[pawank]

If BMW isn't ready to honour the warranty claim, then file a complaint on consumer forum website https://consumerhelpline.gov.in

[ASP007]

Just wanted to add one more point. Going by the dealer's comment about hot & sandy driving condition, car manufacturers in Middle East markets would be plagued by this issue. There, temperature ranges from below 0 to 50°C, and better not to mention about the sand! Bhpians who had owned or still driving cars in such countries can shed more light on it.

[Singh101]

Wow. Yesterday, a four year old Volvo S90 with its peeling leather dash and today, a similarly aged X1 with cracking & clouding headlamp lenses. These so-called "luxury" marques sure know how to sour and dampen an enthusiast's ownership experience, don't they?

Okay, like I said about Volvo's excuse of "heat/cleaning solvent" for its peeling dashboard leather, unless the guy was literally cleaning it with industrial strength thinner, the glue should not give way! The "parking in the sun" excuse is WORSE!

The EXACT same applies to you. Doesn't matter if the car is used in 48°C+ temperatures of central/western India or single digit/negative temperatures of the Himalayas, the sandy/salty roads of our numerous coastal states or the humid/marshy/wetland-ish conditions of our sisters to the east, YOUR CAR SHOULD COPE, BE RELIABLE AND FUNCTION AS INTENDED.

I'm not naive. Parts crack from stress, electronics glitch out and sometimes it's just pure bad luck but when you part with half a crore rupees or thereabouts on a car, it's not unreasonable to expect a velvet gloved ownership experience for it.

The headlamp issue is common in the sense that it occurs. It's not actually common like "one of every three cars has this issue". It really, REALLY should not be brushed off, especially by a supposed "premium" German automaker. It's unbecoming to say the least. I'd personally say sleazy.

For everyone siding with BMW (and Volvo on the other thread), wear some polarized sunglasses because the glare of the fancy lights being shone into your eyes by these premium German and Swedish marques has got you blinded, dazed and hypnotized.

Consider this-

Customer- Hey, my car broke.

BMW- You were holding it wrong.

Customer- What?

*agreeable murmur* He must've been holding it wrong.

Another Customer- Hey, my car broke.

Tata/Mahindra- Well, sir we apologize but it's clearly wear and tear and we will assist you with replac-

*mob intensifies* IS THIS THE QUALITY WE CAN EXPECT FOR XX LAKHS? NO WONDER WE PREFER BUYING KOREAN OR GERMAN PRODUCTS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! WHERE'S THE R&D AND TESTING? WHY ARE THE QC PEOPLE SITTING ON THEIR BEHINDS? THE A.S.S. SUCKS! I'M GOING TO CREATE A TWEETSTORM AND TAKE THEM TO THE COURT.

[kamilharis]

Originally Posted by ASP007

Car manufacturers in Middle East markets would be plagued by this issue. There, temperature ranges from below 0 to 50°C, and better not to mention about the sand! Bhpians who had owned or still driving cars in such countries can shed more light on it.

Here in Saudi, I have owned 2 cars before owning my current one. One Hyundai Accent(Verna) and one Nissan Sunny, both pre-owned. I bought those cars with almost 85k+ on ODO and both of them were 2012 models, headlamps looked perfectly fine on both of them. Sold both the cars and purchased a CHANGAN EADO in 2018, all new from a Chinese manufacturer, currently with an ODO reading of 70000km in less than 2.5 years with a major portion of that ODO being driven under scorching sunlight and parked under 50+ degree celsius temperature, everything is intact be it is the leather upholstery or headlamp cluster. And I haven't spotted similar issues in any of my colleagues' cars as well, some has got faded front bumper that's it.

[harmanjeet14]

This is definitely a manufacturing defect. It is common problem as cars age and the lenses crystallise due to continuous heating and cooling. I have similar issue in my 8 year old Ford Figo. We have a Chevrolet Beat as well, which is parked/used under similar conditions but only lenses on Figo have developed such cracks.

Please ask BMW to give proper scientific explanation if they say this is due to an external impact. Secondly, you should get plenty of articles from internet/forums which tell how these cracks develop in a lens. Use these to back your claims.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by Miel

Do the minute dots have corresponding surface irregularities or abrasions on the surface of your headlamps? Or does it feel smooth and normal when you run your fingers over them? Just wondering whether this is some sort of a peeling-off effect of the material's layers.

Surface appears smooth. I had not felt the surface earlier so difficult to say if there is any change.

Also, any noticeable shadows in the beam throw or deterioration in beam quality? Irrespective of that I can see these spots can be quite an eyesore - something you can't "un-see".

No. I can't make out any difference while driving.

Originally Posted by knrn

These marks occur due to heating and cooling of the glass. The insides of the glass is in constant heat of the bulbs while the outside continues to Cool due the exposure of blowing wind by driving or splashes of water. Particularly in warmer areas of country with frequent rains.
Have the same in my car.

I am aware of that and even the dealer verbally acknowledged it. But they are saying this is not covered by warranty.

Got the same reply from company that it's externally generated.

They are just saying that. They are not willing to give any explanation or proof that it is external damage.

Tried the famous toothpaste application technique where one rubs Colgate over the entire light and then washes it off scrubbing with a tooth brush. Let me just say that 70% of the problem washed off.

The dealer offered a glorified version of this. But the headlight will have to be sent to Pune for this "Special Treatment".

This the problem with these crystalline lenses. They are not glass. They are some kind of polyvinyl compound with inadequate heat dispersion and hence more prone for these defects. Look around and you will find them in many cars.

That was my argument with them that the quality is poor. My 6 year old Celerio which is parked in the open does not have this problem. Most Mercs and Audis of this age and running don't have such bad deterioration.

The problem is that they will be replaced as a complete headlight unit which is expensive and hence the company wants to shy away. Anyways I am sorry to see the state you are in. Sad to see your beautiful steed suffering. Let's hope the matter gets resolved.

I can understand if the headlamps cost 5K but at almost 50K per piece why should I have to pay.

Originally Posted by ASP007

Dear Captain,

I do not own a Bimmer. However, the mentioned crystallization or the spots are indeed cropped up from inside of the assembly, your warranty claim should be honoured. At least they should have offered to borne the part cost, and the labour charges are on the consumer. I had seen similar things on many three wheeler's windshield. That might be due to age and continuous parking under hot sun, but not from a premium vehicle which costs a good fortune. Hope this will get resolved amicably.

The car is parked in a covered parking area. My Celerio that has done 40K kms and over 6 years (almost double of the BMW) and parked outside in the sun and rain doesn't have such problems.

Originally Posted by CalmConquests

Ive owned & driven two BMWs over the last 7-8 years ( BMW X6 & BMW 530d F10). Ive never had such a problem with either of my cars(my x6 is over 10 years old now).

Further, between the three German brands ( Audi , Mercedes & Bmw), ive always felt my BMWs have been the most reliable. Even warranty claims during the warranty period had been hassle-free.

Apparently the quality on this car is well below standards. And they have not honoured the warranty.

Anyways I have told them to get the treatment done but I will still go ahead a post photos and their emails on social media. The dealer was pleading not to do so. I said to him "Replace the headlamps and I will not post".

Also informed that that the Mini booking I was scheduled to make stands cancelled. They are also most certainly loosing 2 booking from 2 close friends.

[yesyeswe]

I have seen this on other cars as well, but the cars looked at least 10 years old, yours being only 4 years old and that too a BMW is in acceptable. The dealer and bmw should honour the warranty and replace the headlights!

After spending so much money one doesn't expect such issues to crop up. But even if they do company should replace them. What's the point of paying so much premium then.

[shrjun]

Those lenses are part of the headlight assembly which has to be changed in its entirety.I think the cost is around 1k USD plus each. It's no wonder that the dealership balks at changing them out under warranty when they think that it's somehow a wear and tear part.

[Sumanyu17]

If you find no luck with BMW. You can consider only replacing the lens with an aftermarket solution. It would be quite cheaper than full assembly and will make them look new again.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

I have seen this on other cars as well, but the cars looked at least 10 years old, yours being only 4 years old and that too a BMW is in acceptable. The dealer and bmw should honour the warranty and replace the headlights!

That is what I was telling them. It's not a Tata or Mahindra or Maruti (which incidentally don't suffer these problems).

After spending so much money one doesn't expect such issues to crop up. But even if they do company should replace them. What's the point of paying so much premium then.

It's a clear case of Warranty which BMW is refusing to do. The claim that it's external damage is pure BS. If it was external damage it would have been a clear point of impact with cracks going radially outwards from the point. These are all over both the lights.

Originally Posted by shrjun

Those lenses are part of the headlight assembly which has to be changed in its entirety.I think the cost is around 1k USD plus each. It's no wonder that the dealership balks at changing them out under warranty when they think that it's somehow a wear and tear part.

I think it's around 50K per piece plus labour. So close to 1 K USD.

[adi58]

From the photos it looks like hard water spots. Go to your nearest 3M and get the headlights polished. If the spots are inside and the casing has not been tampered then BMW must and will cover this under warranty. And these LED headlight assembly cost over a lakh each. So get this escalated to BMW and if they reject then file a court case and make sure you claim extra for harassment. BMW have become very stingy with warranty claims lately.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

That is what I was telling them. It's not a Tata or Mahindra or Maruti (which incidentally don't suffer these problems).

If the headlamp was ever polished before or after the vehicle was delivered to you, that can accelerate the micro cracks. I have seen that this will eventually happen over time to the plastic headlamp assemblies of all makes and models. This happened to my vehicles because I polish them so that they don't look dull. The side effect is this micro cracks or crazing , they are not visible unless you are very close or in your case the corona rings are perhaps making it visible unlike the halogen units.

[Neelanjan]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

My BMW X1 has just completed 4 Years and 21K Kms. Please look at the pictures of the headlights. It's clear that there is crystallisation / cracks most probably caused due to sunlight. However BMW is claiming that it is due to external impact. There are 2 scratches (external abrasion with some tree branches) which are visible. However my claim for replacement is for the crystallisation / cracks on the entire lens of both LHS & RHS headlamps. Below is the mail I sent to them with everything I discussed with the service advisor after the mail regarding the rejection.
...

Hi Peter,
My friend's 2013 BMW 520d's headlights have similar issue. When he raised it with the authorised service centre during the scheduled yearly service, he was told that the old BMW cars came equipped with HID headlight bulbs which generates a lot of heat and over a period of time leads to cracks/scratches/crystallisation hence it is considered as a wear and tear part.

I have seen quite a few old Porsche Cayenne's, Mercedes ML320's, Audi Q7's and W221 Mercedes S-class's with similar issues in the headlights as they came equipped with HID bulbs for the headlamps.

Due to the issue of cracks etc in the headlights, most of the premium car manufacturers have moved to full LED setup headlights which don't generate heat thus minimising the chance of crystalisation/cracks/scratches. (THE LAST STATEMENT WAS SHARED BY A PERSON WHO WORKS WITH BMW).

I can understand the frustration you are going through after paying a huge price for the car but to be frank, the dealer will treat it as a wear and tear damage.

Regards

[roamer012]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

It's a clear case of Warranty which BMW is refusing to do. The claim that it's external damage is pure BS. If it was external damage it would have been a clear point of impact with cracks going radially outwards from the point. These are all over both the lights.

I think it's around 50K per piece plus labour. So close to 1 K USD.

If as per BMW it is a case of external impact, why not just claim insurance and be wary of becoming a BMW customer in future?

If insurance is a solution to this problem, I would take it and enjoy my car for couple of years more and then look at other premium badges for future replacement rather than letting my blood boil while dealing with nincompoops.

[sunsivj]

I would like to just highlight a general statement, that this kind of defects can be seen on a smaller percentage for any highly certified six sigma product for quality. Such one off cases and in warranty period should be taken care by the product manufacturer. No wonder we expect high quality when we spend more $$. I hope BMW in this case investigates with their right team and provide an honest solution.