICH I COULD SAFELY SEE HAD GREATLY DECREASED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT BOTH LIGHT BULBS HAD SHATTERED INSIDE THE HEAD LAMP HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HEAD LAMP HOUSING. THE BULBS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 06/13/17*LJ CONSUMER STATED FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALER ( ANDREW TOYOTA) CONFIRMS THAT TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING DESIGN THAT ACCOMODATES A DIFFERENT HIGH BEAM BULB THAT WILL NOT SHATTER. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE HOUSING. UPDATED 9/27/18*JB

JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY BRIGHT BEAM DOESN'T FUNCTION AND NEVER HAS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2009. THERE WERE SERVICE BULLETINS BUT TOYOTA DEALER NEVER CHECKED TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM, TOLD ME THEY DON'T CHECK IF CUSTOMER DOESN'T COMPLAIN. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR READING SERVICE BULLETINS. I JUST PAID NEARLY $200 FOR REPAIRING THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. IT HAS BEEN DANGEROUS DURING NIGHT DRIVING BUT I ASSUMED THAT WAS THE WAY AVALON WERE BECAUSE THEIR FRONT END SITS LOW. I THINK REIMBURSEMENT IS IN ORDER.

WHILE DRIVING DURING DARK HOURS , THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF OR JUST DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT GO OFF AT SOME TIME .I HAVE TO TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON BY SWITCH ATTACH TO STERLING . THEY WORK BACK ON FOR SOME TIME AND THEN GO OFF AGAIN.IT DOES HAPPEND EVERY DAY TO ME ON CITY STREET AND HIGHWAY. IT'S SCARY AND UNSAFE . ITS HIGH RISK SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING AT DARK TIME HOURS. PLEASE MAKE TOYOTA CORP. FIX THIS ISSUE . THEY KNOW ABOUT THAT PROBLEM, DEFFECT FOR SO LONG.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE AND CAUSED THE LOW BEAMS TO MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

JANUARY 14TH 2015 WHILE DRIVING DURING THE NIGHT, ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS EXCEPT FOR LOW BEAMS QUIT WORKING. THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS CONDITION WHILE DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY ON UNLIT ROADS BECAUSE OF REQUIRING TO DRIVE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. THESE HEADLIGHTS HAD BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE ONE OF THEM BURNED OUT ON DEC 7, 2011 WHEN THE CAR HAD 38,640 MILES ON IT. WE WERE TOLD THE ORIGINAL BULBS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE NEW BULBS WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. AFTER THE WORK WAS COMPLETED WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND WE EVENTUALLY WERE REIMBURSED. WHEN THESE BULBS BURNED OUT WE WERE TOLD BY TWO DEALERS (SEBRING, FL AND CLEVELAND, TN) THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WAS THE MODULES AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED REPLACED AT A COST OF WELL OVER $2,000. TOTAL TIME FOR REPLACEMENTS LASTED 3 YEARS 1 MONTH AND ~62,000 MILES. 3 SETS OF HEADLIGHTS REQUIRED IN SLIGHTLY OVER 5 1/2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. TOYOTA USA HAS REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR CAR. *TR

NO HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS JUST LOW BEAM. HARD TO SEE. WE GOT THIS USED CAR 1 1/2 YRS AGO WITHOUT HIGHBEAMS. TOYOTA WANTS TO CHG ME 500$ TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AND EXTRA 2000$. I FOUND A LETTER TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT THESE HEADLAMPS MAY HAVE A SHORT LIFE AND THEY WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW ASSEMBLY AND NEW BULB. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT ONLY AGGRAVATION. NO SATISFACTION ON HELPING ME TO REPLACE THIS EXPENSIVE BULB PROBLEM WHICH OCCURRED. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE RECTIFIED THIS BEFORE SELLING IT TO US. IT IS THEIR PROBLEM TO REPLACE THIS ASSEMBLY AND NEW BULBS NOT MINE. THEY SOLD US A MALFUNCTIONING HEADLAMP UNIT. *TR

TURNED ON ENGINE AND TURNED ON HIGH BEAMS. BULBS SHATTERED. TOOK TO THE BOBBY RAHAL DEALER. TOLD THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OF FIVE YEARS HAD LAPSED. WAS UNDER THE 72000 MILEAGE LIMIT, HOWEVER.. HAD TO PAY $166 TO JUST REPLACE THE BULBS. TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HOUSING WOULD COST $900. THIS IS A FACTORY DESIGN DEFECT AND THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A REDESIGNED HOUSING. IF THE DESIGN WAS FAULTY FROM THE ONSET, WHY AREN'T ALL HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES BEING REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER? THE INTERNET CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTED FATALITIES SO I GUESS THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR IS THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY....

THE HIGH BEAMS ON OUR 2009 TOYOTA AVALON SUDDENLY CEASED TO FUNCTION LAST WEEKEND. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE HOUSINGS REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT THEREOF BUT THAT THIS REPLACEMENT IS ONLY COVERED FOR 5 YEARS OR 72,000 MILES UNDER THE "ENHANCED" WARRANTY. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW 5 1/2 YEARS AGO. THE COST FOR FIXING THIS DEFECT WAS QUOTED AT $2,626 AND NEITHER THE DEALER NOR TOYOTA CORP. WERE WILLING TO ABSORB ANY OF THIS COST TO MAKE IT EVEN REASONABLY AFFORDABLE. NON-WORKING HIGH BEAMS COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THIS MALFUNCTION IS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT RATHER IS A KNOWN DEFECT. IT SHOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER A LIMITED WARRANTY BUT SHOULD BE A REQUIRED RECALL SO THAT PEOPLE UNABLE TO AFFORD THE EXORBITANT REPAIR COST ARE NOT PUT IN JEOPARDY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) LAMP BULB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,842.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE CAUSE UNKNOWN. THE HIGH INTENSITY BULBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE REMEDY FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHEN OPERATING THE CAR WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL, HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATE ROADS. CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT FOR FEAR THAT THEY WILL GO OUT WHEN I AM DRIVING. DEALER WANTED $2,900 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD ADDRESS AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE LIMITED TSB WHICH THEY ISSUED WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED ME. WAS NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY.

HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHT BULBS SHATTERED BECAUSE OF FAULTY DESIGN WHICH UTILIZES THEM AS DRL, BUILD UP ON FILAMENT CAUSES HIGH HEAT TO SHATTER BULBS PREMATURELY. I CALLED AND SPOKE TO TOYOTA BUT THEY DECLINED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT SAYING THEY ONLY COVER FOR 5 YEARS OR 72,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE VERY DISINGENUOUS SINCE HOW ARE MILES RELATED TO THIS SAFETY CONCERN. I CAN UNDERSTAND A TIME CUT OFF BUT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MILEAGE CUTOFF. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND IT IS THEIR DESIGN THAT CAUSES IT SO WHY AREN'T THEY STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT? *TR

HIGH BEAM BULBS FAILED. THESE ARE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AS WELL. THESE MAY HAVE FAILED MUCH EARLIER AND NOT BEEN NOTICED.

MARCH 2011 NOTICE HIGH BEAM LIGHT OUT ON MY 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. WENT TO REPLACE IT & FOUND NO BULB JUST ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. AFTER REVIEW OF BULB AREA I NOTICED THE BULB HAD DISAPPEARED WITHIN ITS CONFINEMENT AREA. BULB MUST HAVE MELT AWAY. *TR