2007 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS DIM SOON AFTER THEY ARE ACTIVATED. AFTER DRIVING FOR A WHILE, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LIGHT WOULD DIM. CURRENTLY, BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HID HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. STARTED ROUGHLY 6 MONTHS AGO. WENT TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. LIGHTS WOULD WORK WHEN THEY TURNED THEM ON AND SAID THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM. A NIGHT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THEY WILL JUST GO OFF. TURNING SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON THEN THE LIGHTS WILL WORK FOR A WHILE. NOW OUR DEALERSHIP IS CLOSED. CLOSEST DEALER IS OVER AN HOUR AWAY. THAT DEALER STATES THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY QUOTED ME A COST OF $90 PER HOUR TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHICH THE SAID COULD TAKE MOST OF A DAY. IF I WANT THEM TO REPLACE THE BULBS IT WOULD BE ALMOST $1000 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT THE LAST 20K MILES(50-70K). TOYOTA DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST OVER $400 TO REPLACE THE BULB, BUT I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF TO MAKE IT LIGHT UP AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND NOT THE BULB. WHEN SEARCHING FOR A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE, I RAN ACROSS HOW MANY OF THE PRIUS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I LIVE IN A VERY RURAL AREA WITH CURVY WINDING ROADS GETTING HOME IN THE EVENING. WHEN THAT LIGHT CUTS OUT I CAN HARDLY SEE THE ROAD. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COULD HAPPEN TO BOTH AS I READ HAS HAPPENED WITH OTHERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND REPLACED TWICE. HE FILED REPORT NUMBER 091011805 WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 . THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TRUNK LATCH RUBBER HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF STICKINESS AND BLACK COMING OFF ON YOUR FINGERS WHEN OPENING. SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A FEW TRIES BEFORE IT WILL OPEN. IN THE WINTER DURING COLD WEATHER, THE RUBBER IS VERY HARD AND YOU CANNOT OPEN THE TRUNK (HATCH) AT ALL. THE ONLY WAY WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN THE HATCH WAS TO FIRST RUN A HAIRDRYER ON IT TO ENABLE US TO OPEN THE DOOR. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A SAFETY HAZARD IF ACCESS TO THE BACK WAS REQUIRED IN AN EMERGENCY. TOYOTA HAS FAILLED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. OUR CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGE KEPT AND NOT LEFT PARKED IN THE SUN. PLUS, WE HAVE OWNED NUMEROUS OTHER CARS, TO INCLUDE TOYOTAS, WHICH HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A TRUNCK (HATCH) LOCK.

HID HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES WITH THE MOST RECENT 2 DAYS AGO. ALL OF THE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, THE BULB AND COMPUTER ARE REPLACED AT A COST OF $700.00+. VERY EXPENSIVE ON GOING PROBLEM. *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHTS FAILURE. LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF DURING DRIVING. SOMETIMES GO OFF AND STAY OFF, SOMETIMES DON'T GO OFF FOR DAYS. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE A FEW NIGHTS AGO AND BOTH LIGHTS WENT OUT. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER AND AT THE SAME TIME TURNED THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME GAVE ME ENOUGH LIGHT TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, BUT WHAT IF THERE WAS NOT A VEHICLE BEHIND ME? THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STATES BULBS ARE BLOWN AND QUOTE ME A PRICE OF $525.00 AND THEY TELL ME THAT BLOWN HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE BLOWN, WHY DO THEY WORK SOMETIMES. AND WHAT IF SOMEONE'S LIGHTS FAIL AND THEY CAN'T SEE HOW TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY IN TIME TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT? *TR

DRIVING AT NIGHT,MY HEADLIGHT( DRIVER SIDE),WILL SOMETIMES GO OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE HEADLIGHT WILL COME BACK ON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 48 MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND SWAYED TO THE LEFT SIDE WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE AXLE AND DRIVER SIDE BODY BUT IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE RAIN WAS A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE AS IT CAUSED THE COMPUTER CHIP FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MALFUNCTION. THE BRAKING SYSTEM FOR THE VEHICLE FAILED PERIODICALLY IN RAINY WEATHER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

2007 PRIUS HID HEADLIGHT FAILURE - DRIVERS SIDE HID BULB (PART # 90981-20015 AND COMPUTER SUB-ASSY 81107-47150 WAS REPLACED BY TOYOTA SANTA MONICA ON MARCH 26, 2009 @ 33,929 MILEAGE. & PASSENGER SIDE. FIRST INCIDENT (DRIVERS SIDE). *TR

HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF RANDOMLY AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 15 TO 30 MINUTES. SOMETIMES IT'S THE RIGHT SOMETIMES THE LEFT SOMETIMES BOTH. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE BULBS WERE $186.00 EACH, THE COMPUTER SENSORS WERE $360 EACH. I READ ON LINE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM IN PRIUS AND SOME SIENNAS AND THAT IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN! *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS REGULARLY BURN OUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES DRIVING TIME. USUALLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER SIDE, AT LEAST ONCE BOTH WENT OUT. WHEN THEY ARE TURNED OFF FOR A SHORT TIME AND TURNED ON AGAIN, THEY BOTH COME BACK ON, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY POLICE AND GIVEN 2 VERBAL WARNINGS. WHEN I NOTICE THE LIGHT IS OUT I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON AND THE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AGAIN. I AM NOW NOTICING THAT THE HEADLIGHT WILL "TURN OFF" ANYWHERE FROM 15 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR AFTER TURNING ON. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY (6 MONTHS AGO @ APPROX 33,000 MILES). I NOW WONDER IF BOTH HEADLIGHT WERE GOING OUT WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE? (I HAVE FOG LIGHTS AND DRIVE IN THE CITY). I AM NOW AT 42,000 MILES. (I DRIVE APPROX 2,000/ MONTH). SO WITHIN A 6 MONTH PERIOD BOTH LIGHTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, I AM NOW OUT OF THE STANDARD WARRANTY AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY $400+ OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE HEAD LIGHTS FAIL; WHICH REDUCES VISIBILITY. AN IMPAIRMENT OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF VEHICLE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE HEAD LIGHTS REPLACED AT AN EXPENSE OF $800.00. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 10/20/09*JB

THIS COMPLAINT INVOLVES A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS ON WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SUDDENLY. MY WIFE AND I BOTH EXPERIENCED SINGLE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS GOING OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN EARLY 2009. THEN ONE NIGHT WHEN WE WERE RETURNING HOME ALL OF THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE WENT OUT INCLUDING THE HEADLIGHTS. WE WERE ON A HILLY ROAD IN THE FOOTHILLS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND WERE FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. WE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON, THE LIGHTS CAME BACK AND WE MADE IT HOME. WE TOOK OUR PRIUS IN TO JIM BARKLEY TOYOTA IN ASHEVILLE, NC WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED OUT THE VEHICLE, FOUND NOTHING WRONG, AND SAID THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO. WHEN WE TOLD THEM THAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND WERE STILL WORRIED THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE 1,000 MILES OF WIRE IN THE CAR AND THEY COULDN'T CHECK IT ALL. WE WERE NOT HAPPY, BUT THEY OFFERED NO FURTHER HELP. THEN, AT ONE OF OUR SUBSEQUENT 5,000 MILE SERVICE CHECKS AT JIM BARKLEY TOYOTA, WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY HAD REPLACED OUR HEADLAMPS AT NO CHARGE TO US. SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THIS WE RECEIVED A NOTICE (NOT A SERVICE RECALL BULLETIN) THAT HID HEADLAMP BULBS "MAY FLICKER OR INTERMITTENTLY BE INOPERABLE." THE NOTICE DIDN'T SAY THAT HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT IN THE DARK COULD BE DANGEROUS, BUT IT WOULD SEEM OBVIOUS THAT THIS WAS TRUE. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA HAD KNOWN THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS AND SIMPLY STONEWALLED US WHEN WE FIRST REPORTED IT. I AM NOT SEEKING COMPENSATION OR REDRESS, BUT I WANT TO REPORT WHAT SEEMS TO BE ARROGANCE AND DENIAL ON THE PART OF TOYOTA. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED OR KILLED, AND SO IS TOYOTA. *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE HAD THIS OCCUR, SOMETIMES THE BULB WILL COME BACK ON WHILE DRIVING OR IT MAY BE ON THE NEXT TIME THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON. I HAVE NOT HAD BOTH BULBS GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME BUT AM WORRIED THAT THIS WILL OCCUR AT SOME POINT. I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA THAT INDICATES THAT THIS CONDITION IS NORMAL FOR HID HEADLIGHT BULBS BUT DOES NOT ADVISE WHEN THE BULBS SHOULD BE REPLACED. MY TOYOTA DEALER ADVISED NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE CONDITION UNTIL THE BULB STOPS WORKING ALTOGETHER? THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE BULBS IS VERY EXPENSIVE ($250 PER BULB). I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE BULBS REPLACED BEFORE WINTER WHEN MORE NIGHT DRIVING IS NEEDED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HID HEADLIGHT FAILURE - I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND UNDER 40,000 MILES, AND BOTH HEADLIGHT HAVE BEEN SHUTTING OFF INTERMITTENTLY. MY HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNING OFF AT A NUMBER OF POINTS WHILE DRIVING ON DARK ROADS, WHICH RESULTED IN CONSIDERABLY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION; LUCKILY NO ONE WAS EVER HURT. THE COST OF REPLACING THE BULB IS ASTRONOMICAL - MY DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME $300 FOR REPLACING ONE BULB. *TR

2007 PRIUS HID LAMP FAILURE. DRIVER SIDE (LEFT). INITIALLY TURNS ON AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DIMS TO NO LIGHT. *TR

HEADLAMPS GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. SOMETIMES ONE BULB SOMETIMES BOTH. TWO TIMES AT NIGHT BOTH BULBS WENT OUT ALONG WITH ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DARK. THE FIRST TIME MY HUSBAND WAS ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 75 MPH THE SECOND WE WERE TRAVELING ON A ROAD WITH NO OVER HEAD LIGHTS. WE COULD NOT SEE THE LINES, WE NEARLY CRASHED. WE HAVE TO QUICKLY TURN THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON AGAIN TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON. THE REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM IS $1200. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET SOME PEOPLE HAVE PAID AS MUCH AS $2500. *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLAMPS CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. FIRST THE PASSENGER SIDE. NOW RECENTLY BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER HEADLAMPS CUT OFF. TURNING LIGHT OFF THEN BACK ON MAKES HEADLAMPS WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. CUTS OFF ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES INTO RUNNING THE CAR. *TR

THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS OF THE 2007 PRIUS (AND FROM RESEARCH EVERY MODEL YEAR OF THE PRIUS) TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. FLICKING THE ON/OFF SWITCH MAKES THEM TURN BACK ON, BUT THEN THEY TURN OFF AGAIN. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM NOT SOLVED BY BULB REPLACEMENT, HEADLIGHT UNIT REPLACEMENT OR FUSE REPLACEMENT. IT IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT MAY LEAVE YOU DRIVING WITHOUT LIGHTS AT NIGHT AND THE UNITS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT ON MINE TOYOTA PRIUS IS INTERMITTENT. *TR

2007 PRIUS HEADLIGHTS - BOTH GO OUT, INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BOTH HEADLIGHTS. MY HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF EVERY TIME I DRIVE. MOST OF THE TIME JUST ONE WILL GO OUT. I CAN TURN THE SWITCH OFF, THEN BACK ON AND THE HEADLIGHT WILL WORK FOR A SHORT TIME AND GO OUT AGAIN. ONLY A FEW TIMES HAVE THEY GONE OUT AT THE SAME TIME, VERY SCARY SITUATIONS. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND AM NOT THE ONLY PRIUS OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES IN AND OUT RANDOMLY. THE DEALER IS SAYING THAT IT'S A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND IT WOULD COST MORE THAN $1000 TO REPLACE IT. I HAD MY CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS BEFORE IT STARTED HAPPENING BUT IT'S OVER 36,000 MILES. *JB

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. FIRST ONE SIDE THEN THE OTHER AND THEN BOTH ON A FREQUENT BASIS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS IN MY CASE BUT THERE HAS BEEN ONE NEAR MISS AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A COUNTRY ROAD EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY BOTH SUDDENLY WENT OUT. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR LONGER THEN A YEAR ON SEVERAL ON-LINE FORUMS/ BOARDS AND YET TOYOTA HAS YET TO RESPOND. I AM A DISABLED VETERAN AND CAN'T AFFORD THE $2000.00 TOYOTA IS WANTING TO REPLACE FAULTY EQUIPMENT THAT IS LESS THEN 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS A COMMON FAILURE RATE. *TR

I WAS ALMOST SMASHED BY A SNOWPLOW TODAY BECAUSE MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS' TRAC TRACTION CONTROL REMOVED ALL POWER FROM THE FRONT WHEELS THUS BRINGING ME TO A DEAD STOP IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. THIS OCCURRED ON SNOW/ICE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LOSING POWER TO THE WHEELS EVEN IF THEY ARE SPINNING. THE VEHICLE "SENSED" THAT ONE WHEEL HAD SPUN AND PROCEEDED TO PROGRESSIVELY SHUT DOWN POWER TO THE FRONT WHEELS. I NEARLY WET MY PANTS WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN FRONT OF AN ON-COMING VDOT SNOWPLOW. THIS WAS A NEAR CRASH/DEATH/INJURY INCIDENT. IT HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN ALL DAY. I SEARCH THE INTERNET LATER ABOUT IT AND FOUND THIS: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS04/2008/01/PRIUS_WINTER.HTML TOYOTA'S RESPONSE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE. I THINK THEY ARE DOWNPLAYING A BIGGER ISSUE. A SIMPLE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND YOU CAN FIND STORY AFTER STORY JUST LIKE MINE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS.*TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON 2007 PRIUS HAVE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED WHEN I TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON. THIS HAPPENS ON A RANDOM BASIS AND IS CONTINUING. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. WHILE DRIVING EARLY ONE MORNING, I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. WHEN I LEFT WORK THAT NIGHT, I NOTICED THE LIGHT WAS BACK ON. IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS, THE HEADLIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL AND THEN COME BACK ON IF I CYCLED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. DEALER COULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM BUT GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE BULB. THIS NOW OCCURS REPEATEDLY EVERY TIME I USE THE HEADLIGHTS ' THE LIGHT GOES OUT, I CYCLE THE SWITCH, AND THE HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON FOR A WHILE. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT ABOUT 37,000 MILES. CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 41,000 MILES. SO FAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT IF IT DOES, I COULD SUDDENLY FIND MYSELF DRIVING WITHOUT ANY HEADLIGHTS. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON 2007 PRIUS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON SEEMS TO REFRESH, TEMPORARILY. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE HID HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE HAD AN ESTIMATE DONE ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS HEADLIGHT, AND IT WAS OVER $800. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

THE R-H ( RIGHT-HAND, PASSENGER SIDE ) HID HEADLIGHT ON MY PRIUS WAS OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT PART IN STOCK ( 1ST TIME IN ). THEY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM ( 2ND TIME IN ). THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE COMPLAINT ( 3RD TIME IN ), DESPITE THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRING WHEN I ARRIVED AT THEIR LOCATION. ( THEY SHUT OFF THE CAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS TO PARK THE CAR - CONTRARY TO MY DIRECTION. ) THE "BULB" HAS BEEN REPLACED, AND FOR NOW THE HEADLIGHT IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. NEARLY OUT OF ORIGINAL WARRANTY ( 3YRS/36K MI ). *TR

MY 2007 PRIUS WITH 36,655 MILES EXPERIENCED THE INTERMITTENT HEADLAMP FAILURE. DRIVERS HEADLIGHT WOULD RANDOMLY GO OFF, BUT WORK FINE OTHER TIMES. EVENTUALLY, IT FAILED COMPLETELY. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEIR DIAGNOSIS DETERMINED CIRCUIT CHECK REVEALED AN INTERNAL SHORT IN HEADLAMP ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT) CAUSED BULB TO SHORT. REPLACED ECU AND BULB. OPERATIONAL TEST VERIFIED REPAIR. REPAIR AND PARTS COVERED UNDER GOODWILL POLICY. THE INSTALLED PARTS NOTE PART #90981-20015 BULB, HID AND 81107-47150 COMPUTER SUB-ASSY. MY REGULAR MECHANIC SAID THAT THE ECU IS EQUIVALENT TO AN IGNITER, WHICH REGULATES VOLTAGE AND CURRENT GOING TO THE HEADLAMP, SIMILAR TO A FLUORESCENT BALLAST. MY MECHANIC SAID THE ECU IS COVERED UNDER THE 3 YEAR / 36K WARRANTY. MY REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED AT NO CHARGE UNDER A ?GOODWILL POLICY? BECAUSE I WAS ONLY 655 MILES OVER 36K. (THE INITIAL HEADLAMP FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS OUT OF TOWN & MILEAGE LESS THAN 36K.) THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER STATED OFF THE RECORD THAT SERVICE MANAGERS CAN INTERNALLY APPROVE SUCH REPLACEMENTS UP TO 70K MILES. HOWEVER, THOSE IN THE 80-100K MILE RANGE WILL LIKELY NOT BE APPROVED. I ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE THEM TO ALSO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE, BUT THEY REFUSED. I?M SURE IT?S A TICKING TIME BOMB. WITH 42,554 CURRENT MILES, BOTH HEADLAMPS NOW WORK CORRECTLY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED! SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED WITH RANDOM HEADLAMP FAILURE AT NIGHT OR IN POOR VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. AND EVEN IF IT WEREN'T A DANGEROUS SITUATION, IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WHICH THEY ARE AWARE OF AND RESPONSIBLE! *TR

I OWN A 2007 PRIUS TOURING VEHICLE. THE HID HEADLAMPS FREQUENTLY FAIL. TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT I AM DRIVING AND NOTICE ONE OF THE HEADLAMPS FLICKER QUICKLY THEN TURN OFF. OFTEN TIMES THE REMEDY IS TO SIMPLY TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF, THEN TURN IT BACK ON. TYPICALLY, THE HEADLIGHT WILL STAY ON A FEW MINUTES TO MANY HOURS. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER ON THE ISSUE, BUT THE TOTAL FIX COSTS NEARLY $1000. AFTER READING ABOUT COMPLAINTS, MANY OWNERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME ISSUE MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER THE FIX. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE THAT MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES WITH HID HEADLAMPS EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT IS NOT DUE TO OVERUSE, NEGLECT, OR ABUSE ON MY PART. IT IS A DEFECT MY PRIUS WAS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE MOMENT THEY SOLD THE VEHICLE TO ME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENTRANCE CURVED. THE ROAD WAS WET FROM A RECENT START OF RAIN. I TRIED TO BRAKE MY CAR AND THE BRAKES DID NOT CATCH AND I SPUN OUT ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP AND HIT A REFLECTOR POLE AND ENDED UP IN THE DIRT ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ON RAMP. *TR

1. SAFETY ' WHILE DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD IN DARIEN (WEST AVENUE NEAR THE TRAIN STATION) LAST YEAR THE PRIUS BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE CAR. ALTHOUGH THE SPEED WAS LOW (ABOUT 5MPH), THE RESULTANT ACCIDENT DAMAGED ITS FRONT END AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. 2. DRIVABILITY AND SAFETY ' THE CRUISE CONTROL HOLDS THE MINIMUM SPEED BUT ALLOWS OVER SPEED CONDITIONS. WHILE RETURNING FROM DANBURY ON ROUTE 7 THE CRUISE CONTROL HOLDS 40MPH UNTIL GOING DOWNHILL. ON DOWNHILL SLOPES THE SPEED INCREASES AND INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL AND APPLY THE BRAKES. 3. DRIVABILITY ' DURING COLD WEATHER THE MAIN BATTERY ACCEPTS A CHARGE BUT DOES NOT RETURN MUCH ENERGY TO THE DRIVE SYSTEM. THE MILEAGE DECREASES BY 10-15MPG. TOYOTA OF STAMFORD REFUSED TO DO A FREE SAFETY INSPECTION. *TR

2007 PRIUS PROBLEMS - HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS UNEXPECTEDLY AND RANDOMLY SHUT OFF. I CAN GET THE TAIL LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON BY MILDLY SMACKING THE SIDE PANEL NEAR THE LIGHT. I'VE CHECKED THE BULB CONNECTIONS AND THEY ARE CLEAN AND TIGHT WITH NO EXPOSED OR LOOSE WIRES. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME BACK ON IS TO TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON. TOYOTA DEALER SAYS THEY CAN\'T REPEAT THE PROBLEM. MY WIFE AND I ARE GOING TO TAKE VIDEO ON THE NEXT OCCURRENCE. WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO OTHER PRIUS ON THE ROAD. QUITE A FEW ARE DRIVING WITH ONE OR BOTH TAIL LIGHTS OUT! I ALSO NOTE THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON-LINE. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND STOP MESSING AROUND WITH OWNERS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AT NIGHT, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED EXTREMELY LIMITED VISIBILITY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS BE REPLACED AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $425. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,500. UPDATED 09/01/09 *BF

DURING NORMAL DRIVING WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS, THE ACCELERATOR HAS BECOME STUCK CAUSING THE AUTO TO CONTINUE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE SITUATION WAS SOLVED WHEN THE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT WAS PULLED BACK TOWARDS THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR - TWICE TO MY WIFE AN TWICE TO MYSELF. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2007 PRIUS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES JUST ONE LIGHT, SOMETIMES BOTH LIGHTS. CYCLING THE LIGHT SWITCH MAKES THEM WORK AGAIN BUT THE PROBLEM HAS ALREADY CAUSED ME TO BE PULLED OVER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT TWICE. IN BOTH CASES THE OFFICER WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE LIGHTS WERE WORKING AFTER HE PULLED ME OVER AND I DEMONSTRATED THAT BY CYCLING THE LIGHTS THEY WOULD WORK. I'VE NEVER SEEN A PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE. CARS USUALLY MAKE IT 4 YEARS OR MORE BEFORE YOU HAVE A HEADLIGHT GO OUT. THEY ONLY COST A FEW BUCKS TO REPLACE TYPICALLY TOO. I'VE BEEN QUOTED SOME HUGE NUMBERS. *TR

EARLY 2009 A FRIEND TOLD ME AFTER I GOT OUT OF MY WIFE'S 2007 PRIUS THAT THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. I THOUGHT IT STRANGE SO I TURNED ON THE CAR & THE HEAD LIGHTS AGAIN - THIS TIME IT WORKED. AFTER THAT OCCASION I HAVE HAD THE LIGHT GO OUT ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT NIGHT, BUT IT CAN BE TURNED BACK ON BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF/ON. *TR

RIGHT HID HEADLAMP GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. TURNING LIGHTS OFF THEN ON BRINGS IT BACK FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. LAST NIGHT, BOTH LIGHTS WENT OUT ON A DARK MOUNTAIN ROAD IN THE RAIN. TOYOTA SAYS "BULBS" ARE NOT COVERED. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE HID HEADLAMPS ON THE PRIUS AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPAIR THEM. *TR

HEADLIGHT DRIVER'S SIDE HAS SAME PROBLEM AS PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAD (NOVEMBER 2008) WHICH IS IT WINKS OUT ON OCCASION. HEADLIGHT WILL TURN BACK ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN BUT WILL GO OUT AGAIN. NO RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN IT HAPPENS. STARTED TO OCCUR AT 45,000 MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED IN COLD WEATHER, UNDER 20 MPH. I LIGHTLY ACCELERATED TO GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP BECAUSE OF A CAR STOPPED IN THE LANE AHEAD. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKES SO I RAN INTO CAR IN FRONT. THERE WAS HEAVY DAMAGE TO MY CAR (ESTIMATED AT $4,000 TO $5,000), VERY LITTLE TO CAR IN FRONT (LESS THAN $500). THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE BRAKES WORKED FINE FOR 2 YEARS, AND HAVE WORKED FINE SINCE ALTHOUGH I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR CHECKING THE BRAKES AND TO GET THE BODYWORK REPAIRED. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED BRAKES, STATED THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG (MECHANICALLY) WITH THE BRAKES. TOYOTA HAD A REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE INVESTIGATE, AND TOYOTA LEGAL OFFICIALLY BLAMES IT ON ME NOT APPLYING BRAKES IN TIME. I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DRIVE ON THE TEST TRACKS AT GM'S MILFORD PROVING GROUNDS, AND HAVE WORKED ON ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE FOR 14 YEARS, AND HAVE DONE A LOT OF TESTING ON THE TRACK AND ROAD. I KNOW HOW TO APPLY BRAKES, AND I KNOW THEY DID NOT WORK. SINCE THE BRAKES ARE NOT JUST THE MECHANICAL APPARATUS, I SUSPECT A COMPUTER PROBLEM. *TR

IN MID-FEBRUARY THE DRIVER'S SIDE HID (HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE) LIGHT BULB ON MY 2007 PRIUS BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT. IT WOULD BE ON WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED THEN AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES IT WOULD TURN OFF. WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED THE BULB WOULD COME BACK ON, AGAIN FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MINUTES. TWO DAYS AFTER REPLACING THE BULB ON MARCH 2 THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE HEADLIGHTS WORK FINE WHEN YOU FIRST START UP THE CAR BUT GO OUT WHILE DRIVING - WHICH COULD SUDDENLY LEAVE YOU WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT IN JULY OF 2007, SO IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. WARRANTY REPLACEMENT WAS DENIED AS THE CAR HAS >36,000 MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN AND FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/FORUMS/PRIUS-TECHNICAL-DISCUSSION/26884-HEADLIGHT-OUT.HTML. *TR

COMPLAINT INVOLVES FAILURE OF THE HID HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE HAD BOTH HID HEADLIGHT BULBS AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS REPLACED BEFORE 36,000 MILES AND THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM HAS FAILED AGAIN BEFORE 60,000 MILES. FIXING THE PROBLEM REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF HID HEADLIGHT SYSTEM BY TOYOTA, COSTING $2,000 AND SEEMS TO LAST LESS THAN 30,000 MILES BEFORE SYSTEM FAILS AGAIN. SYMPTOMS INVOLVE INTERMITTENT FLICKERING OR FAILURE OF ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS. LIGHT RETURNS BRIEFLY IF LIGHT SWITCH IS CYCLED OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. IF TOYOTA IS UNABLE TO SOLVE THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW, THEN THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS INDEFINITELY AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. *TR

THE HID HEADLIGHTS ON THE 2007 PRIUS BEGAN TO FAIL JUST AFTER 36K MILES ON THE CAR. THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT TURNED OFF, BUT CAM BACK ONCE THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF BRIEFLY. THE LIGHT WOULD ALSO FLICKER ON A REGULAR BASIS. NOW AT 50K MILES, THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT DOES THE SAME BEHAVIOR. WHAT MAKES THIS A HAZARD IS THE REPLACEMENT COST OF THE BULBS. I WAS QUOTED $400 FOR A SINGLE BULB REPLACEMENT. CLEARLY UNREASONABLE, BUT THEN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB INDICATES MY DEAL WAS OFFERING ME A GOOD DEAL. THUS FAR I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE BULBS, BUT WILL HAVE TO DO SO SOON. IN MY MIND TOYOTA HAS A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR HID HEADLIGHTS IN THE PRIUS, AS THESE LAMPS SHOULD OUTLAST THE CAR... CONSUMERS EVERYWHERE REPORT OTHERWISE. *TR

HID HEADLIGH GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY BEGINNING WHEN CAR WAS NEW, BUT ONLY A FEW TIMES. LATER, HID HEADLIGHT BEGINS TO GO OUT MORE FREQUENTLY, BUT THEN RESUMES NORMAL OPPERATION LATER. IS A DEFINATE SAFETY ISSUE AS DRIVE MAY NOT ALWAYS REALIZE ONE HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT. COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 TOYTOA PRIUS WITH HID HEAD LIGHTS THE PASSENGER SIDE GOES OUT ABOUT EVERY OTHER DAY. WHEN I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF THAN ON THE LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON. *TR

2007 PRIUS HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. COST TO REPLACE IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AT $300 TO $500 PER HID BULB. DON'T KNOW WHEN THERE ON OR OFF AT 39,500 MILES. VERY LABOR INTENSIVE TO GET AT BULBS, NEED TO REMOVE BUMPER. NO DIY OPTIONS. *TR