Prius Headlight Class Action Continues

UPDATE: A class action lawsuit settlement has been preliminarily approved! Click here to learn more about the benefits provided in the Prius headlight class action settlement.

A Los Angeles federal judge has refused to throw out a class action lawsuit against Toyota over defective headlights in their Prius vehicles.

The 2009 Prius headlight class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of consumers who purchased the optional HID headlight system for their 2006 through 2009 Toyota Prius vehicles. Standard Priuses come equipped with halogen headlights, which are not at issue in the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Toyota failed to warn customers that the HID headlights on 2006 through 2009 Priuses can sporadically turn on and off while the car is being driven, creating a safety hazard. As of December 2009, when the lawsuit was filed, more than 1,000 consumer complaints had been logged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, yet Toyota continued to not acknowledge the headlight failures, according to the lawsuit. The class action suit also alleges that after dealerships learned about the problem, they either did nothing to remedy it or chose to replace the defective headlight systems with “equally defective parts” that cost consumers up to $1,800.

Toyota argued that most of the alleged defects occurred after the class members’ warranties had expired, and that while headlight failure posed a potential safety risk if both headlights simultaneously fail at night, it “does not present an unreasonably  dangerous condition” because every vehicle operator accepts the “known and inevitable” risk that headlight failure could occur.

“Lots of people feel this is a safety hazard,” said a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, adding that it’s just as much of a safety defect as the acceleration problem that forced Toyota to recall more than 8 million vehicles. “The law requires operating headlights.”

The Los Angeles federal judge agreed, ruling that Toyota must face the class action lawsuit. The Prius HID headlight class action lawsuit is seeking restitution for a nationwide group of class members.

This isn’t the first class action lawsuit we’ve seen this year over defective high-intensity discharge, or HID, headlight systems. Volkswagen is currently facing a similar lawsuit that claims the HID headlamps in some of its VW and Audi vehicles flicker and suddenly shut off while the car is being driven.

With so many cars driving around with defective headlights, it kind of makes you want to stay off the road at night.