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
I n a 2008 prius, three incidents turning right and left while on an incline. Two times in the last 3 weeks, loosing power with brake/wheels lights on when slowing to turn left on pine street at taylor...another time, also in san francisco slowing going uphill at post and leavenworth(no turn) but hill and slowing and loosing power. In carmel, about one month ago, turning downhill to the right, from highway…
ODI 10314456
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
While driving, the driver's side headlight will fail (turn off) for no apparent reason. Turning the headlight switch off then on will restore the headlights functioning. I have been stopped by the police once for this, and have noticed it now on my own many times since; almost every time i drive. *tr
ODI 10296952
Electrical System
2008 pruis- twice in cold weather the computer dashboard indicators wouldnt show any info including speed of car and the car would not turn off. I called the dealership and they said they had never heard of this before. After about 30 minutes of driving around the dashboard came on and i was able to turn the car off. I looked this up online and others have had this problem in cold weather with the pruis. *tr
ODI 10319652
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Toyota prius hid headlight - my prius headlight went out while driving down a highway. Since then the low and high beams go on and off randomly. I took it to the dealer and they told me the bulb was fine and it was a short in the electircal that they could not find. They suggested that i just drive with it and keep trying to shake the wires and determine where the problem was. Now (a month latter) i get a letter…
ODI 10302083
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Toyota prius 2008, driver's side hid headlight went out at 29k miles <2 years of use, different dealerships tell different stories on whether it's a warranty repair; bulb pricing ranges from $30 to $350; sandy springs toyota sold us the wrong part; owner's manual gives wrong instructions: the light bulb casing looks nothing like the diagram; some online sources cite a total cost + labor $1700; some don't recommend…
ODI 10293988
Electrical System
2008 toyota prius owned two of same year and model. Both cars had headlight defects after 30,000 miles. Safety issue and dealer states the lights are known to go out. I have never had a car head lights fail before 200,000 miles. I would like this problem investigated because of the safety issue and many other prius owners are also having the same problem as per on line research. *tr
ODI 10287111
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius (touring model) -- driver side hid headlight began to fail in sept 2009. Became more frequent as time elapsed (would occur 3+ times during 30 minute trip). Turning lights off and back on temporarily resolved issue, but driver bulb would eventually fail again. Resulted in reduced visibility and potential blind spot for driver in front of vehicle. Researched online - suspected ecu. Contacted toyota…
ODI 10308228
Electrical System
While driving my 2008 prius randomly stalls. This has happened more than 6 times in the last 30 days. The dashboard lights all go on and a constant tone is emitted. At that point i have greatly reduced ability to operate the vehicle (apparently on electric power but very slow). Since this occurs while driving there is a serious possibility of accident as there is very limited control. To reset the problem you must…
ODI 10285901
Electrical System
I have a 2008 toyota prius (bought new) & have had several problems with the electrical system. The biggest problem happened when my husband was driving on the highway. Suddenly the radio went off & all lights on the dash went off. He pulled over, turned off the motor & then turned it on again. It was then ok. Another problem has occurred 3 times. The car won't start & i have to keep trying. After a few attempts it…
ODI 10310816
Electrical System · Power Train · Unknown Or Other
On 3 separate days, 2 during the summer of 2009 and 1 during the summer of 2010, our prius transmission has automatically and repeatedly shifted from d (drive) to n (neutral) without warning while the car was moving. All incidents happened on extremely hot days (temperatures near 100) in the afternoon after the car had been parked out in the sun and without us having made any accidental contact with the shifter /…
ODI 10378892
Air Bags · Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
S10 appropriate handling - letter to the secretary from mrs. Judy haley gizmo disputing claim by toyota that unintended acceleration of toyota vehicles due to faulty floor mats. *nj the consumer disputed toyota's claim that the many cases of unintended acceleration were due to faulty floor mats. The consumer stated the crash she had was not due to faulty floor mat's which were latched down, but was due to…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10297030
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius headlamp keeps going out. Replaced both hid headlamps as toyota corporate told me to do and problem consists. Safety hazard while driving at night with children in car and busy pedestrians on dark roads with strollers and babies not counting deer or other animals. Toyota has refused to recall issue. Im tired! *tr
ODI 10292212
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius pkg 6...lost power at 65mph...engine shut down and i lost control of car...pulled over...lights said there was no fuel but i had refueled earlier that morning. Took to dealer...could not find a problem. Also, hid headlights intermittently don't work...very unsafe...has caused trouble with police...i am beyond irritated with toyota. *tr
ODI 10283718
Electrical System · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
A. Dash lights would just disappear (no display for speed or gear) b. Key "bob" wouldn't release and car wouldn't turn off. - twice c. Car would "rev-up" when engine cool while in gear applying brakes 1. Took to dealer to resolve - couldn't recreate the problems and was told to keep the key in my pocket. 2. Second time was able to take to the dealer while the problem was happening. After 30 minutes came back with…
Crash reported
ODI 10313413
Electrical System · Interior Lighting
Interior instrument failure. Temperature app. 23 deg. F. Car started normally mfd came up fine. Main dash instruments failed to come on. No speedometer, gearshift indicator, fuel gauge, or odometer. All exterior lighting worked fine. Vehicle shifted into reverse and drove normally for about 15-20 min. When i parked and tried to turn off the car by pressing the power button the vehicle failed to shut down. Contacted…
ODI 10255506
Electrical System · Interior Lighting · Latches/Locks/Linkages
Today, i went to work driving my prius (2008 with 11000 miles) without any dash board lights. The dashboard under the windshield is a reflective type with a whole array of operating indicating lights across to the passengers side. Only the airbag indicator light worked for the passenger side. The cruise control did not work. I tried various power on/off brake on/off combinations to get the dashboard lights working.…
ODI 10254348
Electrical System
I have 2008 prius toyota that 3 times in 2 years i have not been able to turn the car off and the dashboard is not lit up. After 20 minutes the car lights up again and i can turn the car off. Fearful that i cannot turn car off ever, then what? I have called toyota customer service and they deny hearing about this before but prius chat forum has several people that have the same problem. Seems cold weather related…
ODI 10302099
Electrical System · Tires
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While driving 10 mph, the front driver's side tire went flat. The contact replaced the tire with a spare. The vehicle then began experiencing numerous failures. The instrument panel gauges illuminated and the odometer began to fail. The dealer stated that it would take a few days to diagnose the cause of the failure. Days later, the mechanic explained that there was an issue…
ODI 10246388
Electrical System · Storage · Tank Assembly
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While placing fuel in the vehicle, it will not fill to its full capacity. This is a continuous failure that occurs in all weather conditions and temperatures. There is a malfunction with the fuel gauge device. The inaccurate readings of the fuel gauge causes discomfort when driving. The toyota manufacturer stated that the vehicle would only consume 6-7 gallons of gasoline,…
ODI 10230515
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
I purchased my prius new. I have had a chronic & constant issue with my head lights & tail lights not working properly. I have had this issue checked by mechanics and have been told this is a "toyota electrical issue". There is no problem with the bulbs or components that can be found by mechanics. This is a dangerous problem, and occurs randomly without notice. My head lights or tail lights just "go out"...any…
ODI 10573487
Electrical System
Shortly after i purchased the car new, the audio display unit (touch screen,) which also controls air conditioning failed and was replaced under warranty on january 5, 2008. The same unit failed again on october 30, 2011 . The touch screen is unresponsive, which makes it impossible to use it to control air conditioning, audio and other information functions. The toyota dealer from whom i purchased the car examined…
ODI 10429278
Electrical System
2008 toyota prius engine shutting off. Consumer states that the vehicle engine will shut itself off and driver has no control of the vehicle. *kb the consumer stated the incident happened during slippery driving conditions. *jb
ODI 10313197