How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Headlight Assembly? 2022

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Whether it be for signaling cars on the highway or navigating in the dark, the headlight is essential for both situations. A headlight is also prone to accidents. It is located at the very front of a car. So, the risk of getting hit by something is evident.

Driving with a broken headlight is illegal. You will have to pay a good amount of money in fines if you drive with a broken headlight. Also, the risk of accidents is apparent.

The headlight will protect you from any external objects while driving in the dark. So, replacing a broken headlight is a priority. Let us guide you through the different cost dimensions of replacing a headlight. We will also try to offer you relevant information that might be of help.

How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Headlight Assembly?

The cost of headlight bulb replacement can be from $15 to $200 depending on the kind of headlight bulb you choose for your car. There is a big range of expensive headlights you can choose from. Replacing the whole headlight setup is another thing. This cost will depend on the model of your car and the year of manufacture.

This information is very important. Cars have different body parts on different models. They are constantly updated for look or quality. So, to be accurate, you need to find out the information for your car.

Replacing the whole headlight setup will cost you $75 to $200 on average if you do it yourself. Hiring someone to replace the entire headlight assembly for you will be costlier. You have to be ready to spend $250 to $700 to replace your headlight professionally.

Headlight Assembly Replacement Cost Summary

This section summarizes the cost of a replacement headlight assembly. This table will save you time and you can make a decision fast.

Headlight Cost	$70
Headlight Bulb Cost	$15-$200
Labor Cost	$100 (per hour)
Total Assembly Cost	$75-$200
Professional Cost	$250-$700

Headlight Assembly Labor Cost

Labor costs play a significant role in determining whether you do the work yourself or hire a shop to do it for you. If your time is valued at less than $100 per hour, it is costlier to have a shop replace your headlight assembly.

Replacement of a headlight will cost on average $70, which includes $50 for labor.

Headlight Assembly DIY Cost

Honestly, it’s quite simple. First, you need some automobile tools. If you have experience with automobiles it will simply work for you. There are so many tutorials on the web. After seeing those tutorials you can easily finish the work in one or two hours.

You just need to pay the equipment bill. Full labor costs will be in your pocket.

Add the hourly rate of your time to the price of a replacement OEM headlight assembly once you figure out how much your time is worth.

How Much Will a Shop Charge you for a Headlight Assembly?

At a shop, labor typically costs about $100 per hour. A replacement headlight assembly will cost about 30% more than the original. This means that it is pretty easy to figure out how much it would cost a shop to replace the part.

Adding an extra $100 is all that is needed to increase the cost of replacing the headlight assembly by 30%.

Save Money on a Headlight Assembly in 2022 (A Step-by-Step Guide)

There are some tricks you can your money. Here are they:

First, you can justify the market. Go to every shop and buy the best equipment at a reasonable price.
Second, you can order the parts from an online shop. Compare to a local shop they charge less. It’s a good option to choose to cut the cost.
Third, you can also buy an aftermarket headlight. It can reduce the equipment cost by half.
Fourth, you can repair the headlight instead of replacing them if they’re in good shape.

The final one is you can do it by yourself. It may take time but it’ll save you money.

Should I Replace the Headlight Myself or Hire a Professional?

Some older car models have very simple headlight assembly. But you should have understood by now, that these newer models are not that easy to handle. You can indeed save a good amount in labor if you do the replacing work yourself.

But the quality of the work is a priority. A simple setup can be changed easily, but these modern ones should not be touched. These headlights have sensors, cameras advanced wiring. If you are someone very familiar with these works, then you can try replacing the headlight yourself.

Otherwise, you should hire a professional. This will be good for your car. You can get quality work done that way.

Advantages and Disadvantages of DIY and Professional replacement work

In this section, we will try to give you an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of doing the replacement work on your headlamp assembly by yourself and by a professional. Here are they:

Advantages & Disadvantages of DIY Work

DIY is cheaper than auto shops. You save a good amount of money. You can finish this in a quicker way to replace the headlight. This way you won’t have to wait for the auto shops.

But there’s some disadvantage too. Like the replacement work might not be as good in quality. And there is a huge chance of damaging the new parts.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Professional Repair

It ensures the quality of work. They have the expertise to replace any kind of car headlight cover. They have all the necessary tools are available to do the replacement work as safely as possible. On the other hand, it is very expensive compared to DIY.

There is a waiting time. You have to wait before the car is back from the shop. Hope this will help you to understand these two factors and help to make a decision fast.

Will Car Insurance Cover My Broken Headlight Cost?

It is very important to get comprehensive collision insurance. The insurance companies offer a variety of insurance packages. Car insurances also have different options. So, answering this question becomes a little tough.

One thing can be said with certainty, if you’ve damaged your headlights in a collision or accident, your insurance company will cover your costs of replacement. Most insurance companies have collision insurance. This way you are covered if there is an accident.

So, before buying your insurance, make your statement clear to the insurance agent. Communicate your demands and get a thorough idea about the insurance coverage. This way you will be sure when the insurance covers your costs.

What is a Headlight Assembly?

It includes both the headlight and the headlight bulb and is a technical term. Plastic is commonly used for headlight assemblies. You’ll also find a headlight bulb in your headlight assembly.

On the front of the headlight assembly, clear plastic will be used while on the back will be black plastic. In order to keep water from getting inside of the headlight, these plastic pieces will be joined together using a gasket material.

If you need a bulb apart from the assembly, you may need to purchase it separately. Make sure the headlight assembly you’re buying comes with the bulbs or if you’re going to have to buy a new set. If you wanted to save a little bit of money, you could also use your old headlight bulbs.

Five Types of Headlights: Different Headlights You Can Choose

There a mainly 5 types of lights available for headlights. They range from $50 to $200 easily. Chances are, the more expensive your car, the more expensive your headlight.

So, here is a list and description of different types of headlights.

1. Halogen Headlights

This is the oldest type of headlight found on the market. This is also the cheapest. We don’t see halogen headlights in new car models. Halogen headlights have a halogen bulb with a tungsten filament. Electricity flows through the tungsten and makes it glow.

This headlight bulb is usually yellow. This light consumes more power. Halogen lights also generate more heat. They are less efficient for the road as well. They have a range of 100 meters. This is not so significant compared to the other modern lights available in the market.

2. Xenon or HID Headlights

High-intensity discharge lamps or HID lights are now used in most budget cars. This light can be compared to the energy-saving bulbs in our houses.

These lights consume less power. They generate less heat. HID lights can provide moderate efficiency. The range of this light is very good compared to the halogen lights. These can cover 200 to 250 meters.

3. LED Headlights

LED headlights are used in most cars now. Unlike HID lights, the LED lights are easily turned on and off. These lights have a better look compared to halogen and LED. You can see colors more clearly.

This is also a power-efficient light. LED lights have good efficiency. You can see at least 300 meters ahead. LED lights are relatively expensive headlights. Premium cars in usually have LED headlights. Companies are now giving these types of headlights to entry-level cars.

4. Matrix Headlights

These headlights also have LED lights. But they are installed separately in the assembly. You can control each light separately in matrix headlights.

Matrix headlights are optimized for automatic control. They can detect the traffic and can give important signals while driving. They are mostly found inexpensive cars that come with other automatic features. They have a very good range.

5. Laser Headlights

Laser lights are the newest type of light that is available for cars. They have very bright and far-reaching rays. These lights can easily give you a range of 600 meters. They are high efficiency. Laser lights give a very good vision.

This makes driving very efficient. You can see vivid colors. The light also doesn’t block the vision of other drivers coming from the front. This is the most expensive selection of the lot. You can only find this in premium cars.

How to Fix and Replace a Car Headlight at Home in 2022?

This guide will help you to replace your car headlight. Some people love to do the replacement work themselves. Others might be trying it the first time. You can follow this step-by-step guide.

Get a good idea about your headlight assembly. See what things are connected to it. Get a headlight restoration kit.
If there are sensors or cameras, disconnect them carefully.
Remove the whole headlight cover from the setup. The level of difficulty of this work will depend on the type of headlight you are replacing.
Mount the new assembly.
Connect the previously disconnected wires, sensors, and cameras.
Check to see if everything works properly.

I hope this guide will be helpful to you when replacing your car’s headlight.

How Do you Clean and Restore Headlights? – DIY Tricks to Try

You can easily clean headlights with a little toothpaste and a soft dry cloth. Here are some simple steps to clean the headlights:

You will need a piece of toothpaste and a clean cloth in step one. Make sure the cloth is well smeared with paste.
For a few minutes, you can scrub the headlights with this cloth. The best way to scrub is in circular motions.
In the third step, dampen the cloth with plain warm water.
In the final step, you just need to wipe clean the headlights. If needed, repeat the process multiple times as per your requirement.

The following are the most frequently asked questions about (Headlight Assembly): FAQs

Can you drive with a broken headlight?

Well, driving with a broken headlight cover will reduce your visibility. This is a risky step for you. You can be in accidents. This is not safe at all. So, you can drive with a broken headlight but it will not be safe to do so.

How much does it cost to replace a car light cover?

The average cost of replacing a car light cover is anywhere near $250-$700.

Can you replace just the headlight cover?

Yes of course. It’s a simple task to carry on. We can say that it is the easiest repair job you can do on a car.

Should you cover a broken headlight?

Well, there are situations where you need to cover your headlight with tapes to protect it from moisture and other external factors. Also, you may cover your headlight while painting. But covering a broken headlight might be a temporary solution until you get it replaced.

How long does it take to replace a headlight cover?

Replacing a headlight cover professionally will not take more than half an hour. But there are other factors. The auto shop might be too busy on schedule. In this situation, you have to wait for days sometimes. But the actual replacement can be done in a very short time. You can’t get a simpler job than this.

Is it possible to drive with yellow headlights?

White is the only color of headlight that is legal in all states. There is no other color available for the headlight. According to most states, the only colors allowed for front-end lights are yellow, white, and amber.

What causes the yellowing of headlights?

Acrylic headlights oxidize when exposed to ultraviolet light. In order to prevent this, headlight lenses come with a clear topcoat, but eventually, the coating wears away, and sunlight causes the plastic to turn yellow. It dims the light coming from your headlights.

How do you clean plastic headlights?

You need clean headlights when driving a car. You can keep your headlights clean by sparingly sweeping them and flushing them often with plenty of water.

You should never use wax, polish or other chemicals that are not formulated specifically for this purpose to clean clear plastic.

How long does it take to change a headlight assembly?

It depends on how you accomplish the task. If you do it by yourself then it will take a maximum of one to two hours. In contrast, if you hire a professional, the task will be completed in 10-20 minutes.

When a headlamp burns out, does it become illegal?

Regulations and laws related to traffic in your area may dictate which type of vehicle you can use. Your local law enforcement will enforce the two headlight laws in most states.

Final Analysis of Headlight Assembly in 2022

You can reduce the cost of the replacement of your car’s headlight assembly if you follow the above tips in this guide. You are more than welcome to make any comments or ask any questions you may have.

Read more articles about automobile parts on our website, including headlights, brake lights, tail lights, car air rides, bumper covers, and car rims.

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