2009 Toyota Prius Exterior lighting Problems

Apparently a known issue with the HID lights coming on or off intermittently.

NHTSA ID

11560636

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

The front lights and break lights sometimes turn off while I am driving. Both of the lights or one of them.

NHTSA ID

11552791

Incident

Oct 31, 2023

Headlights intermittently go off, and I wound have to switch it off and on for light to come back on, but for few minutes until it does it again, and I drive Uber at night. I have searched the problem online, it seems to be a common problem on the second generation Prius from 04-09, I called few repair shops and they acknowledged the problem but did not have an answer to solve it.

NHTSA ID

11429147

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

My 2017 Prius is having headlight failure. I was told by my neighbor that my headlight was out. I bought a new one and went to replace it but they were both working. Thought it was a defective bulb so waited to replace it. I check both headlights when I come to a stop behind a car so I can check the reflection of the headlights. Sometimes they are both on sometimes only one is on, Occasionally both are OUT. What I have noticed is when I turn on the car, immediately the headlights are bright,(not high beam) and immediately go dim. This acts like a bad contact or high resistance somewhere in the circuit. The headlights going on and off seems to be a circuit breaker of some kind. Fortunately I don't drive much at night, however I am having to drive more at night and the possibly of the headlights both failing is TERRIFYING. I started to research the problem and it seams I am not the only person having the problem. The internet is full of other people having the same problem. It seems that nothing is being done about it. I am hoping that Toyota is NOT deciding to just let the people kill themselves because it will be nearly impossible to prove that the headlights were out at the time of the accident so they will not have to pay a lawsuit and not have to fix a recall problems. I am 74 years old and been an auto mechanic all my life so I know about automobiles and wiring. I doubt that anything will be done, and wonder how many people have been killed because no one will dig deep enough into the problem to find the problem and fix it.

NHTSA ID

11423727

Incident

Jul 7, 2021

IN DECEMBER OF 2018, I PULLED MY CAR UP TO A REDBOX STATION TO RETURN A MOVIE. I PUSHED THE PARK BUTTON ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PUT THE MOVIE INTO THE SLOT. THE CAR APPARENTLY WAS NOT IN PARK AND CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD (I TRIED TO CATCH IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND HURT MYSELF IN DOING SO) UNTIL IT SLAMMED INTO A PARKED CAR IN THE SAME PARKING LOT. MY INSURANCE LISTED IT AS AN AT-FAULT ACCIDENT AND FIXED MY CAR AND THE ONE THAT MY VEHICLE HAD HIT. (I TOLD THE ADJUSTER I KNEW THAT I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK) I ALSO HAD A 700.00 DEDUCTIBLE TO PAY FOR FIXING MY DAMAGED CAR. AS TIME WENT BY, THIS STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I WOULD PUSH THE BUTTON FOR MY CAR TO GO INTO PARK MODE AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE CAR INTO ANOTHER GEAR AND THEN IT WOULD GO INTO PARK. OTHER WEIRD THINGS WITH THE CAR WERE HAPPENING AS WELL. SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND MORE AND MORE WHEN I WOULD START THE CAR, THE DASHBOARD WOULD BE COMPLETELY BLACK. I MENTIONED TO MY MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING, HOWEVER, I COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPEN WHENEVER I TOOK IT TO HIM. I DID MANAGE TO GET IT ON VIDEO THOUGH THAT IT WAS HAPPENING. I JUST RECENTLY LEARNED FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND THAT IT'S A BAD COMBINATION METER. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA ONLY ALLOWED FOR 9 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED FOR THIS PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. HOW COME I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND HOW DO YOU PUT A TIME LIMIT ON A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS THIS ONE. MY CAR DID NOT GO INTO PARK MODE AND ENDED UP SLAMMING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE EASILY FALLEN UNDER THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE AS IT KEPT ON MOVING OR IT COULD HAVE EASILY HIT ANOTHER PERSON. I AM HOPING SOMEONE CAN INVESTIGATE THIS FOR ME AND GET BACK TO ME WITH INFORMATION ON HOW I CAN GET THIS FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11415024

Incident

Dec 17, 2018

Mileage

125,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER MOOR AUTOMOTIVE LOCATED AT 1246 HARTFORD TURNPIKE, VERNON, CT 06066, WHO REPLACED THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT BULBS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS LATER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE LIGHT BULB FAILED. BOTH BULBS WERE REPLACED AT DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA LOCATED AT 451 N NOVA RD, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOR A 3RD TIME AND WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,667.

NHTSA ID

11351768

Incident

Nov 30, 2018

Mileage

75,667 mi

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS.. REPLACED OVER 8 BULBS. CHECKED CONNECTORS, CHECKED WIRING.. NO PROBLEM FOUND AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST.

NHTSA ID

11289097

Incident

Dec 10, 2019

Mileage

25 mi

ONE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT SOMETIMES WORK SOMETIMES NOT.I JUST GET THIS CAR TODAY AND AFTER PURCHASING I SAW THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11189858

Incident

Mar 12, 2019

Mileage

85,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS COME ON AND OFF. BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, FUSES AND STILL THEY PERIODICALLY COME ON AND OFF. WHEN I TAKE THE TO DEALER THEY SAY NO ISSUES.

NHTSA ID

11150296

Incident

Nov 9, 2018

EVERY DAY ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. ONE DAY IT COULD BE THE LEFT ONE, THE OTHER DAY COULD BE THE RIGHT ONE. I'M AFRAID BOTH MIGHT GO OUT DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11145325

Incident

Oct 30, 2018

Mileage

141,000 mi

MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP RANDOMLY TURNING OFF ON THEIR OWN WHILE PARKED OR DRIVING, IN THE DARK OR THE LIGHT. TO TROUBLESHOOT I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS AND TIGHTENED THE WIRE CONNECTIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. ONLY TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM...UNTIL THE NEXT TIME IT TURNS ITSELF OFF. I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY HONDA PILOT 2005 A FEW YEARS AGO AND THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNESS KIT THAT WAS CORRODED FROM HUMIDITY AND OVERHEATING AND FAILING. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIME ON MY PRIUS, MOSTLY AFFECTING THE LEFT HEADLIGHT ONLY, BUT A COUPLE TIMES ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

11139674

Incident

May 1, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

LAST YEAR MY HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKING ON AND THEN WHEN I TURNED THEM OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THEY WOULD BOTH WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST ONE HEADLIGHT, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AND SOMETIMES ITS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME OR ONE AND THEN IN A MILE OR TWO THE OTHER MAKING IT SO BOTH ARE OUT. I'VE HAD MY BULBS REPLACED AND SINCE LOOKED AT AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THE BULBS WERE BOTH STILL GOOD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROCESS FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WITH TWO KIDS IN THE CAR AND HAVE BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ON YOU. IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TYPE OF SURFACE WE ARE DRIVING ON. I HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME I DRIVE MY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11139201

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

100,000 mi

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT, IT WORKS WHEN YOU TURN ON THE VEHICLE, AND THEN IT GOES OUT, I HAVE CHANGED THE BULB, AND ALSO CHANGE THE BALLAST, BUT NO LUCK, I GOT THE WARNING 3 DAYS AGO, AND NOW IF I GET PULLED OVER, I WILL GET THE TICKET,

NHTSA ID

11128456

Incident

Sep 2, 2018

DRIVERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT PERIODICALLY. RESEARCH ON LINE SAYS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2006 - 2009 PRIUS. IS THERE A RECALL? GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11120968

Incident

Aug 19, 2018

Mileage

50,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN STARTING TO DRIVE BUT AFTER A WHILE INTO DRIVING ...13 MINUETS (IS WHEN I NOTICED) HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. I DRIVE HOME AFRAID TO GET A TICKET. HOME IS 5 MINUTES AWAY. I PULL IN DRIVEWAY AND HEADLIGHTS COME BACK ON AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT WHEN USING HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

11109575

Incident

Jul 4, 2018

Mileage

176,130 mi

HID HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON HEADLIGHTS, STAYS OFF.

NHTSA ID

11098147

Incident

May 25, 2018

Mileage

225,000 mi

RIGHT HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. SOMETIMES TURNING HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON BRINGS THE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. THE HEADLIGHT USUALLY DOES NOT TURN ON WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED UP.

NHTSA ID

11084797

Incident

Nov 11, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE HEADLAMPS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TARBOX TOYOTA (3671 QUAKER LN, NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02852, (401) 884-5438) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HID BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE HID BULBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

NHTSA ID

11081840

Incident

Feb 2, 2018

Mileage

129,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAMS ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS DRIVERS SIDE AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE KEEP BURNING OUT. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS THREE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. TOYOTA HAS A RECALL ON THE 2010 THRU 2011 PRIUS HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS FOR THESE YEARS BUT NOT THE 2009 PRIUS. A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE COULD HAPPEN IF BOTH LIGHTS BURN OUT BEFORE YOU GET THE BAD ONE CHANGED. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT.

NHTSA ID

11074365

Incident

Sep 13, 2017

Mileage

150 mi

AT NOT GIVEN MOMENT DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITH GO OFF. IF YOU TURN OFF AN ON IT WILL GO ON AGAIN. BUT, WILL GO OUT AGAIN. IF YOU TRY TO PUT BRIGHT LIGHTS ON ALL LIGHTS GO OFF. ALL WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11074251

Incident

Feb 21, 2018

Mileage

87,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP BLOWING OUT DUE TO POWER SURGE. LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT - RIGHT NOW LEFT AGAIN!!! EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE I BOUGHT IT LAST FEB 2017.

NHTSA ID

11062272

Incident

Feb 25, 2017

Mileage

97,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ALL THE TIME. I'VE REPLACED THE BALLASTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS 5 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. 1 MONTH AFTER NEW HEADLIGHTS AND NEW BALLASTS THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BACK OUT AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I GOT THIS CAR. SOMETIMES I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF AND IT WILL WORK FOR A BIT.

NHTSA ID

11057120

Incident

Jun 23, 2016

MY HEADLIGHT PASSENGER SIDE KEEPS GOING OUT AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF TURNING ON. THIS KEEPS ME FROM DRIVING AT NIGHT. MY COMPUTER CONTROLS ON MY DASH BOARD THAT WORKS THE AC. AND DISPLAYS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAR DOES NOT WORK. MY ABS BREAK LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. THIS HAS AFFECTED MY BREAKING SYSTEM ON MY CAR. ALL OF THESE ITEMS I HAVE MENTIONED ALL OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11056249

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

Mileage

215,000 mi

THERE IS A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR MY 2009 PRIUS WHICH EXPIRES IN MARCH OF 2018 FOR THE COMBINATION METER KNOWN AS CSP ZTV. I TEXT MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID ITS WARRANTED. THE FIRST DEALER I TOOK IT TO REFUSED TO REPLACE IT 2 DAYS AGO SAYING IT EXPIRED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T AFTER I READ THE DATE IT STARTED BEING IN SERVICE AND SHE SAID IT IS IN PLACE UNTIL MARCH.THE 2ND DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE CONDITIONS. I CAN NOT TELL THE WEATHER TO FREEZE I AM NOT GOD BUT THEY ARE PLAYING GOD WITH MY MONEY AND MY LIFE TO SAVE THEIR MONEY AND THEIR JOBS. I WANTED REPAIR DONE BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN BUT THEY ARE REFUSING. I COULD RUN OUT OF GAS AND BE KILLED BECAUSE OF FAULTY METER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T READ DISPLAY OR GET A SPEEDING TICKET. THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM CAN VERIFY THIS IS THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE NOT A TOYOTA DEALER. WHAT IF WE HAVE A MILD WINTER AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR BUT HAPPENS FALL OF 2019 THEN I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND ITS THEIR FAULT NOT MINE THIS IS LAWLESSNESS BECAUSE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KEEP FROM PAYING FOR THEIR ERROR. THIS IS STEALING. HOW CAN I GET A REMEDY TO THIS? THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DO A RECALL INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING IT IS NOT RIGHT TO DO TO CONSUMER. IT IS STATIONARY FOR DISPLAY LIGHTS BUT YOU DON' T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL TURN ON AND RESTARTING CAR DOES NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN YOU CAN'T LEAVE CAR THERE BECAUSE LIGHTS AREN'T ON IF CAR DOESN'T SHUT OFF THIS A DILEMMA AND TOW TRUCKS DON'T CARRY THESE METERS. ALSO WHEN CAR DOESN'T QUIT RUNNING IT IS STATIONARY. THE RECALL IS CSP ZTV.

NHTSA ID

11033360

Incident

Dec 14, 2016

Mileage

90,000 mi

DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN IT GETS BELOW 30 THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD GO OUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND REMAIN OFF WHILE DRIVING AND YOU CAN'T SEE HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING OR ANY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OR WARNING LIGHTS TO KNOW IF YOU NEED GAS, TIRES ARE LOW, ETC. I TOOK INTO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON IT BUT I DO NOT SEE IT LISTED.

NHTSA ID

11023312

Incident

Nov 1, 2015

Mileage

60,000 mi