I have two year old charger. One of the front headlights went out and the dealer says it will cost $500 to fix as lights are only covered for 12k miles. Is that right? I would understand if they were halogens but clearly this is a manufacturing defect on a part that should last the lifetime of the car.

 

Have you read your warranty guide?

 

yeah , it says bulbs have a 12k mileage limit. Im pretty sure LEDs are not bulbs.

 

Well, actually they are. Just a bunch of little really intense ones. I changed my utility trailer over to LED tail lights and a couple of the LEDs in one light have quit working. Also, LEDs dim over time. Several years ago, a friend bought a Cadillac from insurance that had severe hail damage. He bought an NOS tail light unit. It was a factory part that was left over when the model was changed to the next year and sold as a crash replacement. His wife is pleased with her car but the right tail light assembly is significantly brighter than the original one.

 

Is it a headlight that went out or the daytime running light (DRL)? I'm not sure if the Charger ever came with LED headlights, but the DRLs are LEDs. And I don't think LEDs should be categorized as "bulbs." They are solid-state semiconductors (diodes), and they don't have a filament that burns like a bulb. If it's a headlight that went out, it may be either a halogen bulb or a high intensity discharge (HID) bulb. And the HIDs are bulbs, and I could see the dealership claiming they will cost $500 to replace between the cost of the bulb, the cost of the ballast, and the labor to get to the ballast. However quality HID bulbs and ballasts are available for MUCH less than the dealership would charge for the part, but the labor to replace them is still going to be expensive if you are not willing or able to replace them yourself, assuming you also replace the ballast.

Your owner's manual should explain which type of headlights were available on your vehicle.

-Rod