2009 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems
- 103
- 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.
What owners report
- both headlights · 16 records
- side headlight · 13 records
- right headlight · 13 records
- passenger side · 13 records
- without warning · 13 records
- head light · 10 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 40 |
| 30–60k mi | 23 |
| 100–150k mi | 16 |
| 1–30k mi | 5 |
| 150–400k mi | 5 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Exterior Lighting
For some months now i have been having trouble with the right front headlight in my prius which is an hid lamp. The lights goes out and then when i turn the light switch off then back on again the lamp lights again. I have to do this numerous times while driving. It either eventually stay's lit or i just give up and anticipate a ticket. On occasion when i try to get the light to come back on the drivers side light…
ODI 10536850
Exterior Lighting
Headlight on right side (passenger) fades out randomly - getting worse over past 6 months. Now both lights go out. Turning off/on *usually* fixes, but doesn't last. *tr
ODI 10609200
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving at night, the driver's side head light failed. The contact turned the switch back on and then the passenger's side headlight failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the hid headlights needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure…
ODI 10575948
Exterior Lighting
Beginning in july 2013, the headlights on my 2009 toyota prius started flickering while driving at night and then both lights went off. The headlights continue to turn off while driving. Sometimes it is one light and sometimes it is both lights. When it is one light, it is never the same light that goes out. *tr
ODI 10557604
Exterior Lighting
We were driving on the interstate at 70 mph, when the headlights suddenly went out. It was dark and raining, and were unable to see the road edge. We pushed the emergency flashers and were able to see how close to the road edge we were. About two minutes later, the lights both came back on and we continued to drive to seek a safer area. Every 15 minutes the lights would flicker. *tr
ODI 10516160
Exterior Lighting
Headlights intermittently fail. Bulbs are ok. Headlight can be restarted by turning them off then back on. A dangerous situation! *tr
ODI 10714097
Exterior Lighting
About two years ago one or another of my headlights would go off intermittently. When i turned the switch off and back on, they'd both be on. This was irritating but it was random and sporadic enough that i didn't take it in for service until both lights started going off in recent weeks. I then discovered on the internet the history and extent of this problem. The service people at the dealership only indicated…
ODI 10704933
Exterior Lighting
I noticed some condensation in both front headlamps some time ago but just thought it was a cosmetic problem. About three days ago both my headlights went out. I took my car to the dealership and they informed me that the water inside the headlamps caused my hid lights to short out. I am out of the 36 month 36,000 mile warranty, but still within my extended warranty's limits. Toyota is not going to cover the…
ODI 10507466
Exterior Lighting
My driver side head light goes out at least once every time i drive with them on. It may go out several times before i arrive at my destination. I have to turn my lights off and then on again to have the light come on. It is very hard to see when the light is out and i have even been stopped by the police because i have only one headlight. As you can see by all the complaints from the people that have taken the time…
ODI 10559376
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
When i turned on the car, the headlights would not turn on. Both lights had been fully operational the day before. Both high and low beams on both sides did not work, so it is definitely not the case that four separate bulbs or fuses all blew independently. I tried turning the headlight switch on and off several times, but this did not correct the problem. The fog lights do illuminate, but that is not enough…
ODI 10500583
Exterior Lighting
Both low beams have gone out without any warning, but replacing bulbs and fuses doesn't fix the issue. *tr
ODI 10499873
Exterior Lighting
Headlights at first seemed to only flicker then i had a headlight go out then i noticed that i could flip the lights on and off get it to come on. Now its to the point we can not use this car at night. Its become a safety hazard and i do t think its something i should pay to repair and think toyota is stupid for not recalling. *tr
ODI 10598423
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
The headlights have been going out randomly for the last few months but only one at a time. This evening while driving home from a late meeting, both headlights went out while driving at 55mph. I pulled off the highway and tried turning the car off and on again. Headlights went on when i turned the car back on, so i resumed driving only to have the lights go out again! This time i flicked on the high beams and the…
ODI 10495305
Exterior Lighting
My passenger headlight will turn off while i am driving. Now both headlights will turn off at once. Usually one will come back on. This is very dangerous! This began in january 2013. *tr
ODI 10683770
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
I had just purchased my 2009 toyota prius the evening of friday december 28th 2012 and had only driven that weekend. Then on the 31st i noticed when i was pulling into a gas station i had only one headlight working... Didn't think to much about it. Then when i was leaving noticed that both lights were on working. A few hours later i noticed a flicker like a light was going out. Noticed again passenger headlight was…
ODI 10644701
Exterior Lighting
Headlights go off by themselves. When i start the car both headlights go on, but after driving a little while the left or right, or sometimes both headlights will shut off. *tr
ODI 10489540
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. The contact stated that water penetrated the headlight's plastic covering due to improper sealing and caused the light bulb to fail. The dealer replaced the light bulb housing but the failure was not corrected. The passenger light bulb failed numerous times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was…
ODI 10495988
Exterior Lighting
The passenger headlight comes on initially but during the drive will go off. I can turn the lights off and back on and the light comes back on. This is an ongoing problem and i don't know it has happened unless i pull up behind someone and see the reflection of my headlights on the car in front of me. *tr
ODI 10547175
Exterior Lighting
The headlight(s) go off while driving without warning and it becomes hazardous and frightening. *tr
ODI 10555942
Exterior Lighting
I purchased this 2009 prius from my elderly parents who didn't drive at night so the hid issue was not discovered until after warranty. My wife and i were driving at night in jan. 2012 and both headlights went out. I called toyota (limbaugh and hoover) in birmingham, al. About the safety issue and they said they weren't aware of any issues and toyota had no recall. At this point, i'm out approximately $400 and my…
ODI 10682406
Exterior Lighting
My 2009 prius has headlights that intermittently flicker or extinguish at random times. Sometimes the right headlight will extinguish, sometimes it's the left headlight, and sometimes both extinguish at the same time. Some times the light(s) come back on without any action, and sometimes it is necessary to turn the headlight switch off and right back on. To date, the lights have resumed normal operation when they…
ODI 10664476
Exterior Lighting
Headlight and tail lights failed to work at start up, after a while the highbeams did work so car could be driving home. Later that evening everything worked fine at startup. *tr
ODI 10438525
Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
One week after being at the dealership for its routine oil/vehicle check-up (55,000-60,000), my red brake light, the yellow warning sign and the abs lights come up on my dashboard. Towed it back to dealership since the brakes didn't work. They found i needed to change my brake actuator and the solenoid that is stuck. According to what i've read, this should not happen period paragraph but if it does it would be on a…
ODI 10435339
Exterior Lighting
While driving at night, the passenger headlamp assembly (every bulb, not just the main high-intensity bulb) went out. Wiggling the connector at the back of the headlamp assembly when the headlamp gets in this condition does not fix the problem. I can get the assembly back in working condition by turning off the lights and turning them back on again. This is dangerous! When the light came back on again, it was…
ODI 10384436
Exterior Lighting
On our 2007 toyota prius the drivers headlight will go out shortly after turning it on i have replaced the bulbs with the same problem recurring currently trying to get toyota to resolve problem at no cost to me. *tr
ODI 10287368
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2009 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.