2008 Toyota Prius Electrical System Problems
- 197
- 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 197 stored complaint records:
- 7 indicate a crash
- 6 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- combination meter · 21 records
- both headlights · 13 records
- water pump · 10 records
- instrument panel · 8 records
- rear hatch · 8 records
- come back · 8 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 60 |
| 30–60k mi | 32 |
| 100–150k mi | 31 |
| 150–400k mi | 28 |
| 1–30k mi | 25 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. Upon attempting to shut off the vehicle, it failed to shut off. Additionally, the speedometer display failed to appear. The vehicle was taken to heritage toyota ([redacted], south burlington, vt 05403) where it was diagnosed that the combination meter failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that…
ODI 11034117
Electrical System
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures, which caused the fuel gauge, odometer, cruise control, and speedometer to malfunction. In addition, the entire instrument panel would black out. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to carson city toyota (2590 s carson st, carson city, nv 89701, [redacted]) where it was…
ODI 11155629
Electrical System · Engine · Exterior Lighting
Cluster went blank and vehicle would not power off, key fob stuck in ignition. Toyota service recommended replacing combo meter but i am one month out of warranty. I was driving tried to park but car would not turn off, but would come to a stop in the parking lot. *tr
ODI 10937659
Electrical System
Car completely shut down with no power at stop light. Rear ended by another vehical traveling at apprx. 45 mph. No prior warning of any battery issues or any other trouble lights. Injuries sustained. Car only had 75,000 miles on odometer and had been well maintained. Car was stopped at red light on craig rd. And durango in las vegas nevada when failure occured. Two female occupants both with minor injuries, one…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 10946728
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While driving 20 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to increase in speed. All the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,500.
ODI 10909377
Electrical System
More recently, i am concerned about safety and serviceability of my car - toyota prius second generation. The car was purchased in the u.s. And imported to russia, vin [xxx]. The car check showed that there are some problems on these cars. I checked this on site toyota.com/recalls, and received the following information: 1. Safety recall c0t 2.safety recall c0u my prius has not completed campaign status of safety…
ODI 10956112
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Driving at 35 miles per hour on a rural paved road both headlights failed simultaneously nearly causing myself and my son go off the road down an embankment while trying to get the lights to come back on at night. The hid headlights have been an issue in the past with a class action lawsuit being paid. I need to get this repaired and want toyota to cover the recall warranty work.
ODI 10909848
Electrical System
Took my prius into the dealer today for service. Later, the writer called to tell me that the mechanic had found a build-up of link and dirt that might lead up an overheating or other issues with the battery pack beneath the rear seat. I paid approximately $350 to have the battery fan serviced and later discovered that this issue is under investigation by the fhtsa. I can provide a copy of the now-paid service bill.
ODI 10850314
Electrical System
Mfd multi function display screen doesn't respond to touch. Have to operate through steering wheel. So have to turn on a/c to run heater and can't control the flow of the air pressure. Looking on the internet, (prius chat) this has been a common problem with first and second generation cars. Dealer wants $5000 to repair. The car is only worth $5,500. It should be a recall item due to all the failures.
ODI 10955517
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
When driving home on highway just after dark, both headlights went out simultaneously without driver interaction. Headlight switch was still on, untouched. Visibility outward as well as other vehicles seeing me (black prius at night without lights) severely impaired, could easily have caused an accident. Pulled over and turned headlight switch off, then back on; lights came on bright and immediately dimmed,…
ODI 10819159
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
I have had my 2008 prius since it was new and i have taken meticulous care of the vehicle with documentation to prove it. The vehicle is burning oil to the extent that i have to put a quart of oil in every 700 miles. My local dealership confirmed it is an issue with the vehicle but toyota usa said they won't do anything about it because there "has not been enough complaints". However, the toyota prius chat website…
ODI 10897546
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Left headlight goes out while setting still and while driving. On a ten mile trip the light will go out 6 - 10 times. Turning the light off and back on makes the light to burn again. I have been stopped by the police for this. When i stop i ,turn the headlamps off, when they tell me why i was pulled over for i play dumb and they instruct me to turn on my lights and dim them or put on high beam. They are left…
ODI 10789731
Electrical System · Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. When the vehicle was started, the instrument panel gauges did not display. On several occasions, after turning off the vehicle, the engine continued to operate. The failures were not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 30,000.
ODI 11166508
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Headlights short out intermittently. Both headlights have gone out, the left has gone out, the right has gone out. If i turn off the lights and flip them back on, they occassionally both come back on, or one comes back on or neither come back on. This is extremely dangerous at night. It has to be electrical. There's no way it's the bulbs, i've owned the car for a year and have blown through many bulbs already. This…
ODI 10782256
Electrical System
I have 2008 toyota prius it has hid bulb assembly, both head lights are going off randomly, and it starts working again if we turn off switch & turn on again, but we dont know when it goes off, yesterday only police issue the ticket for same problem, i changed the hid bulb 4-5 times but still not found any solution,
ODI 10779532
Body · Electrical System
The latch handle on the hatchback has disintegrated. The handle has become gooey and leaves a black residue on my fingers every time i open the hatchback. Because of this problem, the handle is harder to use, making it difficult to open the trunk. Replacement part number is 84905-47010.
ODI 10763506
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Vehicle was off and in park. Vehicle was started and shifted into drive. In less then 1 second, vehicle slipped out of drive and into neutral as described in the technical service bulletin issued by toyota (t-sb-0142-11). Problem as reoccurred multiple times since, including while driving at speeds above 45 mph.
ODI 10748808
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Driving at night i noticed my headlights dimming. I turned on my high beams and my headlights went out completely and i was in the dark. I turned the headlights off and then back on again and they came back on at full light. I pulled to the side of the road and had my passenger check the headlights outside. The right front light was out and the drivers side was on. This had happened one time previously. I took my…
ODI 10744753
Electrical System
Driver side headlight turns off. If i turn lights off, then on again, the headlight will turn on.
ODI 10733827
Electrical System
External rubber seal on rear hatch latch/switch is deteriorating/melting/sticky. Safety issue due to loss of ability to open or access rear compartment when rubber disintegrates. Exposes electrical components.
ODI 10735278
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Headlights flicker, dim, and eventually go out altogether while driving. I have replaced the 12v battery and it still occurs. Concerned for safety of myself and my family.
ODI 10761833
Electrical System · Engine · Service Brakes
I was driving 50mph when the car lost power.the car suddenly had no power brakes, no ability to easily steer, no engine power and many warning lights came on including an warning that the main hybrid battery was not charging. The car would not respond to acceleration. The car came to a stop. I held the start button the car shut off. The car restarted with no problems. All the warning lights were off. I put the car…
ODI 10706208
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The left headlight keeps turning itself off when driving or not. When bumped next to the headlight cover it comes back on. The bulb and connector are fine. This is a safety hazard, that if the right one starts doing the same thin at night, it would put me into a dangerous and life threatening situation. I think toyota should have a recall on this problem. *tr
ODI 10702986
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Drivers side headlight will dim then go out out after a few seconds of operation. If the lights are turned off and then on again the headlight will work for a few more seconds then dim and go out. The bulb has been changed but that did not resolve the problem. Updated 12/21/2015 *js
ODI 10731316
Air Bags · Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System
I was in an automobile accident in feb of 2015 i hot another vehicle going approximately 15mph no air bags were deployed and the police officer and body shop both were surprised no air bags deployed. I'm curious if this was due to a fault you airbag and luckly i wasn't seriously injured. My dash computer sensor went out in 2015, causing me to not be able to read an odometer, speedometer, etc. I had this part…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 11079898