r/BMW•
eric_gm

Has BMW ever made reliable headlights?

Say, after the late 90's. We have 4 generations of 5 Series (E34, E39, E60, G30). All of them have known issues with their headlights except for the E34.

  1. The E39 has two major issues: Plastic headlight adjusters that get brittle and break causing the projectors to point straight down and corroding reflective coating inside the projector bowl.
  2. The E60 has soy-based internal headlight wiring which disintegrates, causes shorts and eventually kills the light module (this is common in a lot of mid-2000's BMWs too).
  3. The G30 has DRL LED modules that overheat, burn the fiber optic halos and turn yellow and dim. The rings are a non-replaceable part of the headlight. This also happens to several modern BMWs.

Only the E34 has headlights that don't require a rebuild or major repair because BMW in their infinite wisdom chose the wrong materials. At least that's according to Hella which has gone on record saying that BMW provides the specifications (e.g. biodegradable wires) and they just manufacture the part. Things only get worse when you realize almost all headlights are perma-sealed.

I guess it's weird that in the Japanese and American cars I (or my family) has owned, headlights are something I never think about. They just work.

Posted Aug 4, 2025, 4:38 PM UTC

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