2006 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, WHEN I HAVE APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING ON A BUMPY STRETCH OF ROAD, THE BRAKES HAVE NOT APPLIED PROPERLY ON MY 2006 PRIUS. THE DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATING A SKID WOULD COME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT HANDLE PROPERLY. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER, WHO SAID IT WAS A COMMON FEATURE OF ABS SYSTEMS. I HAVE COMPENSATED BY NOT APPLYING THE BRAKES WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR POTHOLE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE BRAKES SHOULD WORK IN ANY SUCH SITUATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, MOST RECENTLY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. IN EACH CASE, THE ROAD SURFACES WERE NOT WET, JUST BUMPY. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. IF I NOTICE THE HEADLIGHT IS OUT I CAN TURN MY LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON AND THE HEADLIGHT THAT WAS OUT WILL COME BACK ON. I NOTICED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. *TR UPDATED 02/13/10 *BF UPDATED 02/16/10 UPDATED 03/18/10 *BF UPDATED 09/21/10

WHEN I GENTLY APPLY THE BRAKE TO STOP AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD. IN SURPRISE, I APPLY GREATER FORCE AND THE CAR COMES TO A STOP. THERE IS SOME PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONICS IN THE HYBRID DRIVE TRAIN THAT DOES NOT FULLY DISCONNECT THE DRIVE WHEN STOPPING. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THY COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR FIND ANY PROBLEM. THEY WOULD NOT REPORT OR ESCALATE IT FURTHER, JUST DISMISSED THE PROBLEM. *TR

ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2006, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. SOMETIMES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, AND SOMETIMES FOR A SHORT PERIOD. THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLAMP, BECAUSE,EVEN LEAVING THE LIGHTS ON ALL DAY, THE LIGHT WON'T SHUT OFF. I CAN'T DETERMINE THE PATTERN FOR THE LIGHT SHUTTING OFF, AND I OFTEN ONLY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHEN SOMEONE ALERTS ME TO A DARK HEADLIGHT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE INTERMITTENT NATURE, AND INABILITY TO DETECT THE OUTAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT TIRE TRAVELED OVER A SMALL PATCH OF ICE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SPUN TOWARD THE FRONT SO THAT THE CONTACT WAS THEN FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED SLIDING AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED COLLISION REPAIR SHOP, WHERE REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A STUDY AND POSSIBLE RECALL ABOUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. I AM AN OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. I THINK EVERY MODEL YEAR OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS LINE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I TOO HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES OVER A BUMP OR RAILROAD TRACKS WHEN BRAKING. THE BRAKES DISENGAGE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND YOU CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SPEED. AN INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON, ON THE DASHBOARD LIKE YOU ARE SLIDING. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING. THIS EVENT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME YOU GO OVER A BUMP WHEN BRAKING. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2006. I WOULD HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE ALL TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKES IN EVERY YEAR MANUFACTURED. WITH TOTAL SINCERITY - THANK YOU. (PS - THIS FORM REQUIRES ME TO PUT IN AN INCIDENT DATE - THERE ARE MULTIPLE WITH NO SPECIFIC DATE, SO I AM PUTTING TODAY'S DATE). *TR

EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT ON MY 2006 PRIUS. SOMETIMES BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT. THIS IS TERRIFYING AT NIGHT AND IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND AM VERY CONCERNED AND ANXIOUSLY AWAITING YOUR RESPONSE AND ACTION ON THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH THE HID HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS SEEING OTHER THINGS, LIKE NEIGHBORING CARS SWITCHING IN AND OUT OF LANES, CAUSING THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO DIMINISH. SO FAR, IT IS EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER HEADLIGHT, NOT BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. THROUGH THE RANDOM PROCESS, WHICH WOULD BE INITIATED EACH TIME THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF "TIME" BEFORE BOTH LIGHTS EXTINGUISH AT THE WRONG TIME, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

THE HID HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS (40K MILES) GO OUT WHENEVER THE CAR ACCELERATES (BRAKING, SPEEDING UP, TURNING, GO OVER A SPEED BUMP). THE LIGHTS TURN BACK ON IF I FLIP THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OFF.BY TURNING LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON WORKS FOR A VERY SHORT TIME I CON NOT BELIEVE TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM

2006 PRIUS WAS ARRIVING AT WORK AND PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. MY FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM GAS, BUT ACCELERATOR STUCK OPEN. THE CAR BOUNCED OVER THE CONCRETE CURB, OVER A SNOW BANK AND OVER A SECOND CURB INTO THE UNIVERSITY DRIVEWAY. CAR SUSTAINED $3800+ IN BODY DAMAGE AND ANOTHER $370 IN SERVICE REPAIRS FOR BRAKES, TIRES, SUSPENSION AND DASH WARNING SYSTEMS THAT ERUPTED. VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED. LOCAL DEALER WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. FINAL REPAIR INVOICE STATES THE VEHICLE FLOOR-MATS, ABS AND PEDAL STROKE SENSORS WERE ALL WORKING PROPERLY. CLAIM WAS MADE TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY [ERIE INSURANCE]. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, BOTH HIGH INTENSITY DISPLAY (HID) HEADLIGHTS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, HEADLIGHT ON DRIVERS SIDE REPLACED AT 35,000, SAME PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT FAILURE AT 55,000 MILES. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, THIS IS DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AND ONCOMING CARS CANNOT SEE HEADLIGHTS FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION. *TR

WHEN I GO OVER A ROUGH PATCH ON THE PAVEMENT WHILE BRAKING IN MY 2006 PRIUS, THE SKID LIGHT COMES ON BRIEFLY ON THE DASH AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. IT FEELS LIKE THE COMPUTER IS PERCEIVING THE POSSIBILITY OF A SKID AND IS COMPENSATING BY ACCELERATING UNTIL THE PAVEMENT IS SMOOTH. FORTUNATELY NO ONE HAS BEEN IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND I HAVEN'T HIT ANYONE. BUT IT HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY AND IT TAKES A TIME BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS TO MY OWN HANDLING AND BRAKES AGAIN. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT AND WANT FROM ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 PRIUS WILL TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES INTERMITTENTLY. THEY CAN BE TURNED BACK ON BY TURNING THEM ON AND OFF. THE ISSUE STARTED HAPPENING FROM ABOUT 30K MILES, BUT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY WERE WORKING OKAY. THIS WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. IT HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN SINCE THEN. *TR

HID LIGHTING GIVING PROBLEMS ON 2006 PRIUS. THEY WILL OCCASIONALLY BLINK OR GO OFF ENTIRELY. LESS THAN 20K MILES ON THE CAR. *TR

THE BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS GO BEYOND JUS THE 2010 MODEL. I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS AND IT DOES THE SAME THING RE: THE BRAKES SEEMING TO "SLIP" WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP OR A SLICK SURFACE. ALSO, WHEN YOU TAP THE BRAKES, AND THEN HIT THE ACCELERATOR (AS WHEN AVOIDING ANOTHER CAR THAT IS DOING SOMETHING STUPID) IT SORT-OF "STALLS" FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE IT WILL ACCELERATE. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT FAILS INTERMITTEDLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH A DEER CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE DEER BUT CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A MILD CONCUSSION, BRUISED RIBS, AND A BLOODY NOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED IT DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WANTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THAT THE HI HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WERE INTERMITTENTLY CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING. BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME. TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN SEEMS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY (ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK). VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP NOW FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA. CASE NUMBER WITH THEM IS 1001131933. *TR

MY 2006 PRIUS ALSO FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES AREN'T WORKING CORRECTLY WHEN I GO OVER A POTHOLE, SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE 2010 PRIUS IN TODAY'S NEWS REPORT. I SUSPECT THE PROBLEM IS NOT CONFINED TO JUST THE 2010 PRIUS, BUT ALL YEARS. *JB

THE CAR INDICATES A WHEEL SLIDE WARNING IN BEST OF CONDITIONS AT RANDOM TIMES. LOSS OF POWER TO CAR AND DIFFICULTY IN RETAINING CONTROL. *TR

I EXPERIENCE SURGING WHEN BRAKING. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED EXTREME ACCELERATION WHEN USING MY CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2006 PRIUS. I HAVE NOT DETERMINED HOW FAST IT WOULD CONTINUE TO GO FOR SAFETY REASONS SO WHEN IT HAS STARTED TO ACCELERATE EXTREMELY FAST, I WOULD TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL SO AS NOT TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE THAT FAST. I WOULD TURN IT OFF AS SOON AS I BEGAN TO FEEL OUT OF CONTROL WITH THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WHICH WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS MORE THAN 5 MPH OVER RUMBLE STRIPS IN THE ROAD, IF THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, THEY WOULD NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY. THE FAILURE WOULD ALSO OCCUR DURING RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS. AN UNKNOWN WARNING SYMBOL BRIEFLY ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, THE CONTACT ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE FOR HER BRAKING SYSTEM. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURES. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 35,700.

HEADLIGHTS TURN OF INTERMITTENTLY ON BOTH MY DAUGHTERS 2006 & 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. MOSTLY THE RIGHT ONE SOMETIMES BOTH. IF YOU TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON THE HEADLIGHTS COME BACK ON FOR A WHILE THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. ALSO I NOTICE MANY OTHER PRIUSES THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

2006 PRIUS. WITHIN FIRST 18 MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR (I AM ORIGINAL OWNER - TOOK POSSESSION OF CAR IN MARCH OF 2006) EXPERIENCED HEADLIGHTS GOING OFF BY THEMSELVES. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE THINKING HEADLIGHT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WAS TOLD BY SERVICE REP (AT GREENTREE TOYOTA IN DANBURY, CT) THAT IT WAS NOT THE HEADLIGHT BUT A PROBLEM WITH CONNECTION THAT TOYOTA RECOGNIZED BUT WAS NOT SURE HOW THEY WOULD ADDRESS. I WAITED FOR SOLUTION. AS TIME GOES ON, MORE FREQUENT INCIDENCE OF HEADLIGHT SPONTANEOUSLY TURNING OFF. I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA COMPANY APPROX. 4 MONTHS AGO STATING THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECT/CONNECTION PROBLEM. MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP/SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME IT WAS NOT AND REFUSED TO FIX THE CONNECTION PROBLEM. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, LEAVING ME IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. IF I QUICKLY SWITCH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON AGAIN THEY WILL ILLUMINATE. THE HEADLIGHTS GOING OFF AT THE SAME TIME HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 20 MINUTES. *TR

2006 PRIUS (45,000 MILES) HID FAILURE. BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE HID HEADLAMP TURN OFF AFTER RUNNING CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. DEALER QUOTES EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REMEDY PROBLEM, CONSIDERING IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR NIGHT DRIVING. *CN

FAULTY HID LIGHTBULB ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE HID LIGHTBULB AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE HID LIGHTBULB. SIMILAR SYMPTOMS LEADING UP TO BOTH REPLACEMENTS: THE LIGHT SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT. IF I NOTICE THAT THE LIGHT IS NOT WORKING AND SWITCH THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, SOMETIMES THE FAULTY LIGHT WILL WORK AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL NOT. THE LIGHT NEVER SEEMS FULLY BURNED OUT AS IT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. AT NIGHT, THIS CAN POSE A SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO EXPLAIN THIS ISSUE AND HAS ONLY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE LIGHTBULB, WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. *TR

LIKE MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE HEADLAMP PROBLEMS AFTER ABOUT 4 OTHERWISE VERY SATISFACTORY YEARS OF DRIVING MY 2006 PRIUS. ONE OF THE LAMPS (THE RIGHT SO FAR) GOES OFF IRREGULARLY DURING OPERATION, AND I CAN'T TELL WHEN IT HAS GONE. THIS CONDITION CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD FOR OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE (1) IN THE DARK A "ONE-EYED" CAR COULD BE LOOMING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ONE VISIBLE LIGHT, AND (2) TO REDUCE THE RISK (I THINK!) I ROUTINELY DRIVE WITH BRIGHTS ON WHICH BLINDS ON-COMING DRIVERS. BLOGS ON THIS SUBJECT MAKE A FIX SOUND TOO UNCERTAIN AND EXPENSIVE TO ENTRUST TO A DEALER OR DO MYSELF. NHTSA SHOULD TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.

BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY ON 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 43K MILES WHILE DRIVING. HEADLIGHTS HAD BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AT THE TIME THEY SHUT OFF. I PULLED OFF INTO A PARKING LOT, STOPPED THE CAR, GOT OUT TO VERIFY THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE OFF, AND VERIFIED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS ON. I TURNED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON, AND THE HEADLIGHTS RE-ILLUMINATED. DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT CONTINUES TO FAIL RANDOMLY. IT RE-ILLUMINATES WHEN THE SWITCH IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. PRIOR TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILING SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE HEADLIGHTS HAD NOT FLICKERED, TURNED OFF, OR GIVEN ANY OTHER SIGN OF FAILURE. *TR

HID HEAD LAMPS TURN OFF AT RANDOM, ONE OR THE OTHER, SOMETIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON AND THEY RELIGHT. *TR

I NOTICED THAT MY RIGHT HID HEADLAMP ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS NOT WORKING WHEN I PARKED MY CAR. I CYCLED THE LIGHTS AND THE LAMP CAME ON, BUT IT DID APPEAR TO BE DIMMER THAN THE LEFT HEADLAMP. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR JAN 2ND, 2010 AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. NOTE THAT I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY LEFT HEADLAMP IN FEB OF 2008. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BULB UNDER WARRANTY, BUT INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT WOULD HAVE COST $500+ IF NOT FOR THE WARRANTY. I DID NOT FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA ON THE FIRST FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS WITH THE HID HEADLIGHTS AND WANT TO CONFIRM THAT BOTH BULBS HAVE FAILED. THE DEALER AGREED TO REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 47000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I DID COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS A YEAR AGO AND THE DEALER DID NOTHING AT THAT TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED BY JUST TODAY RECEIVING A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT AN HID HEADLIGHT SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT LOWERS THE PRICE OF THE BULBS TO $150 PER BULB. THIS IS STILL OUTRAGEOUS. *TR

NHTSA ID: 193333 I UNDERSTAND THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IS INVESTIGATING A BRAKING ISSUE ON 2010 PRIUSES -- INVOLVING SLIPPING OR SURGING FORWARD WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE 2010 MODEL; OUR 2006 PRIUS SLIPS IN THE SAME WAY, UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES: WHEN THE DRIVER BRAKES AT SLOW SPEEDS ON A WET SURFACE LIKE A LIGHT RAIL TRACK, OR GOES OVER BUMPS OR INTO POTHOLES WHILE BRAKING. IT FEELS AS IF THERE ARE NO BRAKES, AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY ON FLAT STREETS -- NEVER ON HILLS. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE TOYOTA DEALER TELLS ME ANY VEHICLE WILL DO THIS, BUT THE ANOMALY IS ONE I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IN ANY OTHER CAR I'VE OWNED, INCLUDING 2 TOYOTAS. IN OTHER WORDS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION, BECAUSE THE DEALERS SAY THERE IS NO DEFECT. "APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE" QUESTION BELOW MAKES NO SENSE, BECAUSE THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. ALSO, "MILEAGE" INFORMATION IS USELESS, SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE HID HEADLIGHT OCCASIONALLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS STARTED A MONTH OR TWO AGO BUT I'M REPORTING YESTERDAY'S INCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT VIA INTERNET FORUMS THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OTHER 2006 PRIUS OWNERS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. TURNING HEADLIGHTS OFF THEN ON AGAIN FIXES THE PROBLEM. NO PROBLEM SO FAR WITH PASSENGER SIDE LAMP WHICH HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN USED WITH THE SAME FREQUENCY AND DURATION. THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET, BUT IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WITH BOTH HEADLIGHTS IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

EVERY TWO YEARS, THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS BEGIN TO FAIL AND START TO TURN OFF, UNEXPECTEDLY, WHILE I'M DRIVING. SEVERAL TIMES, I'VE DRIVEN LONG DISTANCES AT NIGHT, COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAD SHUT OFF, AND LATER THEY APPEAR TO BE WORKING FINE. AT 20,000 MILES, I HAD BOTH LIGHTS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT STARED TO FAIL AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP PAID FOR THE LIGHT, BUT CHARGED ME $120 FOR THE LABOR. SEVEN MONTHS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT BEGAN TO FAIL. AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP PAID FOR THE BULB BUT CHARGED ME FOR THE LABOR. AFTER THE THIRD REPAIR, I CALLED THE TOYOTA EXPERIENCE CENTER. THEY SAID THAT THEIR NEW CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM WOULD NOT COVER REIMBURSING ME FOR THE LABOR. I'M CONCERNED THAT NOW IN ADDITION TO THE RISK, TIME AND EXPENSE I'VE ALREADY INCURRED, THAT I WILL HAVE TO ADD "PREVENTATIVE HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT" TO MY LIST OF REQUIRED MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLE, AND IT WILL COST ME ANOTHER $600 EVERY 2 YEARS TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE SAFELY AT NIGHT. BECAUSE THE WAY THE HID LIGHT FAIL DOES NOT GIVE THE DRIVER ANY WARNING OR NOTIFICATION. THE LIGHTS BOTH ILLUMINATE AT START UP, AND ONLY FAIL WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. I APPRECIATE TOYOTA PAYING FOR SOME PARTS OF THE REPAIRS, BUT I THINK THEY ARE FAILING TO FULLY ADDRESS THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND HAVE SADDLED THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH AN UNREASONABLE EXPENSE. WHEN YOU CAN REPLACE A HEADLIGHT BY YOURSELF EVERY FIVE YEARS FOR A COUPLE BUCKS, IT'S REASONABLE. WHEN IT COSTS $300 PER HEADLIGHT EVERY TWO YEARS, THAT'S NOT REASONABLE. I FILED A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AFTER THE 2ND TIME THE LIGHTS FAILED IN MAY 2009. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT WITH THIS CAR, AND THE 2ND TIME I'M FILING A COMPLAINT HERE. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHTS GO OUT RANDOMLY CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE HEADLIGHT(S) WILL COME ON AFTER TURNING OFF THE SWITCH. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ONE YEAR OLD. IN ONE INSTANCE, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHICH REQUIRED AND EMERGENCY STOP. BOTH HEADLIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM IN NOW OCCURRING MOST TIMES THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED AT NIGHT. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, WHILE DRIVING HOME THE OTHER NIGHT MY HEADLIGHTS DIMMED SO LOW THAT I COULD NOT SEE WHILE EXITING ON A RAMP AND DROVE SO CLOSE TO THE EDGE I ALMOST WENT OVER INTO THE DITCH. IT WAS VERY CLOSE. I AM NOW SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT NOT KNOWING IF MY LIGHTS WILL FAIL. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE GOING OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN LESS THAN 13 MONTHS THAT BOTH LIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACE AT PREVIOUSLY A COST OF $500 EACH AND NOW AT A REDUCE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $300 EACH. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. SEVERAL TIMES--POSSIBLY AS MANY AS 20--OVER THE COURSE OF OWNING THE CAR IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE AFTER LETTING MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WILL HAVE A SUDDEN SURGE FORWARD--EITHER AS IF THE BREAK ISN'T WORKING OR THE ACCELERATION WAS ACTUALLY INCREASING RATHER THAN STAYING THE SAME OR DECREASING. EACH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED, THE CAR MONITOR LIGHT FOR "SLIPPERY ROAD" FLASHES ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAVE TWICE ASKED A TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS. THEY SAY IT IS A COMMON FEATURE OF THE PRIUS WHEN IT SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE. THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION. IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO BE IN FRONT OF ME THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURS. THIS HAS OCCURRED EVEN AFTER I REMOVED THE DRIVER FLOOR MAT, AS RECOMMENDED BY TOYOTA. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH EITHER THE GAS PEDAL OR THE FLOOR MAT. I THINK IT'S ELECTRICAL. *TR

MOVING OFF FROM TRAFFIC LIGHT VEHICLE TOYOTA PRIUS MODEL 2006 BEGAN TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY AND BREAK DID NOT SLOW VEHICLE DOWN IMMEDIATELY; VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING FOR SOMETIME BEFORE BREAK BEGAN TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN; FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NOT VEHICLES IMMEDIATELY IN FROM OF MY VEHICLE. THIS EXPERIENCE WAS VERY SCARY. *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. AFTER THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF, IT RESET ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE. A TOYOTA MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DEFECTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. *TR

ON OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, THE AIR BAG FAULTY ALARM CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY IN DECEMBER, 2008 UNDER WARRANTY AND REPAIRED. RECENTLY DECEMBER 2009, THE SAME AIR BAG ALARM CAME ON AGAIN AND REMAINS ON WITH ENGINE ON. WE SUSPECT THERE MAY BE A FAULTY WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM DUE TO IT COMING IN AGAIN IN ONE YEAR. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. FIRST MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND GOES OUT. I GET IT FIXED AT THE DEALER AND THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT DOES THE SAME THING. ABOUT A YEAR LATER AND AGAIN MY PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT IS OUT (YES IF I TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND BACK ON, IT COMES BACK ON AGAIN, BUT ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES). THEN AGAIN SOMETIMES IT GOES OUT COMPLETELY. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST TWO TIMES... NOW IT'S NOT! YES I GOT THE NOTICE ABOUT THE PRICE CHANGE FOR THE HEADLIGHT.... BUT I THINK THIS IS A DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT ISSUE AND HAS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE! I KNOW OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM! *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. IF IT ENCOUNTERS BUMPY ROAD WHILE TURNING AND BRAKING, THEN STABILITY INDICATOR WILL LIGHT UP AND BRAKES WILL STOP WORKING FOR ABOUT A SECOND. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN ON ICE. IT CAN BE REPRODUCED AT WILL. JUST BUMPY ROAD SURFACE AND TURNING/BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. DID NOT TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT IT THOUGH. LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PRIUS WITH THE HIGH-INTENSITY-DISCHARGE (HID) LAMP OPTION AND HAVE MADE AN ONLINE REPORT TO YOU PREVIOUSLY WITH NO REPLY. WHEN I ASKED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THEY SAID THEY HAD NO RECALL OR SAFETY ISSUE BULLETINS REGARDING THE ISSUE. I HAD A FRIEND ASK ANOTHER FRIEND WHO IS A NORTHEAST TOYOTA DEALER IF HE HAD HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE. HE SENT TOYOTA DOCUMENT TITLED "2006 TO 2009 MODEL YEAR TOYOTA HID HEADLIGHT CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM." LAST WEEK TOYOTA SENT ME THE SAME DOCUMENT. THE DOCUMENT PLACES THE BLAME ON THE HID HEAD LAMPS, RECOMMENDS TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF DURING DAY TIME OPERATION, ETC. I AM HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR DOCUMENT AND BELIEVE THERE IS A MORE SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM INVOLVING THE HEAD LAMPS, ETC. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THE LIGHTING SYSTEM SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY (BOTH HEAD LAMPS MIND YOU- NOT ONE) IF THE CAR WAS SHUT-OFF AND AGAIN POWERED UP THE SYSTEM RESTARTED AND THE LIGHTS WOULD COME BACK ON. TOYOTA CLAIMS IT IS A LAMP ISSUE. I DON'T BELIEVE IT AND THINK THERE IS MORE SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH MY WIFE AND I AND IN BOTH CASES WE WERE PLACED IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON THE ROAD. WHEN IT HAPPENED TO ME I HEARD A DISTINCT CLICK AND ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAPPENED TO BE ON THE INTERSTATE AND TOOK THE FIRST EXIT WHICH TO MY DISMAY WAS NOT LIT AND I WAS TOTALLY IN THE DARK. I HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR TO SEE THE WHITE LINE MARKING THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND DRIVE OFF THE SHOULDER. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC TAKING THE SAME EXIT OR THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. A CAR DID TAKE THE SAME EXIT AT ABOUT 65 MPH MINUTES AFTER I GOT OFF THE SHOULDER. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE OUTCOME HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO QUICKLY FIND THE WHITE LINE MARKING THE SHOULDER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE, AND TOYOTA CLAIMS IT IS HOW THE BULB ACT WHEN THEY ARE AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE. IF IT HAS JUST BEEN ONE OF THE LAMPS AND THE REST OF THE SYSTEM DIDN'T SHUT DOWN THEIR VERSION MIGHT BE BELIEVABLE *TW

MY 2006 PRIUS HAS ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS HAS ACCELERATED INEXPLICABLY ON AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED DURING MY FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT EVENT WAS IN DECEMBER 2009. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING RAPIDLY, EVEN AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL.. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND PULL OVER SAFELY. PLEASE NOTE THAT AT THIS TIME, I HAD ALREADY REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT AS SUGGESTED BY TOYOTA. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR, A RESPONSE THAT DID NOTHING TO REASSURE ME. I WAS TOLD IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TO THE DEALER THAT TOYOTA WOULD BE DOING NOTHING TO ASSIST WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

PRIUS HID BULB FAILED BEFORE ITS ESTIMATED LIFETIME. THESE BULBS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE (US$ 300.00) PLUS LABOR (US$ 200.00) AND THEY FAILING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY TOYOTA AND REPLACED FOR FREE, SINCE CUSTOMERS PAID PREMIUM PRICE UP FRONT FOR SECURITY BENEFITS OF THE ACCESSORY IN QUESTION. *TR

I HAVE A SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2006 PRIUS. THE HEADLIGHT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. TOLD ME THAT YES, IT WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND THE LEFT SIDE NEEDED REPLACED ALSO SINCE IT WOULD BE GOING OUT SOON. THEY REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHTS AT THE COST OF $614.00. *TR