GM Headlight Buyer's Guide

The headlights on your GM vehicle play a big role in your safety when it’s dark outside. Headlights can be one of the most overlooked parts when it comes to maintenance. Dimmed headlights aren’t always obvious, for example. Do you have issues with your headlights? This buyer’s guide will arm you with the information you need to deal with these issues.

Do you have a question that isn’t addressed in this buyer’s guide? We can try to answer it for you! Just contact us here.

The Most Common GM Headlight Problems

Do you have an issue with your headlights, but you’re not sure what’s causing it? Or are you looking to prevent any issues with your headlights? Either way, this post is for you. It covers the 3 most common GM headlight problems. To sum it up, these common problems are:

• Melting headlamp driver module
  • This kills the low beam and/or daytime running lamps
• Corroded headlight components
  • This leads to extreme dimming, intermittent connections, and/or condensation inside the headlight assembly
• Weak bulbs
  • This makes the light output too low and the beam pattern too restrictive

What’s The Difference Between OEM GM Headlights And Aftermarket Headlights?

When you need to replace a broken headlight or taillight on your GM vehicle, the first question you should be asking is: OEM or aftermarket? If you're having a hard time deciding between OEM headlights and aftermarket headlights? You need this comparison guide. After a thorough look into both options, the comparison guide concludes that OEM is the better option. Taking a look at headlights, here's why:

• GM builds its headlights with high quality materials. Aftermarket manufacturers usually use low quality materials.
• OEM GM headlights always fit perfectly. It’s because OEM parts are direct replacements of the parts already on your vehicle. Aftermarket headlights rarely meet OE dimensions. For that reason, installation and performance issues are common with aftermarket headlights.
• All OEM GM headlights undergo rigorous testing. It’s not common for aftermarket manufacturers to thoroughly test their headlights.
• GM warranties its headlights (and other parts). Aftermarket manufacturers don’t usually warranty their parts.

If you need a taillight, all the same advantages still apply. It's clear that OEM is the better and safer option.

How To Replace A GM Headlight

You can skip the shop and replace your GM headlights at home! This post provides a general overview of the process. It also includes headlight replacement instructions for a few specific models.

You only need basic tools. The replacement process is pretty straightforward. You would need to:

1. Unfasten the headlight housing.
2. Remove or move all the parts in the way (You may not need to remove anything else. Sometimes you may have to remove another part, for example, the grille.).
3. Disconnect the wiring from the headlight.
4. Remove the headlight.
5. Install the new headlight.
6. Put everything back together.