I sure hope not. Seems like the majority on here that have driven with the halogens are extremely happy.

Everybody wondering if the Oem 2021 4 runner headlights are worth it. They are! It’s a night an day between these vs Oem halogen headlights, Oem with drop in leds, and Oem with drop in Hids.

Yes, it has a weird rectangle void on both sides but still have a very nice output throw to the beams.

As far as alignment and being flashed by in coming traffic. I have not experienced any. I noticed my passenger’s headlight was aimed higher than the driver’s side tho from the box. This is normal. If you aren’t happy with this, you can adjustment in in 5 min.

I checked all incoming angles for glare and etc and they are non existent on these new headlights. Of course if your sitting higher or raised, that may change things alittle.

We been asking for led headlights on the 4 runner for years and finally got it. Too bad people just can’t be happy on what they have

I guess people were expecting the Triple Diamond jewel leds and not the one project led in the housing itself.

As far as morimoto/Alpharex led headlights. I would take the Oem 2021 headlight reliability and longevity anyday over the Chinese aftermarket crap IMO.

I guess I'm spoiled by what I came out of. The 2012-2015 2nd generation Tacoma has some of the best OEM headlights period. Add a heavy duty harness and better bulbs and great gets even better - if you can believe that. All of this without bothering oncoming drivers too.

So are the OEM LEDs on my 21 bad? No, they're just not in the same league as my Tacoma. And you hit the niggles I have with them pretty much right on the head. I do plan on putting together a post with the upgrades I've made to mine to address those niggles as soon as I can find the time to do so. Trust me, there is room for improvement.

And as for Alpharex and most other aftermarket headlights, I fail to see what anybody would by them. The only thig they have going for them is (sometimes) cool looks. Performance? Not a chance. Quality? Don't even get me started. Cheap? Well, you've got me there.

We get it, you spent a good amount of money on your OEM LED headlights and you are taking every opportunity to tell the world how amazing they are. The simple fact is they aren't and the output shots that you and others have produced support that statement. Toyota went cheap with this lighting solution and it shows.

I would agree with your statement about the Morimoto and Alpharex headlights being cheap garbage though.

I actually didn't spend much on them at all. lol Cheaper than Alpharex and Morimoto headlights. Photos don't do it justice. You will need to see it in person.

I would suggest you riding in a friend's 4 runner with drop in leds, normal halogen headlights, and drop in hids, then sit in a friend with a 2021 4 runner. You need to see it first hand in order for you to fully appreciate them. We can post all the photos we can with our cell phones and tell you but seeing it firsthand is different. And no, they aren't as nice as some oem led headlights out there for sure...

Heres a good comparison showing Bi-Led morimotos. Also shows the alpharex that are pure junk.
Headlight comparison stock vs others

While I'll agree that the OEM LEDs are probably much better than the OEM halogens, I still think Toyota could have done better. The biggest problems I have with my factory LEDs are the stupid hard cutoff and the dark zone in front of the vehicle. (I plan on getting measurements to show where it is soon.) So I guess how well the LEDs perform is to a certain extent dependent on where you're coming from.

As fpor the aftermarket stuff from Alpharex, Spyder and to a lesser extent Morimoto, one has to remember that most folks buying them are looking for an appearance upgrade, not a performance upgrade.

Agreed. I was also hoping Toyota was going to do the Triple Diamond �� led eyes like from some of the Lexus rather than a single led projector.

But I will say this, just from looking at the 2021 Oem headlights in daylight, it doesn’t look like it’s all that bright at all. It looks like low output.

But come night time, I was super amazed. Then again I been used to crappy drop in led bulbs kits.

There are single LED projectors out there that provide great performance. Toyota decided not to use them. The Morimoto MLED v2.0 is a good example of this. Outperforming and equaling some of the best HID projectors out there


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I’m still curious what the heck the little L shaped shadow is just below the cutoff line. A clip?

It’s not the cut for the oncoming lane, I know what that looks like. You can also see that in the pic.

Below that, the L______




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I have a 2021 OR with oem LED low beams and fogs but the DRL/high beams are still yellow halogens.

What’s everyone using to replace the factory yellow halogen DRL/high beams?

What about these ones?
9005 SLF LED Bulbs (pair)

Here's something to think about. Lot's of folks like LEDs and HID's because of the blue tint / "whiter" appearance. Although it looks cool, it doesn't always equate to better lighting / better night vision - particularly in poor weather. That's why selective yellow (not to be confused with amber) is actually a much better color for fog beam pattern lights.

As for drop in LED bulbs in a housing / reflector designed for halogen bulbs, I don't recommend it at all. As much as the best LED bulbs have improved over the past few years, they still tend to produce too much scatter which leads to glare for oncoming drivers. And the lower priced eBay and Amazon bulbs are the worst offenders here.

This is what I'm currently running in my high beams.

Amazon.com: ACDelco HIR1 GM Original Equipment High Beam Headlight Bulb: Automotive

Installing them does require minor trimming of one mounting tab, but it takes but a second to do. If you put the old and new bulbs side by side, you'll immediately see what needs to be trimmed.

My ‘21 has it, too. It was annoying. Now I don’t notice.

I actually prefer the dark zone in front of the vehicle. It helps keep your eyes in focus on the road ahead.

Many manufacturers deliberately put a foreground shield/limiter inside of their projectors and I'm sure Toyota did the same.

I'm sure the engineers have tested this and came up with the best solution.

Having a ton of foreground lighting might seem brighter but is it really enhancing your night vision where it's important.

When I had my 19 4runner I added some alpharex pros with HIDs. Lighting was amazing but. The foreground was super lit. I would always get headaches driving at night and nailed it down to my eyes having to adjust to look ahead but constantly being pulled to bright foreground. Also your pupils are dialated to amount of light directly in front of your vehicle and not to the actual usable light to avoid obstructions ahead.

I switched back to the factory lights and all was good. Even the dim halogens housings seem to have a foreground limiter.

Now I have a 2021 4runner and I love that they incorporated a foreground limiter into the LED projectors.

Absolutely 100% agree with you one the evils of too much foreground lighting. (Somebody should tell Alpharex though.) The problem I have with the dead zone on mine is that it's too pronounced. I'd much rather have an even fade with the amount of light gradually increasing with distance - which would make the transition invisible. Oh well, I solved the problem with the Diode Dynamics SS3 Max fogs - which I only run as needed.