Is it possible to install newer style headlights and taillights on my 05. I like the look of the newer versions better. Thanks, A
I knew about the differences in the tail lights. I hadn't known the headlights were different. Anyways, I understand that you can change the tail lights. But it'll cost you several hundred dollars for the parts alone because I think you have to purchase the entire tail light assembly.
Yep, they changed both the headlights and taillights for 2006+. I think that I remember someone posting that there was a problem with the 04-05 taillight in high temp regions because of the blackout at the top.
dogfriend, I am probably the OP on that info here at PC. FWIW, last summer I was researching replacing '08 tail lights with the '04- '05 ones with blacked out brake lights. I found info somewhere on the wwweb that suggested there was a problem with '04 tail light assemblies warping/melting in extremely hot locales due heat build-up in the "blacked out" brake light area. Supposedly, the whole thing was corrected on the hush-hush, and the '05 lights were made with different plastic to overcome this problem. Further, the only way to tell '04 tail lights from '05's is to check the VIN on the car they came from. Salvage tail light assemblies go for ~$130-$150 each on the internet. From direct experience, I cay say that '05 tail light assemblies are a plug- and-play installation in an '08 car. Although I don't know for sure, I suspect the opposite is also true. Don't know how the tail light switch would go to/from an '09. And at least at this time, I'm clueless as to whether headlight switches are as simple.
I like the look of the black brake light area on the 04-05 better than the newer chrome color. It flows well with the lower rear window, so it's black all the way across. But I like the newer headlights better, with the separate reflector and side marker.