IllustrationMY HEADLIGHT COMES ON BUT GOES OUT INTERMITENTLY. IF I TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON IT COMES BACK ON. I;VE READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND HEARD THAT REPLACING THE EXPENSIVE BULB SOMETIMES DOESN;T FIX THE PROBLEM AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT ON IT.
2007 Toyota Prius
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Prius years
Owner complaints for the 2007 Toyota Prius are substantially higher than the model-year median of 164.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
2310–25K
57625–50K
39350–75K
20475–100K
210100–150K
107150K+
1,721 reports with mileage · 282 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 1,060 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 248 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 184 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
124 crash reports9 fire reports53 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
1,060 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLAMPS WILL RANDOMLY AND SOMEWHAT FREQUENTLY JUST GO OUT. IF I TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN THEY WILL COME BACK ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT IS NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS THAT THEY HAVE GONE OUT. I HAVE READ THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED.
THE HEADLIGHTS GO AT WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES ONE GOES OUT SOMETIMES BOTH WHILE WE ARE DRIVING. BULB REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUES. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM FOR YEARS. TOYOTA SERVICE HAS NOT OFFERED A FIX THAT WORKS! I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR LOCAL ROADS WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL THE LIGHTING …
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THE HEADLIGHTS GO AT WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES ONE GOES OUT SOMETIMES BOTH WHILE WE ARE DRIVING. BULB REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUES. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM FOR YEARS. TOYOTA SERVICE HAS NOT OFFERED A FIX THAT WORKS! I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR LOCAL ROADS WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL THE LIGHTING GOES DARK. I HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN RELIGHTING THE HEADLIGHTS BY TURNING OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AT THE MAIN SWITCH AND THEN TURNING THEM BACK ON. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. BREAKS ARE ALSO A MENACE: ON WET ROADS IT IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN USING THE BREAKS. IF YOU ARE BREAKING AND A TIRE GOES OVER A MORE SLIPPERY SURFACE THAN THE PAVEMENT, SUCH AS A MANHOLE COVER, THE ABS SYSTEM CUTS BREAKING TO ALL THE WHEELS SUCH THAT THE CAR CONTINUES ON AS IF THE BREAKS ARE NOT BEING APPLIED - THE CAR EFFECTIVELY RELEASES THE BREAKS AND YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR UNTIL ITS SYSTEMS DECIDE TO RETURN CONTROLS TO THE DRIVER. THIS HAPPENS OVER AND OVER AND OVER. TRY IT ON A ROAD WITH A BIT OF LOOSE GRAVEL ON IT OR THE LEFTOVER COARSE SAND FROM WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE OR GOING THROUGH A MILDE POTHOLE WHERE GRAVEL HAS SPILLED ONTO THE ROAD....BREAKING IN THESE CONDITIONS WILL CONSISTENTLY CAUSE THE CAR TO DIMINISH BREAKING POWER TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE CAR IS NO LONGER LOWING DOWN. WE OWN 6 CARS OF VARYING MAKES AND THIS IS THE ONLY CAR THAT HAS THIS ISSUE. THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS SAME ISSUE IS THAT IF YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND A DRIVE WHEEL HITS A SLIGHTLY SLIPPERY PATCH, THE ENGINE POWER IS CUT FOR SO LONG AND SO SEVERELY THAT WE ARE AT RISK OF BEING HIT. THIS HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME. TOYOTA SERVICE HAS NOT OFFERED A FIX. THOUGH WE HAVE TOLD THEM ABOU THIS ISSUE REPEATEDLY, THEY TYPICALLY DO NOT WRITE IT DOWN AND TELL US IT IS NORMAL. IT IS NOT NORMAL OR SAFE.
LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAIL WHILE DRIVING. USUALLY ONLY ONE SIDE BUT OCCASIONALLY BOTH AT ONCE. VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. TOYOTA HAS TOLD ME THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF, WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, EVEN WITH A BRAND NEW BULB IN. ALSO, ONE TIME, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN I WAS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN, AND TURNED ON THE TURN SIGNAL. HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM! THE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN TURNED ON INITIALLY THEN GO OFF AS I AM DRIVING ON ANY ROAD.
WHEN MY VEHICLE HAS THE HEADLIGHTS ON WHILE I AM DRIVING ONE OR BOTH WILL SPONTANEOUSLY GO OFF. THIS OCCURS MORE WHEN IT IS WET OUT, AND SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN I HIT A BUMP, BUT IT WILL OCCUR OFTEN WITH NO ANTECEDENT. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN THE HEADLIGHT (OR HEADLIGHTS) WILL TURN BACK ON BUT THE…
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WHEN MY VEHICLE HAS THE HEADLIGHTS ON WHILE I AM DRIVING ONE OR BOTH WILL SPONTANEOUSLY GO OFF. THIS OCCURS MORE WHEN IT IS WET OUT, AND SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN I HIT A BUMP, BUT IT WILL OCCUR OFTEN WITH NO ANTECEDENT. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN THE HEADLIGHT (OR HEADLIGHTS) WILL TURN BACK ON BUT THEN MAY GO OFF RANDOMLY AGAIN LATER WHILE DRIVING. THE BULBS ARE FINE. I'VE READ ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 PRIUS. SO COMMON I DOUBT IT IS A RANDOM MALFUNCTION BUT A ENGINEERING/ELECTRICAL DESIGN OR EQUIPMENT PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT.
I STARTED TO NOTICE THE RIGHT HID HEADLIGHT BULB SPONTANEOUSLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AND READ SOMEWHERE THAT THIS MIGHT BE A PRE WARNING THAT THE BULB WAS AT THE END OF ITS LIFE. I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED BOTH BULBS (WHICH ARE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE) WITH BRAND NEW ONES, YET THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THE RI…
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I STARTED TO NOTICE THE RIGHT HID HEADLIGHT BULB SPONTANEOUSLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AND READ SOMEWHERE THAT THIS MIGHT BE A PRE WARNING THAT THE BULB WAS AT THE END OF ITS LIFE. I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED BOTH BULBS (WHICH ARE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE) WITH BRAND NEW ONES, YET THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THE RIGHT BULB DECIDES TO TURN OFF AND SOMETIMES THE LEFT ONE FOR NO APPARENT REASON (NOT TIED TO HITTING BUMPS). THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME THE BULBS COULD GO OUT. I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THIS ISN'T REALLY DEEMED A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE ITS USUALLY JUST ONE BULB THAT GOES OUT AND THAT GIVES YOU ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO A SERVICE STATION, BUT IF THATS THE CASE, TELL ME HOW I CAN GET PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE FOR HAVING A BULB OUT AND HOW THEY JUSTIFY THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH IT? ACCORDING TO TRAFFICVIOLATIONSLAWFIRMS.COM: "TRAFFIC LAWS IN EACH STATE CONTAIN STATUTES REGARDING NIGHTTIME DRIVING AND THE APPROPRIATE USE OF HEADLIGHTS. DRIVING WITH POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO CONDITIONS, SUCH AS POOR OR NON-WORKING HEADLIGHTS IS A MAIN CAUSE OF NIGHTTIME ACCIDENTS. ASIDE FROM BEING A MAIN CAUSE OF NIGHTTIME ACCIDENTS, DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS AFTER DUSK OR BEFORE DAWN, WILL RESULT IN A DRIVING WITHOUT LIGHTS TICKET FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT." WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR TOYOTA TO ISSUE A RECALL ON A KNOWN AND WIDESPREAD ISSUE? THIS REMINDS ME OF THE MOVIE "FIGHT CLUB": YOUR DRIVING 65 MPH DOWN A DARK ROAD AND YOUR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, A DEER YOU CANT SEE JUMPS OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR, AND YOU CRASH AND BURN WITH EVERYONE TRAPPED INSIDE. NOW, SHOULD TOYOTA INITIATE A RECALL? TAKE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE FIELD, A, MULTIPLY BY THE PROBABLE RATE OF FAILURE, B, MULTIPLY BY THE AVERAGE OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT, C. A TIMES B TIMES C EQUALS X. IF X IS LESS THAN THE COST OF A RECALL, THEY DON'T DO ONE.
HEADLAMPS AND TAIL LIGHTS SUBJECT TO INTERMITTENT PERIODS OF FAILURE TO STAY LIT WHILE DRIVING. NOT REGULAR, NOR CONSISTENT TO ONE LIGHT AND NOT THE OTHER. GENERAL UNRELIABILITY OF ELECTRICAL ROAD ILLUMINATION SYSTEM. CREATES A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS WITH ONCOMING VEHICLES FAILING TO RECOGNIZE MY VEHICLE PROF…
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HEADLAMPS AND TAIL LIGHTS SUBJECT TO INTERMITTENT PERIODS OF FAILURE TO STAY LIT WHILE DRIVING. NOT REGULAR, NOR CONSISTENT TO ONE LIGHT AND NOT THE OTHER. GENERAL UNRELIABILITY OF ELECTRICAL ROAD ILLUMINATION SYSTEM. CREATES A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS WITH ONCOMING VEHICLES FAILING TO RECOGNIZE MY VEHICLE PROFILE ACCURATELY WHEN APPROACHING ON NARROW ROADWAYS.
I WAS DRIVING AFTER DARK ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER 2 MINUTES THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON. THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER 2 - 3 MINUTES. THIS REPEATED FOR 3 MORE TIMES. AFTER THE 5TH TIME TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES.…
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I WAS DRIVING AFTER DARK ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER 2 MINUTES THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON. THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER 2 - 3 MINUTES. THIS REPEATED FOR 3 MORE TIMES. AFTER THE 5TH TIME TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES. THIS WHILE MOVING AT MORE THAN 60 MPH ON A DARK FREEWAY. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, AND THE PRECEDURE REPEATED FROM THE BEGINNING, I.E. LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I REACHED MY DESTINATION. MY PRIUS HAS HID LIGHTS AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AS THESE ARS GET OLDER. DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE FIRST BEFORE THE NHTSA GETS TOYOTA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM?
THE LIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE BEEN AN ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2012. THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OFF WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY ONE AT A TIME. THEY WILL COME ON AGAIN IF YOU NOTICE IT AND FLICK THE SWITCH. REPLACING THE BULBS HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM(HAD ONE REPLACED) NOW MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND SHE HAS BEEN STO…
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THE LIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE BEEN AN ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2012. THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OFF WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY ONE AT A TIME. THEY WILL COME ON AGAIN IF YOU NOTICE IT AND FLICK THE SWITCH. REPLACING THE BULBS HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM(HAD ONE REPLACED) NOW MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND SHE HAS BEEN STOPPED A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A HEADLIGHT OUT. I WILL AGAIN REPLACE THE BULB, BUT THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM TO ME.
Official recalls
412V536000 · Engine And Engine Cooling; Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
12V537000 · Steering; Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
10V036000 · Equipment:other:labels
Feb 3, 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
09V388000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal
Oct 5, 2009
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED ACCELERATOR PEDALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE BEGINNING IN APRIL 2010 AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY MODIFIED PEDAL WITH THE NEW PEDAL IF DESIRED. ALSO, DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY GENUINE TOYOTA OR LEXUS ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MATS WITH REDESIGNED ALL-WEATHER MATS, OR REPURCHASE THE PREVIOUS MATS FROM OWNERS WHO DO NOT WANT THE NEW ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOFTWARE MODIFICATIONS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMRY, AVALON AND LEXUS ES 350, IS 350 AND IS 250 MODELS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE BRAKE OVERRIDES THE ACCELERATOR IN THE EVENT BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE APPLIED. TOYOTA WILL BEGIN MAILING LETTERS TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331, LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP13001 · Intermediate Steering Shaft Separation
Opened Feb 21, 2013 · Closed Apr 8, 2020
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column; Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:column
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
PE09019 · Headlight Failure
Opened Apr 17, 2009 · Closed Aug 27, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting; Exterior Lighting:headlights
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT, OR EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLAMPS THAT OPERATE ON INDEPENDENT LAMPS AND ECU'S (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS) FOR EACH HEADLIGHT, MEANING THAT EACH HEADLIGHT RUNS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, AND A FAILURE IN ONE LAMP OR ECU DOES NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN A FAILURE OF THE OTHER.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FORTY CONSUMERS WAS CONTACTED BY ODI IN A TELEPHONE SURVEY TO VERIFY THEIR EXPERIENCES.THE CONSUMERS STATED IN COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT THE SAME TIME.ODI DISCOVERED THROUGH TALKING WITH THESE COMPLAINANTS THAT IN FACT ONE HEADLIGHT WOULD BEGIN TO FLICKER AND THEN CUT OFF.THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WOULD STILL BE OPERATIONAL.IN A FEW CASES WHERE NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, SOME COMPLAINANTS STATED THAT AFTER A FEW MONTHS BOTH HEADLAMPS WOULD BEGIN TO FAIL RESULTING IN NO HEADLIGHTS; HOWEVER NONE REPORTED THAT BOTH LAMPS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY.COMPLAINANTS ALSO STATED THAT THEY COULD TOGGLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH ON AND OFF TO TEMPORARILY RESTORE LIGHTING WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURRED, EVEN IN CASES WERE BOTH HEADLAMPS WERE EXTINGUISHED.THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY ARE LARGELY CONSISTENT WITH ODI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA.TOYOTA SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, ONLY ONE LAMP FAILED AT A TIME, AND THAT TOGGLING THE SWITCH RESTORED THE LAMP.TOYOTA REQUESTED A MEETING WITH ODI AND ON AUGUST 6, 2009, PRESENTED THEIR ASSESSMENT OF HEADLAMP FAILURE.TOYOTA CONFIRMED THAT A HEADLAMP COULD EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A BULB FAILURE, AND THAT IT COULD BE TEMPORARILY RESTORED BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF, AND THAT SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH HEADLAMPS WAS RARE AND UNLIKELY.TOYOTA ALSO BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THEIR INTENTION TO CONDUCT A CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS CONSUMER DISSATISFACTION WITH HID BULB FAILURES.SINCE THERE IS STILL ONE HEADLIGHT OPERATING WHEN THE OTHER ONE CUTS OFF, THERE IS STILL LIGHTING AVAILABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR FACILITY.THUS, A SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:headlights
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT, OR EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLAMPS THAT OPERATE ON INDEPENDENT LAMPS AND ECU'S (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS) FOR EACH HEADLIGHT, MEANING THAT EACH HEADLIGHT RUNS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, AND A FAILURE IN ONE LAMP OR ECU DOES NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN A FAILURE OF THE OTHER.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FORTY CONSUMERS WAS CONTACTED BY ODI IN A TELEPHONE SURVEY TO VERIFY THEIR EXPERIENCES.THE CONSUMERS STATED IN COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT THE SAME TIME.ODI DISCOVERED THROUGH TALKING WITH THESE COMPLAINANTS THAT IN FACT ONE HEADLIGHT WOULD BEGIN TO FLICKER AND THEN CUT OFF.THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WOULD STILL BE OPERATIONAL.IN A FEW CASES WHERE NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, SOME COMPLAINANTS STATED THAT AFTER A FEW MONTHS BOTH HEADLAMPS WOULD BEGIN TO FAIL RESULTING IN NO HEADLIGHTS; HOWEVER NONE REPORTED THAT BOTH LAMPS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY.COMPLAINANTS ALSO STATED THAT THEY COULD TOGGLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH ON AND OFF TO TEMPORARILY RESTORE LIGHTING WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURRED, EVEN IN CASES WERE BOTH HEADLAMPS WERE EXTINGUISHED.THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY ARE LARGELY CONSISTENT WITH ODI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA.TOYOTA SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, ONLY ONE LAMP FAILED AT A TIME, AND THAT TOGGLING THE SWITCH RESTORED THE LAMP.TOYOTA REQUESTED A MEETING WITH ODI AND ON AUGUST 6, 2009, PRESENTED THEIR ASSESSMENT OF HEADLAMP FAILURE.TOYOTA CONFIRMED THAT A HEADLAMP COULD EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A BULB FAILURE, AND THAT IT COULD BE TEMPORARILY RESTORED BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF, AND THAT SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH HEADLAMPS WAS RARE AND UNLIKELY.TOYOTA ALSO BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THEIR INTENTION TO CONDUCT A CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS CONSUMER DISSATISFACTION WITH HID BULB FAILURES.SINCE THERE IS STILL ONE HEADLIGHT OPERATING WHEN THE OTHER ONE CUTS OFF, THERE IS STILL LIGHTING AVAILABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR FACILITY.THUS, A SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Exterior Lighting
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT, OR EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLAMPS THAT OPERATE ON INDEPENDENT LAMPS AND ECU'S (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS) FOR EACH HEADLIGHT, MEANING THAT EACH HEADLIGHT RUNS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, AND A FAILURE IN ONE LAMP OR ECU DOES NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN A FAILURE OF THE OTHER.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FORTY CONSUMERS WAS CONTACTED BY ODI IN A TELEPHONE SURVEY TO VERIFY THEIR EXPERIENCES.THE CONSUMERS STATED IN COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT THE SAME TIME.ODI DISCOVERED THROUGH TALKING WITH THESE COMPLAINANTS THAT IN FACT ONE HEADLIGHT WOULD BEGIN TO FLICKER AND THEN CUT OFF.THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WOULD STILL BE OPERATIONAL.IN A FEW CASES WHERE NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, SOME COMPLAINANTS STATED THAT AFTER A FEW MONTHS BOTH HEADLAMPS WOULD BEGIN TO FAIL RESULTING IN NO HEADLIGHTS; HOWEVER NONE REPORTED THAT BOTH LAMPS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY.COMPLAINANTS ALSO STATED THAT THEY COULD TOGGLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH ON AND OFF TO TEMPORARILY RESTORE LIGHTING WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURRED, EVEN IN CASES WERE BOTH HEADLAMPS WERE EXTINGUISHED.THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY ARE LARGELY CONSISTENT WITH ODI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA.TOYOTA SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, ONLY ONE LAMP FAILED AT A TIME, AND THAT TOGGLING THE SWITCH RESTORED THE LAMP.TOYOTA REQUESTED A MEETING WITH ODI AND ON AUGUST 6, 2009, PRESENTED THEIR ASSESSMENT OF HEADLAMP FAILURE.TOYOTA CONFIRMED THAT A HEADLAMP COULD EXTINGUISH WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A BULB FAILURE, AND THAT IT COULD BE TEMPORARILY RESTORED BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF, AND THAT SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH HEADLAMPS WAS RARE AND UNLIKELY.TOYOTA ALSO BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THEIR INTENTION TO CONDUCT A CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS CONSUMER DISSATISFACTION WITH HID BULB FAILURES.SINCE THERE IS STILL ONE HEADLIGHT OPERATING WHEN THE OTHER ONE CUTS OFF, THERE IS STILL LIGHTING AVAILABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR FACILITY.THUS, A SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.