Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the passenger's side low-beam headlight failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that no issues were found; however, the dealer replaced the headlight bulb. The contact stated that the headlight bulb was replaced several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
On 12/25/2021, I was driving in the country side under darkness and under heavy rain and I had a hard time seeing the road. There were no road lights so I could not make out where the divider, curve of the road or side of the road was. It was quite a safety hazards because cars were coming from the front, or a few inches off the road would be dirt field. I discovered that the headlamps of my 2012 Prius are full of water bubbles and the water bubbles are blocking and distorting the headlights. I have pictures and videos of the headlights. It is six days already and the water bubbles are still there, and it is not safe to drive out to the field at night or where there is no road lights, with such minimal and distorted lights. I found on the web that a few people experienced water bubbles in their headlamps over the years, but don't know if they reported to NHTSA. …
Purchased 2012 Prius used. Replaced low beams and high beam headlights shortly after. Passenger side low beam is no longer working (bulb was replaced 3 months ago). Upon googling causes saw 2010-2011 Prius had a recall for recurrent headlight issues, the wiring harness was replaced in them. It seem the 2012 is having the same issue in the 8 pages of complaints on exterior lightning that I saw. Toyota should extend the fix to include 2012 Prius.
Brake master control system failure with constant issues over 80k miles. Forward running lights control housing has not held a light fixture since day one and dealership wants to charge for light replacement. It's a faulty part and burnt through the housing. Olathe Toyota refused to repair under warranty saying it was a customer issue but is clearly a safety problem. Irresponsible dealer management.
on the pasenger side front low beam light if the headlight does not sit correctly it melts the headlight housing and or the headlight is dimmer my damage wiring harness in past dealership blames owner feel like this is a part defect the heat from a bulb should not melt or damage housing assemblies damage was found during a new headlight install
The headlights are not functioning properly as a result of severe discoloration of the lens material. This creates unsafe driving conditions at night since the road is not properly illuminated, especially in areas with inadequate street lighting.
Headlamp Lens Issue Vehicle Manufacturers Must Correct ISSUE 1. The increase in pedestrian-vehicular accidents and fatalities is, at times, related to the driver not seeing the person in time to stop. Not seeing a person in time may be related to poor street lighting or a decrease in front visibility caused by fogged headlamp lenses. Current nighttime traffic has a variety of vehicles operating with varying front light visibility. 2. For certain vehicles, the lens alone is replaceable. With other vehicle models, the entire front lamp must be replaced. The exorbitant cost of replacing the front lamp is causing some people to opt to drive with densely fogged front headlight lenses risking pedestrian safety. 3. Some car dealership offer a "defogging" cleaning service for greater visibility but does not guarantee to restore the car's front illumination to minimum required safety standards. …
In the past year we have replaced multiple low beam halogen headlights. One week ago, both burned out causing a nighttime safety issue. I researched the lighting issue and learned there is TSB t-sb-0204-12 for headlamp durability enhancement and a customer support program "zhb" for this identical problem. In the zhb program, Toyota will make the necessary repairs free for only 2010-2011 Prius'. Since the zhb program only supports 2010-2011 Prius' I called Toyota to request this repair under that program. After speaking to a local Toyota dealer (darcars in frederick md.) and the Toyota hq's satisfaction rep, our 2012 is not supported by the zhb program even though its the exact same problem. …
My 2012 Toyota Prius; the vehicle repeatedly blows the front head lights. My vehicle is less than 6 years old and I have had 10 front lights replaced. The lights just go out while in motion. Here is the number of times Toyota have replaced the lights thus far; 01.14.18 - headlight scheduled for repair on 01/15/19 12.21.18 - front marker 4.6.18 - front marker & tag lights 11.1.17 - front marker 4.4.16 - front marker 1.29.16 - p/s front marker 12.21.15 - d/s headlight bulb 10.23.15 - d/s headlight bulb 7.31.15 - d/s running light 2.14.15 - d/s front marker & p/s front marker I have had Toyota review this issue twice now - no "mechanical/electrical" solution offered. Toyota incident 160129-000305 (opened on jan 2016) Toyota incident: 181221-000076 (opened on dec 2018) let me know if you need my Toyota repair/service records.
Since 2014 I have had to replace the drivers side bright and dim headlights about every 4-6 months and on the passenger side about every 8 - 10 months. Is there a recall with a problem with the headlights? I got a warning ticket this morning and drive to work in the dark and home in the dark. My round trip is 140/miles daily. The vehicle has been in motion each time they have gone out. I had the casing checked to make sure it wasn't a problem with vibration and that was fine. I no longer go to the Toyota dealerships because they are so expensive, but have a small shop change. I am picking up headlights from helena Ford/Toyota on my way home so they can pop them in when I get to three forks, mt.
Headlight complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2012 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the lights of the 2012 Toyota Prius, 8% of the model year's 424 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota Prius headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2012 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 2012 Toyota Prius headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 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.