Toyota stung by possible Prius headlight defect?
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/" rel="tag">Hybrids/Alternative</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/green/" rel="tag">Green</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/recalls-tsbs/" rel="tag">Recalls/TSBs</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carsumer-advocacy/" rel="tag">Carsumer Advocacy</a></p><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/2009-toyota-prius/1032912/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/06/2009_prius.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><stron g><small><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553562/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/abgar_prius_anunez_hi03_o pt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />2007 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />We'd wager that the last thing Toyota wants in the midst of the super-important launch of its new third-generation Prius is a negative stigma attached to the previous model. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Japanese automaker may have on its hands as a number of owners of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/01/in-the-autoblog-garage-2007-toyota-prius-touring/">2005-2008 Toyota Prius</a> with the HID headlight option are banding together on online forums, message boards and in possible class action lawsuits against the automaker in relation to failing headlamps.<br /><br />According to <em>Advertising Age</em>, these HID headlight bulbs and their associated electronics can sometimes cost well over $1,000 to replace after they've gone faulty, and Toyota is unwilling to pick up the tab. At least one lawsuit has reportedly been filed last month by Girard Gibbs in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of a Putnam County, N.Y., Prius owner. The suit contends that the problem is a "dangerous but undisclosed safety defect" and alleges that "Toyota is concealing the problems from owners" despite having been "long been aware of Prius' HID headlight problem." It's possible that the suit will get class-action status.<br /><br />The NHTSA has reportedly filed a preliminary investigation into the issue and contacted Toyota on May 13 regarding 338 complaints it has received so far from Prius owners about the HID headlamps. Spokesmen from Toyota have said the automaker is cooperating with the NHTSA investigation, which may or may not end up calling for an official recall.<br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/">Review: 2007 Toyota Prius Touring</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553590/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/07priustouring_abgar_apn_ thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553570/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/abgar_prius_anunez_hi21_t humbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553577/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/abgar_prius_anunez_hi32_t humbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553571/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/abgar_prius_anunez_hi24_t humbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-toyota-prius-touring/553566/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/abgar_prius_anunez_hi12_t humbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=137654 ">Advertising Age</a>]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/01/toyota-stung-by-possible-prius-headlight-defect/">Toyota stung by possible Prius headlight defect?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://adage.com/article?article_id=137654 >Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/01/toyota-stung-by-possible-prius-headlight-defect/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19082709/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/01/toyota-stung-by-possible-prius-headlight-defect/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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