Toyota stung by possible Prius headlight defect?

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2007 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’d wager that the last thing Toyota wants in the thick of the super-important launch of its new third-generation Prius is a negative stigma attached to the anterior model. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Japanese automaker may have on its hands as a number of owners of the 2005-2008 Toyota Prius with the HID headlight option are banding hand in hand on online forums, message the stage and in possible rank action lawsuits off the automaker in relation to failing headlamps.

According to Advertising Age, these HID headlight bulbs and their associated electronics can sometimes cost well from one side of to the other $1,000 to replace in imitation of they’ve gone faulty, and Toyota is unwilling to eat slowly up the tab. At least one lawsuit has reportedly been filed last month by Girard Gibbs in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles put on behalf of a Putnam County, N.Y., Prius possessor. The suit contends that the problem is a “dangerous but undisclosed safety defect” and alleges that “Toyota is concealing the problems from owners” malignity having been “long been aware of Prius’ HID headlight problem.” It’s possible that the suit will get class-action status.

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 business for an official recall.