£200 to change a car headlamp bulb? It's no joke

£200 to change a car headlamp bulb? It's no joke

How many pounds does it take to change a light bulb? This variation of the old joke is not at all funny: if the bulb in question is in your car, the punchline could be "£200 or more".

In modern cars, changing lightbulbs can be all but impossible without a trip to the garage – and, thanks to minimum charges, the cost can soar to many times the £5 or so for the actual spare.

I have had to make two trips to my local garage with my Audi A4 after a headlight, and then an indicator, bulb failed; each trip cost almost £90. And Audis are not unique: George Marshall-Thornhill, a senior motoring researcher with Which?, cites the Renault Mégane, where a similar procedure can cost £200. The problem, he says, is that cars are becoming much more complex, so repairs are therefore much more expensive. "Manufacturers are trying to fit so many things in, there is no room under the bonnet."

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A spokesman for Renault admitted it was difficult for drivers to change the bulbs on the old version of the Mégane but added: "We aim to design our vehicles so that most parts can be readily accessible. However, as you can appreciate, safety is our number one priority. Unfortunately, because of the design of the crumple zones in the engine bay of the Mégane II, it can be difficult for drivers to change the headlamp bulbs.

"As a result, we pay for the labour, provided the car is within its warranty, and the work is carried out within the Renault UK dealer network." The warranty period, however, is just two years.

Cost is not the only consideration: safety can also be compromised. It can take a few days to get an appointment with the garage; driving without a bulb while you wait means your vehicle is not completely roadworthy. "The irony is that, abroad, there are still regulations requiring you to carry a spare bulb, yet you can't change them yourself," adds Marshall-Thornhill. "If there is a problem, you should get it seen to immediately. But that is not practical if it is a wet Saturday afternoon and you are in the middle of nowhere."

Halfords, the motoring accessories store, says its policy is to "fit where we can", and that its £5.99 charge is half the price you would pay at a dealer.

My experience with the Audi suggests that with the rear light bulbs – with a bit of contortion and a lot of patience – it is just about possible to do it yourself; at the front, our local Halfords gave up after 15 minutes of trying, saying its policy is not to spend any more time than that on it.

A spokesman for Audi said that most of the halogen bulbs on its cars could be changed by customers; the exception was Xenon bulbs, because of the voltages involved.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, said that the credit crunch could mean drivers would put off paying for expensive bulb changes. "I have concerns about this as it is not something you can do easily once you have identified a problem."

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