2018-2020 FORD F-150 LIGHTING UPGRADE GUIDE: BEST LED HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, FOG LIGHTS & BULBS

The 2018-2020 Ford F-150 is the mid-cycle refresh of Ford's 13th generation F-150, bringing a sharper, more aggressive front-end design while keeping the aluminum-alloy body construction introduced in 2015. Most trim levels shipped with halogen reflector headlights using separate H11 low beam and 9005 high beam bulbs, H11 fog lights, and incandescent tail lights, though higher trims came equipped with factory LED headlights.

Like the 15-17, the 18-20 splits headlight functions across multiple connectors for low beam, high beam, parking light, turn signal, sidemarker, and DRL. Trucks with factory OEM LED headlights use a completely different wiring configuration, and swapping to any aftermarket headlight assembly on those trucks requires the Morimoto OEM LED Conversion Harness to translate the signals correctly. Halogen trucks are fully plug-and-play with every assembly on this page.

The factory halogen reflector housings on this generation share the same fundamental limitation as the 15-17: tight internal geometry that restricts heat dissipation and bulb positioning for drop-in LED replacements. Purpose-built headlight assemblies like the Morimoto XB LED Gen 2 or XB Hybrid use projector-based optics designed from scratch for LED output, delivering a controlled beam pattern that the factory housing cannot replicate with a bulb swap alone. The Gen 2 XB LED is a significant step up from the original, with all four projectors now firing on low beam for substantially better coverage.

At Headlight Revolution, we bought a 2018 F-150 specifically to test lighting products for this generation. Our evaluations include headlight shootouts with lux meter data, LED bulb field tests in the stock housings, and full install walkthroughs for every major headlight assembly. We have published multiple comparison videos covering Morimoto vs AlphaRex assemblies, LED bulb rankings, and fog light options so you can see the actual measured performance before you buy.

The biggest decision on the 18-20 F-150 is whether to upgrade the bulbs in your stock housings or replace the entire headlight assembly. Drop-in LED bulbs like the GTR Lighting Ultra 3 are the brightest available at up to 879% more light than stock, but they are still limited by the factory reflector housing geometry. Our LED bulb shootout on this exact truck tested multiple options head-to-head with a lux meter, and the results are published so you can compare beam patterns and brightness numbers before choosing.

Full headlight assemblies remove that housing constraint entirely. The Morimoto XB LED Gen 2 is the flagship option with all four Bi-LED projectors now firing on low beam for substantially better coverage than the original, sequential DRLs, and a startup animation. The Gen 2 is a meaningful upgrade over the first generation in both light output and beam width. The XB Hybrid offers a dedicated LED low beam and high beam projector at a more accessible price point while sharing the same DRL optics and five-year warranty. On the AlphaRex side, the Nova G2 brings five LED projectors with sequential switchback turn signals, the Luxx G2 offers full LED projectors at a mid-range price, and the Pro G2 provides a halogen projector upgrade for budget-conscious builds.

If your truck came with factory OEM LED headlights, you will need the Morimoto OEM LED Conversion Harness when installing any aftermarket headlight assembly. This harness translates the OEM LED wiring signals to work with aftermarket assemblies and includes load resistors to prevent bulb-out errors. Without it, the headlights will not function correctly. Halogen trucks are plug-and-play with all assemblies on this page.

On the tail light side, the Morimoto XB LED tail lights (2015-2020 fitment) are a full assembly replacement with integrated LED turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights. They come in both Red and Smoked lens options and include adapters for both 15-17 and 18-20 wiring configurations. The Gen 2 design now works with all F-150 tail light variants including BLIS-equipped trucks. The AlphaRex Luxx LED tail lights offer an alternative style with full LED internals at a lower price point.

For fog lights, the 18-20 F-150 uses H11 fog bulbs. The Morimoto XB EVO+ LED fog lights are the top single-unit option with both white and yellow output switching. The XB EVO is the same form factor in white only. The 4Banger fog light kit (15-20 fitment) replaces the factory fog assembly entirely with two high-output LED pods per side for maximum output. For a simpler bulb-only upgrade, the GTR Ultra 3 LED fog bulbs drop into the stock housing.

The 18-20 F-150 also has the Morimoto XBG LED DRL Grille, which replaces the factory grille with an integrated high-visibility LED DRL bar designed to optically match the XB LED headlights. Available in white or amber DRL with chrome or paintable black trim.

Every product on this page exists because it passed our testing process. We installed it on our own 2018 Ford F-150, measured the output with a lux meter, evaluated the beam pattern, checked for electrical conflicts with both the halogen and OEM LED wiring configurations, and confirmed it fits without modification. The results of that testing are published on our YouTube channel and our blog with brightness measurements, beam pattern comparisons, and full install walkthroughs. When you buy from Headlight Revolution, you are not the first person to try these products on your truck. We already did that, and we put the results on camera so you can see exactly what to expect before you spend a dollar.