Halogen or LED headlights: is there a bulb to replace?
Many models are sold with either halogen headlights, which take a replaceable bulb such as an H11 or HB3, or LED headlights, which usually have no bulb you can swap. The same model year can have both, depending on trim or equipment, so check which your car has before buying a bulb.
Examples from owner’s manuals
- 2017 Honda Civic Sedan: the 2.0 L uses an H11 low beam and HB3 high beam. The 1.5 L has either halogen (same bulbs) or LED headlights.
- 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid: the low beam is LED on every car; the high beam is an HB3 bulb on cars without a head-up display and LED on cars with one.
- 2022 Honda Civic Sedan: LED low and high beams on both engines; the manual lists no replaceable headlight bulb.
If yours are LED
For LED headlights, manuals typically send you to the dealer. The 2021 Honda CR-V manual says: “Headlights are LED type. Have an authorized Honda dealer inspect and replace the light assembly.”
How to tell which you have
- Check the light bulbs table in your owner’s manual: it lists bulb types per equipment, often with footnotes like “models with LED headlights”.
- Look at the back of the headlight housing under the hood: a halogen bulb has a removable socket and connector.
- If the manual says “LED type”, don’t buy a halogen bulb for it.