i have a 2010 te bought in march 2010 parked outside;got alot hot sun this year; noticed outside surface haze on headlight covers, buffed off with plastic conditioning solution (used "to make discolored/aged plastic look like new again"). will need to look at truck today now that i have read this thread! and report back if it has recurred and if so, time to take it up with toyota!
Potential Headlight Defect
- Thread starter 4C4Runner
- Start date
afterthought: i should not have had to re-condition my 2010 TE headlight covers in the first place! one should expect to do it only for older cars/trucks that are parked outside most of the time over the years due to the cumulative degradation effects of the UV of the sun! today i looked at my covers again and looks like the external haze has returned! maybe,we should all still follow up this issue with toyota!
cherrywanzi
New member
4C4Runner
I'm in grand chicago area. I use Toyota at Naperville for my maintenance for 6 years, I like the people and service there. Maybe you want to give it try next time.
I'm in grand chicago area. I use Toyota at Naperville for my maintenance for 6 years, I like the people and service there. Maybe you want to give it try next time.
I actually found an amazing dealer near Chicago but thanks for the help. The Service Manager put in the order for the headlights to be replaced and they put brand new ones in as well as took care of a TSB on the Front Diff. The new ones haven't hazed yet and it was done just after Thanksgiving. If it starts up again they said to bring it in and they'll send more paperwork to corporate. A good dealer can get them swapped under warranty for those of you who are thinking about it. My opinion is that it was just a defect on the early assemblies...at least thats what i'm hoping for.
side note :haven't seen too many 5th gen meets...it would be interesting to see a bunch together.
Even if these 4Runners have been sitting out in the sun since the day they were built, they still shouldn't have this problem. The 5th gen hasn't been around long enough for the headlight's UV protection to degrade that fast.
Another thing to consider is that all plastic headlights are made with a special coating that protects against UV light. It is this protective coating that degrades over time. If you have a new 4Runner with this issue and you use any kind of abrasive to polish the lenses, you're effectively removing the protective UV coating on the lenses. So they may look okay initially, but the plastic will degrade quickly without that protective coating.
There's a really good article from a headlight manufacturer that I read on this subject. If I can find it again, I'll post a link to it for you guys to read.
While my Trail was in for service today, I mentioned about the hazing on the inside of my lenses. I was promptly called back and told that they took care of the problem and it was just road grime on the outside of the lights.
Picked the 4Runner up after work and the service writer and I went to the vehicle to view again. Now the headlights were really fogged internally with condensation starting to form. I do not know what they did, but the condition only worsened. The dealership will be replacing the lights the next time I can bring it in.
Picked the 4Runner up after work and the service writer and I went to the vehicle to view again. Now the headlights were really fogged internally with condensation starting to form. I do not know what they did, but the condition only worsened. The dealership will be replacing the lights the next time I can bring it in.
emsmatt
New member
Just update to this thread. Had my local dealership look at the headlights and no plan in place per Toyota service to deal with it. Service told me its because the housing sits flat and are exposed to the direct sun. He said he expects to see "lots" more headlight issues with this hazing thing. No offer to replace the headlights or if Toyota is going to do a recall or anythin g like that. Curious if anyone in the SF Bay Area has talked to thier dealerships about this and what they were told.
Htorres1980
New member
Took my SR5 in for a service (10,000 mile service). Explained the issue and service manager stated they'd look into it. He asked if I was using any spray wax. Told him I was not, and that when I did wax my truck I was extra careful around all plastics (including headlights). They called me back telling me they'd be ordering some new headlights. They've replaced them since. I haven't noticed it anymore......"yet", I'm at 15,000.
UtahSooner
New member
Call Toyota and Complain About the Headlight Issue
If you read this thread and haven't already called the Toyota Customer Experience Center, PLEASE CALL THEM AND COMPLAIN!!! (nicely though, since it's not the customer service agent's fault)
The phone # is 800-331-4331
I originally posted this info in another thread about our headlight issues but figured it was worth reposting here since there seem to be a lot of folks complaining to the dealers, but not directly to Toyota Corporate (so, forgive me for the slight repost). Here's a link to the full post:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/103009-had-my-headlights-replaced-today-2.html#post930125
If everyone with the problem calls, then we're way more likely to have Toyota actually acknowledge the problem and fix it!
If you read this thread and haven't already called the Toyota Customer Experience Center, PLEASE CALL THEM AND COMPLAIN!!! (nicely though, since it's not the customer service agent's fault)
The phone # is 800-331-4331
I originally posted this info in another thread about our headlight issues but figured it was worth reposting here since there seem to be a lot of folks complaining to the dealers, but not directly to Toyota Corporate (so, forgive me for the slight repost). Here's a link to the full post:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/103009-had-my-headlights-replaced-today-2.html#post930125
If everyone with the problem calls, then we're way more likely to have Toyota actually acknowledge the problem and fix it!
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nashman69g
Member
Finally stopped being lazy and just did it...I'll report back if anything happens.
azn-sensation
New member
I know bumping and old thread, however I finally had the dealers replace my headlights under warranty. I even took my bumper off and drove it to the dealer so they wouldnt scratch my paint while removing it themselves. As soon as I got home I took them off and replaced them with my projector retrofit headlights!
gamerc
New member
So, you just have a new pair sitting around? Or you removed the covers and put them on your retrofits?
