NHTSA Complaint #10362248 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON 12/03/09 WE WERE TICKETED FOR A LEFT HEADLIGHT OUT ON OUR 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS OUT OR GOING OUT. IT LOOKED ON TO US. TWO MILES FROM HOME IT LOOKED AS BRIGHT AS EVER. THE NEXT MORNING, AS MUCH AS WE TRIED, THE GARAGE COULD NOT FIND A BULB OUT, GOING OUT, WEAK, ON OR OFF, NOTHING WAS WRONG! WE HAD A FUNERAL TO GO TO AND PAID THE FINE. TWO WEEKS LATER, A LETTER WAS MAILED FROM TOYOTA LISTING ISSUES REGARDING THESE HID LIGHTS STATING THAT THESE SUDDENLY GO OUT, AND ON AND OFF, AMONG OTHER THINGS, NEAR THE END OF THEIR LIFE. MY CAR IS A 2008. MY HUSBAND AND I CANNOT REPLACE THESE EXPENSIVE, EXOTIC HID BULBS BECAUSE ACCESS IS IN A VERY TIGHT PLACE AND THE BUMPER MUST BE REMOVED--SERIOUSLY!!!! EVEN IF WE COULD DO IT, THESE HID BULBS CANNOT BE PURCHASED IN A NORMAL AUTOMOTIVE STORE. ANYHOW, AGAIN ON 10/17/10 I WAS SEVERAL HOURS OUT OF TOWN, DRIVING HOME ON THE INTERSTATE, AT NIGHT, ON A WEEKEND, AND THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT!!! I COULD NOT PUT IN A NEW BULB MYSELF. I HAD NO ONE TO CALL WITH THIS EXOTIC HID LIGHT AND CERTAINLY NO ONE THAT WOULD TAKE OFF A BUMPER ON THE INTERSTATE. SUDDEN, COMPLETE LIGHT OUTAGE AT NIGHT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ON TOP OF THIS, HID HEADLAMP PROBLEM, ANY LIGHT BULB NEEDS TO BE RELATIVELY EASY TO REPLACE. AT $150. PER BULB, VERY PRICEY LIGHT PLUS BUMPER REMOVAL LABOR EXPENSE AT 1 HOUR ($288), THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE CLERK ACTUALLY SAID "YOU CHOSE THIS OPTION." HELP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED ON ONE OF THESE DARK ROADS (CHANCES ARE THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH NO ONE ALIVE TO KNOW THIS WAS THE CAUSE)!!! *TR