2010 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems
- 134
- 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 134 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 3 indicate fire
What owners report
- high beams · 29 records
- beam headlights · 25 records
- both headlights · 25 records
- every months · 16 records
- beam lights · 14 records
- drive home · 14 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 33 |
| 60–100k mi | 32 |
| 100–150k mi | 24 |
| 1–30k mi | 23 |
| 150–400k mi | 7 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Exterior Lighting
There is a chronic problem with the headlights on this car. They continually burn out, or, go out and than come back on when headlight is 'tapped' lightly. Dealer and independent repair shop(s) have replaced numerous times and problem recurs. *tr
ODI 10514615
Exterior Lighting
My headlight went out while driving. The dealer indicated the replacement cost would be between $300 and $400 for a single light bulb. The dealer indicated that i only use the lights when needed to prolong the life of that type of bulb. *tr
ODI 10495999
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Panel light dimmer inoperable when parking/head lights are turned on (i.e., there is no display on instrument panel for current speed, fuel volume, fuel consumption, etc. When driving with head lights on). This similarly affects the audio/hvac display. *tr
ODI 10478889
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights would not project far enough down the road. Replaced bulb multiple times. *tr
ODI 10479202
Exterior Lighting
I own a 2010 prius, purchased new in february 2010, one of the options i purchased with the car was hid headlights, which came already installed in the car. The right headlight went out in 9/2012 & the left in 10/2013. I knew right away that when the 1st light went out that the replacement was not an hid light which i had initially paid for & the car was still under warranty. Now with the other bulb being replaced…
ODI 10549980
Exterior Lighting
One or both headlights and front parking lights have had to be replaced four times now, starting in 2012. Latest incident is july 2015.
ODI 10743292
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The problem that is causing the head lights to burn out simultaneously needs to be resolved. It is a safety hazard for this to continue. Purchased a toyota prius 2010 in december 2010. Since that time, the head lights have been a problem. Each time there is a problem, both head lights burn out simultaneously. The first time the head lights failed was august 7, 2012 when there were five of us in the car driving 15+…
ODI 10493299
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that the low beam headlights failed and the contact had to utilize the high beams in order to drive at night. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The technician replaced the low beam lights but the failure recurred. Also, the contact mentioned that before the short in the low beams, the marker lights had to be replaced as well. The vehicle was…
ODI 10648919
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlight bulbs burn out much faster than they should. I have replaced both low beam bulbs at least 6 times in the last 2 years. Typical bulbs should last well over a year, whereas mine only last 2-3 months. I do not drive with headlights on during the day. This happens with both low beams, but not simultaneously. As a result, i am installing new bulbs every other month. I never touch the bulbs (always wear…
ODI 10605550
Exterior Lighting
Upon starting my car early this morning, the headlights would only work on bright. When dimmed, they would not work at all. *tr
ODI 10460088
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that the low beams failed to illuminate properly. Additionally, the low beams lights failed to function when driving. The contact had to apply the high beams when the failure randomly recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the driver and passenger side low beams but the failure recurred three year after the repairs. The contact replaced…
ODI 10780462
Exterior Lighting
Low beam bulbs constantly failing, have to replace every few months! Sometimes both bulbs will fail at the same time, leaving you with only high beams. Toyota issued a tsb in 10/12 about a fix involving modification to the wiring harness but says they will only repair this problem for cars under 36k miles or 36 months from date of purchase, which means many of the cars with this problem were already out of the…
ODI 10862464
Exterior Lighting · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately 45 mph with the headlights activated and suddenly without warning, the headlights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was maneuvered cautiously to the side of the road. The contact planned to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnosis and repair. Additionally, whenever the brakes were engaged while driving over a bump or uneven pavement,…
ODI 10447117
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights on this car have been burning out frequently (approximately every six months) since this first incident. In one incident in december, 2014, both lights burned out at the same time.
ODI 10733941
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
We have owned this vehicle since it has been new and have replaced the driver's side front headlight annually. This time it went out just 4 weeks after a local mechanic replaced the bulb. When i took it to toyota and complained of the problem and asked about a warranty fix i was told that the prior bulb had been installed incorrectly and now the entire headlight should be replaced for $500. This is the same problem…
ODI 10631992
Exterior Lighting
My car is constantly blowing light bulbs. It started after only one year with headlights. Both tag lights and several front marker lights have blown. There has to be an electronics problem. *tr
ODI 10542674
Exterior Lighting
This was approximately the date when my first headlight blew. The other headlight blew within a couple months. I went for three years changing headlights every six months or so. Twice, both headlights blew and i had to unsafely drive home (70 miles) with my brights on. I took my car to the dealer and was told that this model and year had a wiring harness "bullet" and the cost to replace it was on me. At the time,…
ODI 10717660
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that the vehicle's low beam headlights would fail approximately every two months. The contact had to replace the low beam lights approximately 20 times since 2010. The contact called the jeyes toyota dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle's low beam head lamps failed and the low beam lighting harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not…
ODI 11012072
Exterior Lighting
The headlights shine in a pie shape at night. They should shine straight across. If you make a right turn where there are no street lights, and we have a lot of those around, you can not see if you are going to hit a person or the ditch. I go in the left lane to avoid an accident as long as there is no on coming traffic. This is the first care of many that had this problem. *tr
ODI 10456614
Exterior Lighting
The low beams on this vehicle fail on a regular basis. Initially moving the wiring harness where it connects to the light will cause the low beam to come back on, but then will fail again without notice. After doing this several time over an undetermined period of time (undetermined because it can happen at any time) moving the harness fails to resolve the problem and the light bulb needs to be replaced (i'm…
ODI 10682707
Exterior Lighting
Headlight bulbs keep burning out every few months, since we bought the car i have been changing bulbs every 2 to 3 months. *tr
ODI 10564268
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the low beam head lights failed and could not be re-illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the light bulbs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred five times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. Updated…
ODI 10543070
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that the plastic cover on the front passenger's side headlight would become foggy, obstructing the contact's visibility of the roadway when driving during the night. In addition, there was rust on the passenger's side front fender. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised the contact that there were no failures found with the…
ODI 10489009
Exterior Lighting
Headlamps on 2010 toyota prius provide poor distance coverage for low beam headlights. As a result i hit a mattress in the roadway even though i was driving between 50 & 55 mph on a strait freeway section (i-15 at bundy canyon in riverside, california). Even though i was fully alert, the headlamps only provide about 30 feet of forward coverage which is inadequate to do anything than to swerve at the last moment to…
Crash reported
ODI 10371210
Exterior Lighting · Interior Lighting · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle was hit from the rear by another vehicle. After the vehicle was hit, it accelerated to a high speed. The contact engaged the brakes but the vehicle continued to accelerate; the contact attempted to turn off the ignition but that did not stop the vehicle. The vehicle changed directions and crossed over a grassy area and crossed…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 10369783
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2010 Toyota Prius.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.