A woman recently had the frustrating experience trying to change her headlights—a task she says requires a mechanic because of how the vehicle is designed.
Tori Mardrigal (@victoria_noelle4), a mom from New York, says she went to Advanced Auto Parts to buy two headlights after both headlights in her Jeep Cherokee went out at the same time. The store worker offered to help, but once he popped open the hood, things went sideways.
"He’s trying to get his hand down there," Mardrigal explains. She says with Jeeps, it can go one of two ways: stick your hand in, pop out the old headlight, and put in a new one.
"Like a normal car," she adds.
"Or it can be like my year," she says, "where you can’t easily get to the headlight. You can’t get to it. You can’t get your arm down there."
The Advanced Auto Parts workers told her she would need a mechanic because most of the front end has to be removed to swap a headlight.
"Why are we making things so difficult for something basic?" Mardrigal says. She adds that she’s not taking her Jeep to a dealership because of the cost, and now has to find a mechanic to do the job.
"Why? Why is a basic thing like changing your headlight something I have to take to a mechanic to do?" she asks.
Mardrigal is frustrated.
"For the amount of money we pay for these cars, changing the headlights should be an easy task," she says. "If you’re looking at buying a Jeep, this is something to think about."
"Count your days," she tells Jeep in her TikTok about the experience. "Count your days."
Why Is Changing Headlights On Certain Vehicles So Hard?
Changing the headlights on a Jeep Cherokee, especially Grand Cherokee models, is notoriously tricky. The problem isn’t just the bulb itself—it’s the way they’re designed.
Tight, awkward spaces and blocked access points often mean you have to remove other parts, like the airbox on the driver’s side or the ECU and coolant reservoir on the passenger side, to reach the headlight. On some LED models, you may even need to remove the entire front bumper to swap the assembly.
Blocked access points make what seems simple a cumbersome task. Braces or tiny openings can make it challenging to fit an adult’s hand inside. Bulbs or their plastic covers can get stuck, requiring tools or extra force to remove. Even once you get the components out, the angles to twist and remove the bulbs are difficult, which can lead to scraped knuckles or broken clips.
There are a few ways to make it less painful. On the driver’s side, removing the air filter housing gives better access. On the passenger side, relocating the coolant reservoir can also help. Patience is key—you wouldn’t want to break anything in the process.
If you find yourself getting frustrated with the task, you may want to seek professional help. Some shops will install the headlights for free if you buy parts from them, or you can pay for labor. With Jeeps, what looks like a simple task can turn into a project, and knowing the obstacles ahead is half the battle.
The Problem Isn’t Just Jeeps
Viewers who saw Mardrigal’s video quickly pointed out that Jeep isn’t the only brand that has made changing headlights a headache.
"Well, most today you have to change the whole headlight assembly," one said. "I did one that was $1,200 apiece [and] I charged $350 [for] labor."
"Been like this for at least 15 years. Wait until you have a vehicle with LED headlamps. Have to replace the entire assembly. Can’t blame manufacturers really," a second remarked.
"That’s normal for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, not Jeep’s fault," another explained.
Several commenters suggested this is part of a broader trend: Newer cars are harder to work on overall.
"People wanted all the extra stuff in cars; they had to make room for it," one said. "Everything is hard to get to now."
Via email, Madrigal told Motor1 that she resolved the headlight issue thanks to the staff at Advance Auto Parts.
"I ended up getting my headlights fixed due to the amazing staff at Advanced Auto, whom did it for free!" she said. Madrigal said that the staffer had seen this issue previously and knew how to access the headlights from under the wheel well without removing the front end.
"But if I hadn't been so lucky with Advance Auto, I would have had to go to a mechanic and after calling around and getting estimates it would have cost me between $120-$400 depending on the shops hourly rate with labor and how long the job would take plus the cost of the headlights themselves," she continued. "After knowing how increasingly difficult it is to do a simple task like changing my headlights on my Jeep Grand Cherokee it definitely is something that dissuades me from from buying a Jeep again and definitely something I would tell people that are thinking about buying Jeep to keep in mind."
Motor1 has reached out to Stellantis, which owns Jeep, via email. We’ll update this if it responds.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motor1.com?
Take our 3 minute survey.- The Motor1.com Team