Hi all;
I've searched a lot here and can't seem to find any consensus on which aftermarket headlight assemblies is at least equal to, or preferably better than our OEM factory installed assemblies.
I have read repeated statements that we should purchase New Acura OEM replacements rather than aftermarket, due to quality issues with aftermarket.
After much reading, there is a known quality issue with the OEM units that came factory installed on our base models. That said; Have certain brands or all known aftermarket assemblies proven to be even worse?
Can anyone verify if the current new Acura OEM assemblies is of a higher quality than the original installed Acura OEM assemblies? Seriously, 4-5 years maximum is truly pathetic.
Can someone verify if my understanding of the problem with our base model factory installed assemblies, has something to do with the reflective material deteriorating?
I think it would be valuable to this forum if those who may have purchased aftermarket assemblies would post their results.

 

My '13 RDX has the highest trim, so I have the Xenon headlights and they still look and operate like new. Obviously I don't know all that much about the Halogen assemblies on these cars, but I know from past experience on other vehicles that 1A Auto makes some of the best aftermarket parts for cars. They're one of the only places I would suggest buying headlight assemblies for your car. Otherwise I would stick with Acura OEM headlight assemblies and keep them clean and coat them with UV resistant clearcoat.

 

Alex;
Thank you for your reply. I do hope others will share their experiences as well.
I'll make it a point to look into 1A Auto to see what they offer for this particular application.
I've personally have had good luck with TYC for my 2002 GMC Yukon.
I'm hoping to also hear feedback from those who have purchased aftermarket for this exact application too.
If we could find an aftermarket brand that will warrantee/warranty their product for lifetime, that would be good to explore as well.

 

Okay, I thought I'd give an update for those that likely have a similar failure of the OEM installed headlight assemblies.
This vehicle is my daughter's 2015 RDX Base model. She works very close to an Acura location and decided to go that route as for replacements. Very expensive, but she said they gave her a break. I apologize, but I don't know the details of this so called break. She asked if there had been any improvements to which would prevent the same failure in the approximate same amount of time... The service advisor said that he did not know.
However she can now see much better driving at night.. Just to be clear, the failure in the case of the 2nd generation RDX Base Model is in the internal portion more so than just the typical outer lens that can be restored with aftermarket kits.
I've researched a fair amount in the aftermarket world back when I had to replace the headlight assemblies on my 2002 Yukon as well as my son's 2006 Chevy Silverado. I came up with TYC as being as close to OEM as one could hope for. TYC actually provides headlight assemblies to some of the OEM's for new vehicle installation. They also offer some form of "Lifetime Warranty" for the original vehicle purchased for. I haven't read anyone's experience having to resort to warranty claim. There is a link on Rock Auto's website to the warranty from the page that shows the headlight assembly. They sell other brands too. In summary; If I were to purchase OEM style Halogen Headlight Assemblies in the future for this application.. I'd first go by and see exactly what the Acura Dealer would offer you for a "price break." I'd then compare what they offer to the TYC replacements and go with whatever I was feeling at the time would be the best suited resolution. And yes, I do feel if we could upgrade to the same system as what came OEM on the Models with the Technology Package, that would be a better route. However, I can't find where anyone explains the process in detail on this forum. I did see where one person installed the 2016+ Jeweled in great detail, but my daughter can't do this and I live too far away from her to be able to do something that extensive in her curbside parking space. I hope this helps bring clarity to anyone seeking insight on the subject. I do hope others will add content that will be of further value to this matter..
Oh, on a side note; AAA did a study on fading headlights that was mainly due to the outer lens issue and found that with proper restoration, one could bring their headlights low beam light output to an average of 70.40% of what new OEM headlights. I'm not clear if this average is an average of ALL Types of Headlights or specific to just Halogen. Either way, it looks like the restoration option is still subpar considering that the same AAA test claimed that New Halogen Low Beam was not safe at speeds above 39 MPH on an unlighted highway.

 

Hmmm that's interesting. Sounds like the dealer knows about the issue from past experience(s).

 

My daughter did mention something to that effect.. In other words; He/Service Advisor, knew exactly what she was talking about when she mention how dim the low-beams had gotten over time.

 

I run across something that may answer one of my original questions.. As to rather or not Acura had changed anything about the Acura replacements available today compared to what came factory installed on the G2 Base Model..
All I know is that the part number available now is different than a previous part number for an Acura OEM replacement headlight assembly. The PN was 33100-TX4-A11 for the right side and now it is 33100-TX4-A12
And PN 33150-TX4-A11 for the left side, now 33150-TX4-A12. I don't know if the original installed lights were the PN that end in A11 or maybe one preceded that one too..??
I can only hope that the latest PN that ends in A12 is manufactured to a much higher standard than our failed units.

 

Thank you for your post. I’m having the exact same issue. I bought my daughter at 2015 base model and the halogen lights are scary dim now. When I bought it in 2016 they were actually ok but now are horrid. They are the worst lights of any vehicle we’ve ever owned and honestly if Acura is not standing behind this then this is the last Vehicle from them that we will own. The lights are so bad now that the daytime running lights are actually just as bright at night. It’s so bad that eventually I could see a accident caused by this and someone suing Acura in response. Very disappointing as this just goes on top of all the other issues Honda / Acura has not addressed with me in the past 8 years. I’ve been a loyal Honda fan since 1998 but no longer. Disappointed customer and hate to see such a great company fall by the wayside....

 

Have you tried replacing the bulbs? They might be needing replacing.

 

actually I did. I tried the OEM version with no luck then went with the Sealight LED bulbs and still no improvement. Then started researching the issue and discovered the inner reflective foil degrades causing the problem. Then called 2 dealers both of which confirmed the issue. Supposedly the latest Acura part # corrects this issue but man are they expensive. 1500-2000 all day long to replace these parts. That’s unexceptional considered we dealing with a high end vehicle. Acura should at least pick up part of the replacement cost especially considering this is a serious safety issue. I expect eventually Acura is going to be sued per this defect. Apparently it’s a very big issue and getting worse over time. Again disappointing considering the Honda name and what it represented in years past.

 

You're right as for the root cause of the degrading light output. I've read a many of post where owners of this same "Base Model" issue have tried different light bulbs to no avail. If you can get one of the dealer service advisors to actually go through the effort to contact Acura Corporate... This, in order to plead for at least some help/discount, it may actually help to some degree. However even with their help, it still is expensive. One could still purchase aftermarket assemblies and install them their self and save a good bit of money. There are some videos on Youtube showing how to remove the front bumper covering. If you don't or are not able to do this yourself, possibly you may work out a deal with a local body shop to install the light assemblies you purchase. If you let the body shop order in the light assemblies, it will cost much more. You just need to find one that is willing to charge labor only and be willing to install the ones you purchase. As I stated previously, if I were to go the route of replacing the assemblies, I'd lean toward TYC aftermarket assemblies. Rock Auto carries them. Of course they are carried by many sources on the net. I'd prefer to purchase from someone that may actually help you out with a warranty claim in case they would fail. I realize it's a sickening realization. My daughter works near an Acura Dealer and has used them for service in the past..
Therefore she pleaded for someone to contact corporate Acura for some sort of discount. She said that they did discount it, but it still cost a small unexpected fortune. I don't live near her and therefore didn't have the convenience to be able to perform the work for her. Otherwise I'd likely went with the TYC assemblies.

 

I recently bought a 2014 Base and mine were just shy of being slightly more useful than a candle when I got it in Nov. I ended up getting TYCs to replace them and put Philips X-tremeVision bulbs in them. The difference is quite literally almost night and day.

I mentioned in my first post here that they were covered with everything else in the 100 day warranty, but that was a mistake. I actually paid for them and did the work myself to save the time and hassle. At $600 for the pair and barely an hour's worth of very light work, I just can't justify paying the dealership nearly $1k each plus labor for a vehicle that is 7 years old. They have the TYC warranty, and that is sufficient for my needs. If they go bad after a reasonable amount of time and it's not covered, I'll buy another pair for $600 and do the work myself again, and still be ahead in terms of time and money.

If it was a newer car and still under the factory warranty, I probably would have dealt with it differently.

 

Shame she spent the money, but what's done is done. Buy her a basic toolbox kit and socket set and have it shipped to her. It'll save her tons of money over time from paying people to do simple jobs.

I was amazed at just how easy it was. If I recall, all I used was two different sockets and a flat head to pry out the fasteners. Asked my neighbor to give me a quick hand with the bumper so I didn't scuff it while moving it. I've changed tires that were more trouble.

 

I decided to purchase the revised OEM light assembly so hope it turns out to be the correct decision. That being said I found them online for $588 each and will install them myself. Compared to the 2k my dealer quoted it will be a fairly substantial savings. Now I just hope that they don’t degrade like the last ones did but only time will tell. Thanks for everyone’s help

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. Please update in the future if there is a similar failure with the TYC's in order to help those of us having to face this issue. Also, thanks for emphasizing just how easy this process is to do yourself. This is a good place for me to comment in regards to some YouTube videos.. The one I watched did show it being done.. However the person made it look more difficult in the video than how you're describing it to really be. I wouldn't have thought that this is something my daughter could have done... But for a young lady who just spent the last year helping remodel her old house, sounds like it would have been a walk in the park for her. I'm also happy that you have a good report on the TYC's so far. I'll definitely report any such issues that may arise with my daughter's OEM replacements. Your experience is just what I was hoping would end up in this thread.
On a side note; What, if any UV Protective product would be advisable to use on these new headlight assemblies? I wouldn't want to just try any UV Product not knowing if it would actually cause some sort of chemical induced degrading to the outer lens.

 

Thanks for sharing your findings as for how much the replacements cost searching online. Just be sure you actually receive the newest part number that end in A12. I've seen some places still list the ones that end in A11. It's likely that the ones that still list their part as the ones that end in A11 will actually ship the A12 instead.. But we don't advise anyone to assume.

 

they are supposed to be the revised version. I have attached a picture for anyone that may be interested in the future. Also in a couple weeks when I come in I’ll post back on the outcome.

 

Well, the new part numbers are in fact listed. So you should be good to go. Thanks for sharing.

 

I use 'Meguiar's G17110 - Headlight Protectant' to clean the headlights. I then use 'Meguiar's S G17804 Keep Clear Headlight Coating 4 oz' every year to keep them protected.

 

Thanks for sharing the UV protective advise. This is surely the most common cause of degrading light output on most vehicles now days.