2012 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting Problems

NHTSA component category: EXTERIOR LIGHTING · data through 07/12/2026

36Exterior Lighting complaints

8.6%Of all 419 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How exterior lighting ranks on this vehicle

SERVICE BRAKES180 · 43%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM49 · 11.7%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING36 · 8.6%

ENGINE31 · 7.4%

Unspecified / other31 · 7.4%

Share of the 419 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Toyota Prius overview page.

What owners report

“I HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS APPROXIMATELY EVERY THREE WEEKS. I HAVE BOUGHT AND REPLACED 5 SETS SINCE OWNING THE CAR IN…”NHTSA complaint 10816911 — filed 12/29/2015

“LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. PASSENGER SIDE HAS BEEN REPLACED MANY TIMES. MOISTURE IS VISIBLE IN LIGHT ASSEMBLY.”NHTSA complaint 10670634 — filed 01/07/2015

“VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD WITH 40,000 MILES.”NHTSA complaint 10618615 — filed 08/04/2014

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Exterior Lighting complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Toyota Prius have exterior lighting problems?

Exterior Lighting is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Toyota Prius: 36 of 419 complaints on file (8.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Toyota Prius have in total?

419 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 45 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 31 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's exterior lighting category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the EXTERIOR LIGHTING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.