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
One headlight or both will randomly go out while driving. Has happened sporadically 6 or so times over the last 6 months, including this evening when both headlights failed. Totally random, can happen on short or long trips, city streets or highway. So far lights have come back on by cycling the light switch on and off
ODI 10909424
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Takata recall im having a problem in headlight of my toyota prius 2005 the driver side always missed up and once i turn it off and on it works for a while then same problem i been pulled over by the police many time i have changed the light but same problem its also dangerous sometimes when im driving in a curve where is no light and the light turned off i found my self in the shoulder that really weird. *tr
ODI 10919083
Exterior Lighting · Instrument Cluster/Panel
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed to illuminate after the vehicle operated. The contact also stated that the reverse lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure…
ODI 10968317
Exterior Lighting
Both headlights will flicker and go out, mostly at different times than the other but can happen at the same time. By turning the headlight switch off, then back on after 10 to 15 seconds they will come back on. Driving on the freeway this leaves you in a very dangerous situation. Thank god for fog lights, a life saver at 70 miles an hour. This can also happen sitting in my driveway before leaving for work.
ODI 10899385
Exterior Lighting
Head lights turn off after being on for a while. Turning off headlight switch and turning it back on turns the light back on. High beam stitch does not affect the light which is off. This happens while in motion on both highways and city streets. This occurs frequently
ODI 10876875
Exterior Lighting
Headlights go off, one at a time, intermittently, while driving on any road. If i turn the lights all the way off and then back on again they will usually stay on for 15 minutes before going off again. I am not aware that they have both gone off at once, but i have not driven the car at night yet
ODI 10872295
Exterior Lighting
I was driving through nevada at 11 pm at night towards reno (approx. 180 miles away) on i-80 at 75 mph when suddenly my headlights went out. I immediately tried turning the lights off and on manually with my left hand, and the lights came on again (i couldn't see anything in the dark, scared out of my mind). Then, about 2 minutes later the same thing happened (i was driving slower this time). I did the same turning…
ODI 10870021
Exterior Lighting
Headlights will randomly go out while driving. Most of the time it is only one headlight but sometimes both go out. To "re-light" them you have to turn the headlights off and then back on. Replacing the bulbs does not solve the problem. At night this has almost led to disastrous effects and, from a risk management perspective, it is only a matter of time before something bad does happen as a result of losing your…
ODI 10854801
Exterior Lighting
Driver's side headlight went out in 2015 and was replaced by local mechanic. Before it went out it had flickered but came back on. I was driving at night when it went out and was pulled over by police. Fortunately i only got a warning. March 2016 the headlight went out again (i noticed it in my driveway) and was replaced at a toyota dealership on 21 march 2016. That very day, the headlight went out again (noticed it…
ODI 10851885
Exterior Lighting
The headlights (hid) stop functioning intermittently. One or the other or both will randomly shut off. The lights will come back on if they are turned off then on again. The issue has been happening for several months.
ODI 10851551
Exterior Lighting
Intermittent hid/xenon headlight operation. Must cycle power using headlight on/off switch to reignite headlight. Happens occasionally during cold starts in the morning as well as during vehicle operation.
ODI 10959480
Exterior Lighting
Left and right headlights sporadically turn off which is extremely hazardous when driving at night in roads without street lights. Definitely a safety issue which toyota must issue a recall. Light bulbs are not the issue. The issue is in the computer or balast that controls the lights.
ODI 10864070
Exterior Lighting
While driving the passenger side headlight went out, i replaced the bulb and the problem continued. It turns off shortly after starting the vehicle wether it is driving or sitting, when i turn lights off and on again light will turn back on for a moment and turn off again, this happens while i am driving and i am afraid to drive it and be pulled over for not having working headlights.
ODI 10850620
Exterior Lighting
While drivin both headlight turn of intermittently while i can turn off and back on they come on to one or the other or both going back off sometimes and sometimes they work perfectly this is very dangerous as you only use headlights at night.
ODI 10854617
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes
Digital dashboard sometimes is completely blank for extended periods so that i can't see my speed, fuel levels, odometer, and other info. When i start up it happens and continues the whole time i am driving. It is causing other problems related to the hydrolic braking sometimes as well when this happens.
ODI 10820021
Exterior Lighting
I was driving at night on the freeway 280 and suddenly both headlights went out, it was so black you couldn't see anything on the road. Talk about scary, try driving at 65 mph on a road that curves when you all yo can see is black. I was able to jiggle the switch the headlight switch off and on several times and the lights finally came back on. With my heart pounding i continued to drive home only to have both…
ODI 10821024
Exterior Lighting
Last night while drive 1.5 hours home, the driver's side headlight would shut off, and if i noticed and flipped the lights off then on, it would come back on. If i didn't notice, then the passenger light would also go out leaving me in darkness. I began timing the interval, and it came out to be intermittent between one and two minutes, regardless of terrain, speed of vehicle, smooth or bumpy roads, straight or…
ODI 10808765
Exterior Lighting
Me and my family traveling down the interstate at 70 mph in the dark when a tractor trailer all of a sudden started to change lanes when we were directly to the left of it. Luckily the lane to our left was open and we were able to quickly change lanes to avoid collision. It turns out our 2005 prius headlights were not working and the truck did not see us. Had to turn lights off then on again to get them to work. The…
ODI 10808873
Exterior Lighting
Passenger side headlight is intermittent. This has happened at least twice before and i believe the bulb and some other electronics had to be replaced. The dealer charges a huge amount for this repair.
ODI 10808642
Exterior Lighting
We were on the overpass going from highway 87 to us 101 north in san jose going about 70 mph heading to the san fransisco airport. It was 8pm, and very dark. The headlights just shut off, while the dashboard indicator said that the lights were still on. We tried frantically tried turning the lights on and off again to see if they would come on, and they didn't. We took the next exit and stopped in front of a hotel…
ODI 10787708
Exterior Lighting
Passenger side headlight will not stay on, it will stay on about 5 minutes and then it goes out ! What is the problem ???
ODI 10782584
Exterior Lighting
Head light will intermittently go off. I can turn the light switch to off and then back on and the headlight will come back on. Usually this happened on a street or highway when the car is in motion and lights are switch on. This happens off and on when the car is being driven. Usually it is the left headlight, but occasionally the right headlight goes off as well. This has been happening for several months. The…
ODI 10779485
Exterior Lighting
Headlight on the driver side keeps turning off every couple of minutes. The only way to turn it back on is to flip the headlight switch. It looks like this is a defect in many toyota prius 2005 models. I would like the dealer to fix the issue even if tye car is beyond the manufacturer warranty as this is clearly a manufacturing defect.
ODI 10758881
Exterior Lighting
While driving in any direction in all conditions, the left headlight began flickering in may 2015, shortly after left headlight began flickering. They do not work at all now.
ODI 10794395
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2005 toyota prius go out on a much to frequent basis. I have replaced both headlights multiple times. This last time, i took the car to the dealership (northshore toyota) to ask if they could check the headlights. I thought it could be a bad connection. They checked the headlights and said they both needed replacing, although one was working when i brought the car in for service. They did not…
ODI 10705551
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2005 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.