Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
One afternoon, in the Summer of 23, I entered my Toyota Prius to run some errands. Once I proceeded to power on the car, none of the dashboard lights illuminated. This included the gas gauge, speedometer & transmission indicator. Fortunately, I was only driving a few blocks down the road from my residence as I live in a small rural town with little congestion, little traffic and mostly two-lane roads. I can't imagine this occurring in a much larger metropolitan city. When I arrived at my destination, I discovered that my Prius wouldn't shut off. This dashboard malfunction was preventing the Toyota from powering off. I quickly completed my errands with my vehicle running during this entire ordeal. Finally, when I returned home, I frantically researched on YouTube regarding this issue and discovered many others who also were having these no-illuminating-dashboard problems. …
Headlights Malfunctioning. Red triangle light has been present since the week after purchase. 2006 Prius was inspected by Toyota and a private technician. Headlights and 2 Relay fuses have been replaced and is still malfunctioning. This is a safety risk having headlights not working properly can cause accidents on dark roads at night. This should not be at owners expense when it is clearly a manufacturing issue. This causes owners to be ticketed as it is deemed to be a road hazard and it can not pass inspection due to faulty headlights.
The right or left headlight will rabdomly turn off, and tyrn back there 8s no ryme or readon to it,and while driving at night it is cery dangerous, aparebtly its not just this car, this is a common issue and it needs to be fixed
I was Driving down the main road at night time in my 2006 prius and the headlights both went out and all most caused a crash. I pulled over turned my car off then back on and the headlights came back on so i started driving home. After driving a couple blocks i was pulled over by the police because my drivers side headlight was off. Luckily he let me go with a warning, but i work at night and am losing money daily because of this problem. I sent toyota a email and no answer. There has been many electrical problems with this car and the speedometer still says i am deiving 34 to 35 mph while i am actually only going 30mph. I think that toyota should fully fix the problems in thos car. Its amazing there can be so much wrong with a vehicle and they not have to replace the vehicle with a vehicle that works or fix all the problems and give me a loaner vehicle. …
Purchased 2006 Toyota Prius used on aug 17, 2013 (61,500 miles). Within a month I was pulled over by police for passenger side headlight out while driving at night, but when headlamps are turned off and on again the headlight came back on, and the police officer thought he was crazy so he just issued a warning. The headlight continued to go out intermittently and I replaced the bulbs myself in November 2013 (philips HID headlight bulbs $95). The headlight still went out intermittently and I finally replaced both headlight assemblies in July 2016 by an independent mechanic (approximately $1000 at 143,000 miles). Passenger side headlight still goes out intermittently. NHTSA launched a probe in April 2009, but then dropped the investigation after Toyota said it would initiate a "consumer service campaign" to address the issue. …
I have had too many headlight issues throughout the time I've had my Prius. I've had the entire assembly replaced once, repaired once, replaced countless overpriced bulbs, and still consistently is a problem. At this time, I'm currently experiencing electrical issues. My passenger headlight went out again. I replaced the bulb and nothing. Not even a buzz noise. But when I disconnect the bulb and turn on the headlight, I can hear the buzz sound on both headlights. I am beyond fed up with this Prius and Toyota in general. It's been one problem after the other. The service department is a joke, every time. I had to fight them for an entire year about a warranty repair that I was repeatedly denied by several managers until I finally went to corporate and complained and that's when they finally agreed to fix it. …
The right side head light on my 2006 Toyota Prius will turn off on its own. It will work again if I shut all the lights off and turn it on again. It doesn't seem to happen while the car is stationary, but will turn off soon after the car starts moving. It doesn't matter if it is on a bumpy road, moving slowly, or on a highway. It will turn off within seconds to several minutes. I took it into the dealership around July 8th, 2019 when I first noticed the problem. They said there was no signs of any damage and said there wasn't anything that needed to be done. Since then I have just been switching the lights off and back on when it happens. But then last night on November 7, 2019 both lights went out while I was driving on a public road. It happened as I accelerated after a full break.thankfully turning the lights off and on again worked. …
My Prius 2006 driver side headlight is malfunctioning. I took it to Toyota dealer to check it out and they said the headlight 'leveler' sensor was defective - which I didn't replace because it was out of warranty. Two weeks later (June 2008), I got in a car accident (side-swiped). It was the other driver's fault (uninsured). However, since it was dark, the police suspected the defective headlight May have caused the accident. My insurance paid for repairs ($3,000) and replaced the headlight leveler. The driver's side headlight is still malfunctioning and I was stopped by the police on 11/16/08 about my defective headlight. My car is past warranty and research on Prius chat forums shows that it's a Toyota defect. I'm concerned that I will get into another accident because of this http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11141&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=135.
This is my second Prius and both have been excellent except for the headlights on this one. It is a 2006 with HID lights. The driver's side headlight always comes on in the morning when I leave for work, but it started going off after several miles (maybe 20-30, or so). This first started happening about October, 2013. It has progressively gotten worse until the headlight now goes off in only a few miles (5 - 10). Interestingly, the headlight seemed to stay on longer during the colder weather (around zero degrees) this winter. Other than checking for a loose connection, I have not tried to have the headlight repaired or replaced. It certainly needs to be because driving in the winter darkness is a safety concern. Thank you.
Driving along a country road at night and the headlights went out. Very scary. Went off the road a bit and the car got scratched. Restarted car and headlights went on for a short time, then dim, then off. This a huge safety problem that NHTSA has failed to do its duty with. Toyota says thought luck, you are past the extended warranty. Light suddenly going out while driving at night is clearly a safety issue. Is NHTSA simply going to wait until there are enough fatalities to take meaningful action. Toyota clearly doesn't want to take any responsibility for their clearly defective and dangerous product.
NHTSA investigations
Headlight failure
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…
Headlight complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2006 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 941 complaints about the lights of the 2006 Toyota Prius, 65% of the model year's 1,439 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (121 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Prius headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2006 Toyota Prius, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Prius headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to lights problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.