2005 Toyota Prius complaints

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING 55MPH. PULLED OVER & NOTED DRIVER HEADLIGHT OUT. TURNED CAR OFF & THEN RESTARTED & BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT ON. DROVE A COUPLE MILES & NOTED HEADLIGHT OUT & THIS TIME IT WAS THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT THAT WAS OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES IN THE YEAR @ 1/2. WE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM IN THE PAST WITH THE HEADLIGHTS BEING AIMED TOO LOW IN FRONT OF THE CAR CAUSING TROUBLE SEEING. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE AUTO AIMING COMPUTER WAS MALFUNCTIONING & IT WAS REPLACED BY WARRANTY. WE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE SKID CONTROL BRAKE COMPUTER ($2500.) REPLACED 12/06/2012 DUE TO BRAKE MALFUNCTIONING (BRAKES WOULD HARDLY STOP THE CAR). *TR

LEFT HID HEADLIGHT ON MY PRIUS KEEPS GOING OFF AT RANDOM, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS FAST, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL. BY CYCLING THE HEADLIGHTS ON/OFF TURN THE LIGHT BACK ON. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN TO MORE THAN JUST MY PRIUS BECAUSE I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN MANY PRIUSES WITH THEIR PASSENGER SIDE (LEFT) HEADLIGHT OUT. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY. TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF, AND BACK ON RESTORED ILLUMINATION. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 45 MINUTES. *TR

1. DRIVER'S SIDE HID-TYPE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WENT ON & OFF INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHT COMPUTER AND BULB. RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO GET HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. 2. HEADLIGHT LEVELING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS & WARNING LIGHT GOES ON INTERMITTENTLY, GENERALLY DURING & RIGHT AFTER RAIN STORMS. ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES. *TR

BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I CAN TOGGLE THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AND ONE OR BOTH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THEN WENT OUT AGAIN WITHIN A FEW SECONDS TO A MINUTE, OVER AND OVER. MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF CAR IS NOT MOVING AT ALL OR GOING 70 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE 15 MILES HOME AT NIGHT WITHOUT INCIDENT. WENT TO DEALER NEXT DAY AND THEY SAY ALL THAT IS WRONG IS THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BURNED OUT. ESTIMATE TO REPLACE BOTH IS $474.31. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD BURN OUT AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME. AND IF THEY ARE BURNED OUT THEN WHY DO THEY COME BACK ON AND OFF. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND FOUND THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT FOR 2006-2009 MODELS. I ALSO FOUND THAT YOU HAVE HAD HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2005 MODEL YET YOU HAVE NOT CONSIDERED THIS A SAFETY MATTER. I DISAGREE. EVEN IF YOU DON'T HELP ME, I WANT MY COMPLAINT INCLUDED IN YOUR DATABASE. *TR

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT I HEAD A SNAPPING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE WHEELS STOPPED TURNING. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN, BUT THE WHEELS WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. *TR*DT*JB

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WHEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN TURNING OFF PERIODICALLY, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME BOTH LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT. BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON, THE HEADLIGHTS RETURNED TO WORKING ORDER. THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM, WHICH BOTH TOYOTA AND NHTSA KNOW ABOUT. REPLACING THE LIGHTBULB APPEARS TO BE ONLY A VERY TEMPORARY, AND COSTLY, SOLUTION. *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF AND ON. AT FIRST ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TURN IT OFF THEN ON BUT NOW IT IS TURNING OFF AND STAYING OFF. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY THREE CHILDREN COMING FROM SCHOOL AND SLOWING DOWN US 301 TOWARDS TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN T TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE CAR DID NOT STOP. I HAD TO REAPPLY THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT DOWN VERY DEEP BEFORE THE CAR JERKED AND SLOWLY STOPPED. THANK GOD THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT, OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. WENT TO THE TOYOTA CAR DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE FAILURE CODE WAS DTC C1247 AND TOLD US TO REPLACE THE SKID CONTROL UNIT. BASICALLY, THE ECU OF THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CAR DID NOT HAVE BRAKES ON IT. PLEASE DO A RECALL BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT ON THIS. *TR

MY CAR LIGHTS KEEPS GOING OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THE NEXT TIME I USED THE CAR, THE HEADLIGHT WAS WORKING AGAIN. SINCE THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, EITHER HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT INTERMITTENTLY (I HAVE NOT BEEN AWARE THAT BOTH HAVE GONE OUT AT THE SAME TIME). EACH TIME, THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FOUND TO BE WORKING AGAIN LATER. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. I DON'T DO A LOT OF NIGHT DRIVING, BUT I KEEP MY LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME. I SUSPECT THERE ARE MANY DAYLIGHT FAILURES THAT GO UNNOTICED. *TR

MY 2005 PRIUS BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. WHEN I FIRST TURN MY LIGHTS ON, THE HEADLAMP WORKS, BUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, IT GOES OUT. SWITCHING TO HIGH BEAMS DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE, BUT IF I TURN OFF MY LIGHTS AND TURN THEM RIGHT BACK ON, THE HEADLAMP WORKS FOR A SHORT WHILE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON PRIUS FORUMS, AND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THE DEALER WANTS $2600 TO FIX IT. I THINK IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT NO CHARGE. *TR

I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO FUEL UP AND WHEN I LEFT THE GAS STATION I SUDDENLY LOST STEERING IN MY CAR. I COULD ONLY MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD. *TR UPDATED 06/13/13*LJ UPDATED 06/17/2013 *JS

WHEN I STARTED MY 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS, I GOT A WARNING ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY THAT THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT LEVELING SYSTEM HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE THAT CORRECTS THE AIM OF THE HEADLIGHTS IF YOU ARE DRIVING WITH AN UNUSUALLY HEAVY LOAD, SO THAT YOUR LIGHTS DO NOT MOMENTARILY BLIND ONCOMING DRIVERS. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE SENSOR IN THE HEADLIGHT LEVELING SYSTEM FAILS, THE HEADLIGHTS AIM THEMSELVES TO A DEFAULT POSITION THAT IS UNSAFE; THE HEADLIGHTS AIM DOWNWARDS, AND ILLUMINATE THE GROUND 20 FEET IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND NO FARTHER. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THE DARK FASTER THAN 20 MILES AN HOUR WITH THE HEADLIGHTS LIKE THIS. THE PROBLEM BEGINS WITH THE SENSOR IN THE 2004 AND 2005 MODEL PRIUSES, WHERE A GASKET FAILS AND THE INTERIOR PARTS OF THE SENSOR CORRODE AND FAIL. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND NOW OFFERS IMPROVED REPLACEMENT PARTS AND HAS ISSUED THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BELOW. HOWEVER, REPLACING THIS PART AT A DEALER CAN COST UPWARDS OF $500, DISCOURAGING MANY OWNERS FROM MAKING THE REPAIR, LEADING TO UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR PRIUS DRIVERS AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR A DRIVER TO DRIVE IN THE DARK. IT SEEMS LIKE POOR ENGINEERING THAT TOYOTA HAS IMPLEMENTED A SAFETY DEVICE THAT, WHEN IT FAILS, CREATES A MORE UNSAFE CONDITION THAN IF THE SAFETY DEVICE WERE NOT THERE. NOT TO BE OVERLY DRAMATIC, BUT IT WAS A FAILED GASKET AND FAILED SENSORS THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE SPA

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING. I IMMEDIATELY BRAKED BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ME. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN THAT MY 9YEAR OLD AND 12 YEAR OLD PANICKED. WHEN I SWITCHED THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF THEY CAME BACK ON. THE INCIDENT RE-OCCURRED AN ADDITIONAL 3 TIMES ON THE WAY HOME. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS THE DEALER. BOTH SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE SINCE IT IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I COULD UNDERSTAND A LIGHTBULB GOING OUT, BUT BOTH GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME IS A HORRIFIC DANGEROUS SITUATION. I BELIEVE THERE IS AN INHERENT DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

DRIVING ON I-405 WHEN THE LEFT HEADLIGHT BEGAN ACTING INTERMITTENTLY. BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER WHEN STOPPED BY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE AND THAT THEIR ONLY SUGGESTION WAS TO REPLACE THE BULB, BUT THAT WOULD COST $500 AND WOULD NOT GUARANTEE FIXING THE PROBLEM. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES DURING 2007 AND OVER THE FOLLOWING YEARS TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT... YIELDING THE SAME RESULTS FROM THE DEALER. MANY TIMES DURING NIGHT DRIVING THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WOULD GO OUT. FINALLY, IN MARCH, 2013 BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE ON I-405 AT NIGHT. HAPPENED TWICE DURING DRIVE HOME WITH 3 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. HAD HID BULBS REPLACED AS CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE ($657.88) ONLY TO FIND OUT TOYOTA IS COMPLETELY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FROM A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. I AM SHOCKED THEY PUT MY FAMILY AT RISK BY FAILING TO NOTIFY US OF THIS PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN PROACTIVELY CONTACTING THE COMPANY WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS CONTAINED IN THE LAWSUIT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AT UNEXPECTED TIMES. TRYING TO ACTIVATE THE HIGH HEADLIGHTS DOES NOT MAKE THE LIGHT COME BACK ON. THE ONLY WAY THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON IS BY TURNING THEM OFF AND ON FROM THE SWITCH, AND MOST OF THE TIME THE LIGHT GOES OUT AGAIN IN A VERY SHORT TIME. *TR

THE LEFT HEADLIGHT UNEXPECTEDLY GOES OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON, BUT SOON REPEATS GOING OUT. *TR

ON MY 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS THE HID LIGHTS WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA PARTS. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THEY STARTED TO GO OFF AND ON AT RANDOM. THE DEALER REPLACED THEM WITH AFTERMARKET HID BULBS. AFTER ABOUT 18 MONTHS ONE OF THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND ON AT RANDOM. THE DEALER NO LONGER CARRIES AFTERMARKET HID BULBS. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD INSTALL THE TOYOTA BULBS WHICH HAVE ISSUES OR I COULD GET AFTERMARKET BULBS AND THEY WOULD INSTALL THEM. WELL THE NEW D2R HID SYLVANIA BULBS WERE INSTALLED BY THE DEALER. WITHIN 2 WEEKS ONE OF THE NEW BULBS WENT OFF AND ON AT RANDOM. NOW A WEEK LATER THE OTHER NEW HID BULB IS DOING THE SAME THING. I HAVE READ THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ALSO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. WHEN WILL THIS SAFETY PROBLEM BE ADDRESSED????? *TR

I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE, BUT INSTEAD OF STOPPING MY PRIUS ACCELERATED,AND JERKED UNDER THE STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME.THE BRAKES ACTED LIKE ACCELERATED PEDAL. PRIUS OCCASIONALLY HAD THE ACCELERATING JERKS WITHOUT PEDAL INPUT, BUT AFTER FIXING ALL THE RECALLS, I THOUGHT THE CAR IS FINE. BUT THIS TIME, IT WAS NOT A JERK, IT WAS A FULL LEAP, THAT DESTROYED THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT WAS TOWED FROM THE ACCIDENT AND IT IS BEYOND THE REPAIR. I HAD IT ONLY FOR 9 MONTHS. *TR

LAST SEPTEMBER WE NOTICED THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. WHEN WE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON, THE LAMP CAME BACK ON. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WITH NO RESOLUTION. OTHERS HAVE SPEND BIG $$$ TO FIX, HOWEVER AFTER SPENDING THE MONEY, THE PROBLEM REMAINED. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO PARK BUT THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO SHIFT INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

THE MULTI INFORMATION DISPLAY NO LONGER SHOWS THE VEHICLE SPEED AND OTHER SPECS SUCH AS FUEL GAUGE, WARNING LIGHTS, AND SUCH. THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES COULDN'T TURN OFF, AND IT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO PRESS AND HOLD THE POWER BUTTON FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS IN ORDER TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. DRIVING IS QUITE DANGEROUS AS I NOT EVEN SURE IF THE CAR IS EVEN "READY" OR NOT, AND WHAT GEAR (D, N, R) IT IS IN. TOYOTA IS CHARGING ME 400 FOR THE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THE SERVICE BULLETIN STATED THAT THIS IS CAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. MY SISTER WHO OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS (16X,XXX) DID RECEIVE THE NOTICE OF RECALL FOR THE MULTI INFORMATION DISPLAY, BUT I DIDN'T ANY NOTICE AT ALL. THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! *TR

DASHBOARD INFORMATION SUDDENLY TURNS BLANK -- NO FUEL LEVEL, SPEED, ETC. , BUT HEADLIGHTS WORK (ALTHOUGH NO INDICATOR ON INSTRUMENT PANEL) AS WELL AS TURN SIGNALS, AIR-CONDITIONING, AND RADIO. I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER THINKING THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A FUSE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE RARELY SEEN THIS, IT'S A PROBLEM WITH A COMPONENT BEHIND THE POWER SWITCH. THE PART IS IN SHORT SUPPLY AND MAY TAKE AS LONG AS FOUR WEEKS TO ARRIVE. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALER WILL BE PAYING FOR THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR IN THE INTERIM. THE SERVICE FROM THE DEALER IS SUPERIOR AND...I LOVE MY PRIUS.. *TR

THE THREE WAY COOLANT CONTROL VALVE FAILED. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE JUST TURNS OFF FOR NO REASON. I SAW IT OFF WHEN STOPPED. IT HAS DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES AFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF DRIVING. IT GOES BACK ON, BUT I KEEP THE FOG LIGHTS ON JUST IN CASE IT HAPPENS IN THE DARK. I THINK IT COULD EFFECT BOTH HEAD LIGHTS AND CAUSE A SAFETY PROBLEM AT NIGHT. I DRIVE ON UNLIT STREETS AT NIGHT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS WILL RANDOMLY TURN OFF AND ON. SOMETIMES THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES THE RIGHT, AND OCCASIONALLY BOTH LIGHTS WILL GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THE HID BULBS ARE NOT TO BLAME. THESE BULBS, WHEN THEY DO GO OUT, THEY BURN OUT AND NEVER COME BACK. THIS ISSUE IS A CONTROL PROBLEM/DESIGN FLAW OF THE VEHICLE. IF THE NHTSA WOULD LOOK IN ITS DATABASE IT WOULD SEE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IF YOU ARE WAITING ON A BODY COUNT YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WAIT LONG. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON HWY 66 AT 7:30 PM ON MARCH 4TH WHEN A LOOSE COW ENTERED THE ROAD, THEN THE LIGHTS BLINKED OUT. A 2,000 LBS ANIMAL AND A 2,600 LBS CAR DO NOT INTERACT WELL TOGETHER. I SUSPECT YOU WILL KEEP IGNORING THIS AND BE A PATSY FOR TOYOTA. I PLAN ON FILING A SMALL CLAIMS AGAINST TOYOTA AND, IF I CAN FIND A LAWYER WHO WILL TAKE YOU ON, SUE THE NHTSA FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOBS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS SHUTTING OFF. IF I TURN OFF LIGHTS AND TURN BACK ON, IT COMES BACK ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE. SHUTS OFF ABOUT 6 TIMES IN 25 MILES. *TR

SEQUENTIAL FAILURE OF 4 GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRES PLACED ON VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2004. SINCE OCTOBER OF 2012 THE TIRES HAVE BEEN BLOWING OUT AT THE RATE OF ONE EVERY 6-8 WEEKS. I PLAN ON REPLACING THE ONE REMAINING OF THOSE 2004 TIRES BEFORE IT IMPLODES ALSO WHILE DRIVING. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS BEGAN OVER A YEAR AGO, BUT WE CANNOT NAME THE SPECIFIC TIME. WE INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A LIGHT BULB, HOWEVER, WE LEARNED THAT IT CAN BE REACTIVATED BY BRIEFLY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IF DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES DURING ONE TRIP OR NOT AT ALL. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A FEW TOYOTA DEALERS AND THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT IT COULD COST 400-800+ TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, WHICH WE BELIEVE TO BE EXCESSIVE SO FOR NOW WE ARE TOLERATING THE PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OFF. THEY WOULD COME BACK ON WHEN TURNING THE LIGHT CONTROL OFF THEN BACK ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THEY WOULD GO OFF AGAIN AND TO GET THEM BACK ON I HAD TO SWITCH OFF/ THEN BACK ON. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE DEPENDENT ON FAST I WAS DRIVING OR IF A BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO GO OFF. WE TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT AND BOTH HEADLIGHT BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACE @ $175.00 EACH FOR PARTS PLUS LABOR TO DROP FONT BUMPER SO HEADLIGHTS COULD BE INSTALLED. TOTAL BILL CAME TO $485.00 TO REPLACE TWO HEADLIGHTS THAT WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS JUST SHUT OFF. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MILES AN HOUR. I SLOWED DOWN AS MUCH AS I COULD. ONLY ONE CAR WAS BEHIND ME AND BY CHANCE HE HAD SEEN MY LIGHTS GO OFF AND STARTED TO FLICKER HIS LIGHTS AS HE PASSED ME. LUCKILY THEIR WASN'T ANY CARS ON SITE BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT 2 AM IN THE MORNING AND THEIR WASN'T ANY TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER UNDER A HIGHWAY STREET LAMP ON THE SHOULDER. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHT AND BACK ON REPEATEDLY UNTIL ABOUT THE 7TH OR 9TH TRY THEY CAME BACK ON. SINCE THEN I HAVE INTERMITTENT LIGHT TURNING OFF ON EITHER HEADLIGHT AT RANDOM TIME. THE DIMMING CAN GO FOR WEEKS WITHOUT SHUTTING OFF AND CAN ALSO GO ON FOR A FULL WEEK WITH THE HEADLIGHTS DAILY. I KNOW THIS IS HAZARD BECAUSE THE TIME WHERE BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT IT COULD HAVE ENDED IN A DIFFERENT WAY OTHER THEN PULLING OVER SAFELY ON THE SHOULDER. ALSO THE INTERMITTENT LIGHT TURNING OFF OF THE LIGHTS IS ALSO A HAZARD BECAUSE IT DECREASES VISIBILITY BOTH FOR ME TO SEE THE ROAD AND OTHER DRIVERS TO SEE ME. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT ON THE DRIVER SIDE. LUCKILY I WAS PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS COURTEOUS TO LET ME KNOW THE REAR DRIVER-SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT. I BELIEVE THIS A HAZARD THAT TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO CORRECT BECAUSE THE LED BRAKE LIGHT BULBS ARE NOT REPAIRABLE/REPLACEABLE, AN SINCE THE LED HAD FAILED AND THE DRIVER-SIDE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS NOW USELESS AND NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY QUOTED MY 800 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE TAILLIGHT INCLUDING LABOR. I DON'T LIKE HOW THE LED BRAKE LIGHT IS INTENDED FOR OVER 100,000 HOURS OF LIFE BUT HADN'T LASTED MORE THAN FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF USE. AND THE WORST PART OF THE SITUATION IS THAT THE LED BULBS ARE NOT REPLACEABLE/REPAIRABLE AND THUS A GREATER DIFFICULTY TO REPAIR AND BRING BACK TO SAFE OPERATING CONDITION. *TR

FRONT RIGHT HEADLIGHT IS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT. I CAN GET IT TO GO BACK ON IF I TURN SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON BUT IT MAY FAIL AGAIN WITHIN 10 OR 80 MINUTES. REPLACED BULB, BUT STILL HAVE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE BULB BUT REPLACING IT HAS NOT FIXED THE ISSUE. *TR

PETITION FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO DEFECT CONDITIONS IN UPPER IMMEDIATE STEERING EXTENSION SHAFT #2 MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE 2004-2009 TOYOTA PRIUS VEHICLES W/RESPECT TO RECALL 12V-537. *SMD AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CURRENT LOSS OF STEERING ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE UPPER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE UPPER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS DECOUPLED FROM THE ELECTRIC- POWER- ASSIST COLUMN OUTPUT SPLINE. A CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE DECOUPLED COMPONENTS REVEALED THAT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE UPPER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED ON THE SPLINE OUTPUT OF THE POWER ASSIST COLUMN. THIS ALLOWED A METALLURGICAL FAILURE ON THE INTERIOR OF THE UPPER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, WHICH CONSEQUENTLY ALLOWED SEPARATION OF THAT SHAFT FROM THE ELECTRICAL STEERING POWER ASSIST COLUMN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE SHAFT SPLINE SHOWED A LONG TERM DETERIORATION OF THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT #2 INSIDE SPLINE AS EVIDENCE BY METALLURGICAL SHARDS OF DETERIORATED SPLINE METAL STILL RESIDING IN THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT CAVITY. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD CANCEL AND NOT RE-ENGAGE, THEN THERE WERE TIMES, WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DIS-ENGAGE AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT OFF COURSE WHENEVER THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD, FOR EVEN A MOMENT. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO STEER THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY OR IT WOULD DRIFT INTO ANOTHER LANE. APPARENTLY, IT WAS DUE TO A COMPUTER ALGORITHM THAT WOULD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT

I STARTED UP THE CAR THIS MORNING, PUT IT INTO REVERSE, AND A SECOND OR TWO LATER, IT SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THE SHIFT LEVER FELT LIKE THERE WAS MORE RESISTANCE TO IT THAN USUAL. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALSO HAPPENED WHEN I TRIED TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF TURNING THE CAR ON AND OFF AND TRYING TO SHIFT SEVERAL TIMES, THE CAR FINALLY STAYED IN GEAR. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS DESCRIBED IN THIS THREAD: HTTP://WWW.TOYOTANATION.COM/FORUM/62-PRIUS-FORUM/343977-08-PRIUS-WONT-STAY-GEAR.HTML, WITH THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING THAT IT WAS A RATHER COLD DAY (0 DEGREES F) WHILE MOST OF THE POSTS IN THE THREAD MENTION THE PROBLEM OCCURRING ON A HOT DAY. WHILE THE MALFUNCTION ON MY CAR WAS PROBLEMATIC BUT NOT LIFE-THREATENING, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CAR COULD SHIFT ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL WHILE I AM DRIVING (AS DESCRIBED BY SEVERAL POSTERS IN THE ABOVE THREAD), WHICH WOULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. BOTH BULBS WERE REPLACED RECENTLY. THE CAR HAS AN HID HEADLIGHT SYSTEM. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC(?) SHIFT MECHANISM IN THE CAR MALFUNCTIONS/DOES NOT STAY ENGAGED IN TEMPERATURES APPROXIMATELY 28 DEGREES FAREHEIT & BELOW WHEN CAR HAS SAT IDLE FOR PERIODS OF TIME. THE NIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT I WAS RETURNING FROM A BUSINESS TRIP WHERE MY CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUT IN THE WEATHER FOR APPROXIMATELY 28-30 HOURS. THE TEMPERATURE THIS PARTICULAR DAY WAS 9 DEGREES; HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN IN THE PAST WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20'S. {DUE TO OUR MILD WINTER LAST YEAR I DON'T RECALL IT HAPPENING MUCH IF AT ALL-- IT DID HOWEVER OCCUR THE WINTER YEAR PRIOR [2010-2011] AND I REPORTED IT TO MY TOYOTA DEALER. THEY LOOKED AT ME AND TOLD ME THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH PROBLEM.} WHEN I POSITION MY SHIFT SELECT FROM THE CENTER POSITION & SELECT EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE, THE CAR TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES UPON PRESSING THE GAS. THE OTHER NIGHT I HAD PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED I HAD TO PHYSICALLY HOLD THE DRIVE SELECTOR IN THE "D"/DRIVE POSITION FOR 28 MINUTES BEFORE THE SELECTOR REMAINED ENGAGED. (IN PAST INCIDENTS I HAVE HAD TO HOLD THE SELECTOR IN POSITION FROM 5-10 MINUTES- THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GET WORSE IN RLATION TO LOWER TEMPS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF SUCH A PROBLEM? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNDETECTED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS WORKING ON A REMEDY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,122.

SINCE ABOUT THE FALL OF LAST YEAR OR SO, WE'VE BEEN NOTICING THAT THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN GOING OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE RIGHT WENT OUT AND THEN CAME BACK ON. THEN ANOTHER TIME THE LEFT WENT OUT AND CAME BACK ON. I'VE READ ABOUT THIS OCCURRING ON MANY OTHER PRIUS' AND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT? ANYWAY, I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS FIXED AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE HEADLAMPS REPEATEDLY BURN OUT, WHICH REPAIR PEOPLE HAVE SAID INDICATES AN UNDERLYING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE ONE OF THE HEADLAMPS FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN JUST OVER A YEAR. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT RELATED TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM. EVER SINCE THE CAR WAS TAKEN OF THE DEALER SHIP, THE BRAKES ACT IN A SUDDEN, JERKY MANNER APPROACHING A STOP. THE BRAKES FUNCTION NORMALLY AT NORMAL SPEEDS, BUT AS I APPROACH A STOP, IT FEELS LIKE (FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES)AS IF YOU WHERE PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON A NORMAL CAR WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING SLOW. ALONG WITH THIS, WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD A NOISE IS GENERATED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION HAS BEEN EXHIBITED EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AT TRIANGLE DEALER AT KENNEDY AVE (CARR#2) IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY ON JAN 28, 2005 (I BOUGHT IT OCTOBER 16, 2004) TO HAVE THE BREAKS CHECKED AND THE SERVICE EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A HYBRID CAR, THAT WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. FOR THE TIME BEING THE CAR ALWAYS EXHIBITED THE BRAKE STRANGE BEHAVIORS AND RECENTLY A BRAKE LIGHT LIT ON FOR THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. MY CAR IS NOW 130,000MILES AND OVER 8 YEARS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2500. IM SURE THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR. IM SURE THAT DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF IT. I JUST WANT MY EXPERIENCE TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. THANKS! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY BUT WOULD FUNCTION NORMALLY AFTER ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATED THEM SEVERAL TIMES. IN ADDITION WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ERRONEOUSLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND ALL OF THE CONTACT'S ATTEMPTS TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE INVERTER CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT REPAIRS COMPLETED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V536000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER) MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED TO PAY FOR A PORTION OF THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000...UPDATED 01/14/13 *BF..UPDATED 01/16/2013 *BF UPDATED 1/18/2013 *JS THE CONSUMER IS STILL WITHOUT THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 1/28/2013*JS

I THOUGHT MY HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED, SO I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE IT DONE. THE SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM COULDN'T BE FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS THE AUTO LEVELING SENSOR IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. AFTER A FEW MORE WEEKS OF DRIVING LIKE THAT, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH BOARD AND THE DISPLAY IN THE CONSOLE. I ORDERED THE PART AND HAD IT REPLACED. IT SOME WHAT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM, BUT THE LIGHTS STILL NEED ADJUSTING. THEY ARE STILL NOT POINTING HIGH ENOUGH TO LIGHT THE ROAD APPROPRIATELY. THE SHOP SAYS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE LIGHTS FURTHER THAN WHAT THE SENSOR DOES. *TR

MY PASSENGERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT WENT OUT. IT CAME BACK ON WHEN I TURNED THE SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE MORE TIMES SINCE, TWO OF WHICH WERE THIS MORNING ALONE (12/28/2012). *TR

HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF UNEXPECTEDLY. TURNING SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON TEMPORARILY RESETS AND THEY WORK FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES THEN GO OFF AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

WE BOUGHT OUR TOYOTA PRIUS ON JUNE 2006. RECENTLY MY WIFE, WHO IS THE PRINCIPLE DRIVER, COMPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING OF THE PRIUS. I DROVE IT AND NOTICED THAT WHEN I MADE A TURN EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT THAT I HEARD AND FELT A CLANKING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. I ALSO NOTICED THAT WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE CAR NOT IN MOTION, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF MOVEMENT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHENEVER I WOULD PUSH IT UP AND DOWN. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. HE REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT ASSY PART # 45260-47052. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THIS HAS BEEN A RECALL ITEM OR NOT BUT IF IT WAS I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OR MADE AWARE BY TOYOTA. IT COST US $371 PARTS AND LABOR FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.