After market head light assembly

my head lights assembly looks as though it was sand blasted, in fact they were. I drive through blowing sand quite often living on the outer banks of NC.
I need a complete assembly preferably with high intensity light. I have heard there are several out there that I should stay away from. What's the consensus of the best on the market. My Tacoma is a 2012

 

You have three options.

Aftermarket- $
OEM- $$
Aftermarket or OEM retrofit- $$$

What's your budget?

 

I see many in the $150 bracket for two but if I have to go higher, say $250 I can handle it. I believe you get what you pay for

 

Get a set of aftermarket headlight assemblies, get yourself some high quality protective coating (similar to the flexible cell phone screen protector), and get some quality OEM HID protector assemblies.

You will have to fab it up yourself, but the end results are light-years ahead of any and every other headlight option.

Do not just get HID bulbs that fit into your factory buckets ... They suck, they blind everyone else on the road, and they suck. They don't even look cool

 

Don't expect OEM quality or light patterns with aftermarket housings. I'd find a good set of used OEM and go from there.

 

That budget will not get OEM units. If going for aftermarket look for CAPA certified lights which are certified to meet OEM specs, they will be higher quality than most generic aftermarket. Stay away from brands like Spyder.

 

Spend the money some retros or at least get an OEM pair. I bought some new ones on ebay and the pattern isnt great. Its acceptable, the build is nice and clean, theyre holding up, but the pattern leaves a lot to be desired.

 

I had to replace mine in a pinch and went with DEPO black housings a couple years ago. Mainly for price,Amazon prime shipping, and familiarity with the brand.
Haven't had any issues fortunately.
I needed light asap so i went this route. So far i'm winning. A little extra silicone around the assembly and have never had an issue.

Retrofit is paramount obviously. If you want to spend the dough, go for it. If not, choose a decent aftermarket brand, add more sealant, stay away from HID in halogen housings/projectors, and roll the dice.