Replacing lighting in a modern car can cost as much as €14,000

According to a French study of SRA (the French professional association of car damage companies), the complexity of certain headlights is costing motorists dearly. Owners of the Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Kona and the Kia EV6 are particularly expensive. They pay between €8,414 and €14,635 for a complete set of new LED lights front and rear. A central light bar alone for the front of the new Hyundai Kona costs more than €9,000. But it is also expensive for cars like the Fiat 500 (€3,720), BMW 1-series (€3,678) and Audi Q3 (€5,752). Only a few models examined will cost you less than €3,000.

Naturally, prices in France are different than in the Netherlands, but this study does illustrate that there is a huge price explosion. According to the ADAC, the German ANWB, current LED lamps are designed for a lifespan of fifteen years. This can result in high costs for motorists. According to ADAC, repair is virtually impossible for LED lamps. In addition, they may only be repaired if this is indicated in the type approval of the (head) lamp. Most lamps need to be completely replaced. The ADAC urged car manufacturers to take measures two years ago – either by giving LED lamps a longer lifespan or to ensure that they can be repaired more easily.

Hyundai Motors Netherlands stated the following in a response: The replacement method cannot be compared to replacing a halogen lamp, for which lower amounts apply and whose lifespan is considerably shorter. The great thing about LED lighting is that it cannot break, only the driver itself that gives energy to the lamps. Only in the event of an external cause such as damage will this lighting or parts need to be replaced. We do not recognize the amounts as mentioned in the media in the Netherlands.