How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Headlight?

Is one or both of your headlights in need of replacing?  Maybe they are just old and have a yellow haze on them or maybe you hit something that cracked your headlight.  Do you need to replace the headlight bulb or the headlight assembly?  Either way, sometimes headlights need to be replaced.  So how much does it cost to replace a headlight?

Replacing a headlight can range from $200 all the way to $1000 depending on how old your car is and who manufactured the vehicle.  Typically the more expensive your car is the more it will cost to replace a headlight on it. 

If you have an old Chevy or Ford truck you can find brand new headlights for less than $50 a headlight.  If you have a brand new Audi, BMW, or Mercedes you can expect to pay an arm and a leg to replace your headlight.  It really comes down to the technology used to make the headlight.  If the headlight has LED light strips in it then it will cost more to replace than one that did not have LED lights.

What Is A Headlight Assembly?

A headlight assembly is a technical term that encompasses your headlight and headlight bulb.  Usually, headlight assemblies are made from plastic. Your headlight assembly also includes your headlight bulb which is positioned in the headlight assembly. (Headlight assembly pictured below)

The front of the headlight assembly will be clear plastic while the backside will be black plastic. These two plastic pieces will be joined together using a gasket material to prevent water from getting inside of the headlight.

You may need to purchase a headlight bulb separately from the headlight assembly.  I would check to see if the headlight assembly you are purchasing comes with headlight bulbs or if you would need to buy a set of new headlight bulbs.  You could also just reuse your old headlight bulbs on your new headlights if you wanted to save a bit of money.

Replacing A Headlight Bulb

Before replacing your headlight assembly it may be a good idea to replace your headlight bulb first.  If you don’t see any signs of damage or water you may just have a headlight bulb that has burnt out. Replacing a headlight bulb will vary in difficulty depending on your specific vehicle.  On some cars, you can replace a headlight bulb from within the engine bay.

You can usually find a halogen bulb for around $10-$15 at your local auto parts store. If your headlight bulbs are xenon bulbs they are will be more expensive. Xenon bulbs can range anywhere from $50-75.  To learn more about how much it costs to replace a headlight bulb and the associated expenses with that click here.

To replace a headlight bulb on my car, you have to remove the front bumper to be able to access the headlight bulb and headlight assembly which makes the job more difficult. Replacing a headlight bulb usually doesn’t cost that much as long as your headlight bulbs are halogen bulbs.

If you suspect that the headlight may be damaged and you don’t want to waste your time and money then you could also just replace your headlight assembly.  Just know that your headlight assembly will cost significantly more to replace than replacing a headlight bulb.

Replacing A Headlight Assembly

Because most headlight assemblies are made from plastic they are susceptible to cracking and breaking.  They can also become hazy or cloudy over time which can affect the performance of your headlight brightness.

Another reason headlight assemblies may need to be replaced is because of water condensation getting into the headlight assembly.  When this happens it can short out the headlight bulb and eventually damage the headlight to where it needs to be replaced.

With new cars, they have LED light strips and will use xenon bulbs which will increase the price to replace the headlight.  If you have an older car then the cost to replace a headlight should be cheaper as it won’t have any LED light strips and will typically use halogen bulbs.

I’m including some links below to different types of headlights to give you an idea of how much a set of headlights would cost you on Amazon.  You would obviously want to find a set of headlights that are made for your specific vehicle and year by using the Amazon vehicle checker tool.

Water In Your Headlight Assembly

I have a friend with a Cadillac SUV that was having issues with condensation getting into the headlights which would short out the headlight.  He would have to replace his headlights almost every year at $200 per headlight.

Eventually, he decided it would just be better to sell the SUV instead of having to deal with replacing the headlight assembly every year.  It’s a good idea to research how much replacement car parts will cost when purchasing a new vehicle. That way you have a good idea of how much you will likely have to spend if something breaks.

Restoring Your Headlights

Another option to replacing your headlight is to restore the headlight using a headlight restore kit.  These kits will have everything you need to try to restore the headlight to like-new condition. Just know that if your headlight is severely cloudy or yellow tent is developing you may not be able to restore it to back to its original condition.

My headlights on my 2009 Acura TSX are yellow and cloudy so I decided to try out a headlight restoration kit. The kit did make my headlights look more like new temporarily but eventually, they started to fade to yellow again.

One thing that I have heard that I have not tried is using a headlight restoration kit and then use a clear coat spray to help protect the headlight from yellowing again. Usually, once a headlight has already started to turn yellow and cloudy there isn’t much you can do to get it to be like brand new again besides replacing the headlight.

Repairing A Damaged Headlight

If your headlight is damaged because you hit something or someone backed into your car you could try to repair the headlight but depending on the extent of the damage you would be better off replacing the headlight.

If there is a small crack in your headlight you can buy some clear packing tape to cover up the cracks to prevent water from entering the headlight. However, if condensation is getting into the headlight you may need to replace the headlight.

If you have water in your headlights and you do not notice any cracks on the headlight you may need to replace the gasket that seals the headlight on the backside of the headlight.  Headlight assemblies are made from multiple pieces and will use a gasket material to seal the backside of the headlight assembly to the clear plastic portion.

Over time that gasket can wear down and allow condensation to start to build up inside of the headlight.  Replacing the gasket around the headlight may fix this problem.

Buying Aftermarket Headlights

Another option that you have when it comes to replacing your headlights is replacing them with aftermarket headlights.  Not every one that replaces their headlights wants to go with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) headlights that came with their car.  If your car is older you may be able to find aftermarket headlights that have LED strips within them to make your car look a bit newer and updated.

One word of caution though is that aftermarket headlights may not be built up to the standards of the headlights that came with your car.  It really just depends on who is making the aftermarket headlights and how high their quality control standards are.

OEM headlights are going to be held to a high standard when they are manufactured because no automaker wants to have to go through a recall process for their car’s headlights.  Aftermarket headlight manufacturers are not going to be held to that high of a standard.

Related Questions

Does Autozone replace headlights?  Autozone will sell you a replacement headlight assembly but they will not replace the headlight for you.  Autozone does not offer mechanic services besides simple tasks like replacing a battery or wiper blades.

I would suggest going on Youtube to search for your specific make and model of car to see how hard it would be to replace the headlight on it.  If you are somewhat comfortable with working on your car it may not be that hard to replace the headlight yourself.

Does Firestone replace headlights?  Firestone will replace headlight bulbs but they do not sell headlight assemblies.  If you need to have a headlight bulb replaced you can have them do it. But if you need to have your entire headlight replaced you would need to look elsewhere.

Is it illegal to drive with a burnt-out headlight?  It depends on your local traffic laws and regulations.  Most states will require you to drive around with two headlights but it’s up to your local law enforcement to enforce those laws.  It seems like in my local area that law is lightly enforced as I regularly see people driving with only one headlight.