2015.5 xc70 T6 ***** Micro cracks in headlight lenses

[tranmkp]

wife's car - washing it last night - noticed tiny tiny spider cracks in lens - not from road debris - sort of looks like the beginning of UV damage (i see this on port lights in boats) but it seems too early and i do apply 303 as a inhibitor - car is stored inside too. You cannot see these in daylight - lenses look perfectly clear. Any ideas? Looks at the lights at night - little cracks are very easy to spot

cheers

Car as been flawless except for stbd side side mirror motor

[pbierre]

The car is < 3 years old. This could be a manufacturing defect in the plastic lens which caused internal stress / cracking. I would go to a Volvo dealer, and lobby for a headlamp assy. replacement under warranty.

[tranmkp]

UPDATE - dealer fixed - although I was told it was a know issue in older Volvos

[Acb5456]

UPDATE - dealer fixed - although I was told it was a know issue in older Volvos

Did they replace the entire assembly on both sides? I am noticing the same thing on my 2015.5 XC70. micro scratches, sort of like little crows feet all over the lenses but only really visible at night with the headlights on. In daylight, they are barely visible at all.

[tranmkp]

Yes - they replaced the entire headlight assembly - not cheap - but was covered by warranty - Personally i think it was caused by the DRL -

[Acb5456]

Yes - they replaced the entire headlight assembly - not cheap - but was covered by warranty - Personally i think it was caused by the DRL -

Gotcha. I'm taking my car in on Thursday for an oil change and will have them check out the issue. I'm hoping for an entire headlight assembly replacement as well--though they seemed on the phone like they weren't sure at all about what I was referring to when I mentioned the crows feet that show up with UV coat failing.

I really hope they replace the entire assembly because I can see it getting much worse.

What makes you think it's the DRL's? I ask because my DRL's are in the foglight housing, using low-power LED's, from factory.

[Acb5456]

wife's car - washing it last night - noticed tiny tiny spider cracks in lens - not from road debris - sort of looks like the beginning of UV damage (i see this on port lights in boats) but it seems too early and i do apply 303 as a inhibitor - car is stored inside too. You cannot see these in daylight - lenses look perfectly clear. Any ideas? Looks at the lights at night - little cracks are very easy to spot

cheers

Car as been flawless except for stbd side side mirror motor

Here is the crows feet on my headlights. Only visible at night!

[MacNoob]

To me in the photos it looks more like sandblasting from road debris.

[Acb5456]

To me in the photos it looks more like sandblasting from road debris.

I can see that, for sure. The problem is that there is bubbling on top of the lenses where the hood slightly goes over the top of the lenses, which causes engine heat to come out and make the UV coat bubble. My Volvo dealer refused to fix and so did Volvo Cars NA.

You win some, you lose some, I suppose.

[MacNoob]

Ah, could not pick that out in the photos.

A similar treatment to dealing with yellowing would probably work - a series of progressively finer wet sandpaper up to 1500 or 2000, followed by polish and some kind of UV protectant/wax. Had to do one side of my '07 the other day like that. Headlight looked like it had been attacked with coarse sandpaper before I started.