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ed11563


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The $1K Headlight Job
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The $1K Headlight Job

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Tom & Ray

Oct 28, 2014 (Archives)

16 Comments

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 2004 Acura RL that had developed an intermittent headlight problem where one of the headlights would go off unexpectedly. The quick solution was to turn the lights off and then immediately back on, and the faulty headlight also would come back on. My local Acura dealer's service department indicated that any one of three separate headlight components could be the culprit, and that it is not possible to test them separately. They advised replacing all three, since the labor to replace any one of them individually would be the same.

They gave a pre-repair estimate of about $1,100! I finally agreed, because it is not really safe to go around with a headlight that might fail at an inappropriate moment. The total bill was as follows: Inverter -- $364, igniter -- $180, bulb -- $178, labor (including removing and replacing the front bumper to access the headlight unit) -- $318. With 7 percent sales tax, the total repair came to $1,113. Have I just been given a good hosing, or are these reasonable charges for this type of repair for this vehicle?

-- Kyle

RAY: Yes, and yes.

TOM: First, I want to say that I'm impressed with their estimate -- off by only 13 bucks on a thousand-dollar-plus job. That makes me think they've already done this repair a few times.

RAY: And that's why they suggested replacing all three components, Kyle. I'm sure at some point in history, they replaced just the bulb for some customer, charged him $500, and then had to go back in and replace the inverter and igniter, and charge him another $900.

TOM: That's not a phone call you want to make twice if you're a service manager.

RAY: So yes, these are reasonable "dealership rate" charges for the work you had done. And yes, you also got hosed, because Acura designed a car that requires you to remove the front bumper in order to change a headlight bulb.

TOM: This is a classic hidden cost of owning a high-end car. When you bought the RL back in 2004, you probably paid dearly for the HID (high-intensity-discharge) headlights. What you didn't know is that you'd have to pay dearly again when the bulb blew out.

RAY: The salesman probably told you (if you even thought to ask) that the HID bulbs are designed to last the life of the car, so you wouldn't have to worry about it. But of course, "life of the car" parts don't always last the life of the car.

TOM: And by the way, keep in mind that you may have to replace the bulb on the other side at some point, too. So start saving.

RAY: When buying a car, if you're planning to keep it for the long haul, it's worth thinking about the features you want to opt for.

TOM: Those motorized sliding doors on that minivan are convenient for letting your kids in and out. They're supposed to last the life of the car, too. But how do you feel about shelling out $1,000 when the door motor goes?

RAY: The air suspension is a comfy touch. It should last the life of the car. But how many thousands will it cost when it breaks, compared with a set of shocks?

TOM: And those 22-inch alloy wheels look sharp. But when you dent one on a pothole, how long are you going to cry when they tell you a replacement wheel costs $800?

RAY: So, we're sorry you had to pay so dearly to get your headlight back, Kyle. But I don't think it's the dealer's fault. It's a bit of shortsighted engineering by Acura, combined with the price of advanced technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Three_to_Five• 4 days ago

Unless you have a warranty in place, and thus your repair is free, there's absolutely no reason to go to the dealer for any automotive service.

 

 

kcypher42 Three_to_Five • 4 days ago

If you own a Honda Odyssey with the fancy run-flat tires, the ONLY place you can get them is a Honda dealer. Not even the tire manufacturer's own tire stores can sell them, unless they happen to have the special equipment required to put them on the wheels, which the dealers happen to have. Found that out the hard way.

 

 

capn b kcypher42 • 3 days ago

what are the specs on the tires? as a former tire monkey, you have aroused my curiosity.

 

 

Mad Hatter• 2 days ago

I'm one of the last of the car buyers who looks under the hood and under the car to see how easy it would be to change replacement parts and how east it will be to do a tune-up as well as basic maintenance. Anytime a service manual states that to change a spark plug you need to remove the engine motor mounts, I avoid that model! I wish someone would rate new cars based on serviceability. That would be useful info for do-it-your-selfers as well as keeping repair costs down.

 

 

cwatkin• 3 days ago

I had someone who owned a German car (I think BMW) say it was a great car and how well-engineered it was but this made for a dealer trip to replace the turn signal or some other bulb. My opinion is that "good engineering" also takes servicing into account. Look at the AK-47 rifle for example. You press on one button and the cover comes off and the mechanism comes out. Simple to work on in the field and dead reliable. It may not be the most accurate but it has been in service for decades and this is why. I know of people who get rid of cars like this before they get too old and every little thing becomes a $1000 repair. You have $10,000 in repairs each year for a car that isn't worth it! Bring back the engineering that allows the driver of a car to change headlights in the parts store parking lot!

 

 

 

cwatkin cwatkin • 3 days ago

This made me thing of the headlight change on my girlfriend's Suzuki Reno (Daewoo product) a couple months ago. She pulled up for dinner and I noticed that one of her headlights was out. Since it was getting late and she wanted to fix it, I pulled the bulb out and we headed towards the parts store before it closed for the night. This was like a 2 mile drive but the cops managed to spot the car and pulled us over. We told him we were headed to the parts store and I showed him the bulb so he just gave a warning, knowing we were fixing it. We went inside and had the bulb changed in like 5 minutes after that. We may complain about the Daewoo but at least they haven't made it impossible to work on.

 

 

anycarwilldo• 3 days ago

Most cars need the bumper removed on one side to remove the headlamps.
Just look at them: where are the screws?!
Replacing the bulb can be a pain also, you need to be double jointed, use a mirror and a flashlight but then your hand is in the way and you can't see what you are doing.
Removing the plastic fender liner is often the easiest way to replace a bulb...

 

 

outdoorplaces• 4 days ago

He is going to hate that Acura even more if it has the V6 and the 5-speed automatic - unless he's already on his second or third transmission.

Have to remove the bumper cover to get to the headlight - genius design!

 

 

richardl_on_disqus• 4 days ago

So replacing a light bulb on my Subaru impreza was a doddle then.

The user manual actually said 'Don't try this yourself, take it to the dealer

They laughed at the thought of a light bulb being hard to change, then swallowed their pride after taking a half hour or so to do the job.

sunflowersue• 4 days ago

I wound up needing to replace a bulb for a used (and probably abused) Acura my naive son bought in a fit of stupidity. The sticker shock started with the $125.00 bulb, but the reputable shop I go to then realized that the inverter was also kaput. Between the bulb, the inverter, and the labor charge in getting to the headlight, I wound up with a bill of $725.00 to fix the fact that the low beam light wouldn't come on. It was quite distressing to realize how expensive that "routine" repairs on an Acura could be. We also had to replace a leaky "self-adjusting" rear-view mirror that neither Acura nor the vendor would take responsibility for, and I even had trouble with the back of the driver's seat falling off because some stupid clips failed. I have never been so happy to get rid of a car. I truly detested driving that car and am now a square but happy camper with my new Highlander.

 

 

Hirnbeiss• 3 days ago

Yes, you got hosed, but at least it was a professionally hose job. Not just because you paid 3x the aftermarket price for the parts, and probably 2x for labor (which we'll assume you were willing to do by going to the dealer), but because they lied that you can't test them separately.
Had you done this yourself, your first step would have been to swap the bulb in from the other side. Those dweebs could have used a known good bulb as well. If it was the bulb, end of job - buy new bulb. Same logic applies to the ballast or igniter. In fact, you probably want to start by swapping the ballast since it may ( I don't know your car specifics) be more failure prone.
Seriously, I would complain to the Service Manager. You may get some money back, especially if you mention that you were going to publish a few more details of your experience on a car forum.

 

Mad Hatter• 2 days ago

Replacing a headlamp bulb is a safety issue so that most drivers should be able to change their bulbs and not wait for an dealer appointment while driving with one headlight. Shame on manufacturers for sacrificing safety over style.

 

 

George_San_Jose• 3 days ago

Here's another data point on the headlight bulb replacement issue: Last time I changed the bulb on my early 90's Corolla, the bulb cost $12 and the job took less than 5 minutes.

 

 

yellowbal• 3 days ago

That's a bunch of money for a pretty straightforward replacement. If the front lenses were still in good shape, I would just replace both bulbs and both ballasts/igniters for a total of $400 in parts. Taking off the front bumper isn't hard at all.

 

 

JWA• 3 days ago

You got off easy ,Had a 2003 Prius with HID headlights same thing happened to me one light would dim out then 2 after a few months dealer wanted $300 per bulb so I ordered them online found a shop to put then in without removing the bumper.Little did I know the place I got them from sent me the wrong voltage & it burned out both headlight computers, after it was all said & done it was $2600. I am so glad I don't have that car any more & next time I will buy a car with the old fashion blubs

 

 

Hirnbeiss JWA • a day ago

It quite possibly was your computer (ballast) all along. They are known weakspots on the Prii. There is even a class action settlement for some model years.

 

 



__________________

The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.

Always misinterpret when you can.
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