TORONTO -- New vehicles are safer than ever before. They can automatically slow down, warn you if you leave your lane and help prevent crashes.
Headlights are also more high-tech than ever, but if you have to replace one on a newer car you may be in for a surprise.
“My mechanic told me that I should sit down and I was glad that I did,” Brampton, Ont. woman Nicole Bouwmeester said.
Bouwmeester owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza Sport and recently noticed a headlight was out.
She was shocked when she was told it could not be repaired and would have to be replaced at a cost of about $2,000.
“They simply have to take the part and throw it out and put a new one in," Bouwmeester said, who added “they were also flabbergasted it was going to cost $2,000 simply because a lightbulb burned out on the headlight of a car."
Some new headlights have steering response technology with motors and sensors that help the headlight beam follow the road as you drive.
Monica Rok of Mississauga has a 2017 Mercedes E400. She leases the car and must return it next month.
When an inspection was done she was told both headlights had small cracks and would need to be replaced at a cost of $3,500 each.
“They had quoted me over $3,500 per headlight to replace them because they are considered to be all in one units," Rok said.
Rok told the dealer it must be a manufacturing defect and that she shouldn't have to cover the cost, but she was told the car was outside the warranty period and she would have to pay to replace them.
“It will cost me over $7,000 dollars for the luxury to replace something that is their issue," Rok said.
Bouwmeester was also told her car was just out of warranty so she also has to pay to replace the headlight.
“As cars get fancier repairs need to be affordable for the general public," said Bouwmeester.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Subaru Canada said they “continually evaluates and monitor our parts pricing to remain competitive in the market place and keep the cost of ownership as low as possible.”
“This particular LED headlight assembly (not just a bulb) contains steering response technology, which includes motors, sensors and related to move the headlight beam according to steering direction. These lights are designed to last a long time, unfortunately with no history on this vehicle, we do not know why the headlight failed, or the diagnostics surrounding it. We would be more than happy to investigate further with this customer to see if we can help.”
Mercedes Canada told CTV News it had no comment on this topic but have agreed to review Rok’s situation and have a technician check the headlights again.
It's not just headlights. The sensors in mirrors, collision warning systems and emergency braking are all making cars more expensive to repair.