TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHTS CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS
Consumer Complaints Concerning Toyota Prius HID Headlights
Hundreds of Prius owners complain that their high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights suddenly shut off while driving, then appear to be working fine only to shut off again.
Class Action Lawsuits
In response to these consumer complaints, Girard Gibbs and co-counsel have filed two class action lawsuits against Toyota concerning the HID headlight systems of 2006-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles.
The first lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks certification of a nationwide class based on Toyota’s alleged violation of consumer protections laws. The second lawsuit, filed in California state court, seeks certification of a California class based on Toyota’s alleged violation of California’s “Secret Warranty Law.”
If you live in California, you may be a member of both proposed classes. Otherwise, you are a potential member of the federal lawsuit’s proposed class only.
The Nationwide Federal Class Action Lawsuit
The federal class action lawsuit seeks certification of a nationwide class of 2006-2009 Prius owners and lessees. The lawsuit alleges:
Toyota has long known that Prius vehicles equipped with its optional HID Headlight System suffer from intermittent headlight failures, but rather than alerting Prius owners to this safety hazard, Toyota has concealed the problem from its customers. . . . Toyota has attempted to characterize class members’ problems as isolated issues of prematurely burned-out bulbs...
The truth is that the symptoms experienced and reported by thousands of Prius drivers—where headlights suddenly shut off while the vehicle is on the road, then appear to be working fine for a while, only to shut off again at repeated and unexpected intervals in the future—is far different from the routine case of a burned-out bulb...
Because Toyota will not tell Prius owners that the HID Headlight Systems in their vehicles are defective, Plaintiffs and class members are subjected to a dangerous condition that, unlike a burned-out bulb, cannot be reliably detected or prevented through routine inspections and maintenance. And because Toyota’s practice is to address class member concerns by replacing the HID Headlight System with equally defective parts, Toyota continues to profit while Plaintiffs and class members are continually subjected to dangerous driving conditions and further repair expenses.
The California State Class Action Lawsuit
The California class action lawsuit seeks certification of a California class of 2006-2009 Prius owners and lessees. The lawsuit alleges Toyota violated California’s “Secret Warranty Law” by offering to “pay for all or part of repairs to the Prius’s HID Headlight System, but only for customers who contacted Toyota’s customer assistance center to complain and who meet Toyota’s predetermined criteria.”
What should Class Members do?
If you think you may be a member of either proposed class, it is important that you save the original copies of all of your documents related to your HID headlights, such as email or receipts, because you may need them in the future. To learn more about the lawsuits and to receive email updates on their progress, please fill out the form on the right.
Why Girard Gibbs LLP?
Girard Gibbs is a national litigation firm specializing in securities litigation, consumer class actions and complex business litigation. Girard Gibbs' managing partner Daniel Girard was voted one of Northern California's Super Lawyers in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by Law & Politics, recognizing him as one of the top 5-percent of attorneys practicing in Northern California.
