Preventing Headlight Haze On 2020 Taco's Headlights

Just wondering if the headlights will haze over time on my 2020 Tacoma?

I'm guessing the Tacoma headlights are plastic as well.

The plastic headlights on my 2003 Pathfinder hazed over time and looked awful when I traded it in a few days ago.

Scotty Kilmer suggests applying a sealant right from day one on most vehicles to prevent this. He also suggests that you will have to re-apply the sealant as needed.

What do you folks suggest? What have you experienced with your older Taco's headlights?

 

i think thats just how all these newer headlights are. i keep my vehicles garage kept, so i havent had any hazing for a long time. im sure if i kept em out in the elements then it would only be a matter of time.

 

We've never had a hazing problem. I think it has been due to parking in the garage, but our daughter's Mazda lives outside. I saw the lens covers starting to haze and hit them will my dual action polisher while I was fixing some other stuff. Back to crystal clear and took no time at all.

 

I think a lot of it has to do with being outside in the UV light, but I also think a lot has to do with the heat from the headlights themselves. I only say this because my 95' Dodge van, which was always garage kept, and a Caravan my wife had for 15 years ..
Outside but under a car-port ...
Both have halogen lights which burn REALLY hot ... After time the headlights glazed over, yet the side-marker lenses (turn signals and running lights) stayed crystal clear.
I've done as tonered did .. Hitting them with a buffer and some polishing compound and have managed to keep them pretty decent over the years. But that only will work for so long. Plastic will still be plastic and it just is what it is these days.
I finally had to bite-the-bullet and buy new lenses for the 95' ... Hey 25 years old, right? ... At $100 each, but it was to the point where they just wouldn't clean up any more.. Cost of doing business, eh? LOL!
I'm guessing in my/your new truck the headlights are hot halogens also.. (Anybody?) ... but being as we live in The Space Age now, that LED headlights would be a better option. Just as bright, if not brighter, but a lot less heat.
Just a thought...

 

mine gets parked outside. it's probably early to say for sure if it's been working, but I've used Jet Seal polymer on my exterior lights since I got the truck Dec. 2016. no signs of hazing or anything that looks like UV damage at all. easy application, i do it every 3-4 months

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check that out.

 

Look on Autogeek for headlight protectant products. There are several coatings available. I’d recommend the McKee’s 37 headlight coating due to its good reviews. It will last a long time. I’ve not used it yet myself. I think Opti-lens is another highly rated product.

If you don’t want to spend that much money, Aerospace 303 is a great UV protectant. But it must be re-applied after it gets wet.

 

Headlight plastic is coated from the factory with a special uv inhibiting clear coat layer that is slowly destroyed over time.

Working as a detailer for several years, I learned how to re-apply various products to add protection to refinished headlights. One was a two part clear coat that was similar to what the factory applies and promised many years of warrantied protection. It was specially formulated to not bend light as it passes through. (Regular clear coats can warp light)

The best advice I can give is to just keep some kind of protection on every panel of your truck. Wax, ceramic, or a hybrid of both. Just do it. Your headlights won’t haze and your clear coat won’t peal. The wax or ceramic becomes the sacrificial layer instead of your clear coats.

The best modern products are the hybrid ceramic wax sprays. Easy to apply and offer great protection for their price. Use them every time you wash your truck and spread them over every inch of surface, including lights and windows.

 

Thanks for the product tips, I'll have to check them out.

 

I didn't know that they came with a factory film to keep them from hazing. Also, thanks for the tips. My 1992 Toyota I used to wash and wax like crazy. I was young and carefree. When I met my wife and had kids all that went out the window. I hope to be able to better look after this truck.

Our last vehicle was a 3 year old lease returned 2003 Nissan Pathfinder. We drove it for 14 years Had all of the mechanical maintenance done extremely well but not the cleaning. Hard to keep up with the kids. They are older now so shouldn't be as hard now.

 

Plexus!