Headlight problem

Thanks for the correction, Andrew. I was reading up on another site and had Sss stuck in my head.

 

I have a 2005, 235k miles. I have been having the headlight problem on the passanger side for 3-4 years. I replaced the bulb, no change. I have been given tickets on this problem by CHP, four times now. Each time taken to toyota ... we can't find a problem.... Last night they both went out, i couldnt get them to stay on for more than a minute. what is the problem here?

 

My problem on both headlights were the bulbs. The first time the mechanic replaced them (non toyota mechanic) the problem started soon after install. I guess he had touched the bulbs too much. The second time around Toyota installed and I haven't had problems since.

 

My drivers side headlight went out a while back. It seems that some people just need new bulbs. I tried that first which helped but it shortly started going out again. I then bought a ballast/computer on ebay for pretty cheap. The one I bought turned out to be a different part number than what I had (they said my Prius was compatible). It had the same specs but the cord was too short. I ended up splicing the old one onto the new one to get the length needed. The new ballast fixed my problem and it's been close to 11,000 miles now without a single headlight drop out.

Looking at the ballast sticker it says 2000H which I assume is 2000 hours or the expected life of the ballast. Can anyone confirm this?

 

Has anyone seriously thought about a class-action lawsuit on the headlight issue since EVERYONE has this problem?

 

Not everyone has this problem, and Toyota voluntarily instituted a replacement program in response to threatened litigation. Both of these factors make a successful class-action lawsuit unlikely.

Tom

 

Toyota's so called replacement program was a joke...we paid for 2 ballasts and 3 bulbs. This program reimbursed me half of what I spent, how is that a remedy? Additionally, after the repairs were made (that I paid for) I still have problems. Now the car is over 150k and not covered anymore. Don't miss interpret my reply, I am not angry, we still love the car and recommend it. I simply believe that Toyota should make it right. Maybe not everyone has the problem...everyone I know with Prius HID has a problem, all 6 of them. I have found that replacing the bulbs works for a while, but I never know how long. I understand that bulbs go out, it's just a fact of life. I just buy more bulbs and go on because I have no other choice. I strongly believe the ballast is overloading the bulb causing them to overheat and shutdown or blow. All of the D4R bulbs I have pulled have been cloudy. I have replaced a few for friends because they are not mechanically inclined. Some of those were completely blown leaving pieces of glass in the headlight housing. It was fun digging that stuff out...shop vac + creative rubber hose= success. I replaced both in my car back in January with "non" Phillips/Osram bulbs to see if they last any longer.
This is a little off topic but Come to think of it the bulbs that keep blowing in Mitsubishi TV are Phillips/Osram bulbs.

 

^^^
Where were you buying your bulbs from? It's possible they were fakes.

Were you touching the glass/quartz envelope of the bulb w/your fingers? I've got an 06 but am only had 64K miles. I've so far only had to swap out 1 bulb and 0 ballasts. I sent in my paperwork even though I was a bit past the 5 year/50K mile extension and received exactly what I asked for: the amount I spent on buying two Philips D4R bulbs on Amazon.

Although I'm semi-unhappy the D4R bulbs seem a lot less reliable than the D2R system in the 04-05 (http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ius-owners-w-hids-how-long-did-they-last.html), this is one of the best class action settlements I've ever gotten.

 

The bulbs that were blown to pieces were in 2 of my friends cars, I have no idea what the mileage on their cars was at the time or if they had been replaced before. The deal I made with them was they were to bring me the bulb and a thoughtful adult beverage, and I switched out the bulb. I purchased my first 3 bulbs from Toyota and none of them made 30k before going out. The one's I got in January were on Amazon from Maxlux...i'm not too concerned if they are fakes as long as the work. I always wear nitrile gloves when I take the old ones out and then put new gloves on before handling the new bulbs. Gloves are cheap...

 

I am new to posting on this site, but have been following it, and using alot of tips i have learned here. Not sure if i have a good dealership here in town and being a woman i get the usual blah, blah, blah and that will be 1billion dollars to fix(when in truth they didn't do a thing). Or the service managers eyes will glaze over when i tell him what i want done. I was a single mom and out of necessity had to learn how to work on my cars. That is until they put so darn many computers in them.(although in the long run that is a good thing i know)
I have an 05 that now has 178,000 on it, i do a round trip to work each weekday of 120 miles. In all that time i have only had to replace the small battery once and the rest has only been usual maintenance (oil changes, tires, rotations & tune-up).
About a month ago i also started havingthe same problems with my front right headlight. I was just in to the dealership today for some paint to cover all my little dings from rocks being kicked up on my hood and asked about the headlight issue. He mentioned of course the bulb was the culprit but also added that it was most likely a ballist or a transistor(i think is what he called it). of course it costs a fortune for the bulb and you have to remove the front bumper. But i have worked on enough of older cars that had problems with headlights to know with bulbs(old style or new) if it's a bulb issue, the bulbs goes out and you have to buy a new one.
So what I am trying to say, after all the blabbering is that this is the best website in the world and so glad i was told about it. I feel confident enough to walk into a dealership and feel like i know enough that they won't be able to overcharge me or sell me stuff that i don't need.

As my site name says. I LOVE MY PRIUS AND PLAN ON BUYING ANOTHER IF THIS ONE EVER DIES ON ME.....
Thanks to all of your posts and i will continue following each and everyone of them

 

Got to be careful at night with just one light! Cops might give you a ticket for that too. Car mechanics in your area should be able to fix you up quick.

 

Got to be careful at night with just one light! Cops might give you a ticket for that too.

 

When you use the term "ECU" and others use the term "relay" what parts do you mean? When I have looked up a list of the electrical parts there is no ECU listed. I know nothing about electrical issues and am having a difficult time researching this issue. I have a 2007 Prius I bought from the original owner whom I assume got the letter about the class action suit and decided to dump the car. I have a right light that goes out, but mostly both go out together. Believe me I95 at night with no lights is not my cup of tea! I can flip them off/on but 70 mph in deer country in the dark is not stressless way to drive.

 

There's a ballast/ECU the drives the bulbs. This might be referred to as a headlight light control ECU. Relays are much smaller components.

Assuming you're out of the extended warranty provided by the class action lawsuit, I would change both bulbs first to see if that solves the problem. You need to change them now. They're obviously dying.

If you're still in warranty, try to document the lights going out and maybe make a video that shows you, the lights being out, and a date and time. If you have access to a newspaper w/the current date, include that in the video.

 

I bought a 2008 Prius V about a year ago used. Low mileage. Great car except for the headlights. I had a friend that complained about the same thing. Now I drive down the road and see one headlight out on most Prius's going down the road. Mine is not the same light going out and sometimes both lights go out. I got pulled over for no lights. but when I turned the corner, I flicked the lights and they came back on and had him puzzled-No ticket. It drives me crazy. I have been going to the Toyota dealership swears they know nothing of any problem. They told me it is $350 to change out one. I was even told you cannot replace the bulb. I read in the maintenance book you could. They will not write it up to see if their is a problem nationwide. Well after reading this chat of 45 pages, their is definitely a problem. I am driving my 13 yr old Acura at night now. What do you suggest?

 

Is there a different Toyota dealer nearby that you could try taking it to instead? I hate playing dealer roulette, but unfortunately sometimes that's the only way to get reasonable service-- and your money's worth at that.

 

You should also list your location. Members can help point you to a better dealer or other service center. This is an easy fix.

 

I have the SAME problem. I received a Gen II Prius loaded with leather seats etc and I think it is an amazing car EXCEPT for the headlight problem. Who wants to drive a car that has unreliable lights?

The crappy part is that I went to the dealership and they said that the entire mechanism needed to be replaced on the headlight. Price: about $800 per light! Being at about 55,000 miles and out of their 'extended warranty', I left the dealership with a "haha, no way" attitude and decided to just deal with it. Now, 2.5 years later and about 30,000 miles down the road, it's starting to get worse. I normally just flip the lights on and off and that gets the light to pop back on. However, now it pops on for a few minutes, then goes off again. I avoid driving my car at night and when I have to, I have to fight with the lights 5 or 6 times. I had both go out on me recently and in my opinion, at that point, my car has become unreliable. I have about 85,000 miles on my car and it runs great, but I cant drive it at night. How ridiculous is that?

If your dealership tells you anything better, please share. I'm on the verge of just buying a new car so I can drive at night and it will NOT be a Toyota because of the negligence they have for my safety. I deserve better and so do you.


As for the headlight changing out, you can change just the bulb. I did it, and WITHOUT taking off the bumper. They just want you to pay them to do something unnecessary, Just another reason that I will never buy another Toyota.

 

^^^
I'm really confused. Your lights were failing LONG ago. You changed them yourself. What's the issue?

You don't list list your location but places like Luscious Garage | Blog | Prius headlight problem, D4R HID bulbs *still overpriced, not covered under warranty* can change them for less.

For 06-09 Priuses w/HIDs, Philips D4R Xenon HID Headlight Bulb, Pack of 1 : Amazon.com : Automotive that I currently see for $44.33 straight from Amazon are proper replacements. If it's straight from Amazon and NOT a 3rd party reseller selling via Amazon, it's pretty likely that they're genuine and not fakes.

Some folks were covered by Toyota Prius Class Action Lawsuit | Toyota Headlight Lawsuit | Girard Gibbs LLP. One of my HIDs started failing a bit past the extended warranty provided by that class action suit. I pleaded my case and did receive a check, per my post at 06-09 Prius HID class action settlement award letters | PriusChat.

What car has headlights warranted for life, 55K miles or 85K miles? Headlights burn out. Deal with it. Change them. If the ballast fails, well, that's more expensive and annoying, but can happen in any car w/HIDs.

FWIW, HIDs stopped becoming even an option starting w/the 2010 Prius which started shipping around May 2009.