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
I have had to replace 6 headlamps on this vehicle. The first two failures were covered under warranty but the problem persists. I now have had to replace 4 other lamps at a cost of about $330 for each lamp. Toyota has not responded. There are many complaints from other prius owners having the same issue.
ODI 10860486
Exterior Lighting
Front left light will randomly turn off. Sometimes it occurs after making a turn. Light will sometimes come back on if you turn them off, then turn them back on.
ODI 10851499
Exterior Lighting
I've got a 2008 prius. One of the headlights keeps going out. I can't really tell when or how it goes out since i can't see it. I'll notice it when i see the reflection in the back of another car. If i turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. Sometimes on long trips it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. Sometimes on short…
ODI 10838834
Exterior Lighting
Driving down a highway at 10:30pm and my headlights just failed. Both of them off! No warning, just black. I turned off the light switch and back on, they lite up again bright for about 2seconds then dimmed a little and 30 seconds later, off again. This continued for about then minutes; off, bright, dim, off, etc...then only one light stayed on for the remainder of my [redacted] home. Thank goodness it was a…
ODI 10824953
Exterior Lighting
The hid headlights on my 2008 toyota prius touring model have numerous critical safety problems. The headlights go out completely and randomly at any time while driving. I have been thrown into complete blackness on windy country roads. I have had several vehicles swerve to avoid me as i have swerved to avoid cars, trees, curbs, poles etc. Furthermore, the lights are very dim causing further driving difficulty and…
ODI 10820723
Exterior Lighting
While driving at night one or both of the front headlights will go out. Sometimes they also go very dim. When either headlight goes out, i have to turn off the lights and turn them on again. I have almost gone off the road a few times on a windy stretch of road where the lights kept going off every few seconds. I've already gotten a ticket over this, when i was on a well-lit main road and didn't even know a light…
ODI 10908296
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While driving approximately 50 mph, the headlights failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the headlights needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were unknown.
ODI 10853814
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
Exterior Lighting
This is the intermittent headlight issue for 2008 toyota prius' a front headlight will go out, and if you turn off an on the lights, they both come back on. This first happened to me a few months back. The only suggestion to fix this is from toyota which is to take the car to a dealer and for $550 they take off the bumper (do some trick), and put in new bulbs. Instead, i spent $180 for 2 new bulbs, and replaced them…
ODI 10845636
Exterior Lighting
One headlight turns off randomly. Every now and again turning the lights off and on again will fix the problem for a short time.
ODI 10948356
Exterior Lighting
While driving on the highway at night, the left headlight will go out. I turn the headlight switch off and back on and the left headlight comes on again. However, within a few minutes it goes out again. This happens repeatedly. One time both headlights went off at the same time. I'm reporting this because it is an issue that many prius driver's have had so seems to be a design problem. This issue has occurred many…
ODI 10823355
Exterior Lighting
This month, when leaving for a trip, i noticed the passenger side headlamp was out. I planned on replacing it when i returned. Upon returning, the headlamp has mysteriously come back on. I researched intermittent headlamp problems with my car and found out many others have had the same issue. I'm now not sure if the problem is the headlamp or some circuit.
ODI 10816241
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius are totally unreliable, have been replaced once, and now i find there was a class action lawsuit - and there should be one again. The dealer does not know what to do. They do not know if the bulbs or the headlight mechanism is flawed. The lights flicker, go out (both or each) unexpectedly, and while driving - this is terrifying. Turns out it is a well known problem and nhtsa…
ODI 10811096
Exterior Lighting
Headlights randomly shut off, can sometimes be turned back on if headlights are turned off and then on, but they never stay on. Very unsafe when driving at night. Toyota should recall and fix this issue. *tr
ODI 10945749
Exterior Lighting
Headlight went out on highway at 65 mph at night .was very dark and created a blind spot on the left side of the car. I now find that toyota knew about this and tells me to just turn the lights off and on and the headlight will come back on, thats fun at 60-70 mph. Very dangerous.
ODI 10836464
Exterior Lighting
Headlights go completely out or the right headlight goes out...both situations are randomly occurring. I was driving on the beach line hwy. In florida, at night, on my way to the orlando airpirt, when my headlights went completely out. The beach lineis a 2 lane hwy. With no center barrier or median, no exterior lighting, and cars coming from the opposite direction going 60+ mph. Needless to say, it was a "white…
ODI 10838007
Exterior Lighting
Ever since my fiance and i have had this car (late 2015, bought used with about 98,000 miles on it) there has been intermittent headlight failure! We thought we needed the headlights replaced and that would solve the problem. First of all, the specific headlight type for this vehicle (vin [xxx]) is very expensive. About $100 per bulb! Secondly, they are so difficult to replace that my trusted, long-time auto shop…
ODI 10907176
Exterior Lighting
Bought the car in late october and the left front headlight has gone out twice.
ODI 10795321
Exterior Lighting
My lights have been going off intermittently for a few months now. I went to the dealership for a 12 v battery issue and a couple of recall items, including the hybrid cooling recall issue and the dealer thought this might fix the issue but it has not. What happens is that at any given moment, each and every day/night, when i am driving one or the other headlight will go out. Occasionally both will go out. The only…
ODI 10789133
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
Exterior Lighting
Headlights intermittently flash off with no warning. Can not be repaired. Sometimes both flip off at same time. One goes out (or both) appr. Every 5-10 minutes of driving, or while car is stationary with lights on.
ODI 10787455
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on my 2008 toyota prius turn off sporadically sometimes one sometimes both very dangerous at night because they both turned off so i need to get ahold of somebody and see what i need to do to get this problem solved my name is [xxx] and the phone number to reach me at is [xxx]. The lights turn off in all weather on country roads of the free way. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of…
ODI 10817354
Exterior Lighting
Known formally as high-intensity discharge (hid) lights, they either work intermittently ' making nighttime driving a lot more exciting ' or fail entirely......updated 12/03/15 *bf updated 11/17/17*js
ODI 10784933
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
Exterior Lighting
While driving in the early morning before sunrise, several times, the headlights turned off suddenly. Frightening while on the highway. Luckily the lights turned back on. This happened at least 5 different times.
ODI 10781180
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2008 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.