Can LED Headlights Be Restored?

The lens is the same plastic

Inside, an LED headlight has little in common with a halogen one: LEDs, a heat sink and control electronics take the place of a bulb. The clear cover on the outside is still polycarbonate plastic with a thin factory coating on top, and that coating breaks down in the sun just as it does on an older car.

So the yellowing you see on a newer car with LED lights is the same problem, and restoration works on it the same way. We sand off the damaged layer and finish with GlasWeld's UV-cured clear coat. Nothing touches the LEDs or the wiring.

Why it matters more on LED cars

LED and adaptive headlight assemblies are some of the most expensive lights to replace. On many newer cars and trucks a single assembly costs well over what a halogen unit does, and some run past $1,000 a side before installation. When only the outside of the lens is hazy, restoring it keeps the original part, which already fits and is already aimed, for $99 a pair.

What restoration cannot fix

Some LED headlight problems are inside the housing, and no amount of sanding the outside reaches them.

• A dead LED, a dark section of a light strip or a daytime running light that flickers
• Water droplets, fog or a water line on the inside of the lens
• Cracks or chips that go through the lens
• Warning lights on the dash about the headlight system

How to tell where the haze is

Run a fingertip across the lens. If it feels rough or chalky, the damage is on the outside. Then shine your phone's flashlight through the lens at an angle. If you can see the parts inside clearly through a yellow tint, the outside is the problem and restoration will help. If you see droplets or fog behind the lens, a seal has failed and the assembly needs attention instead.

Not sure? Text a daylight photo of the headlight to (317) 707-1225 and we will tell you which one it looks like before you book.

Taking care of the lens afterwards

Treat it the same as any restored headlight: skip automatic car washes for about a week while the coating finishes curing, wash it with car soap and a soft mitt, and brush snow off in winter rather than scraping it. Our work on LED headlights has the same 1-year warranty against yellowing as any other car.