roadshow: prius hid and winter gas

Roadshow: Cost to replace on-and-off Prius headlights can run $950 — or nothing
By Gary Richards
Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:12/17/2008 10:23:30 AM PST
Q I don't know if you've already discussed replacement costs for Toyota Prius headlights, but . . .
Steve Armstrong San Jose
A Oh, we certainly are today.
Q We are a two-Prius family. Both cars have been dependable until recently, when my wife's 2006 car started experiencing problems with the headlights. Both started to go out alternately, and when she turned the light lever off, then back on, the lights would come back on for a few minutes. I took the car to the dealership, thinking it was an electrical problem and would be covered under the extended warranty. Wrong! I was told both headlights had to be replaced and were not covered under the warranty — at a cost of $381 each, plus approximately $200 labor. Total cost to replace both headlights even after a discount of 15 percent was $950.
Steve Armstrong
A Ouch! And . . .
Q I bought a Toyota Prius in late '06 and have loved the car. Then in August I began experiencing failure of the left front headlight. It seemed to sporadically falter. Not long afterward, my wife was making a nighttime drive down a twisting back road in Aptos and the entire light system went out. I flipped the steering column switch and the lights came back on. I went to the local dealer from whom I purchased the car and the service rep said that individual lights cost about $350 each to replace. I indicated that it wasn't just the one light that was acting up. He responded, "Yeah, we've had Priuses with this problem." I told him that I wanted to talk to Toyota about addressing a problem that is a safety hazard and given the newness of the vehicle this should never happen. A person in the corporate office indicated that Toyota would not assume any fiscal responsibility for the repair. He reasoned that the 65,000 mileage was beyond the range of responsibility for this problem, and that I had not had my car serviced at the Toyota dealership. I argued that we weren't talking about a normal condition, brake linings and wear factor items. I told him that of the six Toyotas I have owned as well as the many other various vehicles, I have never known a car to simply have a total light failure, and that it was not a mileage-related problem, but a safety defect that they should address. The problem has gotten progressively worse and the lights fail constantly. I have been perplexed with what to do and pressed to find the extra dollars to take it in to the dealership and simply swallow the expense. Someone suggested I write you.
James Hamilton Aptos
A Full confession. This has also happened to my Prius, and I have heard from other drivers who have experienced similar problems. Some motorists, like Steve, have paid $950 to fix their lights. My dealer charged me for labor only, and others say they have not been charged at all to have their lights replaced. Toyota says it is seeing similar problems with high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, and this is not confined to the Prius. The corporate folks also say its up to each dealer to determine how much you should pay. That is a pretty weak response. Forking over nearly $1,000 to replace lights on a 2-year-old car is tough to swallow. Toyota recommends you call its customer center at (800) 331-4331 if your lights are also going out. Then let me know how Toyota responds.
Q This isn't another letter to incite a riot about Prius/SUV drivers, just a simple question that no one can seem to answer. I figured you know the ropes, so: I had been getting about 48 mpg in my Prius up until the last three tanks of gas, and my mileage has fallen to 43 mpg. My driving habits haven't changed, so I thought maybe it is the California winter gas. Can mileage be reduced by 6 to 10 percent?
Stephen Schrag
San Jose
A Yes, it can. It's a combination of California's winter blend of gas, which affects all cars. Plus the Prius mileage tends to drop in cold weather, when the gas engine kicks in more often. My mileage has fallen from 54 to around 48 mpg.
Contact Gary Richards at [email protected] or (408) 920-5335.