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.
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
I own at 2008 toyota prius. Recently, i was driving at night on a dark stretch of rt. 15 in pa and my headlight turned off. I thought i must have somehow hit something to cause it to turn of, i quickly turned the knob and it went on again. It has since happened a few times and may in fact have happened more frequently but i only notice it if i'm on a unlite or not well traveled road. I see from prius owners' message…
ODI 10307238
Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius with approx. 60,000 miles on it. Right (passenger) hid headlamp turns off intermittently while driving. Replacing with a new bulb does not solve the issue and toyota will not look at the car even though i have a record of this issue happening before the warranty was up. Now the driver's side hid headlamp is turning on and off as well. This is extremely dangerous to drive at night or even during the…
ODI 10371861
Exterior Lighting
The right headlight was intermittently going off and on. Didn't realize it until stranger pointed it out. I would turn the headlights off and on and the light would turns on again. I tried to use the high beam because i couldn't see road and then both lights went off.it is a very dangerous situation when its night and your far from home. There is no warning lights on car to indicate that the headlights go out. I am…
ODI 10299124
Exterior Lighting
2008 toyota prius passenger side hid xenon headlamp going on an off randomly. Went to toyota dealer they said it was the bulb and when replacing the bulb the mechanic found out the headlamp connector was corroded. I paid for a new bulb and connector. My problem is how a vehicle with only 40,000 miles could have corroded wire connectors already. The bill was $353. *tr
ODI 10378831
Exterior Lighting
At approximately 37,000 miles my drivers side headlight, which is an hid bulb, started to flicker and turn off. Most the time it would happen within the first few minutes of starting the car. If the lights were turned off and back on it would work again. Approximately 1,000 miles later i noticed a new symptom where both headlights would turn off simultaneously, this would happen rarely. I brought the vehicle to the…
ODI 10368458
Exterior Lighting
I purchased a new 2008 toyota prius in june 2008 and had several major issues with the auto. Currently, i have a problem with my headlights. They flicker and now the driver side headlight does not stay lit. Initially, toyota said that i would have to pay for the repair because although i have only had the car for approx 19 months, i have exceeded the 36000 mile warranty. They wanted almost $300 to change a light…
ODI 10305273
Exterior Lighting
Right headlight goes out and you have to turn light switch off and back on for it to come back on. The time range on the light going off varies from time to time. It can happen as fast as every 2-3 minutes. The ballast and bulb has been replaced and this did not correct the problem. *tr
ODI 10378525
Exterior Lighting
Hid headlights go out when driving. Sometimes can be turned on again by turn off headlight and turning the switch back on. The headlights go out one at a time. *tr
ODI 10308304
Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Visibility
I own a 2008 toyota prius. Given the already many complaints, i would like to add my comments on this prius. First this car is very unsafe due to poor visibility. You can not see out of this car. Second, i had the headlight failures that these cars have. I have had both headlights replaced in this car. The headlights would go out while driving in the dark. Many times i had to turn the switch off and back on while…
ODI 10304923
Exterior Lighting
The hid left headlight works intermittently on my 2008 prius. My car is beyond warranty for this and toyota has offered "customer support" for this problem at a reduced cost. The reduced cost is in excess of $1000 for control ecu and bulb replacement. Prius forums suggest i contact you for assistance in this safety matter. *tr
ODI 10345796
Exterior Lighting
I would like my name added to the formal complaints regarding the toyota prius headlights. I know that you have many cases on file. I have a 2008 prius and find it deplorable that the owners have to pay such high prices to have our headlights fixed. This should be a factory warranty recall. It is truly unacceptable. Please push for a recall. In these hard times, it is almost impossible to maintain a vehicle. When…
ODI 10299986
Exterior Lighting
Driver-side headlight turns off after driving for a while. It happens consistently. If i turn the lights off and then on again, it'll work for some time and then turn off again. Dealer mentions that they will need to diagnose the problem and will charge about $200 for that. *tr
ODI 10299533
Exterior Lighting
I was driving down the road, and the driver's side headlight suddenly quit working. I turned the lights off and then back on; the headlight began working again. This happened three times in a 10 mile stretch. The following day the same thing happened with the passenger's side headlight. My parking lights have done the same thing as well. *tr
ODI 10297690
Exterior Lighting
I have a 08 prius. The last few months i have been having problems with my headlights. I have people tell me i have a light out, but when i check its working. It seems that i am driving in the dark sometimes with just my fog lamps, i turn the lights off and on then they seem brighter. Headlamps cost $179. Plus labor. Toyota will not guarantee that is the fix and talking it may cost upwards of 4-5 thousand dollars…
ODI 10327563
Exterior Lighting
My 2008 toyota prius headlights stops working all of a sudden without any warning. If i turn off and turn on the lights again, they work fine for few minutes and suddenly stop working again. Since the lights stops working randomly, this is very dangerous while driving alone in remote roads that do not have adequate street lighting. I request nhtsa to investigate into this promptly. *tr
ODI 10297205
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
Equipment · Exterior Lighting
I have a 2008 toyota prius. The hid bulbs did not last over a year. *tw
ODI 10302912
Exterior Lighting · Visibility
On 12/03/09 we were ticketed for a left headlight out on our 2008 toyota prius. We didn't know it was out or going out. It looked on to us. Two miles from home it looked as bright as ever. The next morning, as much as we tried, the garage could not find a bulb out, going out, weak, on or off, nothing was wrong! We had a funeral to go to and paid the fine. Two weeks later, a letter was mailed from toyota listing…
ODI 10362248
Exterior Lighting
Toyota prius headlights intermittently fail. When driving with the headlights on, one or both headlights will fail. Upon turning the lights off and back on using the headlight switch on the turn signal handle, the light(s) will come back on. The issue began in late 2009 and has continued to occur about 50% of the time when the car is used at night. It is usually limited to one headlight or the other and failure of…
ODI 10358341
Exterior Lighting
Thank goodness nothing happened yet but my toyota 2008 prius has headlight issues. My passenger side headlight keeps going out. I find out that it costs anywhere between 200 to 300 dollars or more to repair. And fixing it does not guarantee it won't happen again! Toyota sent me a letter explaining the problem and that if i bring it in to a dealer that it will only cost me 150 dollars plus labor. Well thanx for…
ODI 10324846
Exterior Lighting
Led brake tail lights too bright. Blind driver behind vehicle at night. *tr
ODI 10295160
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius went out while driving at night in a very rural setting! I was able to turn them back on by turning off/on the headlight switch. Yet, only one or both lights would come on. As my car has 49,000 miles in less than 2 years, it is out of warranty. I took it to the dealership and was told that the bulbs had a short in them. Yet i thought the bulbs were to be longlasting? Also, it…
ODI 10295018
Exterior Lighting · Headlights
My hid headlights started to fail at 30k. The dealer replaced the left one. A few months later the right side failed. Since then i have experience the one or the other headlight going out and when i shut the car off and restart it may or may not come back on. The latest event was 30 dec 2011. I was at the dealer trying to price a bulb and verified the light was not working. When i left the dealer the bulb started…
ODI 10441782
Exterior Lighting
Since new this car has had headlight problems. Toyota replaced 1 headlight bulb that actually did not come on at the dealership .you never know when a light will go out , or which one. They always come back on if you turn the switch of and on. The car has been to 3 dealerships , the lights have always came on for the techs. I filed a complaint with the company , then researched the problem. I found over 2000 similar…
ODI 10487536
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
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2008 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.