2004 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

2004 PRIUS HEADLIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE STARTED FLICKERING ABOUT 400 MILES AGO AND HAS NOW STOPPED WORKING. WILL COST $500 TO REPLACE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE PRIUS, REGARDLESS OF THE YEAR. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET IN CHATROOMS OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE. IS ANYTHING BEING DONE TO RESOLVE? *TR

I OWN 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS I HAD PROBLEM WITH HEADLIGHTS IN 2006 I REPLACED $400 AND THE DIED AGAIN RECENTLY I HAD VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION DRIVING ON FAST ROAD THEY GONE I TURNED THEM OFF AND THEY CAME ON AGAIN FOR 10 MIN AND GONE AGAIN. *TR

BEGINNING AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS BEGAN TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. SWITCHING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON SEEMED TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW AT 100K MILES BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE FAILING, LEAVING ME DRIVING IN THE DARK UNTIL I TURN THE LIGHT KNOB ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE LIGHTS ARE NOW FAILING EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT NIGHT AND SEVERAL TIMES PER TRIP. *TR

CONTACTED TOYOTA IN FEBRUARY 2009 WITH THE FOLLOWING COMPLAINT/DESCRIPTION: RECENTLY MY DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAD BEEN BLINKING OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. I THEN WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON TO GET THE LIGHT TO COME BACK ON. LAST NIGHT (FEB. 15TH, 2009), I WAS TAKING MY DAUGHTER BACK TO COLLEGE AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS UNEXPECTEDLY TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A VERY DARK STRETCH OF HIGHWAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS WAS VERY UNNERVING. I TRIED TO QUICKLY TURN OFF LIGHTS AND THEN BACK ON. THEY CAME BACK ON ON AFTER A FEW TRIES, BUT THEN THEY DID THE SAME THING TO ME ON MY RETURN BACK TO HOME. THIS WAS A 6 HOUR ROUND TRIP ON A SUNDAY. I DID NOT HAVE ANY RECOURSE BUT TO TRY TO MAKE IT HOME. I FEEL THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MONDAY. THE DEALERSHIP RAN SOME TESTS AND SAID IT WAS THE HID BULBS AND NOT THE COMPUTER ($375/BULB!!!!!). I THEN VISITED A PRIUS CHAT SITE THAT ANOTHER CUSTOMER TOLD ME ABOUT AS WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR VEHICLES. APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM IS VERY WIDESPREAD. I AM NOW FORCED TO ONLY BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY PRIUS DURING THE DAY BECAUSE I NEVER EXPECTED A $900 PRICE TAG TO CHANGE OUT THE BULBS ON THE HEADLIGHTS, AND I AM UNABLE TO PAY THAT COST RIGHT NOW. ALSO, I LIVE OFF OF HWY 78 IN SAINT CLAIR COUNTY WHICH IS A VERY CURVY, HILLY RURAL ROAD WITH VERY LITTLE LIGHT. IF THE LIGHTS HAD SPONTANEOUSLY BLINKED OFF ON ME ON THIS ROAD WHEN EITHER I OR ONE OF MY TEENAGERS WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT COULD HAVE HAD A FAR DIFFERENT RESULT. WILL IT TAKE A DEATH OR INJURY TO INITIATE A RECALL ON THE HEADLIGHTS? TO REPLACE BULBS ON 2004 PRIUS, YOU MUST REMOVE THE FRONT BUMPER AND HAVE A SPECIAL TOOL TO REMOVE BACK OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MY WIFE'S 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS STARTED GOING ON AND OFF. FIRST THE DRIVER'S SIDE WENT OUT AND CAME BACK ON, EVENTUALLY BOTH OF THEM WENT OUT AND WE WERE DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PRIUS OWNERS AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE. TOYOTA REPAIR COST HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AROUND $1000. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE FLOOR MAT BECAME STUCK INSIDE THE ACCELERATOR PAD. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT PRESSED A BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO TIMES AFTER RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED FOR RECALL 09V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,767. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,734.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 65-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE ELECTRONICS OF THE VEHICLE WERE STILL OPERATING, BUT THE VEHICLE ITSELF COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE THEN SHIFTED ITSELF INTO PARK. THE HAZARD LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING OFF THE AUXILIARY BATTERY, WHICH IS A LOW POWER BATTERY. IN ADDITION, THE HAZARD LIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT CALLED TOYOTA, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE BATTERY WAS JUMPED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE VEHICLE RAN NORMALLY FOR SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER AGAIN AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE FUSE BOX, WHICH MEANT A FUSE WAS BLOWN. AFTER REPLACING THE FUSE BOX, THE VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY. THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY OTHER FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE IT DUE TO FEAR OF THE FAILURE RECURRING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, BUT IS STILL AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,500.

AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF USE, THE HEADLIGHTS, MOST OFTEN THE RIGHT, BUT SOMETIMES ALSO THE LEFT, SPONTANEOUSLY TURN OFF. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT EVERY 15 MINUTES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WE HAVE TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON TO GET THEM TO LIGHT AGAIN. THIS SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK, AND WE ARE STUCK FOR A SOME TIME ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. PEOPLE ON FORUMS SAY IT WILL LIKELY COST $1000 - $1800 TO REPAIR, WHICH WE CANNOT AFFORD. *TR

THE HID HEADLIGHT ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS NOT BEEN WORKING RIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FOR A WHILE. IT WAS GOING OFF FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT, NOW IT APPEARS NOT TO BE WORKING AT ALL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE AUTO SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY PRIUS CARS AND THAT IT WILL COST $457.99 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE/DEFECT WITH MANY PRIUS CARS, WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP SINCE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHTS SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE WHICH INVOLVES THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR

THE BRAKES SUDDENLY SEIZE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SLOW AT TIMES AFTER GOING THROUGH A PUDDLE OR WHEN THE ROAD IS WET FROM RAIN. THIS POSES A RISK AS I FEAR THAT IF ANOTHER CAR WERE CLOSE BEHIND I COULD GET REAR-ENDED AS THE CAR RAPIDLY SLOWS AS IF ONE WERE SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES "LET GO" AFTER TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THIS OCCURS UNPREDICTABLY, EXCEPT THAT IT HAPPENS ON WET ROADS. *TR

THE DIGITAL DASHBOARD WHICH INCLUDES THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER/TRIPMETER, SHIFT INDICATOR AND FUEL GAUGE GOES BLANK. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY DURING NIGHT OR POOR WEATHER DRIVING, AND WHEN SHIFTING. MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TOYOTA KNOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT REFUSED TO FIX IT AT NO COST. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE MUST IMPOUND MY CAR UNTIL THE NEW PART IS INSTALLED. HE SAID THAT FEDERAL LAW REQUIRED THIS AS THE NEW ODOMETER MUST BE SET AT THE DISTRIBUTOR BEFORE BEING SHIPPED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THIS WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $800.00. LUCKILY FOR ME THE DISPLAY CAME ON DURING TROUBLESHOOTING AND I REFUSED FURTHER SERVICE AT THAT TIME. NOW, A MONTH OR SO LATER, THE DISPLAY SHUT OFF AGAIN AND I AM ONLY DRIVING THE CAR DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. *TR

HEADLIGHTS, ONE OR BOTH, TURN OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON IS TO TURN THEM OFF AND THEN BACK ON. *TR

MULTI-FUNCTION MONITOR DISPLAY INTERMITTENT BLANK OUT. NO DISPLAY FOR MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY UNIT. IT OCCURS VERY OFTEN SINCE JANUARY 2008. *TR

HEAD LIGHTS ON A 2004 PRIUS GOING OUT AND BEING ABLE TO TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON BY JUST TURNING THE SYSTEM OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. JUST LIKE A COMPUTER, IF SOMETHING IS WRONG, SHUT DOWN AND START OVER. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR NOW, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE AT NIGHT AND DURING THE DAY SAFETY IS DIMINISHED WITHOUT THE HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLAMPS WERE REPLACED BUT DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. EITHER SIDE WILL FAIL. IF YOU TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH TO "OFF" AND THEN BACK "ON" THE LIGHTS WILL COME BACK ON. NO PARTICULAR AMOUNT OF ON TIME OR BUMPS IN ROAD CAUSE THE FAILURE. BULBS ARE HID TYPE. DEALER WANTS OVER $630 TO REPLACE BULBS. NON DEALER MECHANIC ADVISED THAT IT MAY BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE BULB, POSSIBLY THE HID CONTROLLER. DEALER IS THE ONLY SOURCE AND VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, THESE ARE THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS FAILURE NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, VARIES FROM 5 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. I HAVE SEEN ON LINE THAT OTHER PRIUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. NO SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN PRESENTED. *TR

INTERMITTENT HID BULB GOES OUT. THERE IS NO PARTICULAR EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN THE LIGHTS STOP WORKING. WHEN TURNED ON THEY ALWAYS COME ON AND AT SOME POINT THEY WILL SOMETIMES STOP WORKING. WHEN I SEE THEY HAVE STOPPED I WILL TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND THEY WORK AND WILL USUALLY STAY WORKING THE REST OF THE TRIP, BUT NOT ALWAYS. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I WAS JUST AT MY TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID IT IS PROBABLY THE BULB AND THEN UNDER HIS BREATH HE UNOFFICIALLY SAID IT IS A CRAP SHOOT FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS DOES HAVE AN ACCELERATION ISSUE. JUST WANTED TO BRING TO NOTICE THAT THE ACCELERATION ISSUE DOES NOT ONLY EFFECT THE 2010 MODEL. WHEN EVER TRAVELING AROUND 40 MPH AND YOU BRAKE -- THERE IS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION FOR LEST THAN 30 SECONDS -- THIS IS VERY MUCH INTERMITTENT. THIS STARTED HAPPENING IN DEC 15TH 2008. THE CAR ALWAYS STOP WITH NO OTHER ISSUES. I HAVE LEARNED TO BE CAUTIOUS AND SLOW DOWN WELL AHEAD. *TR

TWICE WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, I ENCOUNTERED A SMALL SLICK PATCH ON THE ROADWAY SURFACE, FELT MY FRONT TIRES SLIP MOMENTARILY, THEN GRAB, THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON LIGHTING UP THE DASH. IT SAID I SHOULDN'T DRIVE IT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE SMALL BATTERY AND REPLACED IT FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE SECOND TIME, THEY SAID IT WAS THE COMPUTER AND REPLACED THAT. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. I JUST PAID $332.50 TO HAVE MY 2 HEADLIGHTS' HIB BULBS REPLACED - AND THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE PARTS COST BECAUSE I PROVIDED THE HID BULBS FROM AN ONLINE AUTO PARTS SUPPLIER. THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME AS NOTED BY SO MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS: FREQUENT LOSS OF LIGHT FROM THE HEADLIGHT, AND RECOVERY BY ROTATING THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN ON AGAIN...ONLY TO HAVE IT RE-OCCUR A FEW MINUTES LATER. EACH HEADLIGHT HAD ITS OWN PATTERN OF INCONSISTENCY, BUT BOTH HAD THE DYSFUNCTION. I HAVE RECEIVED TWO TRAFFIC CITATIONS FOR DRIVING WITH A HEADLIGHT OUT. THE DEALERSHIPS IN GLEN BURNIE, MARYLAND AND IN LAUREL, MARYLAND BOTH QUOTED ME A PRICE FOR ONE HID BULB OF $351.02 I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE EXACT BULB ONLINE AT PARTSQUICK.COM FOR A PRICE OF $57.27 THAT'S RIGHT, THE DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE ME $293.75 MORE PER BULB. I PURCHASED TWO ONLINE, WHICH - WITH FREE SHIPPING - COST ME $114.54 FOR BOTH. DO THE MATH...FOR TWO LIGHT BULBS ONLY (NOT COUNTING LABOR) ONLINE I SAVED $587.50 HAD I NOT PURCHASED THE BULBS ONLINE, THE TOTAL OUT-OF-POCKET TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMP BULBS WOULD HAVE BEEN: $ 702.04 PARTS ($351.02 X 2) $ 332.50 LABOR $1,034.54 TOTAL THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT THE BULBS WERE THE PROBLEM, NOR THAT REPLACING THE BULBS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT THAT TOYOTA INSTRUCTS THEM TO REPLACE THE BULBS FIRST. THIS IS INSANE, AND CERTAINLY UNSAFE. *TR

RANDOM HEADLIGHT FAILURE. WHEN FOG LIGHTS ARE NOT ON TOTAL FAILURE OF HEADLIGHTS HAS OCCURRED. RIGHT, LEFT OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT WITH NO CORRELATION TO WEATHER, SPEED, TEMPERATURE, LOCATION OF LAMP OR TIME OF DAY. QUICKLY TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN ON WILL REILLUMINATE BOTH LAMPS. THE LAMPS MAY GO OUT AGAIN, STAY LIT, THE SAME LAMP WILL GO OUT OR THE PREVIOUSLY LIT LAMP MAY FAIL AND THE PREVIOUSLY FAILED LAMP MAY LIGHT. THERE IS A REDUCED INTERVAL BETWEEN FAILURES . LIGHTBULB REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BUT THIS HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR

PRIUS 2004 HEADLIGHT GOES OUT PERIODICALLY. TURNS BACK ON ONLY WHEN ALL LIGHTS ARE SHUT DOWN AND TURNED ON AGAIN. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HAD HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENTS FIVE (5) TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND NOW HAS THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE DRIVER SIDE. 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HAD BOTH SIDES REPLACED. BOTH CARS SUFFER FROM INTERMITTENT OPERATION WHICH CAN BE TEMPORARILY RECOVERED BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN BACK ON. ALL TOYOTA WANTS TO DO IS REPLACE BULBS WHEN THE BULB OBVIOUSLY IS NOT THE PROBLEM. I AM SURE THEY ARE BEING DISINGENUOUS WITH CUSTOMERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO POSTPONE THE INEVITABLE. IT IS WAY PAST TIME FOR A RECALL - PLEASE! *TR

DRIVER-SIDE HID HEADLAMP IN 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS NOTICED TO BE VERY, VERY, DIM (EFFECTIVELY OFF) AROUND 2008/10/14. TURNING HEADLAMPS OFF AND ON RESTORED BRIGHTNESS. BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED AT UNPREDICTABLE TIMES--FREQUENTLY ENOUGH TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. FREQUENTLY THE DRIVER CAN'T TELL WHILE DRIVING, WHETHER ONE HEADLAMP IS OFF, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S UNSAFE TO FIX IT BY TURNING IT OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING. TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED DRIVER-SIDE HEADLAMP ON 2008/10/15, FOR $600! ON 12/15 THE DRIVER NOTICED THE SAME HEADLAMP AGAIN WAS MISBEHAVING IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, AND THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED SINCE THEN AT APPARENTLY RANDOM TIMES. PRIUSCHAT.COM'S MANY POSTERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM MAKE IT UNLIKELY THAT JUST THE BULB IS THE PROBLEM. PROBABLY THE BALLAST. BUT TOYOTA WON'T COMMENT. I DO STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL BULB, AND THE BOX FROM THE NEW BULB. LISA AT TOYOTA CORPORATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER REPLIED AROUND 2008/10/18 THAT TOYOTA WOULD REIMBURSE HALF OF THE $600. BUT AS OF 2009/1/3 NO REIMBURSEMENT HAS BEEN GOTTEN. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AGAIN ON 2008/12/16 AND DAMIAN SAID HE MUST FORWARD MY NEW COMPLAINT ABOUT THE REPEATED FAILURE TO LISA, AND THAT SHE WAS "REQUIRED" TO RESPOND IN ONE BUSINESS DAY. SHE HAS NOT RESPONDED AS OF 2009/1/3. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM ON PRIUSCHAT.COM AT HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/FORUMS/CARE-MAINTENANCE-TROUBLESHOOTING/34584-HEADLIGHT-PROBLEM-26.HTML. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE HEAD-LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185,000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS QUOTED $466 JUST FOR THE PRICE OF MY BULB FOR THE HEADLIGHT OF MY TOYOTA PRIUS. FOR A NON LUXURY CAR IT SO EXPENSIVE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE TO MAKE DUE WITH THEIR FLICKERING ONE. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT TOYOTA DID NOT GIVE A MORE AFFORDABLE CHOICE. IT IS GOING TO BE MORE DANGEROUS OUT THERE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS AND THE FRONT RIGHT HEADLIGHT IS WORKING ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK; I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PATTERN. I HAD MY DEALER CHECK THE LIGHT AND ITS CONNECTIONS AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE HID LIGHT BULB WAS NOT WORKING AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT I COULD ONLY REPLACE THEM AS A PAIR. THE REASON BEING THAT THEY ARE SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND THAT ONE FAILING WOULD LEAD TO THE OTHER FAILING AS WELL. THE COST WAS AN OUTRAGEOUS $452 EACH WITH LABOR AND THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER IT! *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS GO OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. HEADLIGHTS CAN BE RESET BY TURNING HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. A SEARCH OF THE NHTSA AND OTHER WEBSITES DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD FOR SEVERAL YEAR MODELS OF PRIUS AUTOS. THE DEALER ESTIMATES TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS IS ABOUT $1000 PER HEADLIGHT, MAKING THIS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SEEK LOWER COST REMEDIES WHICH ARE NOT SAFE. TOYOTA THUS FAR HAS NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED OR ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. SINCE A TOTAL LOSS OF LIGHTING CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES, A RECALL SHOULD BE PERFORMED TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR. *TR

BRAKE FAILURE, THIS HAPPENED TO ME TODAY 8/5/08. I PURCHASED THIS 2004 PRIUS 2 WEEKS AGO(90,000 MILES), AND I'VE ONLY HAD PROBLEMS UP TILL NOW. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT TURNED ON(AND A BUZZER WAS HEARD). I HAD TO DEPRESS THE BREAK PEDAL HARD IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO BREAK. IT FELT JUST LIKE WHEN A CONVENTIONAL CAR LOOSES ITS BREAKS. THANKS GOD I WAS ONLY 1 MILE FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER. I HAD A SCHEDULED EVAPORATOR REPLACEMENT ($450)SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW SO I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CAR AT THE DEALER (THIS IS WHAT THE MANUAL SAYS TO DO WHEN BOTH WARNINGS GO OFF). *TR

HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT. NO RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN THE OUTAGE OCCURS BUT TURNING THE CIRCUIT OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN WILL RE-ILLUMINATE THE HID HEADLIGHT...BUT FOR HOW LONG?? *TR

THE HID HEADLIGHT LEVELING SENSOR PART# 89408-47010 FAILED. BIG RED EXCLAMATION ON THE DASH AND CAR WON'T PASS INSPECTION. TOYOTA SAYS IT COSTS $600 TO REPLACE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLAMP BEGAN SWITCHING OFF ABOUT A MONTH AGO. LAST WEEKEND WHILE TRAVELING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLAMP WENT OUT ABOUT 15 TIMES IN 3 HOURS. EACH TIME TURNING THE HEADLAMP SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON TEMPORARILY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HID BULB FOR $355. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP SIX MONTHS AGO AND REPLACING THE BULB HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM (TO DATE). THIS IS A DISCONCERTING ISSUE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS OCCURS AS OPPOSED TO A NORMAL HEADLAMP JUST BURNING OUT AND THEN BEING ABLE TO REPLACE IT FOR TWENTY BUCKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT WOULD FLICKER INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED THAT THE HEADLIGHT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000. UPDATED 01/13/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH HEAD LIGHTS WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE FLICKERING CONTINUED UNTIL THE HEAD LIGHT STARTED WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/31/11

HID HEADLIGHTS TURNOFF ON THE 2004 PRIUS. FIRST EPISODE STARTED LAST SUMMER. COST $600 DOLLARS TO REPLACE ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS. IT HAS BEEN APPROXIMATELY 7 MONTHS AND THE OTHER HEAD LIGHT IS STARTING TO TURN OFF. THIS ISSUE IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

DRIVERS HEADLIGHT CONTINUOUSLY GOES OUT. I CAN REPLACE BULBS AND IT MAY LAST 1 WEEK. I CAN TURN MY HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON THEN IT WILL START WORKING BUT NO MORE THAN 1/2 A MILE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD WITH GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND FLIPPING YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF TO GET THEM TO WORK. TOOK TO DEALER HE TOLD ME THAT MOST PRIUS WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM BUT IT WOULD COST AROUND 500 TO GET IT FIXED. AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND A MESSAGE BOARD WITH 35 PAGES ADDRESS THE SAME COMPLAINT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. NOT HAVING BOTH HEADLIGHTS OPERATIONAL IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE ROOT CAUSE ASCERTAINED AND REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

PASSENGER XENON HEADLIGHT FUNCTION ERRATIC DESPITE BULB REPLACEMENT. *TR

FRONT LIGHTS WENT DIM. ABLE TO TURN BACK ON WITH SWITCH. FRONT LIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT OR GET DIM INTERMITTENTLY AND I MUST TURN SWITCH ON AND OFF TO GET THEM BACK ON. I HAVE PAID TOYOTA FOR SEVERAL NEW BULBS AND DIAGNOSTICS WITH NO FIX.

THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) FAILED. (CROSS REFERENCE NHTSA COMPLAINT #10173892). THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT (CROSS REFERENCE ANALYSIS ON WEB: HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/COMPARE.HTML AND HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/). TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (EITHER EL-002-04 OR EL-002-05 - CONFLICTING INFO ON THIS) ON JAN 10, 2005. WHEN THE MFD FAILS, ONE CANNOT CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF AIRFLOW TO THE WINDSHIELD (DEFROSTER). THIS PRESENTED ME WITH VISIBILITY PROBLEMS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. AS SUCH, I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS FOR 3 YEARS, GIVEN THE DATE OF THEIR TSB. THE ROOT CAUSE APPEARS TO BE AN UNDERSIZED SOLDER PAD ON ONE OF THE ELECTRONIC CARDS OF THE MFD. THIS RESULTS IN A CRACKING OF THE SOLDER JOINT. BECAUSE MY PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, COMING AND GOING ON A FREQUENT BASIS, I PRESUME IT WAS A MICRO CRACK. THIS DOES NOT HELP WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS FOGGING OVER. ALL OF THE VARIOUS ERROR MESSAGES THAT WERE DISPLAYED ON THE MFD WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE REFERENCED WEB URL'S. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RELEASE F OF THE ELECTRONIC CARD ASSEMBLY AND WAS CORRECTED WITH RELEASE G. THERE ARE PICTORIAL COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO RELEASES ON ONE OF THE WEB URL'S. GIVEN THAT THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON VISIBILITY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, I AM SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA CHOSE TO SIT ON THIS PROBLEM. THE SUPPLIER OF THIS PART TO TOYOTA IS FUJITSU. *TR

ERRATIC LOSS OF PC USE, TOUCH SCREEN, AUDIO DEACTIVATED, NO PICTURE AT ALL DEALER WANTS $980 TO REPLACE WITH REFURBISHED AND $4000 FOR NEW. WORRIED ABOUT ALL THE OTHER DOT TROUBLED LISTINGS OF TOTAL ELECTRICAL POWER LOSS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, ALL OF THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,980.

2004 PRIUS STALLED WHILE DRIVING. TOWED TO DEALER WHO FOUND NO PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE 605 FREEWAY IN THE CARPOOL LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND MASTER HYBRID WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD TO CROSS FOUR LANES OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AS THE CAR LOST POWER. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER SINCE IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY EXPERIENCE. FORTUNATELY, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO A SHORT. THE HYBRID VEHICLE CONTROL COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT PART NUMBER IS 89981-47270. *TR

LEFT HEADLIGHT OF MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 WILL TURN OFF WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE, YOU CAN TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND IMMEDIATELY TURN ON AND IT WILL COME BACK ON AGAIN, THIS ACTION IS DANGEROUS SPECIALLY DRIVING AT NIGHT SINCE YOU?LL HAVE TO BRIEFLY DRIVE WITHOUT THE LIGHTS ON. THIS ISSUE HAS A NON-HARMONIC FREQUENCY BUT IT JUST KEEPS REPEATING, SOMETIMES ON A TRIP FOR 10 MILES IT CAN GO OFF UP TO 5 TIMES AND SOME OTHER TIMES ON THE SAME TRIP IT WILL NOT GO OFF. BY NOW THE FAILURE HASN'T?T BEEN CORRECTED SINCE DEALER WILL CHARGE OVER $1500 TO FIX IT, WHICH I DON'T AGREE TO PAY SINCE THIS IS THEIR FAILURE. *TR

HID RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT RANDOMLY. IF I TURN HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN, IT RELIGHTS, BUT THEN GOES OUT AGAIN BETWEEN 15 MINUTES AND 3 HOURS. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS.*TR

TOYOTA 2004 PRIUS - PASSENGER-SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. DEALERS WANT ABOUT $650 TO FIX!!! (INCLUDES HAVING TO TAKE THE BUMPER OFF.) THE COST IS AN OUTRAGE. I CAN'T AFFORD IT. THESE BULBS HAVE APPARENTLY FAILED ON MANY PRIUSES, SO DEALERS ARE CASHING IN. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH COMPUTER PROBLEM. STARTED GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT AIR CONDITIONER WASN'T WORKING. THEN THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT GIVE THE GAS MILEAGE. THEN THE TEMP WOULDN'T SHOW. THEN COULDN'T USE THE RADIO (IT WOULD COME ONE BUT YOU COULDN'T SEE WHAT THE STATION WAS), NOW IT IS ALL BLANK. IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. THEN IT WORKS FOR 5 MINUTES ABOUT ONCE A QUARTER. CAN'T CONTROL AIR/HEAT, RADIO, CAN'T SEE MILEAGE, CAN'T SEE THE TEMP. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO DIAGNOSE IT. READ ON TOYOTA BOARD ONLINE THAT THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT STAND BEHIND. I HAVE OWNED TOYOTAS SINCE 1980S AND HAVE 5 NOW (KIDS, WORK, ADULTS). I AM SATISFIED WITH ALL BUT THE 2004. I HAVE A 2005 PRIUS ALSO BUT NO PROBLEMS (SO FAR). *TR

FOR THE LAST 30,000 MILES ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, LEFT HID HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF. HOWEVER, WHEN I SWITCH HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, IT WOULD GO ON, AND STAY ON, FOR COUPLE MINUTES, SOMETIMES HOURS. AFTER THAT IT GOES OFF AGAIN. AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THAT COMPUTER WITH THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED. IT WOULD COST ME AROUND $400. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THEY SAID IT DOES NOT COVER IT, EVEN THOUGH AT THE DAY OF THE PURCHASE OF MY CAR, I BOUGHT "BUMPER-TO-BUMPER" ADDITIONAL WARRANTY. WHY THE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT COVERED REMAINS A MYSTERY. RESEARCH THAT I DID ON THE ISSUE, SHOWED THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR TOYOTAS AND HAVE NO CHOICE BUT SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A DEFECT IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE A RECALL FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART. *TR

WHILE DRIVING (OR SITTING IDLING) ONE (OR BOTH) OF THE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE LIGHT GOES OUT COMPLETELY AND DOES NOT JUST DIM. WHEN ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT, TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN BACK ON WILL RE-IGNITE THE HEADLIGHT. WHEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, THEY WILL NOT COME BACK ON BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND ON. IT TAKES 4 OR 5 ATTEMPTS AT SWITCHING OFF/ON BEFORE THEY COME BACK ON. I MUST DRIVE AT NIGHT TIME, AND THIS PROBLEM CAUSES ME TO BE PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING (A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE). THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT WAS VERY WILLING TO SELL ME 2 HEADLIGHT BULBS FOR $790.00 AND IF THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, COME BACK AND BUY 2 CONTROL UNITS FOR $950.00. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS STALLING. AFTER SPEAKING W/ THE TOYOTA CONSUMER HELPLINE, I'VE LEARNED THAT THE COULD PUT A PROGRAM IN THE COMPUTER THAT GIVES YOU ENOUGH TIME TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE YOU STALL. I RESPONDED THAT THERE ISN'T ALWAYS A SHOULDER TO PULLOVER TO. I STARTED GETTING WARNING LIGHTS AT 6,500 MI. I NOW HAVE 36,880 MI. IN THE BEGINNING, THE LIGHTS WERE JUST A JOKE OR A NUISANCE WHEN I HAD TO BRING IT IN TO THE DEALER. ON NOV 11, I STALLED ALONG W/ WARNING LIGHTS. YOU CAN PULL OVER AND SHUT IT OFF,WAIT A MINUTE, RESTART AND DRIVE HOME WITH WARNING LIGHTS, BUT THEY GO OUT WHEN YOU START UP TO GO TO DEALER. I BROUGHT IT TO THEM ANYWAY, BUT AFTER THEY LOOKED AT THE CODES I WAS TOLD IT WAS SOFT CODES AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO FURTHER. IN DEC, I GOT THE WARNING LIGHTS, BUT NO STALL. I DROVE TO WORK AND BACK AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN I STARTED UP TO GO TO DEALER . FEB 25 6:30 PM IN THE MERGE LANE OF THE I-10,WHERE THERE ISN'T A SHOULDER AND CARS ARE COMING 40 TO 50 MPH INTO THE LANE TO EXIT. HOW I DIDN'T GET REAR-ENDED, I CAN'T EXPLAIN. TURNED KEY OFF, RESTARTED AND DROVE HOME. LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DRIVE TO DEALER SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THEM TO CHECK OUT MON AM. I'M TRYING A NEW DEALER THURSDAY AND I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CONSUMER LINE FOR ASSISTANCE. I NOT SURE HOW FAR ANYONE CAN FIX THIS ISSUE. THE SERVICE DEPT HAS UPDATED THE COMPUTER AND HAS GIVEN ME A NEW COMPUTER, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER WHEN I INFORM THEM THAT THIS IS GETTING DANGEROUS, NOW. *TR

I OWN A TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 AND THE HEADLIGHTS GO ON/OFF WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT. WHEN THEY GO OFF IF YOU TURN THE SWITCH THEY GO BACK ON. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE? *TR

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS. THE SHIFT LEVER BEGAN TO STICK IN THE SELECT GEAR POSITION INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE PARK BUTTON WOULD NOT WORK, CAUSING THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD IF THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND COMPLAINED TWICE. THE GEAR SELECT LEVER NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED SO IT DOESN'T STICK AND THE SOFTWARE CHANGED TO ALLOW THE PARK FUNCTION TO WORK WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION OF THE GEAR SELECT LEVER. *TR