Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[grifter]

Had to do a doubletake at this one, guy in work recently had damage to headlight in his 18 plate Audi, can't mind exact model, more up the range one, but it was 1700 just for the light? Is that not insanity squared? That's more than 2 of my cars worth lol!

[YZ250]

Sadly that appears about right, as mental as it seems. I just put my reg number in for my Audi and the Hella adaptive headlight has come back at £2104.99 each. That's with 5% discount as well. 
Using the bmw reg number shows that a headlight is a mere £1559.99 with discount.

Hmmm, may have to choose my next vehicle by headlight cost. 

[STEMO]

If you've broken your headlight, then you're likely to have had a shunt. That's what insurance is for, so they get to pay the inflated prices.

[TheBoy]

2 grand for an adaptive headlight with LED or HID (or that "laser" thing on VAGs) is about the norm.

[VXL V6]

2 grand for an adaptive headlight with LED or HID (or that "laser" thing on VAGs) is about the norm.

Just makes me think i'm better off sticking to older cars which sold in reasonable numbers so there is good second hand parts availability.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Tooo right. 

[grifter]

Xenon lights, aint the Omega Xenons about 450 a pop new, if you can get them new?

[Doctor Gollum]

The ones I bought were around £280 each rrp from VX

[Nick W]

You do all know that anyone who actually buys a '£1700'  headlight won't be paying anything like that amount? They will be a trade buyer, probably a bodyshop and will have negotiated a significant discount for their account.

[grifter]

You do all know that anyone who actually buys a '£1700'  headlight won't be paying anything like that amount? They will be a trade buyer, probably a bodyshop and will have negotiated a significant discount for their account.

Aye the bodyshops like insurance jobs! Used to work in the trade, seen the small dink in a bumper turn into a whole rear end replacement!

[Doctor Gollum]

It keeps the whole industry moving, no pun intended.

The more the parts cost, the more likely it is to be written off which in turn fuels new car sales and the whole sub insurance repair and resale industry. Win win all round.

[TheBoy]

You do all know that anyone who actually buys a '£1700'  headlight won't be paying anything like that amount? They will be a trade buyer, probably a bodyshop and will have negotiated a significant discount for their account.

For newer cars - those that are less likely to be in the hands of DIYers - there aren't 3rd party parts, so it has to come via a franchised dealer.  Obviously, garages get everything at a (published) trade price from franchised dealers, but its not usually massively cheaper, probably in the region of 10-15% in most cases (though that would still work out up to £250 off a £1700 headlight).

The original OEM supplier is usually not allowed to supply the part into the aftermarket channel, so garages can't go to, say, Hella and get a headlight for a very recent Audi.

HTH

[Marks DTM Calib]

Given the tooling for a modern headlight is over £1M, paid for by the car manufacturer, its easy to understand why they don't allow them out on the open market.

That said, I am convinced there is a new opportunity for LED headlight refurbishment in the coming years

[Nick W]

Given the tooling for a modern headlight is over £1M, paid for by the car manufacturer, its easy to understand why they don't allow them out on the open market.

That said, I am convinced there is a new opportunity for LED headlight refurbishment retro fitting 7" round headlamps in the coming years

FTFY


It's not like they could look any worse.....