Prius 2007 headlight problems

This is I'ma common problem.
I'm assuming you have HID headlights as opposed halogen. (HID are on cars that have fog lights.)

You will likely have to replace bulbs and ballasts.

Bulbs can be expensive ($70 -$150)
Ballasts can be expensive as well.

Plus it can be a fair amount of labor. The bumper will have to be partially dropped in order to access the headlight assemblies.

 

I've owned 5 different Gen 2's ( three 2005 and two 2007s). I've had the blinking headlight issue in 3 of them. All I've ever had to do is install new bulbs. Even having gorilla hands, I've been able to replace them without removing the headlights. Luscious Garage has a good video on how to do it. Along with that, I've never had to replace bulbs in the same car more than once.

If you decide to do it yourself, just be sure to get the correct bulbs for the 2007. Should be a D4R @4300K for OEM replacement. Order from a reputable company or you may end up with some made in China model that lasts a month instead of a few years.

 

This video is not a tutorial, but does show the value of small hands.

This is the correct bulb.

www.amazon.com/Philips-Standard-Authentic-Xenon-Headlight/dp/B00480J4J6

 

If you have HID they are $30 on eBay with the entire ballast and bulb. A mechanic can change in 25 minutes tops. I just watched my mechanic it takes seconds to partially remove the bumper...then remove headlight. When he had headlight assembly on bench the longest part was playing around with ballast to get that silver piece to wiggle out of the tight space it is trapped in.

$32 part. $100 for labor? My mechanic didn't charge me but I bring him a lot of work. Ordinarily my mechanic would probably charge me $20 maybe $30 but most shops just round up to a full hour.

 

Didn't see a bulb included with that. My first impression after fully reading that ebay ad is it's exactly what I suggested to avoid in post 3. Having never purchased it, maybe I'm wrong............

 

Our 2007 Prius headlights started doing the same thing several years ago and then it slowly got worse and worse over time until they sometimes wouldn't light up at all. About three months ago, my husband and I changed both of our HID headlight bulbs in our 2007 Prius in a single evening after watching several videos on YouTube about how to do it without dropping the bumper. I don't remember if it was eBay or Amazon but I do remember that we got the Phillips OEM bulbs which were not in any Phillips packaging as a set for around $80.

The hardest part is twisting off the dust cover at the back of the headlight assembly. Using all your strength, it moves about one millimeter per minute. Sooooo frustrating.

The second hardest part is manipulating parts by feel in areas you can't see. The little inspection mirror recommended in one of the YouTube videos was super helpful.

The first time around, both bulbs lit up but one bulb was misaligned and shined about 30° too high. It turned out that it wasn't seated properly; 're-seating it properly in the headlight assembly completely fixed the misalignment problem. Headlights stay on when you turn them on; life is good. Now if I can just find a navigation DVD update disc ...

 

Taking off the bumper is a muuucccchhh easier way for most people to do it. It is only a handful of bolts.

Gives you clean access to the back of the light assembly. You can visually see exactly how everything fits together. Reduces the possibility of errors or touching the bulb.

 

How long have you personally driven a car that has had this repair done? Don’t you buy and sell cars for a living?

 

Yes. Only had to do it 2x that I can recall. One sold a long time ago the other is pretty decent and keeping. Just installed parts a week ago so you'll have to tag me in like a year to see if it holds up