2011 Toyota Prius Exterior lighting Problems

Attached is a report from the Florida Attorney General's project office. Vehicle front headlight bulbs burn out prematurely and frequently and without warning causing reduced visibility at night on dark roads. This is a common and on-going problem for Toyota and other manufacturers and me. Toyota recognized this and issued its own recall ending in 2019, but my car was missed. The 'fix' for me is advice that I should drive my car with high beams on, but in bad weather or on-coming traffic this fix is also a safety hazard. My fear is that one night both bulbs will go out and I will be unable to see the roadway. My car is available for inspection. Constantly replacing bulbs has been and continues to be an expensive issue.

NHTSA ID

11629190

Incident

Sep 25, 2024

The low-beam headlamps on thousands of 2011 Toyota Priuses were burning out very prematurely (a matter of weeks, not months). Toyota Corporate said they created a customer support program to replace the headlight wiring harness free of charge, but this program ended in 2019. I believe that Toyota should be compelled to issue a recall to replace the wiring harnesses on all 2011 Toyota Priuses, because working headlights are a critical component of a safely traveling vehicle. The cost of replacing the wiring harness is more than $700, a real dent in a working family's budget. For now, we are replacing the burned-out bulbs. However, we believe a recall initiated by NHTSA is warranted in this case.

NHTSA ID

11622018

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed on dark roads, the contact became aware that the headlights were extremely dim. The illumination was inadequate while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of a six-year Extended Warranty letter from the manufacturer. The contact stated that the harness needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ID

11564697

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

Mileage

129,000 mi

I have had this car since 2021 and have had to replace both the high and low beams multiple times a year. Each time they go out at the same time with no warning. This is deadly as I have. been on the freeway at night and almost crashed. I counted 4 times just in 2023 this has happened to me. This is more then any other car ive owned, along with any car my siblings and parents have owned. This is deadly and needs to be recalled ASAP

NHTSA ID

11559302

Incident

Dec 8, 2023

The right low beam bulb goes out every 10-15k miles. This is a known issue by Toyota that addressed it with a "Warranty Enhancement Program" that worked to address the defect, but expired in 2019. I believe that headlamps are critical safety issues, and this should be subject to a recall, not a "Warranty Enhancement Program".

NHTSA ID

11507856

Incident

Feb 17, 2023

I'M TRYING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS LONG TIME AGO,BUT NOW I FOUND THAT OUT.I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T MY MILES TO DRIVES AND I CAN'T SEE MY GAS MILES. ALL MY DASHBOARD GONE AND MY WINDOWS THEY CAN'T OPEN AT ALL. I CAN BELIEVE TO HAVE A FUTURE CAR.THEY HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC SYSTEMS.

NHTSA ID

11324854

Incident

Feb 1, 2019

Mileage

17,500 mi

BOTH OF MY PRIUS LOW BEAMS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL AS BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHOULD NOT GO OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND I WAS RETURNING FROM CHURCH. I EITHER HAD TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE LOW BEAMS WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS OR DRIVE HIGH BEAMS WHICH BLINDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I LOOKED ONLINE AND READ SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD BOTH LOW BEAMS GO OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AS IT CLEARLY PRESENTS A SAFETY RISK AT NIGHT AND PUTS OTHERS AT RISK BECAUSE I HAD TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR PUTTING THE MOTORING PUBLIC AT RISK. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND CLAIMED BOTH LOW BEAMS BURNED OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. I WAS ADVISED OF A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT EXPIRED ON OCTOBER 2019 THAT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE BUT THEY SAID IT DIDN'T APPLY AND THAT IT HAD EXPIRED. I WAS CHARGED $250 FOR TWO HEADLIGHTS. WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY THEIR SHOULD BE NO EXPIRATION AND THEY SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11319191

Incident

Mar 11, 2020

Mileage

200,000 mi

HEADLIGHT BULBS FAIL FREQUENTLY, SEVERAL TIMES PER YEAR. I CALLED TOYOTA IN JANUARY 2020. I WAS INFORMED THEY HAD A BRIEF WARRANTY EXTENSION TO COVER THE ISSUE, BUT THAT HAS ENDED. THEY'VE REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THEY CLAIM THEY NOTIFIED ME OF THE ISSUE, BUT THEY CLEARLY DID NOT; THE ADDRESS THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE SENT IT TO WAS NOT MY ADDRESS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THE BULBS FAIL SO FREQUENTLY AND ARE NOT OWNER-REPLACEABLE. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11299922

Incident

Jan 16, 2020

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE BURNING OUT WITHIN A WEEK OF INSTALLATION. WHEN BULBS ARE REPLACED, ONE OF THE TWO BULBS WILL BURN OUT WITHIN A WEEK, YET THE OTHER BULB WILL STAY ACTIVE. BOTH SIDES ARE AFFECTED. IT RANDOMLY CHOOSES WHICH SIDE TO BURN OUT.

NHTSA ID

11282595

Incident

Mar 28, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

I REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AT A MUCH FASTER TIME PERIOD THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. ONCE I EVEN HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WHEN ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS GENERATED SO MUCH HEAT THAT THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY PLASTIC MELTED.

NHTSA ID

11278809

Incident

Jan 14, 2017

Mileage

85,000 mi

MY PRIUS 2011 HYBRID BURNING LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT EVERY ONE OR TWO MONTH. IT IS HARD BECAUSE NO ONE HAVE SOLUTION FOR THIS ISSUE. THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST CHANGING THE HEADLIGHT EVERY ONE OR TWO MONTHS BUT THE PROBLEM IS SAFETY, ON HIGHWAY ONCE THE LIGHT GOES DOWN. IT HAPPENED TO ME! IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

NHTSA ID

11133428

Incident

Aug 25, 2018

Mileage

140,000 mi

BOTH LOW BEAM BULBS NOT WORKING, BUT HIGH BEAMS WORK. BULBS NOT BAD. HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID

11101182

Incident

Apr 9, 2018

Mileage

90,000 mi

DIM HEADLIGHT PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, UNABLE TO SEE ROAD CLEARLY WITH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON AT NIGHT, HAVE TO USE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS TO SEE ROAD. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME

NHTSA ID

11072238

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

Mileage

220,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT ONE AT A TIME, TYPICALLY ABOUT 1-2 WEEKS AFTER REPLACE THE OTHER SIDE. TRIED SWITCHING TO A BETTER BRAND, SAME ISSUE. TRIED SWITCHING TO LED, EVEN THEY BURNED OUT AFTER 2 MONTHS.

NHTSA ID

11032983

Incident

Sep 29, 2017

Mileage

40,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS ARE WEAK AND REQUIRE FREQUENT REPLACEMENT TOYOTA IS WILLING TO FIX THIS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR $400 SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED FOR FREE MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM NEED YOUR HELP

NHTSA ID

11023977

Incident

May 1, 2013

Mileage

80,000 mi

FRONT LOW BEAMS HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT ABOUT EVERY SIX MONTHS

NHTSA ID

11020317

Incident

Aug 27, 2017

Mileage

85,000 mi

WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON DURING THE DAY (I.E. WHEN IT IS RAINING), THE LIGHTED PANEL ON THE CONSOLE FADES TO UNREADABLE. SINCE THE SPEED IS INDICATED ON THE CONSOLE, WE CANNOT MONITOR OUR SPEED DURING THESE TIMES. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN WE ARE HIGHWAY DRIVING. MY TOYOTA SERVICE DEALER DID NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM, NOR DID THEY RESPOND TO THREE SURVEYS THEY AND TOYOTA SENT TO ME IN WHICH I OUTLINED THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10993510

Incident

Apr 29, 2017

Mileage

35,000 mi

BOTH MAIN HEADLAMPS HAVE BURNT OUT REGULARLY FOR ~2.5 YEARS. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE FREQUENT. LUCKILY I CAN BUY THE PART AND INSTALL IT MYSELF, BUT TO ACTUALLY GO TO A MECHANIC AND CHECK THE ELECTRIC WIRING IS A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF TIME AND MONEY ENTIRELY.

NHTSA ID

10969193

Incident

Oct 10, 2014

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WON'T TURN ON. HOWEVER, WHEN I PRESS AND HOLD THE LEVER FOR BRIGHT LIGHTS, THE LIGHTS WORK ON THE "BRIGHTS" SETTING. LIGHTS DON'T WORK WHEN I'M DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

10959463

Incident

Mar 1, 2017

Mileage

65,000 mi

DUE TO FAULTY HEADLIGHT WIRING AND ASSEMBLY, HEADLIGHTS WILL BURN OUT REGULARLY OR BE TOO DIM FOR SAFE USE. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE IN USE, AT NIGHT. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AND IS A DOCUMENTED/KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA. THIS IS NOT A MILD ANNOYANCE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ID

10956508

Incident

Feb 15, 2017

Mileage

61,000 mi

PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT AT NIGHT, PARKED, TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF, SHUT CAR OFF, RETURNED TO THE CAR, STARTED IT AND BOTH LOW BEAMS WOULD NOT COME ON. HIGH BEAMS WORK FINE. NOT A FUSE ISSUE BECAUSE HORN WORKS. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE STALK TURNS ON THE DASH INDICATOR LIGHT BUT NOT THE LOW BEAMS OR THE PARKING LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

10948073

Incident

Jan 27, 2017

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHIN 1 WEEK OF EACH OTHER. ONE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10938709

Incident

Dec 29, 2016

Mileage

76,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT BECAME INOPERABLE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ALSO FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT BOTH BULBS BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO YEARS LATER WHERE BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10927167

Incident

Aug 16, 2014

HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT FREQUENTLY OR STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY; HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON PASSENGER SIDE APPEARS TO HAVE LEAKAGE AND LOW BEAM APPEARS AT A LESSER BRIGHTNESS THAN DRIVER SIDE BEAM. HAD AT DEALER 4 TIMES IN SAME DAY FOR ISSUE WITH DRIVER HEADLIGHT IN SUMMER 2015 AND NOW AT DEALER FOR PASSENGER SIDE ISSUES. THIS HAPPENS IN UNPREDICTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDING AFTER LONG OPERATION OR AFTER HAVING JUST STARTED THE VEHICLE - INCONSISTENT.

NHTSA ID

10889190

Incident

Jul 1, 2015

Mileage

45,000 mi

MY HEADLIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE KEEPS DYING OUT OF NOWHERE AFTER ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS OF USE (ABOUT 6,000 MILES OF DRIVING). IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE PAST YEAR NOW AND OCCURS ABOUT THREE OF FOUR TIMES A YEAR. IT WOULD HAPPEN OUT OF NOWHERE. TODAY IT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN DURING WORK (I DELIVER FOOD, NEEDING MY CAR TO DRIVE).

NHTSA ID

10876301

Incident

Jun 23, 2016

Mileage

69,000 mi