I had the same problem last year. The dealer called it "delaminating", but I don't know if that term is accurate. Certainly, this was not a mere haze. It was etched into the lenses and no amount of Plast-X was going to fix it.

The dealer replaced them with no questions asked. Unfortunately, I will be out of the initial warranty next month and they will be my problem the next time they go bad. And I expect it will happen again in 2 or 3 years.

 

I've been able to get out the etching.
Pat

 

Well all our windows are actual glass not plastic. If ours haze or scratch we just replace them. as far as the XF...just got my lights replaced under warranty...they look a million times better.

 

yeah, mine were bad but I could live with it (for a while) but when the new ones were put on, the difference was incredible.

 

I had the same problem, mine were pretty bad......I googled all possible solutions and came up with an inexpensive way to fix them ....go to any auto parts store and buy 4 different grades of "WET SANDING PAPER" 800-1000-1500-2000.
if your haze is not that bad start with 1000, take your timer and make sure you wet sand evenly and make sure there is plenty of water ( use a hand sprayer ) once you are done with each grade of sanding finish off with the 2000.
this is when you will apply the "plastic polish" and BINGO! brand new head lights!

Mine were horrible it looked like some one driped acid on them, after a good 3 hours of elbow grease they looked brand new! good luck to all !

 

tried several of the advices posted an none worked well enough. they still looked like acid burn. tried ebay for preowned had no luck purchasing a set. finally decided, if most of the original lights are having this problem, how long would the last before looking the same as these? my car is garaged, it isn't in the weather all the time. the news ones will be in this monday. are they hard to replace or can a person with little mechanical experience do it?
thanks every one for all your info an advice.

 

I'm heading to the dealership on Wednesday. According to the dealer I bought my 05 from this is caused by shipping tape. Apparently, when the cars shipped from Austria the cars had tape on the front clip. If the tape wasn't removed the etching is permanent. Some dealers know and some either play dumb or don't know.

I will update if interested.

Sorbs

 

Hello All,
I came across this forum while doing research for a paper. Here is what I've found out. The deterioration or foggy/cloudy look of your lenses is NOT specific to your Crossfire. It is happening to literally every car make and model out there.
The lenses are made of a plastic composite (called polycarbonate) and then coated with a UV protectant/sealant from the factory. That sealant is usually the first thing to deteriorate. It can affect the whole lens, but often times starts from the top and works its way down, thus leaving a jagged line look on the lens. If left unrepaired it will spread and get worse and sometimes even cause the polycarbonate itself to form cracks.
To my knowledge, there have been a number of studies showing that the only way to fix this is to replace or repair the damage. You'd be surprised how bad the lights can be and yet still be restored to a like new look.
I am astonished that there isn't more public outcry to find a better solution to this problem. I am a 22 year career auto mechanic myself. When I came across this problem, I consulted a fellow technician about it and found that he has been doing the restorations for a while now. He taught me his method and products he uses and now I do the restorations myself when I have time on the weekends. Like anything else, there is a sort of art to doing it and it takes practice to have an excellent result. If anyone is interested, I would be happy to explain the process or email you links to the pros. 90% of the time, a simple polish doesn't get it. In my experience, I normally have to sand the old coating off, sand to 3000 grit in steps and then apply a new coating. If you don't apply a new coating, the correction will last 3 - 6 months before returning. Now you see why I have the name part-timer....lol
Good luck to all!!

 

Thought I would revive this thread in hopes someone has something to add I have done a number of different things with No luck..... called a few different shops that do this and None will give a guarantee it will work.