The national cost for a headlight bulb replacement with CarAdvise in 2024 is between $10 and $72 with an average of $15.

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HOW IT WORKS

What is a headlight bulb and how does it work?

Headlights aid in nighttime navigation on the road and help to improve visibility when you are driving in foul weather. A headlight bulb, like the bulb in a table lamp or flashlight, is a replaceable component of a headlight assembly.

Headlight bulbs come in one of four common types - halogen, LED, Xenon (otherwise known as HID lights), and Laser. Gone are the days when incandescent bulbs were used in automobiles, although they can still be found in older or classic cars.

Halogen headlight bulbs contain one or two filaments in a single bulb. Dual-filament bulbs allow for normal and bright light function in a single bulb. The filament is made of tungsten, and the glass bulb housing is pressurized with an inert halogen gas that allows the bulb to burn brighter and for a longer time. This is the most common type of headlight bulb in use today.

Xenon or HID (High-Intensity Discharge) lights are often used on higher-end luxury vehicles. They contain a combination of xenon and argon gasses mixed with vaporized metals and emit an extremely bright bluish light with a longer range of illumination than other types of light.

LED headlights allow for manufacturers to come up with more creative designs to fit tight spaces. They are also capable of producing extremely bright light. And they are energy efficient, even if they do tend to cost more.

The newest addition to the lineup is the laser headlight. They work through the process of chemiluminescence, producing light by triggering a chemical reaction. They are more efficient than even LED lights, but they produce more heat. They are also used only in high beam headlights to this point.

Regardless of the type of headlight used in your vehicle, the bulb can be removed and replaced when it becomes weak or burns out.

HOW IS THIS SERVICE PERFORMED?

How is a a Headlight Bulb Replacement done?

Headlight bulb replacement can be a relatively simple operation, and it can be quite complex. On some vehicles, a technician needs only to reach inside the engine compartment, remove a cover from the backside of the headlight assembly, detach a wire, unclip the bulb retainer, and remove the old bulb.

But more and more, access to the back of a headlight assembly is becoming more difficult. Other components might need to be removed for access. Some headlight bulbs are even accessed through the wheel well once the vehicle has been lifted and supported in the air and the tire and wheel removed. Still other vehicles require that the entire front bumper and grill assembly be removed for access, taking a significant amount of time and costing upwards of a thousand dollars to perform.

In every case, whether the repair is easy or difficult, the technician must use extreme care when handling a new headlight bulb. Simply allowing oil from the skin to contaminate the bulb can cause it to fail prematurely.



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POPULAR VEHICLES

National average cost of a a Headlight Bulb Replacement
for popular vehicles:

Car Model

Avg. cost

$50

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COMMON SYMPTOMS

How do I know if my vehicle needs a new headlight bulb?

You will likely know if a headlight bulb needs to be replaced in your vehicle if you notice that it is no longer working. Similarly, if one bulb burns with less intensity than the other, it should be replaced. If the amount of light the pair of headlights give off has diminished with time, both should be replaced. Same goes with the high beam headlights. Sometimes problems with a headlight stem from faulty wiring or a computer-related issue, but the first thing a technician will check is whether or not the bulb is functioning as it should.

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Other questions customers ask

How long does it take to replace a headlight bulb?
Headlight bulb replacement can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the specific vehicle make and model. While access to some headlights is simple, requiring a technician to merely reach inside of the engine compartment to get at the back of the headlight assembly, that is not always the case. In fact, some manufacturers require that the entire front bumper and grille assembly be removed to access the headlights, costing upwards of a thousand dollars for the service.
Is it okay to drive with one headlight out?
In virtually all municipalities, it is unlawful to operate your vehicle at night with only a single headlight. If you do, not only are you at risk of being stopped by the authorities, but the roadway and anything on it is less visible. So is your vehicle to other drivers. If you find that a headlight is out, make sure to have it replaced as soon as possible to avoid both a traffic ticket and a crash.
Should I replace both headlight bulbs if one goes out?
If one of your headlights fails, it is likely that the other will follow suit shortly. It is recommended that you replace both bulbs as a set so that you can avoid another repair and so that both bulbs burn with the same level of light.

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