Hey all, been poring through the forums since a slight accident left the plastic lens on my 2003's RH xenon headlight broken wide open this morning.

Though the headlight, turn signal, and highbeam are still working currently, I'm a bit worried that their exposure to the rain today has compromised the components inside (is there any more than the bulb and the ballast?). So, with that, I was hoping that I could just replace the entire headlight as a unit rather than simply the housing.

I was quoted around $1500 plus labor for a new assembly, or $1200 for a new housing alone from my dealer, but research online has found that aftermarket/non-OEM assemblies are significantly cheaper (shocker).

Would buying an aftermarket assembly (which says that there is an included bulb and ballast) be enough for my dealer to just plug and play install so I have a safe/street legal car, or are there other components that I'd need in addition to an assembly?

My car is about as vanilla as they come, and so even if I'm looking at the wrong repair entirely, any help/opinions would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

I've always wondered the same thing. I can't seem to find a good headlight replacement for my 03 with factory HID's. Dealer is way to expensive

Bump

 

I guess the bigger question to ask is where did you find aftermarket OEM style 03-04 headlight assemblies that come with bulbs and ballasts?

Most aftermarket housings tend to be halogen.

Also, what you really need to do is ask your dealer if they would be willing to install lights that you provide for you. Some may say no.

I'd find an independent shop for that, or DIY.

 

Better off to get one of those aftermarket Ebay headlight kits. They're going to be halogen no doubt, but you can just get an HID kit and stick it on and it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper. The eBay ones even come with projectors and DRLs sometimes just search 2003 g35 Sedan headlights and find a design that you like.

Also you can call local junk yards or search around and it won't be that hard to find some used headlights for sale. Even then they'll probably be more expensive than the eBay ones.

 

I just bought OEM style halogen reflectors to replace my stock plastic lens and the quality is very good. Exact mounting points, with a little difference between OEM and Aftermarket in the tabs.

I would avoid aftermarket "projectors" as they typically are bad quality halogen projectors with bad optics. If you go HID buy an HID kit made for reflectors.

 

One magical word to get the original part you need, used but in good working condition....JUNK YARD and or DISMANTLERS.