Volkswagen Up! Headlights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Bulb type, unit part numbers, and the faults that actually cause that flickering or dim light you've noticed.

Illustration for editorial purposes

Opens live listings in a new tab.

OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — aftermarket LH Hella 1EJ 010 670-011 / RH Hella 1EJ 010 670-021

Accuracy note: Covers the Volkswagen Up! (2011-) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Headlights are sold by side (passenger / nearside = LH, driver's / offside = RH on a UK car) and by lamp type — halogen, xenon (D1S / D3S) and LED or full-LED units are not interchangeable, and DRL, cornering and levelling options change the part number again. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Check the lamp type and traffic side (UK right-hand-traffic units, not LHD) against your VIN, and expect xenon / LED and adaptive units to need levelling adjustment or coding after fitting.

Passenger side (LH / nearside) headlight — aftermarket	Hella 1EJ 010 670-011 (halogen H4, with DRL, levelling motor, black, no bulbs); Hella 1EJ 010 670-051 (halogen H4, with DRL, levelling motor, chrome, no bulbs); Hella 1LJ 010 670-071 (halogen H4, with DRL, electric levelling motor, chrome, no bulbs); Hella 1EL 012 644-011 (halogen H4, with LED DRL, levelling motor, no bulbs); Van Wezel 5702961H (halogen H4, with DRL, electric levelling, facelift, OES); Van Wezel 5701961 (halogen H4, electric levelling, black frame, not for facelift)
Driver's side (RH / offside) headlight — aftermarket	Hella 1EJ 010 670-021 (halogen H4, with DRL, levelling motor, black, no bulbs); Hella 1EJ 010 670-061 (halogen H4, with DRL, levelling motor, chrome, no bulbs); Hella 1LJ 010 670-081 (halogen H4, with DRL, levelling motor, chrome, no bulbs); Hella 1LL 012 644-041 (halogen H4, with LED DRL, levelling motor, no bulbs); Van Wezel 5702962H (halogen H4, with DRL, electric levelling, facelift, OES); Van Wezel 5701962 (halogen H4, electric levelling, black frame, not for facelift)
Bulb types	dipped/main H4 (P43t), indicator PY21W, sidelight/position W21/5W
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine units against your VIN
Fitment notes	All units are halogen H4, with no xenon or LED headlights listed; the Hella and Van Wezel "H" units include DRL or LED DRL for the facelift cars, while Diederichs 2236981-2236983 are marked to model year 2016 and not for facelift.

A Genuinely Important UK Rule Worth Knowing Before You Buy — Volkswagen Up! Headlights

If your Up! has factory-fitted halogen headlamp housings, converting them to fit LED bulbs is treated as a definite MOT failure under the current inspection manual — this isn't a grey area or a minor advisory, since a housing designed for halogen doesn't distribute an LED bulb's light output correctly, which can genuinely dazzle oncoming drivers. If you want a genuine LED upgrade, the correct route is a complete headlight unit designed for LED from the factory, not a bulb swap into an existing halogen housing.

Before you buy: matrix LED, adaptive, and cornering headlight systems often require electronic coding to the car after a unit swap, even for a genuine like-for-like replacement — a headlight that isn't recognised by the car's electronics can trigger warning lights or fail to auto-level correctly. Check whether your specific trim has one of these systems before assuming a straightforward bulb-in, bulb-out job.

Volkswagen Up! Headlights: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Walkthrough guide to replace VW UP Headlight bulb. Volkwagen UP! 2011+

Watch on YouTube ↗

Up! 2011+ headlight bulb.

Volkswagen Up! Headlights reference plate

Volkswagen Up! Headlights: What It Does

Precise beam angling to light the road without dazzling oncoming traffic is the Volkswagen Up!'s headlight unit's core job, housing the main and dipped beams — or LED/matrix modules on higher trims. Because it often also integrates the daytime running light and front indicator, both the part number and repair complexity increase accordingly.

Volkswagen Up! Headlights: Generations & Headlight Type

Standard trims	Halogen headlamps as standard, with LED daytime running lights and higher-spec LED headlight options available on some model years and trims

Find Volkswagen Up! Headlights Here!

Opens live listings in a new tab.

Volkswagen Up! Headlights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Headlights Guide for the four bulb technologies and how they differ, UK law on aim and modifications, common faults to check for, how difficult this job is to DIY, and confirming fitment against your VIN.

More Volkswagen Headlights

The same part, covered across other Volkswagen models.