1
Park safely and disconnect the battery
- Park on a level surface, set the parking brake, and open the hood. Disconnect the negative battery terminal — you're about to handle electrical connectors, and 30 seconds here is cheap insurance.
2015-2020 Ford F-150 Headlight Assembly Replacement
A cracked lens, heavy condensation that won't clear, or a dead DRL strip means the whole headlight assembly has to come out. On the 2015–2020 F-150 this is a driveway job — a handful of bolts and clips, no bumper removal, about an hour. The replacement assembly used here is a standard aftermarket unit — we sourced ours from Parts District's headlight assembly collection (these assemblies commonly fit 2015–2020 F-150s — always confirm against your truck's exact trim and engine — you can look up your exact vehicle on Parts District's Shop by Vehicle page — and the product's fitment data before buying). 2015–2020 F-150s came with halogen or LED headlights depending on trim — the assemblies and connectors differ, so match your truck's lighting type. After installation, check the beam aim before night driving — misaligned headlights blind oncoming drivers.
Tools (4)
Parts (1)
- Headlight assembly, driver or passenger side (halogen or LED to match your trim) buy ↗
Step-by-step instructions
2
Remove the radiator shroud
- Along the top of the radiator shroud there's a row of plastic panel clips. Pop them out with the trim tool, lift the shroud up and set it aside where it won't get stepped on.
3
Loosen the grille
- Remove the 10mm bolts across the top of the grille. You don't need to take the whole grille off — just free it enough to reach the headlight's upper mounts.
4
Free the lower headlight valance
- In the front wheel well, remove the two 7mm bolts holding the lower headlight valance, then pull the valance outward to unclip it from the body.
5
Remove the upper headlamp bolts
- Take out the upper headlamp bolts and the push pin at the top of the headlight housing. Keep the hardware together — a magnetic tray earns its keep here.
6
Remove the lower headlamp bolts
- Remove the lower headlamp bolts. If your truck has them, release the air-duct clips from the bottom of the headlamp assembly.
7
Slide the assembly forward
- Pull the headlight assembly straight forward — it slides off its mounting pins. Some resistance is normal; wiggle gently rather than forcing it. Forcing a stuck housing is how mounting tabs break.
8
Disconnect the electrical connectors
- Squeeze the release tabs and disconnect the wiring: the marker-lamp connector on halogen trucks, plus the main headlight connector. The assembly is free now — set it lens-up somewhere safe.
9
Transfer the bulbs (if needed)
- If your replacement housing came without bulbs, twist each bulb socket counterclockwise and pull it straight out of the old housing, then seat it in the new one. ***Never touch a halogen bulb's glass with bare fingers*** — skin oil creates hot spots that shorten its life. Gloves on.
10
Install the new assembly (reverse order)
- Connect the electrical connectors first — listen for the click on each. Slide the assembly back onto its mounting pins, then reinstall: lower headlamp bolts, upper bolts + push pin, valance (clip it in, then the 7mm bolts), grille bolts, radiator shroud (clips), and finally the negative battery terminal.
11
Test everything before you drive
- Turn the truck on and check: low beam, high beam, DRL, turn signal, and marker light. Do this now, not at 10 pm on the highway.
12
Check the beam aim
- Park on level ground facing a wall about 25 feet away. The top of the low-beam pattern should sit at or slightly below the height of the headlight centers — if it's throwing light into oncoming drivers' eyes, adjust using the screws on the housing.
- If your truck has automatic headlight leveling, have the aim verified professionally, since the system can need recalibration after the swap. If unsure, consult a professional mechanic.
Conclusion
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Guide content belongs to iFixit, license CC BY-NC-SA. Open original