So, over the past six months or so, I noticed the UV protective coating on my Santa Fe headlights was starting to peel off. I was fearing this day. I did everything that owners had said to, I waxed the crap out of those lights every three months but it came to this. It's already starting to haze in some places. I called my local Hyundai parts counter; $215 per light unit.

Today I was at home, cruising eBay for no particular reason when, from out of the blue, stared a set of brand new, virgin perfect Santa Fe headlights for $180. That's $180 for BOTH of them. Not only that but it was Buy It Now. I contemplated for about all of three minutes. I know I should be saving my coins but this offer was too good to let pass. So I did it. They should be here by Thursday or Friday.

Now if they get here and they are not as described and shown in the picture, you have permission to point and laugh. But until then, the local dealer can kiss my . No way I'm paying $430 for two lights...

 

Rubbing compound takes the haze off my headlights pretty easily. Did you try that?

 

I haven't but thanks for the tip. I had a bad experience with rubbing compound a few years back and am scared to touch it again. I accidentally hit the headlight with the random orbital when polishing over the summer and that didn't help much. The problem is once the UV coating is gone, the exposed plastic is at the mercy of pretty everything that touches it. I've seen these get pretty bad.

I just examined the bare plastic; scratches at the drop of hat and actually looks pretty shitty. I've already paid the guy, I'll just replace them and go on with my life.

 

A lot of plastic headlamps are that way. Once you rub off the top coating of whatever they'll yellow and haze about 10x faster than when they were new.

Hopefully those are really OEM units you bought. You'll be able to tell pretty quick if they are not.

 

I really hope they are. It helps that I know my car...I know where Hyundai marks their stuff and what the part numbers are. If they're not OEM (which he claims they are) I will return them.

Edit: Just double checked the part numbers he provided. They match the Hyundai parts catalog I checked.

 

meguiars plastix?

 

I've used it with mixed results. Didn't work for sheit on my old CL-S headlights, but just used it on my wife's Corolla and it made them look brand new, and they were very yellow/hazed beforehand.

 

rub sunscreen on for UV protection

 

A friend of mine bought the OEM Xenon projector headlamps for his 2005 G35for super cheap on Ebay so there definitely are deals of that kind of stuff out there.

 

For 16 bucks you could have restored them yourself.

3M Headlight Lens Restoration System

http://www.amazon.com/3M-HEADLIGHT-L.../dp/B001AIZ5HY

Good review thread about it.
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/3m-headlight-restoration-system-review-704562/

 

i wetsanded w/ 2000 grit, and then used plastic polish on my headlights before with good results. I think there are some DIY guides online


maybe once you replace them, try something on your old ones, incase the new ones ever start doing the same thing?