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Headlights OEM vs Aftermarket

8070 Views 25 Replies 22 Participants Last post by  GoHerdMan, 
henrickrw
Good evening,

I'm looking forward to replace my 2006 EXL Odyssey headlights since they are beaten up.

Been looking on Ebay and most headlights seems yellowish and not in good condition.

Will you recommend getting brand new OEM ones or ordering aftermarket retrofit ones which looks fine but I do not knowe if they worth it.

Thanks
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ashirm98
henrickrw said:
Good evening,

I'm looking forward to replace my 2006 EXL Odyssey headlights since they are beaten up.

Been looking on Ebay and most headlights seems yellowish and not in good condition.

Will you recommend getting brand new OEM ones or ordering aftermarket retrofit ones which looks fine but I do not knowe if they worth it.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the ones that are available from RockAuto are pretty good, I'll be trying out a pair on my Accord to retrofit projectors if I can't find and clean up a pair at the junkyard

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
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T
I would recommend you buy genuine Honda headlights from a discount dealer such as Majestic or Bernardi. They are about $200 each plus shipping. I did this recently on my 2010 Odyssey.
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B
$400 for headlights for a 10-15 y/o vehicle is insanely expensive! I just bought headlights for my '86 Toyota for $20 of RockAuto. Shipped!

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Belmont
We have a 2005. Replaced the hazed & yellowed headlights in April 2018 with a set from 1aauto.com for $170. They're fine. Heck, they're GREAT. Just checked & the same set fits your '96. Save the extra $230 for something else... like more parts or a nice dinner out (ok, maybe a few nice dinners)!
https://www.1aauto.com/2005-07-honda-odyssey-headlight-pair/i/1alhp00396?f=263149&y=2006
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M
$400 for new headlights is a lot less expensive than one evening in the emergency room!

Do you do a lot of night driving?

Remember, your existing headlights don't have to be perfect. Just clean them up as best you can. Put polish on them every 6 months, and drive on, and on, and on.
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R
Kind of depends on how beaten up they are.. polishing and reviving them is a great DIY if you have patience, I've heard of some autobody shops doing it for $100 which is frankly great for them doing all the labour. Belmont that's an awesome find.. I almost just went to buy them, but saw it's out of stock! TYC and DEPOT are hit and miss.. often times people are happy enough with them BUT they could leak. Some recommendations were to buy them, but add your own silicone around the headlight lens yourself to ensure no leaking and then enjoy it. I've polished my own lenses twice now.. the key is to put on a clear coat to make them last a couple years in between. The latest 3m kit even has a wipe on clear coat which is kind of nice (helped my friend). It is coming up to time for me to redo the headlights once again and I'm almost cracking the 200K miles now.
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C
I can also recommend the heavy duty 3M kit that has the clear coat in it. I know that clear coat has a UV absorber in it. So, once you apply this over the refinished surface, it should last a while.
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T
FYI , it has been reported here that Sams Club will restore headlights for only $40.
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S
Belmont said:
We have a 2005. Replaced the hazed & yellowed headlights in April 2018 with a set from 1aauto.com for $170. They're fine. Heck, they're GREAT. Just checked & the same set fits your '96. Save the extra $230 for something else... like more parts or a nice dinner out (ok, maybe a few nice dinners)!
https://www.1aauto.com/2005-07-honda-odyssey-headlight-pair/i/1alhp00396?f=263149&y=2006
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I have seen brand new sets on Ebay for $120.00 or so , do not know the quality , but I am sure they will last . But I will not pay $400.00 for headlights on an 13 yr old vehicle.
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T
They won’t last. You’ll save money in the long run by spending $400 on Honda headlights. Plus they will perform better and they will be under warranty.
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thscott said:
They won’t last. You’ll save money in the long run by spending $400 on Honda headlights. Plus they will perform better and they will be under warranty.
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JUst checked the price they are 147 out the door. To me the cheap ones will work my vehicle is 13YRS old so I will give them a try if they go bad quickly. I will just do the sanding and clearcoat routine on them for $10.00 . My OEM headlights are not that bad to replace just yet. Link posted below claims 10YR warranty. They a.lso have a set for 127 but they are black I guess the kids like them , not I

www.ebay.com

Headlights Headlamps Left & Right Pair Set For 2005-2007 Honda Odyssey 192659074362 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Headlights Headlamps Left & Right Pair Set For 2005-2007 Honda Odyssey at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
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Look on YouTube for how to restore them. I restored mine and they are good enough now. See difference in the picture where I did one before starting the other.

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H
I bought a pair from Amazon 2 MOs ago $178.00. No complaints. They are clear, came with new bulbs and bolted right in. Granted I had to remove the front bumper/grill and deal with those plastic push pins. Previously I had polished the units, twice. More of a PIA than removing the bumper grill. It’s only been a couple months but they’re fine, good as new so far.
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B
Purchased and installed pair of aftermarket headlights from AM Autoparts for 2007 EX-L (part #AM-55843344) couple of months ago for $132. Just checked price on line and currently quoting $146 for the pair. Look and fit great but too soon to tell how durable they are.
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henrickrw said:
Good evening,
I'm looking forward to replace my 2006 EXL Odyssey headlights since they are beaten up.
Been looking on Ebay and most headlights seems yellowish and not in good condition.
Will you recommend getting brand new OEM ones or ordering aftermarket retrofit ones which looks fine but I do not knowe if they worth it.
Thanks
Click to expand...
I would try polishing the lights first. You can buy kits that come with everything, minus a drill, you need to get your lights back to their original condition. It takes some time, but the savings can be substantial. There are plenty of youtube videos that show you how to do it.
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K
I'm not sure why some folks here think the overpriced Honda PLASTIC lights are so much better. They're made of plastic and hold bulbs. If you're so worried about night-time driving safety, you buy the best BULBS you can buy. Headlight housings from Rockauto will do just fine. Any plastic headlight, whether genuine Honda or not, will fade and get pits in it. If you want to keep them looking great, use Meguiar's PlastX to polish them. Then I clean them with rubbing alcohol before applying a clear coat with Meguiar's Keep Clear. Polishing them alone won't last. You have to add a clear coat designed for plastic and UV protection, otherwise they'll get cloudy again after only a couple months.
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T_Duck
I've been just cleaning the "yellow" off with brake cleaner and paper towel. A bit tricky to get all the haze from the brake cleaner off but it's cheap. I polish them after with Meguiar's PlastX that I had laying around. They are really shot so I just experimented with random stuff.
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kselfri said:
I'm not sure why some folks here think the overpriced Honda PLASTIC lights are so much better. They're made of plastic and hold bulbs. If you're so worried about night-time driving safety, you buy the best BULBS you can buy. Headlight housings from Rockauto will do just fine. Any plastic headlight, whether genuine Honda or not, will fade and get pits in it. If you want to keep them looking great, use Meguiar's PlastX to polish them. Then I clean them with rubbing alcohol before applying a clear coat with Meguiar's Keep Clear. Polishing them alone won't last. You have to add a clear coat designed for plastic and UV protection, otherwise they'll get cloudy again after only a couple months.
Click to expand...
I bought some of the aftermarket lights, and (as others have said), in my case the casing does leak. I've gone through bulbs more frequently and the socket that attaches to the bulb has also gotten a little rustier - although I've started loading it up with some of that electrical protection stuff from autozone. The first time I realized I had an issue was when I changed the bulb and noticed it was all wet around the base of the bulb. I thought I must have a cracked headlight (there was a lot of moisture inside the unit), but couldn't find a crack. I've come to believe (rightly or wrongly) that the casing itself is not well sealed

I might look into taking it out and running some silicon caulk around obvious seams - see if I can reduce the moisture
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My local Sam's Club auto center has a headlight refinishing service. 40ish bucks and lifetime guarantee as long as you own your car. I had it done on my 10 yr old Nissan and it was great! Will be taking my 05 Ody in the spring, they want to do it in ambient temp of 70 degrees. The Sentra, unfortunately, was hit by an errant driver and totalled at 160k miles, so I never got had to have a free refurb, but it really was a great deal.
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