2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

ONE OF MY TWO HID HEADLIGHTS GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. I CAN TURN LIGHT OFF AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT COME BACK ON. SOMETIMES LIGHT FLICKERS AND DOES NOT ACHIEVE FULL BRIGHTNESS. CAN BE DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. BOTH BULBS WERE REPLACED IN JUNE OF 2013, PASSENGER SIDE IN APRIL OF 2014 AND NOW THE DRIVERS SIDE NEEDS REPLACEMENT.

WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF. SOMETIMES THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER SIDE...SOMETIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TONIGHT, I HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING HOME DOWN A DARK, WET, VERY CURVY, LEAF COVERED ROAD. QUICKLY TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF BRIEFLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND POSES A TREMENDOUS THREAT OF BODILY HARM NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVERS/PASSENGERS IN THE PRIUS, BUT TO OTHER TRAVELERS AS WELL. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA FOR REFUSING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE MANY CONSUMERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ECU FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,331.

HEADLIGHTS, HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE TURN OFF. BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING.

STEERING IN MY 2009 PRIUS COMPLETED FAILED AND LOCKED UP. I LITERALLY WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY CAR. LUCKILY, I WAS ON A NEIGHBORHOOR STREET ABOUT TO TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND WAS NOT DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS OR IN A TURN LANE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT AN ELECTRONIC STEERING COMPONENT LIKE THIS CAN FAILI? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO OTHER PRIUS DRIVERS AND ENSURE THAT THIS ISN'T A FAULTY PART ISSUE. IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETLY ISSUE AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF BACK UP STEERING MECHISIM TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS A "SHORT INSIDE THE POWER STEERING ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. I SHUTTER TO THINK WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED.

RIGHT HEADLIGHT DOES NOT STAY ON. HAD THE FILAMENT CHANGED 2-3 TIMES AND STILL BURNS OUT. THIS IS NOT SAFE. CANNOT GET A GOOD ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING!!!

THE BALLASTS FOR THE HID LIGHTS IN THE 2009 PRIUS ARE FAMOUSLY UNRELIABLE. MINE DEMONSTRATED THIS LAST EVENING IN A VERY UNNERVING WAY. THE HEADLAMPS WOULD SIMPLY TURN OFF WITHOUT WARNING, SOMETIMES ONE, AND MANY TIMES, BOTH, LEAVING ME TO THE MERCY OF STREET LIGHTS! THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. I CHECKED ON IT AND FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS TO HUNDREDS OF PRIUS DRIVERS. ISN'T TOYOTA CONCERNED THAT ITS $1,200 CHARGE FOR FIXING ITS OWN DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT (FOR THE BALLASTS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS) WILL LEAD TO DEATH OF POOR PERSONS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FIX? SHOULDN'T THERE BE A GENERAL RECALL FOR SUCH A CONSUMER-SAFETY ISSUE? (SURE, CYCLING THE LIGHTS TURNS THEM BACK ON, BUT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING IN THE DARK, IT ISN'T EASY TO THINK WELL.)

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LIGHT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN ILLUMINATED A FAINT FLICKER CAN BE SEEN. DON'T KNOW WHAT PRECISELY CAUSES IT TO COME BACK ON BUT IT DOES. CHANGING THE HEAD LAMP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS.

DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DRIVERS SIDE HID WOULD FLICKER AND THEN SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHILE DRIVING A DARK ROAD, BOTH HID SHUT OFF LEAVING ME IN TOTAL DARKNESS.

THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM. THE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THEY TURN BACK ON IF I FLIP THE SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN. THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE HOUSE (I CAN SEE THEIR REFLECTION AGAINST THE GARAGE WALL) MEANS THEY ARE NOT BURNT OUT, BUT THE FACT THAT I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT MULTIPLE TIMES BY PEOPLE WHO THEN HONK AND FLASH THEIR BRIGHTS TO TELL ME MY HEADLIGHTS ARE OFF MEANS THAT THEY ARE TURNING OFF ON THEIR OWN. THROUGH INTERNET SEARCHES AND CHAT FORUMS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS.