Headlight Assembly Cracking and Broken Seal

[JerryFro]

MY GV80 notified my to check the driver side headlight to find all functions inoperable and dripping water on the inside of the lenses. Taking it to the dealership for repairs, I was told the warranty would not cover the "damage" since something must have hit the front of the car to crack the edges of the lenses and cause the lens seal to fail allowing water inside. There is not so much as a scratch on the car so the damage could not have been caused by an impact. The dealership then suggested that rocks or some type of road debris was the culprit which means the debris hit both the left and right headlight assembly edges in exactly the same place at exactly the same time which is almost impossible. My only conclusion now is that a design or manufacturing flaw caused the edges of the lenses to crack and the lens seals to fail. Has anyone else had a similar problem which represents $7000+ in replacement costs?

 

[mhoskins76]

I'd suggest taking it to another dealership. Sounds like this one isn't too willing to help you out.

 

[G-261668]

MY GV80 notified my to check the driver side headlight to find all functions inoperable and dripping water on the inside of the lenses. Taking it to the dealership for repairs, I was told the warranty would not cover the "damage" since something must have hit the front of the car to crack the edges of the lenses and cause the lens seal to fail allowing water inside. There is not so much as a scratch on the car so the damage could not have been caused by an impact. The dealership then suggested that rocks or some type of road debris was the culprit which means the debris hit both the left and right headlight assembly edges in exactly the same place at exactly the same time which is almost impossible. My only conclusion now is that a design or manufacturing flaw caused the edges of the lenses to crack and the lens seals to fail. Has anyone else had a similar problem which represents $7000+ in replacement costs?

I am going through the same thing with my 2023 G70...first there was condensation.....then cracks started showing---mind you ZERO IMPACTS on the vehicle....after having ordered the part, my dealership would not honor the warranty, claiming "outside influence"

 

[kily]

I am going through the same thing with my 2023 G70...first there was condensation.....then cracks started showing---mind you ZERO IMPACTS on the vehicle....after having ordered the part, my dealership would not honor the warranty, claiming "outside influence"

Same thing happened to my G70. Dealership said Genesis will not fix or replace headlights due to cracks. Took the matter to Genesis and they said they will not fix it. Took to a body shop and had the front bumper removed and found the cracks were coming from where the screws attach the headlights. All the cracks were coming from where the screws are. Body shop said it's a manufacture defect. I filed with NHTSA #11572213. Will take Genesis to small claims court.

 

[kily]

Same thing happened to my G70. Dealership said Genesis will not fix or replace headlights due to cracks. Took the matter to Genesis and they said they will not fix it. Took to a body shop and had the front bumper removed and found the cracks were coming from where the screws attach the headlights. All the cracks were coming from where the screws are. Body shop said it's a manufacture defect. I filed with NHTSA #11572213. Will take Genesis to small claims court.

Here is photos of the cracks

 

[JCtx]

I wouldn't call it a manufacturing defect, but a design defect, since the headlights are cracking due to a bad design. But it should absolutely be covered by warranty. Apparently the bracket is exerting direct pressure on the headlight assembly, which is WRONG. They should have a bushing, which they clearly don't have. And the problem is without a bushing, if the headlights don't crack (like mine), the screws might back out over time. May I ask how many miles on those vehicles? Mine is sitting with exactly 7,777 right now, and seems fine. Will be following this, and hope to see Genesis is forced to honor warranty in these cases. But what a freaking drag having to fight them. Good luck.

 

[kily]

I wouldn't call it a manufacturing defect, but a design defect, since the headlights are cracking due to a bad design. But it should absolutely be covered by warranty. Apparently the bracket is exerting direct pressure on the headlight assembly, which is WRONG. They should have a bushing, which they clearly don't have. And the problem is without a bushing, if the headlights don't crack (like mine), the screws might back out over time. May I ask how many miles on those vehicles? Mine is sitting with exactly 7,777 right now, and seems fine. Will be following this, and hope to see Genesis is forced to honor warranty in these cases. But what a freaking drag having to fight them. Good luck.

I have around 36,000 but started around 24,000 miles. I will let everyone know the result of small claims court. Will file paperwork in the next week or two. Heard it will take one to two months.

 

[JCtx]

Thank you for that info. I was hoping that issue would show up right away, but that's apparently not the case. Guess as the plastic becomes more brittle over time, then it can crack. Hey, do you have a picture of the entire headlight assembly without the bumper? Curious how it's secured above and below it. If it's secured well, I'd tighten the middle screws barely enough to hold the bracket without play, and use thread-locker, so they don't back out. But removing the bumper always has its risks, like breaking tabs, etc., so I don't want to do it now. If you get new ones, scrutinize them well, and try to come up with a solution, so it doesn't happen again. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[kily]

Thank you for that info. I was hoping that issue would show up right away, but that's apparently not the case. Guess as the plastic becomes more brittle over time, then it can crack. Hey, do you have a picture of the entire headlight assembly without the bumper? Curious how it's secured above and below it. If it's secured well, I'd tighten the middle screws barely enough to hold the bracket without play, and use thread-locker, so they don't back out. But removing the bumper always has its risks, like breaking tabs, etc., so I don't want to do it now. If you get new ones, scrutinize them well, and try to come up with a solution, so it doesn't happen again. Good luck, and keep us posted.

This is the only photo taken at the body.

 

[JCtx]

Thank you. Not clear how the headlight housing is attached to the car above & below, but it seems those middle screws are important. The bumper seems to have those pesky tabs where it joins the fender, right? And looks very vulnerable, due to the top headlight piece extending to the fender. If the bumper is easy to remove without any chance for damage, I'd do it, to also install fiberglass screening in front of the radiators, to protect them from stones. And also scrutinize the headlights, to prevent them from future crack damage somehow. But if there's a chance to damage the bumper, I'd leave it alone.

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[Stvhull]

Well well well.. i tough i was going to be the only one to have this problem... got a GV60 that has the exact same issue on 3 of 4 headlight... that car sleeps on a heated garage...
That means that it is a real defect and a recall must be open...

 

[kily]

Well well well.. i tough i was going to be the only one to have this problem... got a GV60 that has the exact same issue on 3 of 4 headlight... that car sleeps on a heated garage...
That means that it is a real defect and a recall must be open...

I know how you feel. It's very frustrating to have this happen when it's not your fault. The manufacturer should take responsibility but they won't. Please file with NHTSA so they are aware. It's very easy to do online. Hope we can put pressure on Genesis.

 

[pulsar]

Wish you guys luck with this. It’s crap the burden has been pushed back on the owner. If dealers would at least report the issue to Genesis they would figure out it’s a defect that is somewhat systemic and should be covered under warranty. Appears to be with the split newer headlight design so my 2020 is safe with the single headlight design.

 

[JCtx]

Recalls are only issued when there's a safety issue, so I really doubt this problem would amount to that. But what is absolute crap is this not being covered under warranty. Hopefully enough people complain to force Genesis to acknowledge it via a TSB, so any future occurrences are promptly covered under warranty. What will suck is having to pay for a headlight assembly after warranty. I might not keep mine after that, but unfortunately, every freaking car is plagued by similar crap, so hard to find anything reliable nowadays. Sad times.

 

[kily]

It doesn't hurt to try. I'm still under warranty and they refuse to fix it. Like you said hope enough people complain and Genesis will fix it. We were looking at at getting a GV70 for my wife and I drive the G70 but after this issue we will not consider buying it. Will go with a Lexus.

 

[Stvhull]

I know how you feel. It's very frustrating to have this happen when it's not your fault. The manufacturer should take responsibility but they won't. Please file with NHTSA so they are aware. It's very easy to do online. Hope we can put pressure on Genesis.

Will do... thanks a lot

 

[Stvhull]

Recalls are only issued when there's a safety issue, so I really doubt this problem would amount to that. But what is absolute crap is this not being covered under warranty. Hopefully enough people complain to force Genesis to acknowledge it via a TSB, so any future occurrences are promptly covered under warranty. What will suck is having to pay for a headlight assembly after warranty. I might not keep mine after that, but unfortunately, every freaking car is plagued by similar crap, so hard to find anything reliable nowadays. Sad times.

I agree... maybe since 3 out of 4 are cracked they will consider it safety

 

[mikeyrunit]

Ah, the classic case of "headlight horror" struck on my driver's side! It's like having a permanent wink going on - not exactly the look I'm going for. So, I braced myself for a trek to the Genesis dealership, which might as well be in Narnia considering how far away it is. And let's not even get started on the horror stories I've read online – I was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs about talking to the service advisor.

But lo and behold, the convo was quicker than a microwave burrito! The service advisor took one glance, diagnosed the cracks, and without skipping a beat, promised me a shiny new headlight. I swear, it was like a lightning round of car repair bingo.

So now, my new headlights have arrived two days later, and tomorrow morning, I'll be swapping out the old winker for a fresh, crack-free shine. Who knew car troubles could be so... expedited?

 

[kily]

Ah, the classic case of "headlight horror" struck on my driver's side! It's like having a permanent wink going on - not exactly the look I'm going for. So, I braced myself for a trek to the Genesis dealership, which might as well be in Narnia considering how far away it is. And let's not even get started on the horror stories I've read online – I was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs about talking to the service advisor.

But lo and behold, the convo was quicker than a microwave burrito! The service advisor took one glance, diagnosed the cracks, and without skipping a beat, promised me a shiny new headlight. I swear, it was like a lightning round of car repair bingo.

So now, my new headlights have arrived two days later, and tomorrow morning, I'll be swapping out the old winker for a fresh, crack-free shine. Who knew car troubles could be so... expedited?

Did you have condensation and cracks on your headlights.

 

[mikeyrunit]

Yes I dried out the condensation several times with a hair dryer but it came back a couple hours later.