# Headlight fine scratches **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** lexus\ **Created:** [October 26, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587 "2020-10-26T01:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ben-C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Ben-C](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ben-C)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/1 "2020-10-26T01:44:15Z")
I noticed my headlights are pretty scratched. The car is new, only 6000 miles. I just bought it 9 months ago. It’s hard to notice when the lights are off but when they are on. You can see thousands of hairlines of scratches. Judging by their pattern, it’s very likely caused by some carwash guy who cleaned the headlight with a dirty towel. I have seen video about people repairing chipped windshield by putting some clear liquid onto it. Is this repairable? Thanks [headlight pic](https://imgur.com/a/RlMexHv) ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/2 "2020-10-26T01:54:20Z")
Just buy either new headlight lenses or new headlights. While you could polish out the scratches, it’s time consuming and laborious. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 1:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/3 "2020-10-26T01:56:35Z")
Actually it looks like a lot of it is sandblasting from winter driving or driving on gravel behind someone. Do you use the touchless car wash or the brush (obviously you don’t wash it yourself)? I never use the brush to avoid those kinds of scratches on the paint. You could try one of the products meant to clear up cloudy headlights but it will be some work and expense. Don’t know what else to say except try a different car wash. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/4 "2020-10-26T02:01:58Z")
For a near-new car I’d pay a shop to polish them. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/5 "2020-10-26T02:22:23Z")
> [@old\_mopar\_guy](#): > > Just buy either new headlight lenses or new headlights. That is an easy solution, replacement headlamps are $1500 each. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/6 "2020-10-26T02:32:17Z")
I have seen what a local Nissan dealership can do to for foggy and scratched headlight lenses for less than 60.00 . They looked like new. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/7 "2020-10-26T02:35:43Z")
Here’s how I look at this. When the headlights are off, it’s hard to notice. When they’re on, it’s noticed. When the headlights are on, it means you’re driving either at night or during precipitation. Which means other drivers can’t see the scratches, nor can you. Tester ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/8 "2020-10-26T13:59:22Z")
Looks like an amateur try to sand them out. The long scratches are typical of using dry sandpaper instead of wet on dry. You could try using a plastic polishing compound like Meguiar’s PlastX or get them professionally polished. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/9 "2020-10-26T14:16:05Z")
I agree with @Tester - I 'd just let them go. They’re noticeable when on, bet they aren’t when off, so I bet they make zero difference in how well the headlights work. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/10 "2020-10-26T16:41:13Z")
I’m with @bing. It looks like road rash to me. If you polish the lenses now, you’ll probably do it again in six months. Let it go until the light scatter is severe and decreases your road visibility. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-fine-scratches/171587/11 "2020-10-26T17:10:10Z")
I’ve never seen road rash have those parallel curving lines like that. I’m with @COROLLAGUY1. That’s definitely someone either dry-sanding the lights, or doing something foolish like cleaning salt off of them with a dry paper towel. Or maybe they fell for that “magic eraser” stuff, which the company would have you believe has some sort of miracle chemical that cleans anything, but which is really just sandpaper on a sponge.