Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Headlights too dim or fail
Most reported: 2015 Acura RDX with 334 reports. Across the 211 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 5,177.
- 5,177owner reports
- 211model years affected
- 52,600median miles
- 57involved a crash
- 19involved a fire
Headlight complaints fall into two camps. In one, a headlight goes out, often more than once, or fills with moisture behind the lens. In the other, the lights work exactly as built and the owner still can't see the road at night because the beam is too dim or too short. Owners in that second camp often report a dealer telling them it's normal.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of headlights reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12015 Acura RDX3 crashes33482% of its complaints80k mi
- 22015 Cadillac SRX2 crashes28665% of its complaints52k mi
- 32014 Nissan Altima4 crashes27727% of its complaints81k mi
- 42015 Nissan Altima8 crashes25427% of its complaints70k mi
- 52014 Cadillac SRX6 crashes24864% of its complaints60k mi
- 62014 Acura RDX1 crash16069% of its complaints80k mi
- 72020 Kia Telluride1 crashrecall15921% of its complaints60k mi
- 82024 GMC Canyonrecall14872% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 92014 Kia Soul1 fire11413% of its complaints68k mi
- 102014 GMC Sierra 15001 crash10415% of its complaints23k mi
- 112017 Kia Sorento1 crash10113% of its complaints35k mi
- 122016 Cadillac SRX2 crashes9255% of its complaints60k mi
- 132016 Mazda CX-5recall8817% of its complaints40k mi
- 148312% of its complaints12k mi
- 158111% of its complaints77k mi
- 162014 Kia Sorento1 fire687% of its complaints75k mi
- 172021 Ford F-150recall677% of its complaints48k mi
- 18547% of its complaints70k mi
- 192019 Hyundai Elantra2 crashes1 fire5422% of its complaints51k mi
- 20539% of its complaints40k mi
- 21474% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 22444% of its complaints33k mi
- 232021 Dodge Durango1 crash4422% of its complaints55k mi
- 243912% of its complaints70k mi
- 25394% of its complaints32k mi
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe headlights. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12015 Acura RDX3 crashes33482% of its complaints80k mi
- 23075% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 32024 GMC Canyonrecall14872% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 42014 Acura RDX1 crash16069% of its complaints80k mi
- 52015 Cadillac SRX2 crashes28665% of its complaints52k mi
- 62014 Cadillac SRX6 crashes24864% of its complaints60k mi
- 72016 Cadillac SRX2 crashes9255% of its complaints60k mi
- 83628% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 92014 Nissan Altima4 crashes27727% of its complaints81k mi
- 102015 Nissan Altima8 crashes25427% of its complaints70k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Cadillac SRX626
- Acura RDX494
- Kia Sorento342
- Kia Soul162
- GMC Canyon148
- Ford F-150139
When it happens
2,146 of the 5,177 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 30,000 and 77,600 miles; the median is 52,600. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of headlights, grouped by the model year of the car. 57 involved a crash and 19 a fire. 16 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 5,177 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
Why the second camp has a point
IIHS testing shows that how well headlights light the road varies widely. IIHS has rated headlights since 2016, and in that first round only one of more than 80 systems on 2016 midsize cars earned a good rating. By the 2026 model year, 46 percent of systems tested rated good and about 17 percent were marginal or poor for poor visibility, too much glare, or both. The ratings matter on the road: IIHS found vehicles with good-rated headlights have 19 percent fewer nighttime single-vehicle crashes and 23 percent fewer nighttime pedestrian crashes than those with poor-rated ones. The same model can land on both sides. IIHS's own comparison puts the 2018-21 Hyundai Kona's LED projector headlights at good and the same car's halogen projectors at poor, so a dim-light complaint can come down to which lamps a trim was built with.
Federal standard 108 sets the minimum rules for lighting, with the stated purpose of lighting the road adequately and making vehicles visible to others.
What is usually involved
Owners name the headlight assembly, the bulb, and the ballast or driver module. Which one is at fault shows up in the tick sheet and parts list on each vehicle page.
What a shop checks first
Ask the shop to check the headlight aim first. IIHS notes that properly aimed low beams light the road ahead without blinding oncoming drivers. On cars with self-leveling headlights, Delphi's technical team notes that the leveling sensor has to be reset with a scan tool after a part such as a control arm is replaced. For a light that goes out, ask whether they found a bad bulb, module or connector.
When to stop driving
A car with one headlight out shouldn't be driven at night until it's fixed. If both low beams fail, don't drive after dark at all. Flickering lights along with other electrical faults deserve a prompt check.
What to tell the mechanic
Say which side, whether it's the low beam, high beam or both, and whether it fails when cold, wet or after a bump. For a dim-light complaint, mention whether the car has halogen, HID or LED lamps if you know.
Recalls, bulletins and warranty
NHTSA says a recall is issued when equipment creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet a minimum safety standard, and lighting has its own standard, so check your VIN at NHTSA's recall page. Then search your year, make and model for bulletins filed with NHTSA. An assembly that fails within the factory warranty's months or miles should be covered.
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.