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HID Headlight

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ThePackage, Jun 10, 2008.

  1. ThePackage

    ThePackage New Member

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    As an update, I have been loosely following the issue concerning the HID headlight problems. My Prius is a 2006, #6. About six months ago, I experienced what so many have complained about. My right headlight went out but went on after using the switch (off-on). The headlight has been working flawlessly ever since. Yesterday I went into the dealer for my 35,000 mile service and mentioned this problem. To my surprise when I picked up the car, the paperwork showed they replaced the HID bulb at no charge to me. Is it possible that Toyota has told dealers that anyone who complains about this issue should have their bulbs replaced free? I am curious if anyone else has had this experience. By the way, in 35,000 miles of driving, outside of normal maintenance, I've had nothing go wrong except the back-up camera which was replaced under warranty. I love the car. My wife says I would trade her in before the car. She is probably correct.
     
    #1 ThePackage, Jun 10, 2008
  2. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It's a lot more expensive to trade in a wife. I've heard that large fees are involved.

    Tom
     
    #2 qbee42, Jun 10, 2008
  3. ThePackage

    ThePackage New Member

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    You are absolutely correct.
     
    #3 ThePackage, Jun 10, 2008
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    you're still under warranty. they probably figured you wanted it fixed before you went out of warranty- for them to do that is a good sign.
     
    #4 galaxee, Jun 10, 2008
  5. ucsbjones

    ucsbjones New Member

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    I have the same prbolem but my dealer told me Toyota no longer stand behind it nor do the dealers stock the HID replacement anymore. Anyone aware of an aftermarket bulb?
     
    #5 ucsbjones, Jun 13, 2008
  6. ThePackage

    ThePackage New Member

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    Find a new dealer!
     
    #6 ThePackage, Jun 14, 2008
  7. perfectprius

    perfectprius New Member

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    I just had both the bulb and ballast (ECU) replaced under warranty yesterday. I spoke to the mechanic and asked if they had been seeing a lot of these HID headlight problems. His answer was an emphatic, "YES!". He said he thought the problem was a bad design, that the HID gets very hot and the assembly does not allow for adequate cooling and the result is bulb and/or ballast failure. The service writer nodded and said it is a problem that Toyota has unfortunately not addressed. I then asked if Toyota or the dealership were picking up the tab for out-of-warranty failures and, of course, the answer was "no". He said that most out-of-warranty owners were opting for the after-market bulb which saves about $100 in parts, but still represents a ridiculous (IMHO) expense for a part that should not be failing with such frequency. I'm glad mine failed (just) before my warranty expired, but I'll be hopping mad when the next one fails if Toyota won't fix it. :mad:

    FWIW, I have seen two other Prius this week with one headlight out. :eek:

    2007 Package #6
     
    #7 perfectprius, Jun 14, 2008
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