2014 Corolla - Headlights Seriously Too Bright

[VTAK8k]

So we've had our 2014 Corolla for almost a year now and we love it. Other drivers however, do not like the headlights. We get brighted all the time.

As you know, the light switch has 4 settings.
1. Off.
2. DRL.
3. Parking (DRL's stay on too).
4. Full headlights.

If you haven't noticed, our DRL's are the same bulb as the low beam headlight, only just not as bright. If you cycle between position 3 and 4 on the switch you'll see the difference. Since we are getting brights flashed at us so much I decided to start driving with just the DRL and parking lights on, position 3. It is still bright enough to see with but I hoped not too bright to annoy other drivers. I was wrong, we are still getting brights.

As far as I can tell, the headlights are adjusted at the right height too. If they were set any lower, we wouldn't be able to see, due to the sharp cutoff at the top.

Is anyone else getting this problem so bad? It's my wife's car and she's starting to get very annoyed by it.

 

[MovingAsLife]

seems like Indiana is not to bright on those headlights :laughing: had to say that joke :wallbash: Your only hope is to wait until they make aftermarket regular headlights :\ In california everyone just doesn't care and we get annoyed but not to the point where we flash. Then again it all depends on the citizens.

 

[fishycomics]

adjust down the angle. or find a film.

Flashing light can be a gang thing as you may not know, so be careful it was a 1990 thing.

Bright lights are bothersome and I totally agree, but not to flash lights back at someone

 

[jolly]

So we've had our 2014 Corolla for almost a year now and we love it. Other drivers however, do not like the headlights. We get brighted all the time.

Have never been flashed where I live. Personaly, I find the LED whiter but not that bright. Hi beams are another story.

 

[dlayman]

Half the people around here, rural central PA, drive around with their high beams on all the time, so I don't feel too badly about it. When I've encountered oncoming Corollas I haven't found them blinding. Personally, I love the headlights, at least until I'm faced with the price of replacing them if I ever have to.

 

[koby]

The low beam cutoff is set below window level for most cars. If they are Brighton you on a level road yours are aimed wrong or they a just being a dick head. If its on an incline there isn't a damn thing either of you can do. Personally I love the lights and have been brightened once.

 

[VTAK8k]

The adjustment looks right to me, if they were aimed any lower we wouldn't be able to see anything but the road right in front of us. We seriously get brights at us almost every time we drive it though. It's due for 10,000 mile service soon so I'll have them double check the alignment on them.

 

[ToyBoy]

I live in Indiana also and I think I`ve only been flashed once. And even then I`m not sure if I had my brights on at the time. I keep looking for other new Corollas coming at me at night so I can get an idea of how these are looking to other cars out there.

 

[beachwave24]

Hey,

I feel your pain. Here in NJ, I get flashed all the time because people think I have my high beams on. No real solutions to this. People will become use to them as more and more cars are fitted with white LED's.

 

[VTAK8k]

I live in Indiana also and I think I`ve only been flashed once. And even then I`m not sure if I had my brights on at the time. I keep looking for other new Corollas coming at me at night so I can get an idea of how these are looking to other cars out there.

I was out last night in my Civic and a car was coming at me from a distance. It had bright lights but not horribly so. Whenever it hit a bump, the lights would blink or twinkle sort of, almost looked like he was flashing brights at me. I thought the headlights looked like the ones on our Corolla and when it passed me, I was right, it was a new Corolla.

I think other drivers will need to get used to the LED's that this Corolla and many other new cars are coming with. I'm still gonna have the dealership check the adjustment of the headlights but I'm pretty sure they are set just right.



Edit: I'm not sure how that frown face got on this post and I don't know how to get rid of it.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

I never get flashed that often, but in SoCal there are thousands of people with HID kits that blind others, so I guess we are all just used to it.

Just how it is. My Dad has a 2008 Bullitt with HIDs and he gets flashed here and there. I've been flashed a couple times since I have owned the car.

 

[ToyBoy]

You know what`s kind of funny about this post is that online and car magazines don`t normally review the Corolla with much enthusiasm. They are more prone to lean on a cars sportiness and handling giving the Corolla a lackluster review. BUT, they always mention the LED headlights as a nice bonus as standard equipment. For me personally the LED`s are not a make or break deal. I bought the car for good looks in and out,decent ride,real good backseat room, great mileage, and Corollas long reputation of reliability. If the car mags rate cars the way I do and apparently the majority of the population, they would give the Corolla an A to A+ rating.

 

[DjAnnexAlpha]

You know what`s kind of funny about this post is that online and car magazines don`t normally review the Corolla with much enthusiasm. They are more prone to lean on a cars sportiness and handling giving the Corolla a lackluster review. BUT, they always mention the LED headlights as a nice bonus as standard equipment. For me personally the LED`s are not a make or break deal. I bought the car for good looks in and out,decent ride,real good backseat room, great mileage, and Corollas long reputation of reliability. If the car mags rate cars the way I do and apparently the majority of the population, they would give the Corolla an A to A+ rating.

Yeah the auto magazines are mainly just for ridiculously fast cars and cars that are ALWAYS going to be sporty. They weren't expecting much from the new Corolla and were probably pessimistic from the start. I had about 23K budget to finance a new car and chose the Corolla instead of a Civic, Fit, Mazda 3, VV Jetta, or whatever. A Corolla is reliable, quirky, simple, and most of the time, a non-problem car. I would take all of that for a daily driver any day.

 

[99offroadrngr]

Someone flashed their brights at me last night when I was taking the car home from the dealership. I flashed them back, but now I know others are having the problem from the brightness of the lights

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

You know what`s kind of funny about this post is that online and car magazines don`t normally review the Corolla with much enthusiasm. They are more prone to lean on a cars sportiness and handling giving the Corolla a lackluster review. BUT, they always mention the LED headlights as a nice bonus as standard equipment. For me personally the LED`s are not a make or break deal. I bought the car for good looks in and out,decent ride,real good backseat room, great mileage, and Corollas long reputation of reliability. If the car mags rate cars the way I do and apparently the majority of the population, they would give the Corolla an A to A+ rating.

Car mags always Toyota-bash.

 

[ToyBoy]

Car mags always Toyota-bash.

Must be some reason so many people buy Toyota. Maybe they know what`s more important than the car magazines do. :thumbsup:

 

[Quattro14]

The issue is because people arent used to the 6000k color temp. They arent used to that being white. They are used to halogen bulbs being their white which is more like 2800k. Also our projectors arent perfect. They still allow a tiny bit of light above the cutoff which can get in their eyes. I retrofit hid projectors on the side so i know whats going on. Blue light is perceived as glaring and our eyes have a harder time focusing on it. Which is the inherent problem with HID and LED lights. its usually older people who have issues with the lights. They arent used to seeing so many lumens on the road.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

So it's a matter of the waiting game then...

 

[Corolla Cop]

I am on the road a lot at night and have been flashed a few times. I flash back at them, but a lot of idiots ride around with their bright lights on all the time. I flash at them. I can't figure out why they do that. just idiots I guess.

 

[dlayman]

I am on the road a lot at night and have been flashed a few times. I flash back at them, but a lot of idiots ride around with their bright lights on all the time. I flash at them. I can't figure out why they do that. just idiots I guess.

I see this a lot too. I think it comes down to a couple things. People have poor night vision (then should they be driving???), and people are just selfish and inconsiderate. Like the truck driver who can go 19 mph up the mountain so he gets in the passing lane to pass the truck who can only go 18.5 so clogs up the passing lane for 10 minutes.

 

[Kev250R]

Since we're on the subject of hi-beams can I admit that I miss foot-operated hi-beam switches? I have them in two of my (obviously) older cars. I spend a lot of my free time in the mountains or out in the desert and sometimes, when rounding a corner I just don't have a free-hand to reach-over and drop the hi-beams using the turn signal stalk.

Kevin

 

[VTAK8k]

I had a '77 Chevy truck in high school that had the foot pedal for high beams. It would have never done well in a mountain run though.

 

[Eric]

All cars should have adjustable headlights and the Corolla is no exception. I also found myself getting flashed at night due to the beam of the headlight projecting a little too high from the factory (even on low-beam). The issue with the Corolla is that the headlight adjustment screw may not be immediately obvious when looking under the hood. There is a 8mm bolt head just to the inside of the Led lamp on the inside of the headlight assembly, which will adjust the beam angle up or down when turned, shown roughly center frame in this pic:

It is the one that has a gear / cam type mechanism around it. Pull up to your garage door and adjust to your liking. I set my angle a couple turns lower than the factory setting and seems to be much less annoying to oncoming drivers at night. Prior to adjusting, my low beams would light up the top of a stop sign on a flat road from 200 yards away. IMO that setting was way too high with LEDs as bright as the Corolla's. Give it a try and report back.

 

[VTAK8k]

I forgot to report back. I had the dealership adjust them at my last service and they seem to be much better now.

 

[Jlinn]

I haven't had this problem but when I have been flashed I have some 30k 55w blue hid high beams so I blind them.

 

[SBxi]

I have that problem to but I'm used to it now. Since I was already use to being flash the bright lights I installed h16 8000k hid for my fog lights. It was hard to get them to stay since that isn't the right size for my fog lights but, it matches well with the LED low beam and puts out a LOT of light. Also have 8000k 55w high beams so if they want to flash me, they end up regretting it lol.

 

[Jlinn]

Today I was flashed while driving on the highway so I slowed down got behind the person that flashed me and hit him with my 55w 30k hi beams for about 30 seconds until he got off the highway

 

[fishycomics]

Well if people rather blind people I find that it is not the way to ride wish they stop and test lights out as they do window tint.

 

[cliff_good]

I live in Indiana as well, NE Indy off 96th Street. Since I have had the car, I've been flashed once. A couple of times I noticed someone in a newer Camry turn their low beams on and off. No clue what they were doing. People out here should be used to LED and HID headlamps. I see a lot of Land Rover's, Audi's, Acura's, BMW's, etc. with HID's or LED's all the time. I every once in a while will see some idiot driving with illegal HID's in their halogen headlights, which are far worse than our Corolla's.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

I live in Indiana as well, NE Indy off 96th Street. Since I have had the car, I've been flashed once. A couple of times I noticed someone in a newer Camry turn their low beams on and off. No clue what they were doing. People out here should be used to LED and HID headlamps. I see a lot of Land Rover's, Audi's, Acura's, BMW's, etc. with HID's or LED's all the time. I every once in a while will see some idiot driving with illegal HID's in their halogen headlights, which are far worse than our Corolla's.

They might be telling you that only your DRL is on. I've seen a few people drive at night in SoCal with only their DRL on (and shutting my lights on and off at them doesn't get them to pick up on it because they see their headlights).

Headlights on ... dashboard lighting off ... hmmmm ... seems legit!

 

[Jlinn]

They might be telling you that only your DRL is on. I've seen a few people drive at night in SoCal with only their DRL on (and shutting my lights on and off at them doesn't get them to pick up on it because they see their headlights).

Headlights on ... dashboard lighting off ... hmmmm ... seems legit!

No my lights were on trust me I know lol when they hit me though I get them with the 30k high beams and blind their asses

 

[cliff_good]

They might be telling you that only your DRL is on. I've seen a few people drive at night in SoCal with only their DRL on (and shutting my lights on and off at them doesn't get them to pick up on it because they see their headlights).

Headlights on ... dashboard lighting off ... hmmmm ... seems legit!

Actually I had the headlights fully on. It hasn't happened since then, just had never had someone do that before. Could also have had something to do with a car driving behind me I didn't notice.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Possible.

 

[JoshTRD]

Why don't you try applying a headlight tint to dull the light a bit maybe a 10% or 20% blackout, it is somewhat illegal but a fix, if its really that bothersome

 

[VTAK8k]

Why don't you try applying a headlight tint to dull the light a bit maybe a 10% or 20% blackout, it is somewhat illegal but a fix, if its really that bothersome

The problem was resolved when I had the dealership adjust the position of the headlights.

 

[SK_Corolla2014]

So we've had our 2014 Corolla for almost a year now and we love it. Other drivers however, do not like the headlights. We get brighted all the time.

As you know, the light switch has 4 settings.
1. Off.
2. DRL.
3. Parking (DRL's stay on too).
4. Full headlights.

If you haven't noticed, our DRL's are the same bulb as the low beam headlight, only just not as bright. If you cycle between position 3 and 4 on the switch you'll see the difference. Since we are getting brights flashed at us so much I decided to start driving with just the DRL and parking lights on, position 3. It is still bright enough to see with but I hoped not too bright to annoy other drivers. I was wrong, we are still getting brights.

As far as I can tell, the headlights are adjusted at the right height too. If they were set any lower, we wouldn't be able to see, due to the sharp cutoff at the top.

Is anyone else getting this problem so bad? It's my wife's car and she's starting to get very annoyed by it.

Hello VTAK8k, were you able to fix this issue in any manner? We are having the same issue and the dealer said that nothing coould be done as it is a factory setting. The lights are too bright for the oncoming traffic. Any input is appreciated. Thanks

 

[SK_Corolla2014]

The problem was resolved when I had the dealership adjust the position of the headlights.

My dealership declined to adjust.

 

[SK_Corolla2014]

Someone flashed their brights at me last night when I was taking the car home from the dealership. I flashed them back, but now I know others are having the problem from the brightness of the lights

I have the same issues Called Toyota company and they said nothing could be done about it. I guess I have to learn to live with it and feel sorry for oncomkng traffic (no fault of mine) expect that I purchased the car with this feature. Should have listened to my son who was willing to go with the regular yellow lights.

 

[jolly]

There is nothing wrong with this type of headlight. They certainly are a rarity among econobox but they are more and more common. I haven't been flashed many times. Since LED are kind of "focused" it might happen on bumps where a certain angle might be reached and aimed at a coming vehicule. In such a case, maybe the coming vehicule will think that you're the one flashing at them. But I certainly will never feel guilty about having very good, more and more common and perfectly legal headlights.

 

[VTAK8k]

My dealership declined to adjust.

My dealership adjusted them down. They actually put the driverside one down lower than the passenger side. Now it looks a bit goofy coming down the road, one looks brighter than the other. The good thing is we don't get flashed anymore. The bad thing is our lights don't light up as far down the road as they used too. I've been thinking about having them adjusted back to stock.

As Jolly said, other drivers may think you're flashing them as you hit bumps. If you ride in another car and have the Corolla follow, you will see this effect.

The drivers in my area are super sensitive it seems. I get flashed in my 08 Civic with Silverstars in it. I've also been flashed in my 95 Jeep Wrangler. If you look on the Wrangler forums you'll see Wrangler owners of all years complaining about how poor the headlights work on the Jeep. They really are dim and yellow. The only thing I can think is that my 4 inch lift puts what little bit of light right into their eyes.

 

[McKe]

I've been flashed a couple of times but I do like the led lights, is the first time I own a car with great visibility. New cars now a days are coming with Led, we just need to get use to it.