I remember the first time I used BMW’s laser headlights. It felt like the future. Not only were they bright, I thought they could light up an entire football field. The distance they covered was astonishing. Now, incredible headlights are commonplace, with some manufacturers getting so creative with lamps that they can paint light pictures on the road ahead. All of that amazing technology and capability does come at a cost, though. Literally, in fact, as one G83 BMW M4 owner recently found out.
Reddit user eSJayPee had to replace a headlight on their 2023 BMW M4 Competition Convertible, after a broken seal allowed moisture into the assembly. When they took the M4 to the dealer, they were quoted an eye-watering $9,021 to replace a single headlight. I’ll give you a moment to read that again.
The parts alone — which include the headlight assembly, LED turn signal module, control unit, and a locking mechanism — come to $6,721. For the record, that’s almost double what I paid for an entire E90 3 Series. Tack on an extra $1,788 for labor, and $510 worth of tax, and that’s how you get a $9,021 headlight replacement bill. Thankfully, the owner didn’t have to pay out of pocket, as the headlight damage was covered under warranty since it was a faulty part. However, with a bill of over nine grand to replace a single headlight, a light front-end crash that damages both lights could total the car, since it’d be nearly $20,000 in just headlights. Add in any bumper, radiator, or any other damage and you could very easily reach your insurance company’s limit before they total it.
There is some semi-good news, though. It seems that you can actually find OEM M4 headlights for around $2,400 each. That’s still absurd, but it’s a lot cheaper than the $6,721 the dealership will charge. And replacing them yourself is fairly simple. It does require removing the front bumper, but if you’re even mildly handy, it’s a lot easier than it sounds. Remove a few bolts and the bumper comes off. Unplug a few plugs and remove a few more bolts, and the headlight is out. Which makes the $1,788 labor charge even more frustrating, since it isn’t even that much work.
So if you have a BMW M4, or any modern Bimmer with laser lights, it’s well worth figuring out a way to buy replacements on your own, in case one gets damage and it isn’t covered under warranty. And if you aren’t handy with a socket wrench, I’d suggest you learn that, too.