2006 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems
- 816
- 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 816 stored complaint records:
- 5 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Headlights · 3 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 399 |
| 60–100k mi | 172 |
| 1–30k mi | 112 |
| 100–150k mi | 46 |
| 150–400k mi | 17 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
While driving at night a headlight went out making it difficult to see. After restarting the car it came back on. This has happened several times. Once when a headlight was out the second headlight went out making it extremely unsafe and difficult to pull off the road safely, just missed another vehicle. Upon restarting one of the lights came back on. This is an extremely unsafe situation, it is life threatening. I…
ODI 10584701
Exterior Lighting
My headlights flicker or fail with no warning, usually just one but sometimes both. If i flip the switch on and off they usually come back on but sometimes it takes some time. I run them during the day for safety, so i cannot tell when one will randomly cut off. This also puts me at risk of a traffic violation. *js
ODI 10585307
Exterior Lighting
Bought a used 2006 toyota prius on march 29, 2010, with 50,000 miles. The first time i drove it at night, the right headlight went out, followed shortly by the left headlight. I turned on my fog lights and proceeded to drive the 25 miles to my home. I turned off the headlights and turned them back on and they both worked. This time the left headlight went out, and i turned off my fog lights and turned on the high…
ODI 10324133
Exterior Lighting
Failure of hid headlights headlights failed at 50,000 miles, i feel that toyota used a poor quality light bulb for their hid lighting. The coast is expensive to replace the bulb. Toyota should recall the hid light bulb. *tr
ODI 10326285
Exterior Lighting
Hid headlight on toyota prius 2006 will not stay on!! When i went to the dealer the headlight happened to be on and they could do nothing. When it went off last night i almost ran into a retaining wall. Very close call and it scared the hell out of us!! It has occurred a couple of times. Judging from the prius chat site this is a common occurrence which toyota should be able to fix, but evidently a lot of people…
ODI 10322947
Exterior Lighting
My prius has 60, 000 miles and has hi definition headlights. Last week one of the lights went out so i went to a toyota dealer to have it changes. When they turned on the headlights to check the problem the light worked. The tech said toyota had a problem with headlights getting overheated and going out and coming back on. The problems was not resolved. *dt
ODI 10321481
Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Vehicle Speed Control
1996 toyota prius - (3) things i have noticed when operating car. (1) when braking and going over rough pavement, car will behave as though it is hydroplaneing - the brakes not slowing the car for a brief period until car settles down. This can happen when going as slow as 5 mph. The faster one is going when hitting the rough pavement, the farther the car will travel before braking sensation re-appears. I believe…
ODI 10320713
Exterior Lighting
My 2006 toyota prius headlights are malfunctioning. My headlights go off intermittently. Mainly the right headlights but both lights have this problem. If i turn off and then turn on the lights then they will work ok for a little while. I am worried that both lights may go off and will put my family at risk at night.*tr
ODI 10319921
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
My hid light on my 2006 prius burnt out on driver's left side. Took it in for a replacement and they told me that i have to replace both for a price of $500 and will only warranty for 1 year. I was told the average span for a bulb is 2.5-4 years. This is a ridiculous price for a light bulb. You should put pressure on the company to bring the cost for this safety repair down to a reasonable level. *tr
ODI 10320822
Exterior Lighting
In 2009 i purchased a 2006 toyota prius. Immediately after purchase the head lights randomly shut off. Sometimes one at time and sometimes both at the same time. Recently i was driving over a dark mountain pass in the snow and the headlights both went out at the same time. It took me three times, turning them off and on for them to come back on. We could have been hurt or killed. This happens often, at least five to…
ODI 10319539
Exterior Lighting
Re: toyota prius 2006 hid headlights problem - intermittent on and off for the past 10,000 miles solution: dealer wants $600 labor to replace a bulb. Not covered under extended warranty. Dealer does not know if bulb is the problem, or starter, or other. Problem could costs thousands of dollars to troubleshoot! Poor design means i cannot change it myself. Other prius owners reporting similar experience. *tr
ODI 10328486
Exterior Lighting
Reference your case pe09019, closed in august 2009. I also own a 2006 toyota prius on which the headlamps fail daily. As stated in the report it usually starts with only one lamp failing but it often ends with both lamps out. I will not drive without my fog lamps on for fear i will be in total darkness at a crucial time such as a sharp curve or turn in the road. I have been waiting for someone to take action and…
ODI 10318974
Exterior Lighting
Both headlights on 2006 prius turned off after less than [redacted]. May have exhibited flashing before total failure of both headlights. Confirmed headlight on light was present during failure. One car coming towards flashed their lights to convey my headlights were off. I then slowed down and turn lights off then back on. Both came back on and stayed on since then. I have been checking each time i get in or out of…
ODI 10318573
Exterior Lighting
The hid headlights on my 2006 toyota prius intermittently go out one at a time. Once they go out they stay out unless i manually turn them off and then on i cannot determine when one of the headlights goes out. The problem is when driving with only 1 headlamp i have had several instances when the other headlamp has gone out as well leaving me with no headlights at night. If i hadn't known to turn them on/off i would…
ODI 10319082
Exterior Lighting
Intermittent headlight failure. Pulled over on 03/01/2010 by a sheriff deputy with a warning that one headlight was out. Five minutes later after a stop, headlight worked fine. Various times over the past year one or both headlights have gone out only to come back on later.
ODI 10397788
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Headlights of 2006 prius go on and off at will. I reported this to toyota dealer and was told that they had to change both bulbs. The intensity of the bulbs are normal when they come back on and i have never owned a car where the bulbs recover on their own. It appears to be a wiring problem of some kind and toyota's solution of changing the bulbs does not seem to be a reasonable solution. Also the one year guarantee…
ODI 10318254
Exterior Lighting
Headlight (driver's side only) sometimes turns off while driving. If i turn the lights switch off and back on, the light will turn on and work properly for a while. *tr
ODI 10315861
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota prius. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the reverse light, the indicator light and the odometer and speedometer lights did not illuminate. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the combination meter needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was…
ODI 10781663
Exterior Lighting
Headlights failed on my 2006 toyota prius. One about 36,000 miles, second one about 37,000. It cost over $500 to replace them. Now one of the new ones has failed again. I wrote toyota for help and they had an extended warranty salesperson call me saying "you need to protect yourself against what may happen in the future." i asked if headlights were covered and he said yes, but that i needed to wait 30 days after…
ODI 10313746
Exterior Lighting
2006 toyota prius with hid headlights fail intermittently. *tr
ODI 10311109
Exterior Lighting
While driving with my prius the headlights turn on and off at their own will. Sometimes it's the right headlight, then the left headlight. This morning i was driving to work and both headlights went out and i had to pull over. Turned the car off then back on and the headlights were on again. A few moments later, the right headlight went out. This is very unsafe for me as i drive mostly early in the morning and late…
ODI 10310948
Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
I drive a 2006 toyota prius. I have experienced odd skid-like behavior while applying the brakes on bumpy roads or loose gravel. Most notably this happens at low and decelerating velocities (maybe 15 mph?) when the vehicle encounters broken pavement or loose gravel. It is often associated with the prius' 'slippery surface' icon on the dash being lit. When this occurs it feels like the brakes do not function for a…
ODI 10310580
Exterior Lighting
2006 toyota prius headlights go off while driving then come back on. Intermittent and totally unpredictable. *tr
ODI 10310245
Exterior Lighting
I have a 2006 prius. The hid lights flicker and turn off about two times a day while i am driving. These lights are supposed to last ten times longer than regular lights. The light failure is particularly dangerous at night when the lights can suddenly turn off. *tr
ODI 10308369
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Toyota prius exterior lights shut down. This happens all of the time the car is driven. Hid headlights turn off without the driver knowing and then keeps on driving until they are struck or hit something. Other cars may not see this. This has occurred over 5000 times... *tr
ODI 10307765
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2006 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.