keystone

I JUST bought this car and paid the dealership to install a clear bra. Now I know that I should have done after market.

I brought the car to a window tint place and was talked into a clear bra on the front bumper. Why the dealership skipped this is beyond me.

Anyway, the after market place hated the way that the dealership covered only a small portion of the headlight and agreed to redo the clear bra on the entire headlight. Once the dealership clear bra was removed, a cut - half way across one headlight was revealed, exactly where the clear bra had been installed. New clear bra doesn't hide the scratch.

The dealership also covered only half of the mirrors, so making them redo the film on the mirrors may reveal cuts in the mirror's paint.

SO frustrated because I paid $800 for this.

Do I make the dealership replace the headlight, and risk that they will damage the car? Or is it easy to replace a headlight?

2014 GS F-Sport -

Thanks -

jtrue28

Should be easy to replace, however the $2K price tag will get some push back.

Velgen

From experience , i think if you go back to the dealer and complain and they see that you you had a shop redo the headlights , they may say it was them, even tho you couldn't see the scratch over the clear bra, but was visible when it was removed , it may turn into the dealer will blame the shop.

Replacing the headlight in the GS is a pretty penny, but i would go back to the dealer first and see what they say.
Good luck. Keep us posted..

ItzFilyO

How bad is it?

keystone

Thanks for the responses.

The after market place has not yet replaced the clear bra on the scratched headlight. He added a small piece so we could see if the scratch is still visible, and it is.

I called the dealership, explained the situation and was told that they would replace the headlight.

After the headlight is replaced, the aftermarket place will properly clear bra a new headlight.

The husband is afraid that the dealership will damage the car while replacing the headlight, and doesn't want to risk it. That scratch will drive me crazy.

keystone

The scratch is very thin, but can be felt with a finger, maybe the length of the headlight.

ItzFilyO

U got a pic of it?

Cause headlights removal requires bumper removal and something else could break during the process and u won't even know it.

I know cause I've removed my bumper twice. Pull too hard those clips gonna snap and pull the wrong way the foam shock absorber tabs will break. Plus I had to mask the fender area cause the bumper cover will swing back and scratch the hell out of it.

keystone

Well, I will cut my losses! Thanks for the info!

jtrue28

It's not a scratch, it's a cut. The dealership used their utility knife to cut the film, and went too deep. It's the same process that is used to tint windows, except windows are glass.

Afrosheen

Exactly what I was gonna say. They use lots of razor blades when installing tint and clear shields, it's part of the process, but you got the Hodor installer that day. Don't worry about the dealer replacing the headlight, have them do it and they won't scratch it. No razor blades will be involved.