Why is it that car manufacturers make it so difficult to change faulty headlamp bulbs?
I am seeing far too many cars with faulty headlights nowadays, owners surely know that lights are out, but keep putting off replacing them because in some cases it's an hours job.
These drivers are being totally irresponsible, the true cost could be somebody's life. One Discovery, gone
Now on third Freelander 2
2013 HSE Auto Orkney Grey

I agree with you, many simply stick their fog lights on thinking that will do.

Just been on the MOT website which shows, nearly without exception, that lighting and indicators were the biggest reasons for failure of all makes of cars. One Discovery, gone
Now on third Freelander 2
2013 HSE Auto Orkney Grey

I blame the Police cuts that have reduced the number of traffic officers. Why are there so many cars driving about with:

1. Defective Headlights
2. Fog Lights on in the day time
3. Mis-spaced Number Plates
4. Number Plates obscured by Tow bars

And they seem to do it with total freedom and never get pulled over.

The worst car I have come across was my daughter's 04 reg Renault Megane where you virtually had to remove the front bumper to get at one side. In fact when she traded it in for a newer Megane the salesman gave ease of changing the headlamp bulbs as one of the key features of the new model! 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

And Ive seen a kit built car with round headlights fitted, well just taken out of the box and screwed straight into place, without any regards for the way up they should actually go for the lens beam pattern lines to work, they were in at 45 degrees.
Thing is the owner didnt realise it mattered and one wonders how much of the rest of the car didnt matter too as he assembled it?

Just driven back up to the office from Northwich and the roads are crawling with police, this afternoon and evening they will have a bonanza pulling people over following parties.
The A666 near home is a single road between Blackburn and Bolton, they lie in wait and catch loads of cars, they even have a car waiting for those who turn around to avoid the road block.

I get fed up following cars with no brake lights what so ever working or the idiot who just slam on there brakes to let someone out of a side road these people seam to be obvious to anyone behind them. My Freelander almost got rear ended by a BOC gas lorry once because of this.
Another annoyance of mine is when I'm approaching a road junction to turn right some idiot always seams to be in a hurry and cuts the junction.

I really get annoyed about cars with one dipped headlamp blinding you. Usually caused by an incorrectly fitted H7 bulb on the dip lamp with system using 4 bulbs. Fortunately the H7 has been superseded by H11 and HB3.

I now carry a spare HB3 headlamp bulb and 10mm spanner in my 2013 FL2 as headlamp is now 1 single filament bulb for main and dip so if bulb blows you have neither main or dip. All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

A pet hate of mine are the people who think driving around with just the DRL on in the dark is quite okay, they don't seem to realise that no lights will be lit at the rear...

In their 'slight' defence, I bought my partner a Corsa which had DRL's however when you start the car the whole instrument cluster lights up and a bulb symbol lights up green in the cluster. You could quite easily think you have either your side lights on or headlights on as when you do put them on nothing changes in the cluster - bad design if you ask me!

Shilen
OOPS ,for the first time I did that last night for a short distance. I had Auto switched off while working on car. Brain out as well as lights!!! All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

To me it seems daft that a cars are built where you have to dismantle half the car to replace a light bulb. It should be something that should be easily replaceable at the side of the road and needs to be a requirement of the construction and use regulations. Remember there are never problems, just new challenges

No problem with changing headlamp bulbs on FL2. 10 minutes for both sides on 2013 model. A little longer with earlier 2008 using the awkward and often incorrectly fitted H7. All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

I know what you mean as it took me 3 attempts to correctly fit my passenger side main beam bulb as it wasn't seated correctly.

The worst car I've had to change a bulb on was a smart car. You have to remove the front end complete as its all one piece, then you have to unbolt the headlight. 2008 G4 RRSport TDV8
2009 TDCi 90
2010 GS Freelander