# Toyota Prius Headlamp replacement cost **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 10, 2008, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485 "2008-07-10T06:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jlievers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@jlievers](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jlievers)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/1 "2008-07-10T06:32:35Z")
One of our two year-old Prius’s headlamps has been going on & off (It comes on when the car has been started but then goes off after a while) and a visit to the dealership brought the news that the replacement bulb costs - are you ready? - $353.00! I would not have bought the car in the first place if I had known this ahead of time. Has anyone else had this experience? ---
**Author:** ![Moynihand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Moynihand](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Moynihand)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 11:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/2 "2008-07-10T11:00:14Z")
Thats not surprising at all, I believe you have the HID lights. Do a search on the internet you may be able to find the bulbs way cheaper. I had a SAAB with HID lights, the dealer wanted close to that price for the bulb, so I went online got the bulb for around &100 including shipping! ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 11:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/3 "2008-07-10T11:19:18Z")
Now you know reason #2 why those fancy HID lamps are quickly loosing favor. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/4 "2008-07-10T14:03:55Z")
The symptoms point to the ballast module, not the bulb. To test my hypothesis, switch the ballasts froom side to side and see if the OTHER bulb starts to blink. ---
**Author:** ![mom24xys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@mom24xys](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mom24xys)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/5 "2008-10-08T22:14:48Z")
I have the same problem with my Prius. How does one check the ballast module? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![mom24xys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@mom24xys](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mom24xys)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/6 "2008-10-08T22:17:49Z")
I am having the same problem. One dealer wants to charge me a diagnostic fee first. The other dealer says I just need to bring it in and make it go out in front of the mechanic. I like the idea of the ballast module suggested by a user here. ---
**Author:** ![zibasurgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/da6949/32.png) [@zibasurgeon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/zibasurgeon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/7 "2009-02-04T03:09:02Z")
If I can buy the bulb for $ 100, is it easy to replace the bulb. I am good with my hands as a plastic surgeon but not of cars. Do I need any special tools to change the bulb. I can follow directions. ---
**Author:** ![zibasurgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/da6949/32.png) [@zibasurgeon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/zibasurgeon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/8 "2009-02-04T03:10:38Z")
How do I switch ballasts side to side. Please give me step by step directions. I can follow directions and I am good with my hands. I am a plastic surgeon although not of cars. ---
**Author:** ![Going\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@Going\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Going_green)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/9 "2009-08-06T01:05:39Z")
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius with the same problems identified by many others. The lamps go on and off and I ended up replacing one headlamp at an exorbitant price I think. It cost me $239.53 plus labor etc. Within a fortnight, the other lamp began misbehaving. In fact I saw it dim when I drove off from the dealer’s service area, but I was not sure. It came on the next day and has been on again, off again. Today the lamp is completely “Kaput”. I called Toyota Headquarters in Torrance and complained. Remains to be seen if the Hybrid customer service intends to do anything. I simply cannot believe that lamps on a Toyota could put you out for $550.00 and upwards! I am not sure what the problem is with the lamps. ---
**Author:** ![UpsetPriusOwner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c89c15/32.png) [@UpsetPriusOwner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UpsetPriusOwner)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/10 "2009-09-16T17:11:50Z")
I’m in the same boat as many others who’ve posted here. Own a 2006 Prius which is now starting on its THIRD set of headlamps. The dealership just replaced the driver’s side lamp for the second time to the tune of $300…and that was only for the one lamp. The last time something similar happened was about a year ago (luckily when the car was still covered under warranty) when both headlamps started with the “sometimes we work, and sometimes we _don’t_”. What’s kind of scary is that the car only has 40,000 miles on it! ---
**Author:** ![judsonr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@judsonr](https://community.cartalk.com/u/judsonr)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-prius-headlamp-replacement-cost/16485/11 "2009-09-29T21:50:55Z")
Same here in Albuquerque. This is a defective component and IMHO should be covered by the manufacturer! It’s a safety issue! Obviously, it’s not the lamp that burns out but a poorly-designed ballast. We have had two headlamps replaced on our 2006 - one under warranty, the other as a “courtesy” repair (albeit begrudgingly by the dealer). Related cost is not so much the actual value of the lamp itself, but the labor required to take a portion of the front end apart and reassemble it. Gone are the days of replacing your own 12.99 headlamp by unscrewing a retaining ring! Please Google “Prius Headlamp Failures” for the NY Times article dated Sep 24, 2009.