You can wash it, wax it, dress the tires, and two cloudy headlights will still make your 4Runner look tired. Nothing ages a 3rd Gen faster than the front end: 25 years of UV haze, gravel rash, and sun-faded lenses do more damage to the way the truck presents than anything mechanical ever will.
The good news is that this is the most fixable problem on the whole truck. Every lens and filler panel on the nose unbolts, the replacement parts are affordable, and the entire job is an afternoon with hand tools. This guide covers the full parts list, the honest costs, and what to expect, whether you drive a Hilux Surf or a US-market 4Runner.
First, know which front you have
Toyota gave the 3rd Gen a facelift for the 1999 model year, and the two fronts do not interchange. Thirty seconds of checking saves you a return trip.
- 96-98 (pre-facelift): composite headlights with a flatter face, separate diamond-pattern or OE-style turn signals, and the narrower grille opening.
- 99-02 (facelift): larger swept-back headlights, bumper-mounted turn signals, and the wider grille with the smoother nose.
One more wrinkle on early trucks: Toyota changed the corner lamps mid-1997. If your truck was built before 01/97, it takes a different corner lamp than the one built after. Your build date is on the plate in the driver's door jamb. Check it before you order anything.
The parts list
A full front end refresh is four boxes of parts, whichever front you have.
1. Headlight assemblies
Complete housings, not just lenses, so the hazy reflectors go too. UV haze at this age is through the lens, not on it, which is why the toothpaste-and-buff trick never lasts. Our Headlight Assembly Set covers both fronts from one listing: the 99-02 option ships with halogen bulbs and is plug and play at $153, and the 96-98 composite pair is $225.
2. Corner lights
The corners catch as much UV as the headlamps and fog just as badly. New headlights next to faded corners is a fresh shirt with old shoes. The Corner Light Set carries both designs: 97-98 with bulbs at $63, or the 99-02 facelift style at $75.
3. Turn signals
On the 99-02 front the signals live in the bumper: the Turn Signal Light Set is $53 a pair. Pre-facelift trucks get the Diamond Turn Signal Set at $57, the clear diamond-cut lens that sharpens up the whole 96-98 face.
4. Headlight filler panels
The little trim panels between the headlights and the grille crack, chalk, and go grey long before the paint does. The Headlight Filler Trim Panel Set is $45 and fits every 3rd Gen, either front.
What it costs
99-02 facelift front
| Part | Price |
|---|---|
| Headlight Assembly Set (with bulbs) | $153 |
| Corner Light Set (99-02) | $75 |
| Turn Signal Light Set | $53 |
| Headlight Filler Panel Set | $45 |
| Bought separately | $326 |
| Front End Refresh Kit 99-02 | $273 |
96-98 pre-facelift front
| Part | Price |
|---|---|
| Composite Headlight Pair | $225 |
| Diamond Turn Signal Set | $57 |
| Corner Light Set (97-98, with bulbs) | $63 |
| Headlight Filler Panel Set | $45 |
| Bought separately | $390 |
| Front End Refresh Kit 96-98 | $327 |
The kits are the same four boxes at roughly 16% off, packed from the same shelf. There is no catch; the bundle exists because people who replace one faded lens next to three other faded lenses always end up back for the rest.
What to expect from aftermarket lenses
An honest note before you order. These are quality aftermarket assemblies: excellent clarity for the money, and a night-and-day improvement over 25-year-old glass. Finish tolerances are not OEM-glass perfect, and if you look for a panel gap variation of a millimeter you may find one. For a driver or a build they are the right call. Concours restorers know where the dealer is.
The install: one honest afternoon
Tools: a 10mm and 12mm socket, a Phillips screwdriver, a trim tool or butter knife with tape on it, and patience for one or two plastic clips that have been baking since the Clinton administration.
- Remove the grille (clips plus screws along the top edge).
- Unbolt the corner lamps, then the headlight assemblies. Unplug as you go.
- Swap the filler panels while everything is open.
- Fit the new lamps loosely, plug in, test everything before final tightening.
- Aim the headlights against a wall at dusk: two horizontal strips of tape and ten minutes.
Budget two to three hours the first time. None of it is hard; the only real risk is brittle clips, so buy nothing the day you plan to install and everything the week before.
The short version
Check your build plate, pick your front, and do all four boxes at once. A faded 3rd Gen front end is the single highest-impact cosmetic fix on the truck, and at kit pricing it costs less than a set of tires. Grab the 99-02 kit or the 96-98 kit, or build it piece by piece from the links above.
