cloudy headlights: restoration, and whether it lasts

modern headlight lenses are polycarbonate rather than glass. lighter, safer in a collision, and vulnerable to ultraviolet light.

the factory applies a hard UV coating. over years of sun that coating breaks down, and once it is gone the plastic underneath oxidises: first hazy, then yellow, then genuinely cloudy.

it is a safety problem before it is a cosmetic one

a badly oxidised lens can cut light output substantially, and it scatters what is left, which is why oncoming drivers get dazzled by a car whose own driver cannot see.

if your headlights look fine in daylight and feel useless on a dark rural road, the lenses are a likely reason.

how restoration works, and the part that matters

proper restoration is sanding through progressively finer grades to remove the failed coating and the oxidised layer, then polishing the plastic clear again.

then it has to be sealed. this is the step that separates a repair lasting years from one lasting months. sanding removes what was protecting the plastic; polishing it and stopping there leaves bare polycarbonate facing the sun, and it hazes again within a season.

a kit from an auto parts store usually includes the sanding and the polishing. read carefully whether it includes a UV sealant, because plenty do not, and that is the whole job.

when restoration is not the answer

if the lens is cracked, if moisture is getting inside, or if the crazing is deep into the plastic rather than on the surface, restoration will not fix it and the housing needs replacing.

what we do

we restore and seal, and if a lens is past restoring we say so rather than polishing it and taking the money. on a vehicle we are getting ready to sell, cloudy lenses are one of the things that gets addressed, and if it was done it appears on the reconditioning list for that car.