Hey guys, my headlights have algae growing inside, waited for some black Friday deals to grab some LED lights and leaning toward Alpharex Nova. Anyone know of any black friday deals on those, or anything else they would recommend to replace the OEM? Thanks!

I would never recommend Alpharex lights to anyone. Simply put, they're cheap Chinese junk with questionable engineering at best. If you want something to last, go OEM, but it's going to cost more. If you want something that looks cool, go for anything aftermarket.

Thank you for the response! I didn't find anything negative when i searched here about Alpharex, I guess I should look a little more before pulling the trigger. I am definitely always a fan of OEM, but I'm not a fan of my 2014, which is otherwise in perfect condition, having algae growing in the headlight housing. If the cheap chinese junk gets me a few years of better light output for a fourth of the cost over OEM, count me in.

i'd get some morimoto's. Not sure where they are on sale.

Don't listen to the haters.

Hindsight being what it is, I'd steer clear of the Anzo lights as well. After a year and a half, the protective coating is visibly delaminating from the top of the lens and are starting to develop a somewhat of an amber haze to them. If I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn't have bought them.

I still have the OEMs...will probably do the H9 mod if I get a relatively warm streak in the next couple of months. I'd really like to get my hands on the OEM LED lights....

I'm a retired Engineer with 35+ years in manufacturing. I now work in a Toyota dealership in Parts. So, I know more than a little bit about how stuff is built and how to tell the difference between a quality product and something that isn't going to work or last.

Having lots of friends in Service, I also get to see all sorts of aftermarket parts - including headlights - that customers install to save money. I fully get it that OEM parts cost more and sometimes folks don't have the money to buy them. But in most cases, you get what you pay for.

As for the Alpharex (and many other) aftermarket lights, beware of the reviews you read. Many of them are written by folks who value looks over performance. Others fall for the (unfortunately typical) aftermarket trick of dumping most of the available light output directly in front of the vehicle. This gives the false impression of greater light output. Although this is great for crawling along trails, it's absolutely the opposite of what you want on the road where you want to be able to see far enough down the road, so you don't "over-drive your headlights."

Lastly, I feel your pain in that your 8 year old OEM headlights failed. Most of the aftermarket lights I get to see are failing after 2-3 years (or less) of sub-par performance. If you're willing to take a chance on poor performance and build quality, that is your prerogative. I'm just offering up my advice and opinions based on many, many years of experience.

pick up a set of LED OEM headlights

I'll have a set of oem LEDs available soon.

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Let me know please!

Thanks for all the responses guys, some great information and I will skip the aftermarket lights. Sounds like my algae lights might be better than aftermarket for now!

4Runner Lifestyle is a good place to get 4runner parts, and are having a black friday sale.

again, be weary of the haters out there who think they are internet experts because they read one thread on TW and think its gospel.

Notorious hater here, OP. Ignore him.

I have installed Alpharex Luxx and Morimotos on my wife’s rig. I have a 2021 Limited. The Luxx sucked. The Morimotos seemed good and I still think are fine. The OEM LEDs are fantastic though. You can find them on FB Marketplace for relatively cheap. There was a set for $200 near me that I’m kicking myself for not getting. Another for $400 currently. Another for $425. Another at $500. As more and more get out there, more will be for sale

oh please enlighten me how I am the hater here?

Oh wait, another DD fanboi. That explains everything.

Carry on then...

Absolutely!

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Have you checked the seals around the bulbs for leaks?

Like others have said the aftermarket housings are cheap. The lenses will yellow and craze in just a couple years. There are some Taiwanese manufacturers that are decent.