2018-2024 Toyota Camry headlight bulb replacement

Turn the ignition to run without starting the engine. Cycle the low beams, high beams, and DRLs while walking around the front. Note which side and which filament is dead - a low beam out on one side is the common case; a DRL out with functional low beam is often a wiring or module issue rather than a bulb. XLE and XSE trims from 2018 onward ship with sealed LED headlight assemblies with no serviceable bulb. If the housing has a clear projector lens with no visible bulb socket from behind, stop here - replacement is at the assembly level.

Open the hood and prop it. Look at the rear of the headlight housing from above. The low-beam socket is on the outboard side, the high-beam socket is inboard. On the driver's side, the intake airbox partially blocks access to the low-beam bulb. Loosen the two 10mm hose clamps at the intake tube and swing the tube out of the way - do not disconnect the MAF sensor connector. On the passenger side, the coolant reservoir sits close to the housing but does not have to be removed. Small hands help. If reach is impossible, remove the plastic push-pin fasteners along the top of the front fascia (four per side) and pull the front corner of the fascia forward an inch to gain finger clearance.

A round rubber dust cap covers each bulb socket. Pull the tab straight out - the cap is a friction fit with an alignment notch. Set it upright somewhere clean. Reinstalling a dust cap with debris trapped inside will let condensation form and fog the lens within a month.

The three-pin connector on the H11 low beam has a small tab that must be depressed before it will unclip. The 9005 high beam uses a similar design. Do not pull on the wiring to unseat the connector - the terminals inside these connectors are known to overheat and become brittle, and yanking the wire snaps them at the crimp. Grip the connector body and rock it gently off the bulb pins.

The H11 bulb twists a quarter turn counterclockwise to release from the housing. The 9005 uses a wire retaining spring that pivots downward off a hook on top of the socket bore. Note the orientation of the notch or key before pulling - the bulb only fits one way. Withdraw the bulb straight out. Inspect the housing bore for moisture or a burn ring around the socket, both of which indicate a housing seal failure that a new bulb will not cure.

Handle the new bulb only by the plastic base. Skin oil on the quartz envelope creates a hot spot when the bulb lights, and hot spots crack the envelope within days. If the glass is touched, wipe it clean with isopropyl alcohol before installation. Align the key or notch on the new bulb with the slot in the housing, seat it fully, and twist a quarter turn clockwise (H11) or clip the wire retainer back over the top (9005).

Push the electrical connector on until it clicks. Reinstall the dust cover with the drain arrow or TOP marking pointing up. Replaced dust covers that seat crooked let water enter and are the leading cause of a new bulb failing within weeks. Reconnect the intake tube if it was moved and tighten the two 10mm clamps to snug (about 20 in lbs / 2.3 Nm - Verify against your service manual). Turn on the headlights and confirm both filaments now work.