2011 Prius Headlights Keeps Blowing Out

Some 2010s and 2011s had the eats_low_beams feature, which can be fixed by obtaining two $35 wire-harness additions and having them (carefully!) spliced in.

Carefully because there is some aluminum wire in the car's wire harness, and aluminum-to-copper splices must be made in a very exacting way to avoid being fire hazards (as many who owned homes in the US in the '70s could attest).

The problem is way more pronounced with "extra bright" bulbs, which have shorter lifetimes than standard ones under the best of circumstances. At most auto parts stores, the "extra bright" ones are hanging right in front of your face at eye level, and the standard ones are down by your ankles.

If you make sure to use the standard ones, that may ameliorate the problem enough for you that you won't even bother with the wire harness mods. That's what happened to me: the previous owner of my 2010 complained about not being able to keep low beams in it; I put in standard ones and they were fine for three years.

 

One additional note: when you handle halogen bulbs, avoid actually touching the bulb with your fingers, as skin oils are likely to shorten the life of the bulb. It's a good policy to wipe the bulb surface right before installation with a clean cloth/paper towel and some rubbing alcohol. Use of clean gloves is also a boon...

 

and make sure they're firmly seated in the correct orientation, with the bail firmly locked to prevent uneven output, life-shortening hotspots or vibration induced damage.

 

There’s a tsb for this particular headlight issue. And they’ll even reimburse you on the terms you have bulb receipts.

 

I put some cheap LEDs in a year or so ago (my standard halogens still hadn't burned out, by the way).

I like the light from the cheap LEDs. I could do without the radio interference.

On my to do list is to see if I can reduce that any, playing with some shielding tape and/or ferrites, but I never get around to it.

 

If you haven't already, go to the Toyota Owners site HERE and create an account. Put in your VIN and see if there are any TSB's. I had bulb failures too, but after the wiring harness replacements 02/17/18 all is well. They called it a Warranty Enhancement, and I'm looking at my repair ticket here and don't see a TSB number. Good luck.

Edit: Just looked it up in my service history, and the only additional information I can supply is this name and part number:
REPAIR KIT, HEADLAMP Part No. 0400752147