2008 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems
- 536
- 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 536 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Headlights · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 191 |
| 60–100k mi | 132 |
| 1–30k mi | 71 |
| 100–150k mi | 61 |
| 150–400k mi | 25 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Exterior Lighting
Hid headlamp replacement for the toyota prius. After 21,000 the left bulb started to flicker and then goes out. Can be restarted by turning switch off and then on again. Headlights go out with no notice. Could be very dangerous driving at night on a dark road. Dealer wants anywhere from $350 to $1000 to change the lamps. Say the front bumper needs to be removed. Owners manual has instructions but to me not totally…
ODI 10356027
Exterior Lighting
2008 prius passenger side headlight is intermittent and for no apparent reason goes off for extended periods and then comes back on. I have been stopped and warned by the police regarding this issue but when i try to check it out it seems to work fine. I have tapped the light and wiggled the wires but to no effect. The internet is full of similar complaints which need to be reviewed and resolved by the manufacturer.…
ODI 10355258
Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius high intensity discharge (hid) light flickers and is on intermittently. You never know when it goes out. A call to the local toyota dealer indicates minimum of $500 to replace 2 headlight bulbs. *tr
ODI 10354122
Exterior Lighting
Driver's side headlight goes on/off intermittently. Every time i take it in to get looked at or replaced, it works. Will go out after driving a few miles, but will turn back on when i turn off/on headlights. Then it will dim and go out again after a few miles. I never got a recall notice in the mail from toyota for this, but when i took my car to the dealer to get the accelerator recall fixed, they told me that…
ODI 10477472
Exterior Lighting
2008 prius with hid headlights. Driver side headlight goes out after 1-3 minutes. Turning off headlight switch and turning back on restores headlight for another 1-3 minutes. *tr
ODI 10352520
Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius headlamp on the passenger side fails intermittently while driving at night. Sometimes turning the lights off and back on solves the problem although this is not good to do at night. This seems like a safety issue that toyota should have a recall on, but toyota does not. They recommend a $300 replacement of both bulbs. I am worried that if both bulbs fail there will be a wreck. It seems like there…
ODI 10359663
Exterior Lighting
This car is fairly new and has hid headlights. Last week the right headlight went out. By turning the lights off and on, i was able to get it to come on. I took it to the dealer and they said they checked it out thoroughly and could find no problem. Yesterday, the right headlight was again out, and turning it off and on got it to light up, but dimmer than the left. I believe there is a safety defect in these hid…
ODI 10351670
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius just go out randomly. Sometimes it is just the driver side or the passenger side headlight, but at times it has been both. I have to turn the headlights off and then back on to get them to work. But this isn't a permanent solution because it will happen again the next time i start the car. It has even happened 2+ times on the same trip. This is a safety hazard because i…
ODI 10349513
Exterior Lighting
Started driving 2008 prius home and the drivers side headlight went out then both lights. Turned them off and then on again and they worked for a few minutes off again. *tr
ODI 10349274
Exterior Lighting
I have a 2008 toyota prius and the hid headlights go out after being turned on for about 20 minutes. I can turn the headlights off and back on an the headlights will work for another 20 minutes until one will go out again. I do not leave the lights on all of the time while driving. The replacement bulbs are $150 at toyota and they say it is not covered by the extended warranty. I do not think the bulbs should stop…
ODI 10347248
Exterior Lighting
I have just had my left front headlamp go out on my 2008 prius. There is 46,000 miles on my car and the cost of replacing one headlamp was $254 with labor charge through the dealership where i bought it. This is ludicrous. I can replace a normal headlamp myself for about $15. According to jd power, the expected lifespan of an hid bulb is "3,000 hours (about 90,000 miles for the average driver.)" i don't see how or…
ODI 10353375
Exterior Lighting
The headlight or headlights go out intermittently on my 2008 toyota prius hybrid. *tr
ODI 10352343
Exterior Lighting
Driving to work again in the early a.m., my driver's side headlight went out again, but didn't know it until i was stopped by police. After the officer told me one of my headlights was out, i turned them off, then back on and the officer told me that both lights came back on. He also told me that they have had to stop numerous prius vehicles with this problem, which supports my contention that this is a serious…
ODI 10346311
Exterior Lighting
The hid headlamps on the 2008 toyota prius keep turning off while i'm driving. Sometimes the left one, sometimes the right one, and sometimes both. I have to turn the headlamp switch off and them back on again to get them the work. Sometimes several times during a 15 min. Trip. My car is only 2 years old with 47,000 miles. I have never had headlamp fail within 2 years. This is very dangerous. These lamps are suppose…
ODI 10353959
Exterior Lighting
Hid headlight malfunction - driver side headlamp goes out randomly but comes back on when turned off then back on. *tr
ODI 10343760
Exterior Lighting
Noticed driver side hid headlight was out on freeway. After stopping and starting car, it worked again. Later noticed that it turns on for a second and turns off on its own and must turn off and on again a few times before it stays on ... For how long? 42,000 miles on vehicle. This is dangerous in that it performs sporadically. *tr
ODI 10343078
Exterior Lighting
Driving to work in the early a.m., my driver's side headlight went out again. I turned off my headlights, then back on and both lights came back on. I had been driving for probably 20 minutes with just one headlight, and didn't know it, which was very dangerous. There must be something wrong with the electrical system supporting the lighting. This is a safety hazard and it has me worried every time i get on the road…
ODI 10341910
Exterior Lighting
I have toyota prius 2008 with 52000 miles and both hid lights need replacing costing over $500.00. Was told they have never had problem at dealer and yet was able to find many incidents that indicate is common and a defect in the lights. Toyota gave me a case number, but would take no responsibility. *tr
ODI 10340963
Exterior Lighting
Driving to work in the a.m., and about 5 minutes after leaving the house, my driver's side headlight went out again. I turned off my headlights, then back on and both lights came back on. There is definitely something wrong with the electrical system supporting the lighting. This is a safety hazard and it now has me nervous every time i get on the road that it will go out at any time day or night. It is likely…
ODI 10339784
Exterior Lighting
Driving down the road last night (6/19) and my driver's side headlight went out as i was crossing over a bridge. I closely followed the car in front of me and as soon as i got off the bridge i turned off, then back on my lights, and both headlights came back on. This is a continuing safety issue that needs to be addressed!!! *tr
ODI 10339192
Exterior Lighting
Toyota prius headlight defect. The light intermittently shut off. At times it would begin working by turning the lights off and on again, other times it would come on without doing anything and at times it wouldn't come back on at all. *tr
ODI 10365547
Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius hid lights go out at night. Started to happen around 50k miles. I replaced the passenger side hid twice. The first time, it fixed the problem for several months. Now, after about 10 minutes, it turns off. Turning the lights off then on will bring the light back on, sometimes for minutes, often for seconds. *tr
ODI 10361459
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Hid headlights unexpectedly shut off while driving. When i turn them off, then back on, they work perfectly fine, but i don't know when they'll go out again. This is clearly a safety issue. It does appear that the hid headlight equipped prius has some electrical or design defect. *tr
ODI 10335547
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Hid headlights unexpectedly shut off while driving. This is clearly a safety issue and appears to be a defect with the electrical system or design of the lighting components other than the bulbs because if i turn them off they come back on fine every time like there's nothing wrong with them. *tr
ODI 10335546
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Hid headlights that unexpectedly shut off while driving, but come back on when manually turned off, then on. Appears to be problem with the electrical system, not the lights, or a design defect. *tr
ODI 10335544
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2008 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.