2005 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems
- 315
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 315 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Headlights · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 90 |
| 60–100k mi | 89 |
| 150–400k mi | 50 |
| 30–60k mi | 35 |
| 1–30k mi | 11 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2005 prius continue to go out. We replace the bulbs but even with brand new bulbs will be driving and after about 60 seconds of headlights being on the light will turn off. Sometimes only one turns off but often bolt turn off and we're in complete darkness driving on the road. We have to toggle the headlight control off and on several times before they turn on again, which leaves us driving in…
ODI 11289902
Exterior Lighting
The passenger side front headlight started going off automatically after a while of turning on. If i turn it off and on again, it lights up and then first dims and then turns off on its own. The lights have been replaced and it did not solve the problem. This is very dangerous for night time driving as the drivers will never know when the headlights will go out. This is not a random incident; it is one of the most…
ODI 11279317
Exterior Lighting
While driving driver side headlight will go out, followed by passenger headlight. Both will return on when the headlights are turned off then on again, only to occur again within 10 minutes. Both headlights have been replaced within the last 10 days.
ODI 11171766
Exterior Lighting
Headlamps randomly turn off while driving, but usually only one at a time. Last night (12/18/18), both lights went out at the same time and i was unable to see the road as it was poorly lit. When lamps do turn off while driving, turning them off and on a few times will usually get the it to come back on. This is definitely a hazard and a recall is absolutely required.
ODI 11162491
Exterior Lighting
Headlight failure.....while driving. I start out with my lights on, and randomly driving down the road one headlight, or the other, will go out, or both will go out. I replaced the bulbs, have had mechanics go over the car......before i joined a prius chat and learned this is a "known issue".....but still no recall? I've been pulled over by various law enforcement 4 times in the last 4 months! ..........below it…
ODI 11132073
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Vehicle Speed Control
Combination meter intermittently not functioning. When turning the car on, sometimes the dash meter works, sometimes it's just black and continues the entire time the car is running. Then when trying to turn the car off, it will not turn off, which is a major safety concern. When this occurs, there are no dash lights at all to indicate fuel amount, odometer reading, door open signal, check engine, maintenance…
ODI 11160849
Exterior Lighting
Headlights come on intermittently. Usually they work fine, but every so often since my friend first told me my lights were out last week, they don't turn on whether the car is running or not. It can happen to one or both lights at a time, and is unpredictable, making me afraid to drive at night. I took it to the mechanic's today, but the lights were working and he couldn't determine the problem. The bulbs are fine,…
ODI 11094151
Exterior Lighting
Headlights intermittently go out while driving. Immediately will come back on when switched off and then on..
ODI 11092820
Exterior Lighting
Headlights go out while driving, it takes turning them on and off a few times to turn them back on. It is random, sometimes passenger side, sometimes drivers side, sometimes both. Toyota settled a class action lawsuit with 2006 - 2009 prius, mine is 2005, but this is a safety issue and is extremely dangerous. When both headlights go out, it may take several tries to get them to come back on, leaving me without…
ODI 11105301
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The combination meter on my 2005 toyota prius is not working. So my instrument panel will go out or go dark and my car will keep running
ODI 11080917
Exterior Lighting
The hid headlights work upon start up then shut off after about 10 seconds. Replacing the bulb does not fix it. This is a safety issue as the headlights dont stay lit during nighttime hours.
ODI 11071627
Exterior Lighting
The headlight will go out, and it will come on again if you turn the headlights off and turn them back on again. This will happen multiple times in an evening, and it happens every time the car is driven.
ODI 11071604
Exterior Lighting
The head light on the drivers side randomly goes out. If i turn the light switch off and on it may come back on. New lamps have not fixed the problem. This problem has happened at night while driving on the interstate.
ODI 11072910
Exterior Lighting
Driver side headlight keeps going out and i have to turn off headlights and turn them back on to make them work. This is not safe at all. It happens standing still and driving.
ODI 11046179
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Headlight goes out repeatedly. Headlight works again after headlights are turned off then on again. Started with the same one headlight going out. Now the other. Sometimes both go out, including at night. Each time the headlights must be turned off then on again and they work for a while longer. Lights go out when stationary and when driving.
ODI 11044017
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The headlights are prone to turning to off randomly, sometimes one side, other times both sides. After turning them on/off at the steering column they will come back on for a while then the issue starts over. This problem occurs with the vehicle either moving or in the stationary mode. No headlights when driving at night is a definite safety hazard. So far, toyota refuses to honor a fix!
ODI 11033271
Exterior Lighting
Headlight came off and on while i'm driving all fuse ok all bulbs ok looking on the web appears like this is a common problem on this vehicle also radio light same problem
Crash reported
ODI 11024664
Exterior Lighting
The headlights are continually replaced (once every 6 months for the last year and a half or more), and replacements of authorized parts keep failing, consistent with issues presented in this forum: https://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/. I have checked and rechecked with dealership but they only offer $500+ replacement and no recalls or fixes for the general issue.
ODI 11013716
Exterior Lighting
Head lights dims after 2 minutes of driving then few seconds later completely shots off.
ODI 10995065
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Lights would go off while driving, at first 1 side or the other, acouple times both went off with the last time almost causing a collision and i had my kids in the car.
ODI 10969374
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Passenger headlight goes off intermittently. Turn switch off and on and comes on again. Have had bulb replaced x2 and now toyota dealer says that toyota has a bulletin about it. Note to the tune of $500 to fix. In researching this seems to be a common problem. It's a hazard at night or in rain or inclement weather and evidently something toyota has had complaints about enough to put out a bulletin. Vehicle in…
ODI 11011293
Exterior Lighting
My headlight intermittently goes off while driving & then back on. I paid a local mechanic to check it out; he couldn't find any loose connections, etc. But did advise me of a class action suit for this exact problem on the 06 - 09 model yrs. I've contacted both a local dealership & toyota corp. Who both refuse to fix it at no cost to me (see attached response from toyota corp. *tr
ODI 10939804
Exterior Lighting
Left headlight is dim, goes out, comes back on when lights are turned off and then on again, but then dims and eventually fails again. This happens whether in motion or stopped, regardless of speed, and whether turning or going straight. I read that this is very common among 2005-2009 priuses, and a design change in 2010 fixed it. That means it is caused by a design problem, and toyota should do a recall to fix it.
ODI 10929928
Exterior Lighting
The headlights are going on and off while driving. They will stay on for a few minutes and then the left or right one will go out so then i'll reset the lighting and it will come back on and then i will go out again. Sometimes the right sometimes it's the left sometimes it's both.
ODI 10926169
Exterior Lighting
My driver's side headlight doesn't stay on. It will go on for a minute then turn off. If i turn the headlights off and on, it starts back up again, then goes out again. I replaced the headlight control and it still continues. It does this if i'm driving or not. *tr
ODI 10946230
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2005 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.