‘13 F-150 Platinum HID replacement/starter issue

Asked by Melissa Apr 25, 2018 at 01:34 PM about the 2013 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I was shocked how much a replacement HID headlamp
bulb cost ($149). I managed to replace the bulb myself
however still no working light. Took it Ford dealer & was
told the ballast was bad which in turn blew a fuse. Both
replaced for over $500! Next day I drove the truck twice,
wouldn’t turn over or even click on the 3rd start.
Completely lost all power!
The manual states to replace a bulb, you have to take it to
the dealer for a HID bulb & “starter capsule assembly”
replacement. First of all, what is a starter capsule
assembly? Second, why in the world would Ford EVER
make changing a headlamp bulb so expensive &
complicated? Finally, anyone had a similar experience?

1 Answer

73,510

Well, to answer the question "why" I'll supply information obtained from a relative who retired from a new car dealership with over 40 years. His statement is a new car dealership is simply a repair shop which sells new cars. From the business end, the repair facility should generate sales three times the amount of cars sales on a monthly basis. Ever notice how new car dealerships have twenty or more repair bays with otherwise tiny showrooms. Also, the more complicated simple repairs are the more money generated by the dealership. Even minor repairs require many items be removed from the engine bay to access the defective part. As an example, if the actuator motor goes out inside the dash for the blend door, many times the entire dash needs to be removed to access it. That alone is about a 600 buck repair job to replace a small electrical motor costing about 50 bucks. And since Ford/Motorcraft makes complicated headlight parts, who smiles when the retail price of the part is 150 bucks, as you indicated.

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