Question for 4Runner owners....headlight upgrades, Morimoto XB's?

We have a 2017 4Runner and the wife wants upgraded headlights. Do any of you guys have 4Runners and have upgraded? I was looking at the Morimoto XB's which are $1150. The reviews on HR are all pretty good, but the 4Runner forum has opinions all over the place.....alot of those members were not happy with them. The Tundra family seems to be a little more realistic and focused when it comes to helping others. Thanks.

 

upgrade to 2020 LED oem headlights maybe ? dunno if it's compatible.
for us gen 2 tundras we didn't have the option to go 2020 LEDs like the 3rd gens guys so not many options.

 

The 2020 has OEM led fog lights but does not have OEM led headlights. I guess it's because of the sideways mounted bulb design in those projectors.

 

I have also heard my fair share of opinions on the 4Runner XB LED Headlights. I'll shed some light on this for you!

The OEM Housings for these 4Runners aren't the absolute worst in terms of output, but you wouldn't be looking to change it up if it was Great at the same token haha. If you are looking for pure performance from your Upgrade and nothing else, I think you would be pretty satisfied with a proper LED bulb swap or a quality HID kit replacement.

The most common gripe I hear towards the 4Runner XBs is the Width of the Beam Pattern. I hear that they don't quite reach out to the sides as much as one would hope, and I can see both sides to this. While they aren't the widest in terms of Beam Pattern, this can easily be fixed with a Fog Light upgrade! A very popular option I recommend for those looking for more Width would be the Diode Dynamics SS3 Fog Light kit. The Output and Width of these things is unreal, and will easily fill in the areas the XBs can't quite reach.
Link: https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss3-led-fog-light-kit-for-2010-2020-toyota-4runner.html

Attached is a few photos of ONLY the Headlights on a wall @ 25ft. You'll see that the XB LED has it beat in both instances in terms of Output, but the Width really isn't changed a whole usable ton. For the Price point seen souly in Output terms, I can see how people would be let down.







If you aren't only in it for performance, but also to give that Aftermarket feel, the XB LEDs would make a whole lot more sense. That Bold DRL Line is Drool-Worthy, the choice between Standard Turn Signals or Sequential on the Fly is awesome, and the 5-Year Warranty bundled up in a DOT-Approved package is a huge Confidence booster.


- @Gun.rnr on Instagram!

TL;DR: If you want souly a Performance Boost, I think you'll be happier saving some $$$ and go with a Solid PnP LED/HID kit.

If you are in it for the Bells and Whistles, followed up with Compliments at the Gas Pumps, I wouldn't recommend anything else over Morimoto. Pair it up with some stellar Fog Lights and you're going to be in Business!

Any other questions on these Housings, please let me know!

 

Thanks for the reply. So what LED or HID would you recommend? She is definitely looking for performance. She said she couldn't see the other night. She mostly drives during the day. We currently have Vled Micros in the low beams.

 

For just a Low beam upgrade, I personally have seen Awesome results from GTR Lighting HID kits. The simplicity of these Plug and Play HIDs is a huge perk, and the Lifetime Warranty ensures this will be the last kit you ever order! I also have seen great results from brands like Morimoto and Xenon Depot, although these kits will require more of a hands-on install at a cheaper price point.

GTR Lighting: https://headlightrevolution.com/2014-2019-toyota-4runner-ultra-hid-kit-low-beam/

Morimoto: http://www.morimotohid.com/h11-morimoto-elite.html?preselect=51812,56468,47309

Xenon Depot: https://www.xenondepot.com/H11-HID-Kit-Xtreme-HID-XT-H11?quantity=1

 

When I purchased my wife her 4runner back in 2016. I started to look for HID replacements and ended up going with the Xenon Depot HID kit. Fast forward to today. The headlights still turn on and looks factory bright.

Can’t complain here

 

I had a 2010 4runner (reflector headlight assy) that I had retrofited D2S stage III projectors and morimoto HIDs about 6 years ago. Total cost of parts was about $350+. Light output was a million times better esp with the projectors than the stock reflector halogen housing. The only bad thing about that system was that it uses the same bulb for both high/low beam so if you're headlights weren't turned on and you wanted to flash the high beams, well.....wouldnt work so well because it takes the ballasts time to warm up.

 

Yeah our 2017 has projectors but the bulbs are side mounted. I have no idea how that design came about.

 

I assume the light output was alot better? The side mounted bulb design is a little weird.

 

They are brighter than the factory halogen bulbs. Almost as bright as my Lancer Evo’s HID. (Apples to Oranges comparison, I know)

 

My wife has the same complaint on her 2014 4runner,I've been looking at different bulb options form vleds and h.r but have not pulled the trigger yet.just want more output from the factory housing not 1k for all new ...

 

I'm leaning towards the S-V.4 from @Headlight Revolution . Hers is a projector lens. They have a good video on it in the 4Runner.

 

I bought the morimoto headlights less than a year ago. One of the DRL lights is already failing on the driver side in the top right corner.

I was able to arrange for replacements scheduled to be here around July. Need less to say, I hope this isn’t a common thing with these light. The installation process is a bit of a PITA, especially if I’m doing so due to product failure.

here are some pics. Keep in mind, it is much more noticeable in person because as the light flickers on and off, you can see it very easily. The photos I have you can see in the picture when the failing light is on and when it is off.

 

@Headlight Revolution thanks for the great information for those outdated yellow lights. The wife got the 2018 Limited and you'd thing for $45K you would get some bells and whistles from Toyota, but I just got one of those ebay LED bulbs ($30), which lasted for about 2 years now. I did buy the fog lights from your shop and they fit and output great lights. I see the prices for the kits range between $150-300 what would you recommend that will produce the same results as my Tundra LED headlights for the 4runner? Thanks for such great information again!

 

I just put these on my Tundra. I hope that yours is very, very rare.

 

I was only referring to the ones I put on my 4runner. For the price, I was disappointed I had issues. It appears the warranty will be honored, but I’m waiting for a new batch of lights to come in July to hopefully solve the issue, permanently.

good luck with the Tundra install. I didn’t know they made them for the Tundra, but I just bought the Tundra last month. Lots to learn, and thanks to this site, plenty of information and expensive mods to add to my wishlist. Just bought the power tailgate lock assembly.

 

Yeah we have a 2017 4Runner that we want to upgrade but the XB's are $1150 currently. They came out for the 2nd gen Tundras around Nov or so.

 

Have gone down the same rabbit hole ma’dude with my 4Runner.

Simple H9 bulbs are less than $20, nearly double the stock H11’s output, don’t blind oncoming drivers since they best utilize the halogen designed factory housing, last forever, and are available at every auto store. Just takes less than a minute to trim the tabs. Tons of YouTube clips on how to do it.

Would try that option first, then go with a full HID kit if your wife still isn’t happy with the lights.

Lots of good info here:
https://www.4runners.com/forums/lighting.20/

 

For sure! Personally from my experience, I have seen the V.4 for $169 absolutely Dominate these Low beam projectors. If you wanted the best and brightest though, the GTR Lighting 55w HID Kit will knock your socks off, I guarantee it! These HIDs run up a bit higher in price though, right at $299 for the full kit. The lifetime warranty will be a big peace of mind though!

One thing to keep in mind here is that these Plug and Play kits are not DOT-Compliant, meaning that you can technically be pulled over for using them on roadways and will not pass Inspection if this is a requirement in your state. I personally have never had this happen to me or any of my Coworkers, nor is this a common issue for the vast majority of folks I hear from. I know this can be a deal-breaker for some so please keep this in mind before ordering! Off-Roading and Fog Lights are a totally different deal though, fair game there! Our DOT-Compliant option would be the Morimoto XB LED Headlights, these pass inspections with flying colors!

 

This is really weird to see man! We haven't had this be an issue with our reports, but I'm taking note on this for the future. That warranty set should solve this issue for good though!

 

Thanks for the input. No heat issues with the H9 that I have heard about.