Headlight problem

[CBarr31]

SCTrojan96,

The best place to start with reporting the problem is here:

Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), File A Safety Complaint

This was given in ATX's post #526 as well. The more complaints registered here hopefully the sooner something is done about it but the investigation is still listed as "Open" as of today.

Here is some information I posted previously for those of you following this issue. I just wanted to list the NHTSA Action Number for this problem since I had some trouble finding it earlier in this thread.

The correct number is: PE09019

And can be searched for here: ODI - Office of Defects Investigation

Windstrings,

The lawsuit appears to have been filed from New York so my guess it is the same one listed it ATX's post #526 as well.

The link to it is: TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHT FAILURE

The contact information for Howard Gutman is listed at the bottom of the page. He has an AOL account email, address and phone number listed.

I love Toyota's, own 2 current Prii and a Taco and would really like to seem them step up to the plate and fix this.

Happy driving,
Chris

[captpg]

I have been in contact with Toyota over the past couple of weeks on this issue and am totally astounded by their abysmal reaction. My daughter, a teenage driver, received two tickets for driving at night without headlights before I became aware of the HID problem, not from Toyota, but from research on this website.

Contrary to the treatment others have reported, Toyota is insisting they will not even consider doing anything to remedy the problem until I bring the car to a dealer “for analysis” which would be subject to a rather hefty diagnostic charge. Turns out on questioning, Toyota admits the analysis is looking to see if the lights are out or flickering. No matter that the good police officers have written tickets indicating the lights were out. Toyota says they aint fixin' it until they see for themselves that they are not working in their shop, no matter how many diagnostic fees they soak me for.

It’s hard to believe that any reputable company – let alone one with Toyota’s prior reputation for quality and customer service -- would knowingly subject their customers and their family members to this extremely unsafe condition, but there you have it. I have owned other Toyotas in the past, have recommended their cars to others and was actively considering another Toyota purchase later this year, but this experience has left me with a very bad taste and my current recommendation would be to stay away . Not because a part was defective – that can be expected -- but because of the distressing and dangerous way it is being handled at the Company corporate level. One wonders if their executives are old enough to remember the Corvair and the AMC Gremlin.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve Toyota’s attention to this problem, I would be grateful. Thanks!

2006 Prius

[icarus]

The dealer should be able to diagnose without you committing to pay for anything. I just had mine done, 39k out of warrantee. I told the dealer what the story was. The claimed that the control units were fine, but it needed new bulbs. They would supply the bulbs if I would pay the labour. I said I was NOT going to pay $1, and I wished to speak to the service manager, or to Corporate,,, they called back in an hour and said they would foot the bill for the whole deal.

Don't let them jack you around, let the dealer look and go from there.

Icarus

[captpg]

Originally Posted by icarus

The dealer should be able to diagnose without you committing to pay for anything. I just had mine done, 39k out of warrantee. I told the dealer what the story was. The claimed that the control units were fine, but it needed new bulbs. They would supply the bulbs if I would pay the labour. I said I was NOT going to pay $1, and I wished to speak to the service manager, or to Corporate,,, they called back in an hour and said they would foot the bill for the whole deal.

Don't let them jack you around, let the dealer look and go from there.

Icarus

I agree this is absolute nonsense, but Toyota corporate really does seem to be saying (to me): nope, nothing doing unless you bring it in with the lights out. So because this is different from the experience at least some others have had, I am wondering if this is the vanguard of a new policy. Anyone else -- especially on the east coast -- have had their requested acted on or declined in the last couple of weeks?

[icarus]

Take the car to the dealer,, intimating that you are not going to pay anything without an estimate. Be nice and say,,"My headlights are acting a bit funky,, (explain what has been happening) can you take a look?"
They'll know right away what they are up against. They'll call you back and suggest that the controller checks out fine and that you need bulb(s). I would almost bet on it. They will then try to charge you for the deal,,, that's when you politely refuse,, ask to speak to the service "manager" (BS position if ever there was one!) If you don't get the deal you wish,, then go to corporate,, telling them you have filed a complaint with the NTSB (do it!) and then suggest that your next call/letter will be to the states attorney general's office thank you very much. Print out the NTSB stuff linked from this site, tell them this is a known defect and you are not going to pay. Then see what happens. Be nice but firm!

Good luck,

Icarus

[jayman]

Icarus

Good advice, I agree.

Do NOT back down on this

[dannyo]

Originally Posted by AlphaTeam

They are HID's.
I'm not sure about the loose connection theory. But I'm not an expert on HID operation. But lets say that it was loose and I hit a bump light goes out. Why would be turning the lights off and back on make them go back on? If the circuit was open then switching them off and on would still not make it operate. If the connection opened and reclosed then why didn't it come back on by itself?

I have a problem with intermittent operation of my driver's side headlamp. I want to chack the bulb, butI can't figue out how to get to it. Any idea?

[dannyo]

I have a problem with intermittent operation of my driver's side headlamp. I want to chack the bulb, butI can't figue out how to get to it. Any idea?

[ETP]

Has this been resolved in the 2009?

[windstrings]

Originally Posted by ETP

Has this been resolved in the 2009?

I'm gonna guess "no"..... the 2008 has already come up with probs and the 2010 did away with HID altogether "rather than fix it"...... so thats my best guess.