2000 Toyota Prius — Known Issues & Recalls

Your headlights turn off on their own about 2-3 minutes after you start the vehicle, affecting both the driver and passenger sides. You have to toggle the headlight switch on and off to get them working again. Driving at night without headlights is a serious safety hazard and could lead to a crash. The issue may involve a faulty headlight relay, wiring connection, or the headlight control module that needs inspection and repair.

Your driver's side headlight went out while driving on the highway at night, though it came back on after turning the headlights off and back on. The problem has occurred repeatedly over several months, requiring bulb replacements at the dealership multiple times, and recently both headlights went out together, leaving you stranded on the road. The dealer has been unable to resolve the underlying issue. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing the headlight electrical circuit, wiring, or switch rather than just replacing bulbs.

Your headlights keep turning off while you're driving, even though they're switched on. They'll come back on if you flip the switch off and back on again, but this happens very frequently—sometimes the lights only stay on for a couple of minutes before cutting out again. This is frustrating because you had the same issue fixed at a Toyota dealership in January 2008, and it's happening again less than two years later. The fix will likely involve checking the headlight wiring, connector, or switch assembly to find why the connection keeps failing.

Your steering wheel suddenly vibrates and pulls hard to one side, and this problem is happening more frequently over time. A dealer blamed brake drums and charged $800 for repairs, but the problem persists and online reports suggest this is a common steering issue on this model. The underlying steering problem likely needs to be properly diagnosed and repaired.