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 2010 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The headlights on my car would get very dim and would burnout within 4 to 6 months. As time has past the time between bulb replacement would get shorter and shorter. At this point when I plug replacement bulbs into my car the burnout instantly. Without low beam headlights I am required to drive with my high beams on at all times. The dealer and the manufacture know about the problem and there was a notification regarding this issue with the headlights, but I was not sent this notice. Had I been sent the notice from Toyota I would have brought my car into the dealership for them to inspect the light problem. From what I have learned from Toyota is that there was never a recall on this issue. Headlights on a car I would think would be considered a major safety feature and should not have an expiration date on such a repair issue. …
There is a long-standing problem with the instrument panel being very difficult to see when operating the vehicle on a very sunny day. It is very dim even when the "instrument panel light control" is adjusted, especially when wearing sunglasses. No response by dealer.
The dash lights on my 2010 Prius went all dark, lost all information on my dash. No lights on dash, no fuel gauge, no speedometer, nothing. This is very dangerous to suddenly have happened and I don't see a recall from Toyota to address this problem.
On February 27, 2015, our house burned in the middle of the night while we were asleep. The fire started in the near vicinity of the right front headlight of the 2010 Toyota Prius. The car had been serviced just before the fire on February 25, 2015 at the local Toyota dealership. The car was off at the time and the key was not in the car at the time of the fire. While we were sleeping, the car evidently caught fire spontaneously at approximately 2 a.m. While it was parked in the garage. The garage door was closed. By the time we woke up, the garage was fully engulfed in flames. We were able to escape the fire. However, our house was too severely damaged (fire, smoke and water) after the fire to be livable, and it is currently being rebuilt. Our family of four (husband, wife and two children, 15 and almost 11 years old) is currently living in a rental house. …
My headlight caught fire and severely burned my car. I was driving down the road on a city steet and saw a wisp of smoke and pulled over into a store parking lot. I had no warning lights indicating anything was wrong. It began to smoke more, and I cautiously opened the hood to see a fire coming from my drivers side headlight area. Within seconds there was a blaze, and it took 3 fire extinguishers to put it out. The fire department confirmed that the fire originated from the headlight. I had previously experienced problems with my headlight becoming dull and cloudy. An earlier NHTSA investigation did not result in a recall. I think it's the same problem with the headlight, only much worse. If there were not multiple fire extinguishers available the car could have easily exploded before the fire department arrived. It could have easily caused harm to other people.
I purchased the Toyota certified pre-owned Prius in July 2013. I first had an issue with the headlight in August 2014 when the headlight kept coming loose from it's casing. This happened again on April 24, 2015 only this time the headlight fell to rest on some plastic and caused the headlight assembly to start on fire. No one was injured. I used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. I believe the socket part of the headlight assembly was defective.
Headlights continue to burn out. We have changed one or both headlights at least six times since May 2015. This happens unexpectedly, going down the road at night one or both headlights will burn out. When you change them, will last a couple weeks to months. Very scary when going down a two lane back country road at night. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I purchased a certified used 2010 Toyota Prius from the east coasts number one certified used Toyota dealer. I was presented with papers showing all the checks performed with a certified used Toyota and that the vehicle I was purchasing had pass all the inspections. I test drove the vehicle during the day and did not use the headlights. Once I was home (over 3 hours away) I used the headlights for the first time in the next few days. The driver's side lights were very dim. I took the low beam bulb out and notice a lot of corrosion on the bulb and moisture in the headlamp assembly. I let it dry out and replaced both the drivers and passenger side low beam light bulbs. Over the summer I noticed a few time moisture would build up but would be gone within a few days. …
As many previous owners described, I am also having problems with the brakes at low speed since the beginning of owning this vehicle (October 2009). Dealer couldn't replicate the problem. Although the car went through the recall for the break system is still having the same issue ever since. The other issue with the brakes happens after rain. It makes a screeching noise without performance being effected. It goes away usually within a half an hour. This has been an ongoing thing too for few years by now. The other issue I had as well as others is dimming of lights that has been occurring since last year. We needed to switch the lightbulbs more frequently than seems normal. Didn't even think it was out of the ordinary until I read the comments here about it. The other problem I started to have is with a stereo display system and the voice activation for the Bluetooth. …
This was approximately the date when my first headlight blew. The other headlight blew within a couple months. I went for three years changing headlights every six months or so. Twice, both headlights blew and I had to unsafely drive home (70 miles) with my brights on. I took my car to the dealer and was told that this model and year had a wiring harness "bullet" and the cost to replace it was on me. At the time, that was almost $400, which I did not have. This issue has cause me to replace one (sometimes both) headlights every six months (if I'm lucky to go that long). It has also caused the headlight housing to overheat and has made the inside of the housing "fuzzy." this, in turn, makes it nearly impossible to see in the dark with just my dim lights on so driving at night is dangerous. Toyota needs to make this a recall because it is dangerous. …
Headlight complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 150 complaints about the lights of the 2010 Toyota Prius, 5% of the model year's 2,823 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Prius headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2010 Toyota Prius, though it has 10 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 2010 Toyota Prius headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries 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.