OUCH- Headlight took a rock hit. What to do?

I drive an '05 Scion xB.

Yesterday I noticed that the RH headlight must have taken a rock hit recently. There are two parallel cracks, approximately 25mm long, spaced about 10mm apart. They go clear through the lens, and the lens already appears to be clouding up from the inside out.

The LH headlight still appears to be in swell shape, despite almost 10 years of being exposed to desert-level UV.

I'm inclined to replace the RH unit *only* with a Genuine Toyota part. I'm disinclined to buy random aftermarket headlights, such as the "Various Brands" sold by RockAuto for $55.

There are online vendors, such as ToyotaPartsZone.com - these outfits purport to sell genuine, dealer parts, for a whole lot less than list price. TPZ lists the headlight I need with an MSRP of $128 for $94.

(side note: even at $128, I was pleasantly surprised. After reading tales of $600 headlight assemblies, $94 or even $128 seems pretty reasonable!)

Are vendors like TPZ trustworthy, in terms of selling genuine factory parts, or should I spend another $30+ and get one straight from the dealer?

Thanks,

eggsalad

eggsalad said:

I'm inclined to replace the RH unit *only* with a Genuine Toyota part. I'm disinclined to buy random aftermarket headlights, such as the "Various Brands" sold by RockAuto for $55.

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If that's all finances allow, I'd say to replace just the one cracked lamp. Sure, they won't match perfectly afterwards-- but they don't match NOW (the one one being cracked).

There are online vendors, such as ToyotaPartsZone.com - these outfits purport to sell genuine, dealer parts, for a whole lot less than list price. TPZ lists the headlight I need with an MSRP of $128 for $94.

Are vendors like TPZ trustworthy, in terms of selling genuine factory parts, or should I spend another $30+ and get one straight from the dealer?

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Hard to answer. I'd say "go with the dealer", but once the Body Shop guy at the local dealer told me all I could get for my '01 Corolla were "remanufactured" headlamps, even if they came in a Genuine Toyota box. Get "New Old Stock" if at all possible-- if a parts department has one on the shelf it may have been ordered when that model was still new.

I've bought genuine parts (Toyota and other-make) online from vendors advertising genuine factory parts, and that's exactly what I've received. Most of these vendors are the internet operations of ordinary car dealerships' parts departments (the invoice in the box often has the dealer's name on it), and I would not hesitate to go ahead with the order that way if it will save money. You're smart to avoid the aftermarket headlamps; they're all junk.

Alaric, I think the body shop guy at the local dealership was either high on paint fumes or lazy. I would bet you two six-packs that you certainly can get new (not "remanufactured") genuine Toyota headlamps for your 2001 Corolla.

Scheinwerfermann said:

Alaric, I think the body shop guy at the local dealership was either high on paint fumes or lazy. I would bet you two six-packs that you certainly can get new (not "remanufactured") genuine Toyota headlamps for your 2001 Corolla.

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Maybe he was. Strange thing was, is it was the DEALERSHIP's body shop, not the independent one just 1/10th of the mile away.

I'd gotten crammed into by a semi back in '06; the independent shop presented a GREAT-sounding quote but they speced "replica" parts. I went to the dealership, and they speced Genuine Toyota parts. I went with them. My car, the trucking company's money. I needed a new taillamp, and that's the Real Thing (TM).

I may need to go back and get a set for the Corolla. (And struts, and brakes, and... crap, should I just buy a new car?)

What are the odds on a '95 Previa, too? (I did get a real, live new Previa turn signal from the dealer last year or the year before)

Good to know on the mail-order parts. When I order from Rock Auto, I know I'm getting Dorman or whatever, but that's for things like inside door handles and the like.

Scheinwerfermann said:

and I would not hesitate to go ahead with the order that way if it will save money. You're smart to avoid the aftermarket headlamps; they're all junk.

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Is getting one-at-a-time OK? In eggsalad's case, probably.

In my own case, both Corolla headlamps are pretty well-worn, but if replacing one is better than replacing none, I'd probably do that. Given that I can choose *which one* I should do, maybe I should do the driver's side, because that side may need better glare control for the approaching traffic. Sound good?

Check Toyota of Dallas;
http://tps.toyotaofdallas.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214074

they run TRDparts4u as well..

One of the best oem toyota parts suppliers online.

Alaric Darconville said:

Maybe he was. Strange thing was, is it was the DEALERSHIP's body shop

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Pretty good odds the DEALERSHIP'S body shop also "aims" headlamps either by shining them up against a wall a random distance in front of the vehicle sitting on unflat ground, or by turning the aim screws up until the customer quits complaining.

What are the odds on a '95 Previa, too?

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Fairly good, actually, though in that case I'd probably get the part numbers for the UN-spec headlamps from toyodiy.com and then go get a quote from cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk .

Scheinwerfermann said:

Pretty good odds the DEALERSHIP'S body shop also "aims" headlamps either by shining them up against a wall a random distance in front of the vehicle sitting on unflat ground, or by turning the aim screws up until the customer quits complaining.

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Yeah, they probably do that. Last time I saw their optical beamsetter was in '94 (or earlier-- I never saw it after they moved way out west on the highway).

then go get a quote from cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk .

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I did that a couple of years ago-- a pair would have been about $650.00. Glass-lensed, though-- and with integrated fog lamps (for the completionist in me). And, yes-- the correct RHT pattern.

Even though it's all the same thing, a Toyota dealer MUST also have a Scion franchise to sell Scion parts.

Oh no, that's lame..
quick look around show a parts catalog lookup here;
http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/

and these other online suppliers;
http://www.trdsparks.com/
http://www.villagescionparts.com/
http://scionpartspeople.scionofpuyallup.com/

Check around at a few different ones, once you have the part numbers it's pretty easy to get quotes.
Blower motor for our Tacoma was $289 at the local dealership or $63 at trdparts.. exact same part number.

I would think you could find a good deal on a clean used OEM headlight at a boneyard or on E-bay.

fishx65 said:

I would think you could find a good deal on a clean used OEM headlight at a boneyard or on E-bay.

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Possibly, but there's no telling if it's got a condensation problem from poor seals or poor venting, and by the time it's been on your car a few days and it shows up, it'd be hard to prove it arrived with a problem.

Depending on how long it was used, the reflector will have degraded somewhat, as the lens, too-- so it might look OK, but not really be OK. It's one thing when your factory lamps degrade over time-- you can't help that. But why stick pre-worn lamps on your car? (And if the lenses look THAT good, it probably means they were polished up, and so will degrade quite quickly, even if they try to protect it with some kind of sealant or coating.)

Those extra dollars bringing your headlamps to factory-new condition are worth it.

Just a quick reminder: Those boneyards selling on eBay will polish the lights to make them look good. Left headlight was getting cloudy on our WJ Grand Cherokee. I replaced it with a very nice looking used genuine Jeep light from an eBay seller. In a very short time (and this on a vehicle we seldom drive), it looked worse than what it had replaced. I finally started looking more closely at those ads; a few times I spotted statements that they clean or polish the lights they sell - so every last vestige of the factory anti-UV coating is removed and your freshly purchased light is guaranteed to cloud up very quickly...

If you're not sure why not finish them off yourself;

This is a pretty common and proven DIY;
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...eadlight-restoration-new-uv-sealant-idea.html

That spar varnish trick can kick the can down the road a little if you can't come up with the cash for new lamps, but that's all it can do.

Hamilton Felix said:

Those boneyards selling on eBay will polish the lights to make them look good. Left headlight was getting cloudy on our WJ Grand Cherokee. I replaced it with a very nice looking used genuine Jeep light from an eBay seller. In a very short time (and this on a vehicle we seldom drive), it looked worse than what it had replaced. ...a few times I spotted statements [in the ads] that they clean or polish the lights they sell - so every last vestige of the factory anti-UV coating is removed and your freshly purchased light is guaranteed to cloud up very quickly...

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Exactly what I warned of in my own post. And, as before, it's hard to tell if the lamp is in good condition with seals/vents and such.

Scheinwerfermann said:

That spar varnish trick can kick the can down the road a little if you can't come up with the cash for new lamps, but that's all it can do.

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Goofus kicks the can down the road, Gallant recycles the can.

Hamilton,

At least if you polish up the lamps yourself, and know the method you used, you can be sanguine that you know how the lamps will be in the future (and may be able to schedule repeating the process enough to where the polycarbonate itself stays mostly unaffected, having been protected by the sacrificial coating). But when you get them from the Bay of Eee, who KNOWS what happened to them? Were they aggressively polished down and then simply Simonized?