It's really not bad, if you pry off just the back shell you run the risk of breaking the clips that hold the shell in. I've seen others mention that. Honestly the mirrors take about 5 minutes, you pop off the mirror which is 4 clips then you can access the clips that hold the back shell piece on, then it's just a couple screws, very simple.
![]()
Here's what it looks like inside
![]()
And here's where the bulb is
![]()
Having done this 2 or 3 times now I really recommend just removing the mirror glass and then popping the painted shell off. It really just makes it easier to access everything without breaking the clips. Like I said, 5 minutes tops, reassembly is also simple, the turn signal and trim pieces literally snap back into place, easy peasy
Doing this, have you noticed any shake in the mirror while driving? I swapped out the bulbs in my Lexus GS450h and now the mirror has a noticeable shake while driving on highway speeds. Is this a problem with the 4runner?