2006 PRIUS HID HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS FAILED. THE LIGHTS QUALITY IS VERY BAD. WE WERE FORCED TO STOP BY THE POLICEMAN. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY. TOYOTA IS LOSING ITS REPUTATION. THE COMPANY SHOULD PAY ALL THE PRICE FOR CHANGING THE BULBS. (LABOR + BULBS) OUR 2002 HYUNDAI'S LIGHTS HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION. *TR
2006 Toyota Prius lighting problems
moderate 866 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $250
Complaints
866
Recalls
0
Crashes
5
Avg fix
$250
What owners are reporting 15 most recent
I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS WITH THE HID HEADLIGHTS AND WANT TO CONFIRM THAT BOTH BULBS HAVE FAILED. THE DEALER AGREED TO REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 47000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I DID COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS A YEAR AGO AND THE DEALER DID NOTHING AT THAT TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED BY JUST TODAY RECEIVING A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT AN HID HEADLIGHT SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT LOWERS THE PRICE…
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS MANY, MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS, WITH MY 2006 PRIUS'S HID LIGHTS GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I REALIZE THAT ONE OR BOTH LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT, I FLIP THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND THEY COME BACK ON, ONLY TO GO OUT AGAIN WITHIN SECONDS! TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS A DEALER-ONLY ITEM AND THE HID BULBS COST $300 A PIECE! THESE BULBS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT AUTO PARTS STORES. THE PRICE IS E…
2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID LIGHTS. AT 30,000 MILES, IN DECEMBER 2007, THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT BEGAN TO TURN OFF BY ITSELF. IT WOULD TURN BACK ON IF WE TURNED THE LIGHTS COMPLETELY OFF, THEN ON AGAIN (DANGEROUS AT NIGHT, OF COURSE). AT 35,000 MILES, THE DEALERSHIP ESTIMATED $350 TO REPLACE THE BULB, BUT THEN REPLACED BULB UNDER WARRANTY. AT 50,000 MILES THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO DO THE S…
2006 TOYOTA PRIUS LEFT HEADLIGHT GOES OFF AT RANDOM. ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO WORK IS TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT OFF & TURN BACK ON. IT OCCURS ALMOST EVERYTIME THE HEADLIGHTS ARE USED. *TR
THE FACTORY INSTALLED HID HEADLIGHTS PERIODICALLY TURN OFF. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED TWO YEARS AGO, AND I THOUGHT I HAD IMAGINED IT. I NOTICED DIM LIGHTS AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BY QUICKLY SWITCHING TO BRIGHT LIGHTS. I WAS LATER TOLD ONE HEAD LIGHT WAS OUT WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHEN I CHECKED BY EXITING THE VEHICLE BOTH LIGHTS WERE ON. THE PROBLEM WAS VERY INTERMITTENT FOR TWO YEARS PRIMARIL…
2006 TOYOTA PRIUS PACKAGE 6. HID LEFT HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENT FAILURE. WILL TURN BACK ON IF YOU CYCLE ON/OFF SWITCH. CAR HAS 57,000 MILES. PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN OCCURRING MUCH SOONER. HARD TO TELL UNLESS LOOKING AT HEADLIGHT REFLECTION IN CAR AHEAD OF YOU. SEVERAL PRIUSCHAT.COM MEMBERS HAVE REPORTED SAME PROBLEM. DIFFICULTY GETTING DEALER TO SOLVE OR COVER REPAIR. *TR
2006 TOYOTA PRIUS FRONT DRIVER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON AND FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM OCCASIONS (DAY, NIGHT, SMOOTH ROADS, DRY, WET CONDITIONS), CHECKED CONNECTION AND ALL CONNECTIONS ARE FINE. *TR
THE HID HEADLAMPS, FLICKER, GO-OUT AT WILL, SOMETIMES ITS JUST ONE HEAD LIGHT OTHER TIME ITS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME!!!! TOYOTA HAS FIXED IT BUT AFTER MAYBE A MONTH IT WENT BACK TO DO THE SAME EXACT THING! THIS IS DANGEROUS!! AND APPARENTLY HAPPENS VERY VERY OFTEN TO ALOT OF OTHER 2006 TO 2009 TOYOTA OWNERS. *TR
2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLAMP GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY, TURNING LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON TEMPORARILY FIXES PROBLEM. SINCE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW IF FRONT LIGHTS ARE WORKING. *TR
Common questions
How serious is the lighting problem on the 2006 Toyota Prius?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 866 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $250 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the lighting typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to lighting?
No active recalls currently cover lighting issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
Some links on this page are affiliate links.