2006 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS A HEAD LIGHT THAT GOES OFF AND ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS WHICH WE CONSIDER TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO POWER AND THE BRAKES WERE BOGGY. THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT CAME AS WELL AS THE ABS AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER PULLING OVER THE CAR RESTARTED AND DROVE FINE BUT THE RED TRIANGLE REMAINED ON. THE NEXT DAY IT WAS WORKING FINE. TOYOTA WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING EXCEPT A LOW VOLTAGE WARNING. *TR

THE COOLING SYSTEM IN MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. THE WATER PUMP IS APPARENTLY LEAKING WHEN I HAVE COMMITTED NO PRECURSIVE ACTION TO CAUSE IT. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE SAME ISSUE IN MY OTHER SIMILAR TOYOTA PRIUSES, WHERE DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC WATER PUMPS UNEXPECTEDLY STOP WORKING. THE OTHER CARS ARE CONSEQUENTLY RECALLED AND I BELIEVE MINE SHOULD BE AS WELL. HTTP://NEWS.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/SAFETY/2012/11/TOYOTA-PRIUS-AND-OTHER-VEHICLES-RECALLED-DUE-TO-WATER-PUMP-AND-STEERING-ISSUES.HTML THANKS. *TR

CUSTOMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WITH LOW-BEAMS, LEFT LIGHT WENT OUT. CUSTOMER SWITCHED TO HI-BEAMS AND ALL THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. CUSTOMER REPORTS THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE CAR HAS DONE THIS. *TR ON FIRST INSPECTION UNABLE TO VERIFY COMPLAINT, ALL LIGHTS FUNCTIONING AS THEY SHOULD. INSPECTED FUSES AND WIRING AND ALL GOOD. WHILE INSPECTING LIGHTS, LIGHTS FAILED AFTER BEING ON ONLY 10 MINUTES, AND TURNED OFF. THIS WAS A DOUBLE LIGHT FAILURE WITH BOTH HI & LOW BEAM FAILURE, ON BOTH LEFT & RIGHT LIGHTS! LOCATED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO THIS CONDITION. PERFORMED ALL TESTS OUTLINED IN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND LOCATED BOTH FRONT HEADLAMPS DEFECTIVE WITH SWOLLEN CENTER FOGGED OVER CAUSING LIGHTS TO OVERHEAT AND ECM FOR HEADLIGHTS GOING INTO FAIL SAFE MODE AND SHUTTING HEADLIGHTS OFF. REPLACED BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT BULBS AND VERIFIED REPAIRS. AFTER REPAIRS, RAN HEADLIGHTS FOR 30 MINUTES WITH NO FURHTER FAILURE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO CUSTOMER.

BOTH THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT HEADLIGHTS KEEP TURNING OFF DURING DRIVING. THE RIGHT ONE IS MORE COMMON THAN THE LEFT. I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM ALMOST 1 YEAR AGO AND THOUGHT THAT THIS IS A TEMPORARY GLITCH, BUT THE FREQUENCY OF THIS INCREASED OVER TIME. I CONSTANTLY NEED TO TURN OFF THE LIGHT AND TURN THEM ON, BUT AGAIN IN FEW MORE MINUTES ONE OR BOTH OF THEM GETS OUT. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY, WHEN THERE ARE STREET LIGHTS ON OR DURING DAWN OR DUSK, YOU ARE NEVER SURE IF THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING OR NOT. ON TOP OF RISKING AN ACCIDENT, THERE IS ALWAYS A WORRY THAT A COP MIGHT PULL YOU OVER FOR NON WORKING HEAD LIGHT, WHILE IN FACT YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN WORKING WHEN YOU STARTED, BUT TURNS OFF SOME TIME LATER AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO NOTICE IN LOW LIGHT SITUATIONS. TOYOTA CHARGES HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM SOONER THAN LATER. I KNOW THAT MY CAR IS MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE A MATTER FOR THEM TO FIX IT. BECAUSE THIS LIGHT SITUATION IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE PARTS TO BEGIN WITH. *TR

I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY PRIUS AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES ONE HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES THE OTHER, SOMETIMES BOTH. THE BULBS THEMSELVES ARE NOT BAD. I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON TO RESET THEM APPROXIMATELY EVERY 25 SECONDS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID "WE CAN NOT RE-CREATE THE PROBLEM". I LEFT, IN THE RAIN AND HAD TO RESET THEM 6 TIMES BEFORE I WAS A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. OUR EXTENDED FAMILY OWNS 4 PRIUS VEHICLES, WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER SINCE TOYOTA IS NOT STANDING UP TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TRUNK LATCH TO OPEN TRUNK WHILE STATIONARY NOW SERIOUSLY REDUCED FUNCTION. RUBBER HAS MELTED. NOW THE TRUNK IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN. SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS COLD OUT, TRUNK CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL.

DURING THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE E SHAFT RECALL IN 2013 THE CLOCKSPRING WAS DAMAGED. AFTER A FEW MONTHS THE CERTAIN STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS (INFO, FRONT AND REAR DEFROSTER, AND THE RECIRCULATE AIR) WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST. THEN, ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE RECALL, THEY ONLY FUNCTIONED WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED SIDEWAYS. NOW THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. I'M CONCERNED THE AIR BAG WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS ERROR. *TR

CAR'S ENGINE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE DIGITAL DASHBOARD (WHICH SHOWS THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, GAS GAUGE, ETC.) WOULD NOT LIGHT UP. TOYOTA DEALER SAYS IT IS DUE TO A FAILED COMBINATION METER. THE PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AND MY CAR IS STILL AWAITING THE PART. *TR

THIS IS 2ND TIME FOR THE HID HEAD LAMPS INTERMITTENTLY FLICKERING/FAILING ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE 1ST WAS IN AUG 2009 AT ABOUT 86K MILES. THANKFULLY THE LOCAL KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN WESTMINSTER MD REPLACED BOTH BULBS AT NO EXPENSE THANKS TO THE KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ANNAPOLIS MD WHERE I HAD ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR ARRANGING APPROVAL THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE. NOW ABOUT ANOTHER 3 YEARS AND 145K MILES, THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA U.S.A. ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND THAT IN SOME CASES THE HID HEADLIGHT CONTROL ECU MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT WAS UNNECESSARY, NEEDING ONLY BULB REPLACEMENT AND REDUCING THE PRICING TO $150/BULB. WHILE MOST VEHICLES TODAY OPERATE WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AUTOMATICALLY, I'VE ONLY USED MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TO PRESERVE HEADLIGHT LIFE BUT THESE BULBS ARE STILL A PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT AND MUST BE RELIABLE. HEADLAMPS THAT FAIL EVERY 3 YEARS DO NOT MEET THE RELIABILITY TEST IN MY VIEW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ONGOING ISSUE. I'M ASKING TOYOTA TO WORK WITH ME ON REPLACEMENT COST AND THE TYPE OF HID BULB THEY'RE USING. I'M TOLD BY MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS THAT VISUAL INSPECTION WILL SHOW A SMALL BUBBLE SOMEWHERE IN THE BASE THAT INDICATES IT'S GOING BAD. THAT TELLS ME THAT SOMETHING ABOUT THE BULB IS NOT RIGHT AND THEREFORE NOT RELIABLE/SAFE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE HEADLIGHT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STEERING RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED AN URGENT RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL. HOWEVER, WHEN SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, SHE WAS INFORMED THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THEY WERE NOT SURE, WHEN IT WOULD ARRIVE.

JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. WHEN DRIVING, FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS INTERMITTENTLY TURNED OFF ABOUT 8 TIMES. WHEN I TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WORKS AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS. MORE RECENTLY (TWICE THIS WEEK), BOTH HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WHEN I TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON, THE HEADLIGHTS WORK AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER WAS LEAKING FROM THE CEILING AREA NEAR THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FRO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. .. UPDATED 02-07-13 *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO DROP THE COMPLAINT. IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE AND WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. UPDATED 02/13/2013 *JS

DRIVING ALONG A COUNTRY ROAD AT NIGHT AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. VERY SCARY. WENT OFF THE ROAD A BIT AND THE CAR GOT SCRATCHED. RESTARTED CAR AND HEADLIGHTS WENT ON FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN DIM, THEN OFF. THIS A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NHTSA HAS FAILED TO DO ITS DUTY WITH. TOYOTA SAYS THOUGHT LUCK, YOU ARE PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. LIGHT SUDDENLY GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IS NHTSA SIMPLY GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE ENOUGH FATALITIES TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION. TOYOTA CLEARLY DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS PRODUCT. *TR

I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR FROM THE DEALER AFTER PURCHASE TO FIND THAT THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN AND BOTH LIGHTS LIT. THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY TO BE NON-OPERATIVE OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 1/23/13 AND THEY FOUND THAT THE LEFT FRONT HEADLAMP ECU NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAD BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST TOYOTA FOR THIS SAME ISSUE, HOWEVER DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE, I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION UNDER THE SETTLEMENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM ON HID EQUIPPED PRIUS MODELS, YET I WAS FORCED TO PAY $288.81 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. I HAVE FILED A CASE WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER, #1301220397. HEADLIGHTS THAT SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IT APPEARS THAT HID HEADLIGHT EQUIPPED PRIUS MODELS CONTAIN A DESIGN DEFECT. IT IS FOR THIS REASON I AM REPORTING TO THE NHTSA IN ORDER TO FORCE TOYOTA TO CONDUCT A RECALL ON ALL SUCH EQUIPPED MODELS. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. IT SEEMS TO AFFECT ONLY ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS RIGHT NOW. I DO NOT SEE ANY ISSUES WITH THE BULBS AS SUCH SINCE THEY DO COME BACK ON. BUT THIS HAPPENS VERY OFTEN WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE COMING TO A STOP SOMETIMES. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF. IF I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN THE LIGHTS WOULD BOTH COME ON BUT WHILE DRIVING THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD GO OFF AGAIN. I DRIVE 20 MILES TO WORK. WHEN I WOULD FIRST START THE CAR WHEN LEAVING WORK TO GO HOME, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD BE ON BUT BY THE TIME I WOULD GET HOME THE PASSENGER SIDE WOULD BE OUT AGAIN. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALLAST THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND CHARGED ALMOST 1000.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY I DID NOT HAVE TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT DUE TO THE FACT I HAD AND EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, JUST 2 DAYS AFTER HAVING THIS FIXED THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO THE DRIVER?S SIDE HEADLIGHT. I WILL BE BRINGING THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO QUITE A FEW PRIUS OWNERS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE 2006 MODEL. IT ALSO SEEMS FROM MY RESEARCH THAT IT HAPPENS TO 2005,2007 AND 2008 MODELS ALSO. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND I FIND IT A BIT RIDICULOUS THAT REPLACING HEADLIGHTS SHOULD COST SO MUCH MONEY. IT COST ME 227.00 TO FIX ONE HEADLIGHT AND 2 TAILLIGHTS DUE TO BALLAST ISSUES AND IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO COST ANOTHER 200.00. SO ALL IN ALL TO REPAIR HEADLIGHTS WILL COST ME OVER 425.00 AND WITHOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD HAVE COST NEAR 2000.00. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO SO MAY CARS THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WHICH CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR. MY YEAR PRIUS HAS HAD SEVERAL RECALLS AND OBVIOUSLY HAS ITS FAIR SHARE OF MANUFACTURER PROBLEMS. THE AFFECTED PARTS INVOLVED WERE/ARE THE BALLAST , HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS THANK YOU *TR

THE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY INSIDE MY HUSBAND'S CAR HAS BLACKED OUT TWICE NOW. BOTH TIMES IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM; THE SECOND TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER WHAT WAS WRONG, TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THAT MODEL CAR (APPROX. 2004-2010), THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR IT, AND IT WOULD COST $700 TO REPAIR. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS, WHY ISN'T THERE ARE RECALL? WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE SPEEDOMETER IS GONE. WARNING LIGHTS, FUEL GAUGE, BACK-UP CAMERA, ETC. ARE ALL OUT. THIS MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND TAILLIGHTS GO OUT ON THERE OWN SOMETIMES JUST ONE OR SOMETIMES ALL LIGHTS GO OUT. PROBLEM IS FIXED WHEN YOU TURN THE LIGHTS ALL THE WAY OFF AND ALL THE WAY BACK ON AND THEY STAY ON FOR THE DURATION OF MY DRIVE OR GO OUT A FEW MINUTES LATER. HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY POLICE MULTIPLE TIMES FOR HAVING LIGHTS OUT. HAVE SEEN MANY TOYOTA PRIUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. *TR

I FOUND THAT THERE IS MALFUNCTION ON THE BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL, ESPECIALLY INFO BUTTON AND BUTTONS FOR CLIMATE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON INTERNET AND I FOUND THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A BAD CLOCK SPRING. ALSO, I FOUND THE CLOCK SPRING IS RELATED WITH AIR BAG MODULE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM (SUCH AS PRIUSCHAT.COM). I THINK THAT IT COULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. AND I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER PROBLEM. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OF MY CAR WAS REPAIRED BY THE RECALL SERVICE BEFORE. BUT WHEN I RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND TRY TO PUSH BRAKE PEDAL, THERE IS DIFFERENCE OF HEIGHT BETWEEN BOTH PEDALS. THE HEIGHT OF BRAKE PEDAL IS HIGHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, EVEN IF I RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SO IT IS DANGEROUS TO OPERATE BOTH PEDALS. WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL AFTER I RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, MY RIGHT FEET WAS STUCK WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL. I THINK THE RECALL SERVICE FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OF MY CAR WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. OR THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM ON THE BRAKE PEDAL OF PRIUS. *TR

THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THE PROBLEM, MY CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER RETURNING FROM SHOPPING, STILL RUNNING, WHEN MY SON NOTICED THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. FOR SOME REASON, I REACHED IN AND TURNED THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF, AND THEN BACK ON, AND THE LIGHT WAS FINE. I FIGURED IT WAS AN ANOMALY. FROM THEN, ONE OR THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WOULD DISAPPEAR EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO, BUT ALWAYS REAPPEAR WITH A TOGGLE OF THE LIGHT SWITCHED. I WAS SEVERELY UNDEREMPLOYED, AND SIMPLY COULD/CAN NOT AFFORD THE $500 PARTS & LABOR THE TOYOTA DEALER WANTED TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS. I JUST KEPT TOGGLING AND HOPING FOR THE BEST. I RECENTLY RETURNED TO FULL-TIME WORK, BUT WITH A COMMUTE OF 1.25 HOURS EACH WAY. IT WAS FINE DURING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, BUT NOW, I AM TOGGLING CONSTANTLY, AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I AM TRAVELING DARK, COUNTRY, ROADS, FROM FRESNO, CA TO COALINGA, CA TO WORK AT THE PLEASANT VALLEY STATE PRISON. I DON'T WANT TO BECOME A HIGHWAY FATALITY STATISTIC SIMPLY BECAUSE NHTSA DOESN'T HAVE THE "[XXX]" TO FORCE TOYOTA TO RECALL THESE DANGEROUS HEADLIGHTS. I WAS UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED FOR 4 YEARS FOLLOWING A LAY OFF IN THE SUMMER OF 2009. I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THE $500 OUT OF POCKET, AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY CREDIT LEFT. YOUR INACTION, NHTSA AND TOYOTA, PUTS MY LIFE ON THE LINE TWICE A DAY. YOU BOTH WILL PROBABLY HAVE MY BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS. [XXX] YOU! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A USED 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS ONE HEADLIGHT WOULD GO OUT. WE COULD CYCLE THE SWITCH AND THE HEADLIGHT WOULD WORK AGAIN. AFTER REPLACING THE BULB WITH A ORIGINAL BULB. BOTH HEADLIGHT HAVE GONE OUT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY QUOTED A REPAIR OF $3800. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR A LEES EXPENSIVE SHOP TO DO THE REPAIRS, WHEN THE OWNER OF A SHOP[ INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA HAD SETTLED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CONCERNING THE HID ( HIGH INTENSITY DISPLAY) UNITS. THAT SETTLEMENT HAS NOW PASSED THE DATE TO SUBMIT A CLAIM. ALL CLAIMS HAD TO BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 30TH 2011. WE HAD NOT PURCHASED OUR VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL DONE ON THESE VEHICLES? OBVIOUSLY TOYOTA IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH IN THE SYSTEM OR THEY WOULD NOT OF SETTLED THE CLASS ACTION SUIT. WE NOW HAVE A VEHICLE THAT WE PAID $15000 FOR THAT CAN NOT BE DRIVEN AT NIGHT OR WHEN IT IS RAINING OUT, BECAUSE THE FAULTY HEADLIGHT INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURE. HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT ALLOW A MAJOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURE TO ALLOW THESE CARS TO STAY ON THE ROAD, AND RISK SERIOUS INJURY? *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. NEXT TIME I DROVE IT THE LIGHT WAS BACK ON. MAYBE A WEEK LATER THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. AGAIN, NEXT TIME I USED THE LIGHTS THEY WERE BOTH ON. THIS WENT ON FOR AWHILE. THE ESCALATION WAS WHEN BOTH LOW BEAMS SHUT OFF LEAVING JUST THE RUNNING LIGHTS ON. HIGH BEAMS SEEMED TO BE UNAFFECTED SO I DROVE HOME WITH HIGH BEAMS ON. CURRENTLY, ANY OF THE LIGHTS CAN GO OUT AT ANY TIME. TURNING THEM OFF AND ON AGAIN BRINGS THEM BACK. ON A HALF HOUR RIDE HOME TONIGHT, TO KEEP BOTH LIGHTS ON I HAD TO SHUT THEM OFF AND TURN THEM ON 7 TIMES. I GOOGLED THIS AND WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED, REVIEWED AND DISMISSED AS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. IT DOES NOT FEEL VERY SAFE TO BE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND DISCOVER ONESELF SUDDENLY IN THE DARK. IT SEEMS THIS WILL BE A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR ME AS REPLACING THE HEADLIGHTS IS LIKELY TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT TIME (3 M SEEMS TO BE COMMON) BEFORE I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THEM AGAIN. SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL SHOULD BE IN PLACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE MOVED IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE, STEERING SHAFT, THE CONNECTING YOKE, AND THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT EXTENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE STEERING FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V188000: (STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO FILED A COMPLAINT AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. UPDATED 10/19/12 *CN UPDATED 10/23/2012 *JS UPDATED 11/19/12 *BF UPDATED 11/20/2012 *JS *DT *TP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING AND CRASHED INTO A ROAD BARRIER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,000.

THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND THEN GO COMPLETELY OUT. THE BEAM CAN USUALLY BE RESTORED BRIEFLY BY TURNING IT ON AND OFF AGAIN BUT THE LAMP WILL THEN STAY ILLUMINATED FOR AN UNPREDICTABLE LENGTH OF TIME (SECONDS TO MINUTES). THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN "REPAIRED" AT THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES. BEFORE THE REPAIRS, THERE WAS AN OCCASION WHERE BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE TOLLWAY. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED IN ONLY ONE LIGHT (SO FAR). THESE ARE TOYOTA'S HID LIGHTS. *TR

ICE WATER PUMP FAILURE AT 51,000 MILES. 13 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. DEALER AND CORPORATE OFFICE WOULD NOT COVER ANY PART OF REPAIR. *TR

ONE OF HEADLIGHTS (PASSENGER SIDE) SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF. THEN I COMPLETELY TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF, THEN IT WORKS AGAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES. SO FAR WE HAVE CHANGED: HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, LIGHTS COMPUTER CONTROLLER, AND NUMEROUS LIGHTS BULBS. SO FAR THIS ISSUE HAS COST US OVER $3000 BUT TOYOTA DOES NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE WITH EVERYONE THAT OWNS A 2006 PRIUS FROM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON LINE WITH OTHER USERS. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE HID HEADLAMP WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS OUT FOR ABOUT A DAY THEN TURNED BACK ON WHILE DRIVING AGAIN. I HAVE NOW NOTICED THIS HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS AND ONLY WHILE IN MOTION. *TR

THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND THEN WENT ON. THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. NOW THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND THEN WENT ON. WE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 TOYOTA. WILL THERE BE A RECALL? *TR

THE RIGHT HID HEADLIGHT RANDOMLY TURNS ON AND OFF. *TR

BOTH EXTERIOR LIGHTS AND ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT LATE AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON AN OLD COUNTRY ROAD. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS! BY TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH COMPLETELY OFF AND BACK ON WE GOT OUR LIGHTS BACK. WE HAD ALREADY SPENT OVER $250 FOR HEADLAMPS BEFORE THIS SO IT WAS NOT THE BULBS. IT'S CONTINUING TO HAVE A PROBLEM HOWEVER WE USUALLY GET SOME FLICKERING OF THE LIGHTS JUST BEFORE ONE OR BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT SO WE DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON THE LIGHT SWITCH TO BE READY TO TURN OFF AND ON THE LIGHTS. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT WE HAVE TO BRING IT WHILE IT IS HAVING A PROBLEM WHICH IS A PROBLEM SINCE THE SHOP IS NOT OPEN AT NIGHT AND WHILE HAPPENING FAIRLY FREQUENTLY NOW IS NOT PREDICTABLE ENOUGH TO SHOW THE REPAIRMAN. PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE. WE ARE NOT ALONE AND STILL LOVE OUR PRIUS. *TR

WHILE MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS PRACTICING DRIVING MANEUVERABILITY WITH MY WIFE IN A PARKING LOT, THE STEERING SHAFT COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED OR STEERED. THEY PARKED THE CAR SAFELY AND GOT A RIDE HOME. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPLINES ON ONE OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS COMPLETELY FAILED. THE UPPER PARTS OF THE STEERING MECHANISM COULD TURN WITHOUT TURNING THE LOWER PARTS. TOYOTA HAD A RECALL ON SOME 2004-2006 VEHICLES WITH THIS EXACT DESCRIPTION OF PARTS BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. MY FAILURE IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED: LOW SPEED WITH THE STEERING TURNED AT THE END OF TRAVEL. SEARCHING THE PRIUS FORUMS ON LINE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. EVEN CARS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR STEERING MECHANISMS REPLACED HAVE FAILED A SECOND TIME. THE ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE STEERING SHAFT. FIRST, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PLACES FORCES ON THE STEERING SHAFT THAT WOULD NOT EXIST IN HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING. THE SPLINE NOW HAS THE FORCE OF THE DRIVER PLUS THE BOOST OF THE POWER STEERING. AT THE END OF TRAVEL, THE POWER STEERING IS FORCING THE LINKAGE TO TURN EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER IS JUST SLIGHTLY TURNING THE WHEEL. THE RACK AND PINION AND THE ASSOCIATED SHAFT AND LINK WERE DESIGNED FOR NON BOOSTED FORCES. THE SECOND DESIGN DEFECT IS THE FACT THAT THIS SAFETY CRITICAL PART DOESN'T INCLUDE SOME TYPE OF REDUNDANCY FOR FAILED SPLINES. IN STATE OF THE ART DESIGNS AVAILABLE SINCE THE 1970S, THE CLAMPING BOLT PROVIDES A SECONDARY FAIL- SAFE FOR LOOSING THE SPLINE INTERFACE. IF THE SPLINES FAIL, THE BOLT INTERFERES WITH THE SHAFT AFTER A FEW DEGREES OF MOVEMENT. THIS GIVES THE DRIVER A SLOPPY BUT SAFE WAY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. UNLIKE THE PRIUS FAILURE, THIS SYSTEM CAN KEEP THE DRIVER IN CONTROL. MY TOYOTA DEALER DID NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. TOYOTA CUSTOMER LINE DID NOTHING. *TR..UPDATED 06/28/13 *BF UPDATED 07/1/2013 *JS

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. LAST WEEK, AT 86,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC, A LARGE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT SHOWED UP ON MY DASH WITH THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO CHECK THE MANUAL AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON MANY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK. CALLED THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME TO GET TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. AFTER 2 DAYS THEY DETERMINED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW HYBRID TRANSAXLE FOR $5,000+ PLUS MISCELLANEOUS OTHER REPAIRS TOTALING $7,723. TOYOTA SAYS THE TRANSAXLE IS COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (60,000 MILES) NOT THE HYBRID WARRANTY (100,000 MILES). THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS REPAIR, T-SB-0306-08 THAT STATES THAT IT IS COVERED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA EMISSION WARRANTY IN CERTAIN STATES, DEPENDING ON MODEL YEAR, UP TO 150,000 MILES. THERE SEEMS TO BE NEW INFORMATION THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD BE FLUSHED AT 30,000 MILES. MY DEALER HAD ONLY SUGGESTED THIS 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM, WHEN I WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE BEFORE A TRIP. I PLANNED ON DOING IT AT MY NEXT SERVICE. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS? IS THIS A COMMON ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT IT COULD BE A ?DEFECT?? I READ SOMEWHERE THAT IF 4% OF CARS HAVE THE PROBLEM THEN IT IS A DEFECT. IS THAT RIGHT? OVER WHAT TIME PERIOD IF SO? IF NOT, HOW DOES THAT GET DETERMINED? HOW CAN I FIND OUT HOW MANY TRANSAXLES HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE 100,000 MILES ON 2004-2008 MODEL PRIUS?S? IS THIS REPAIR COVERED IN CARB STATES OR NOT? I BELIEVE THAT MARYLAND IS A CARB STATE NOW. WOULD THIS WARRANTY BE RETROACTIVE TO MY CAR? IS TOYOTA RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT SUGGESTING I GET THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED PRIOR TO THIS? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REPORTED INJURED HOWEVER A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SPEAK WITH HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS WITH 55,000 MILES IS USED AS A TAXI CAB. ON JULY 11TH, 2012 AND PROGRESSING, THE PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WOULD FLICKER AND THEN TURN OFF COMPLETELY AFTER 5-15 MINUTES OF OPERATION. HEADLIGHTS MUST BE TURNED OFF AND THEN ON TO RESUME NORMAL SERVICE. HID BULB REPLACEMENT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ONLY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION TO WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE ISSUE. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF RANDOMLY WHILE I AM DRIVING, THE SOLUTION I HAVE FOUND IS TO FLIP THE SWITCH ON AND OFF AGAIN AND THEY TURN BACK ON, BUT THIS ONLY WORKS TEMPORARILY AND THEY SOON SHUT OFF AGAIN. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON A DARK ROAD AT NIGHT ALONG A CURVE. THE TOYOTA SPECIALISTS RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE BULBS BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STOPPED REVERSING. THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL ONCE IT WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE HAD SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EVENTUALLY NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNEXPECTEDLY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL DURING THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURES OCCURRED DURING VERY HOT WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

I NEEDED TO WAIT FOR A SERVICE PERSON TO ARRIVE AND OPEN THE DOOR TO THEIR BUSINESS. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, WHILE GEAR WAS SET IN PARK OUTSIDE A BUILDING WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING AND RADIO ON, THE CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED AHEAD BY SEVERAL INCHES. IT STOPPED JUST AS SUDDENLY. VERY SCARY. I HAVE LEFT THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING A FEW MORE TIMES TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN. NO REPEAT INCIDENT SO FAR. IT MOVED A SHORT DISTANCE, BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO HIT A CURB, PERSON, OR CONTAINER WHO/THAT WAS NEAR THE CAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON SUBURBAN SURFACE STREETS AT DUSK, FOLLOWING A FRIEND TO MY HOME. MY CELL PHONE RANG, AND I ANSWERED USING THE BLUETOOTH FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS MY FRIEND, CALLING TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. IT HAD BEEN FLICKERING AND HAVING ISSUES OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, AND WE THOUGHT THE BULB MIGHT BE LOOSE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC ON JUNE 19TH, 2012 TO HAVE THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED AND THE HEADLIGHT LOOKED AT. HE INDICATED IT WAS THE BULB, AND THAT IT WOULD COST $350 TO REPLACE. COINCIDENTALLY, A RELATIVE SAW A NEWS STORY THE OTHER DAY ABOUT MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS MADE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND TO THE TOYOTA COMPANY, SO I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH. I WAS VERY DISHEARTENED TO READ AN INVESTIGATION MADE BY KCTV5 OUT OF KANSAS CITY WHICH EXPLAINED YOUR FAILURE THUS FAR TO DEMAND A RECALL, DESPITE AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT THE SYSTEM FLAW HAS BEEN CORRECTED IN THE 2010 AND NEWER PRIUS MODELS. PLEASE DEMAND A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED! AS THE DAUGHTER OF A RETIRED HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR ON-THE-ROAD SAFETY. AT THIS POINT, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT, AND IT IS MY FAMILY'S ONLY VEHICLE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING! *TR

DRIVER HEADLAMP TURNED OFF. AFTER REALIZING SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AND TURNED THE VEHICLE AND HEADLAMPS OFF. I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND THE HEADLAMPS AS WELL. BOTH HEADLAMPS WORKED AGAIN. THE DRIVER HEADLAMP CONTINUED WITH THIS BEHAVIOR AND THE PASSENGER HEADLAMP STARTED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME BEHAVIOR ABOUT A MONTH LATER. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS COMMON AMONG MY MODEL AND THE 2006-2009 YEARS WITH THE HID HEADLAMP PACKAGE. MANY OTHERS HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS SAME OCCURRENCE WITH THE HEADLAMPS BALLAST. IT IS NOT THE HID BULBS THEMSELVES, BUT A DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE BEEN IN SOME SITUATIONS WHERE BOTH OF THE HEADLAMPS HAVE TURNED OFF BY THEMSELVES AT NIGHT AND ALMOST WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FLAW OF THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. IF I CAN NOT SEE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND OTHER DRIVERS CAN NOT SEE ME, THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE. *TR

ON OCCASION, WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE TO STOP MY CAR (USUALLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER 30 MPH), IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE TRIES TO ACCELERATE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE ELECTRONIC PORTION OF THE VEHICLE IS TRYING TO ENGAGE AND BRIEFLY ACCELERATES WHEN I AM TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PRIUS 2006. ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS KEEPS GOING OUT AND I HAVE NOW RECEIVED A FIX-IT TICKET FROM THE LOCAL POLICE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT I ALREADY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. ALSO, I CAN'T REALLY TELL WHEN OR HOW THE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT SINCE I CAN'T SEE IT. I CAN ONLY TELL WHEN I SEE THE REFLECTION IN THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR OR WHEN IN FRONT OF A STORE/WALL ETC. IF I TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF AND BACK ON COUPLE OF TIMES THEN THE LIGHT COMES BACK. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY ON THE WHOLE TIME, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. IT IS NOT AN EVENT I CAN MAKE HAPPEN AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (TOYOTA OF ORANGE) AND THEY CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN EITHER. I HAVE ALSO COME ACROSS A BLOG WHERE MANY PRIUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/HEADLIGHT-PROBLEM.34584/ *TR

PASSANGER SIDE HEADLIGHT DIMS AND THEN TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES - LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES COME BACK ON WHEN YOU TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED WITHIN MINUTES OF TURNING THEM OFF THEN ON AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,500.

OWNER ENTERED VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO LATCH DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT. UPON PLACING TAB INTO BUCKLE, BUCKLE SHOT A SPRING INTO THE CAR AND WOULD NOT LATCH. THERE WERE NO OTHER INCIDENTS WITH THIS BELT PRIOR TO THIS DATE. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED AND IS ORDERING A NEW SEATBELT LATCH FOR PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT BY OWNER. *TR

I BOUGHT 4 NEW PIRELLI CINTURATO P5 TIRES FOR MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS IN JUNE OF 2009 FROM DISCOUNT TIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT THESE TIRES WOULD LAST FOR 85,000 MILES BEFORE HAVING TO REPLACE THEM. SINCE THEN I REGULARLY ROTATED AND BALANCED THEM. WHEN I WENT TO GET MY TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED AGAIN 6/2009, I WAS TOLD THAT TWO OF THE TIRES ARE ALREADY WORN OUT AND I WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO GET TWO NEW TIRES TO KEEP ME SAFE WHILE DRIVING. I INFORMED THE SALES PERSONNEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE JUST 3 YEARS OLD AND WITH 40,400 MILES SINCE PURCHASED. HE MENTIONED TO ME THAT TIRES MANY A TIMES DO NOT GIVE THE MILEAGE THEY ARE RATED FOR. IN MY CASE, I GOT LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE RATED MILEAGE. WITH MY DRIVING PATTERN (13,000 MILES/YEAR), I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THESE TIRES TO LAST FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS AS I TAKE GOOD CARE (ROTATING, BALANCING, AND ALIGNMENT) OF THEM. *TR

THE FRONT AND BACK LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE (PASSENGER) SIDE FAILURE SPORADICALLY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY MY REAR LIGHT. NOW I'M STARTING TO NOTICE THAT IT IS MY RIGHT SIDE FRONT HEADLIGHT TOO. TONIGHT I NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE WERE OUT. WHEN MY FRONT HEADLIGHT FAILS, I CAN TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON. WHEN I TURN IT BACK ON, THE LIGHT WORKS AGAIN, BUT I'M NOT SURE FOR HOW LONG. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE READ ONLINE FORUMS AND THIS DOES NOT LOOK TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY GONE DARK WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, EITHER SINGLY OR IN TANDEM. OTHER TIMES THEY FAIL TO COME ON AT THE START OF A TRIP, BUT ONE OR BOTH WILL BE ON AT THE DESTINATION. IT ONLY SEEMS TO AFFECT THE MAIN HEADLAMPS, NOT THE AMBER LIGHTS OR THE SMALL ROUND LIGHTS BELOW THEM. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED WE REPLACED THE BULB IN ONE HEADLAMP, BUT THAT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PROBLEM. IT'S FRIGHTENING WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT MIDNIGHT. *TR