Headlight lens is very cloudy. Oxidation appeared on the lens. Consumer found it difficult to drive at night. Manufacturer offered no assistance.

- New Kensington, PA, USA

Our 1999 Chrysler 300M (VIN #2C3-he66G2xh-622721) has plastic aerodynamic head lamps that have developed a "haze" that severely reduces the illumination of the road at night. I am not an engineer and do not purport to offer a professional opinion on this issue, but can report as a consumer that the illumination appears to be about half of what it was when the car was new. This haze began appearing somewhere in the three to four year of age range. It took a while to figure out what was going on but by five years of age the deterioration was at a point where we believe it is a lighting safety issue. I discussed this situation with ted vogalie who is the district level representative for Chrysler on January 16, 2004 at the ancira Chrysler dealership in san antonio, tx. I requested that Chrysler treat this as a defective part and replace the headlights. Mr. Vogalie refused to offer this assistance. In our conversation he made much of the fact that the haze appeared to be on the outside of the headlight and cited this and the age/mileage of the car (5 years/ 57,000 miles) as reasons for not offering to replace the headlights. I explained to him that this car's usage can be characterized as "coddled" since it is routinely parked in a garage and has no unusual road conditions or other unusual usage. This condition is dangerous enough that I have ordered replacement headlights and am going to replace these defective parts even though the retail cost of doing this replacement is around $800. It is unconscionable that Chrysler is allowed to equip an automobile with a defective part like this that poses a safety issue so early in the automobile's life and unload a very expensive repair on the consumer. I have an extended warranty issued by Chrysler on the car and this part is not covered.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

I have a Chrysler 300 M VIN # [xxx]. the aerodynamic head lights on the car developed a haze that severely reduces the illumination of the roadway at night. I have complained to the dealership and they say that the problem is not covered warranty. It seems to me that there is probably a government standard or engineering standard for the required amount of road illumination needed to make operation of a vehicle safe at night. I wonder how many cars are driving in substandard lighting conditions due to having these plastic lenses that do not hold up to road conditions and are so hazy as to make safe driving visibility questionable. I know that all the modern cars have these type lenses but how can the NHTSA not require that these devices be made to endure the expected life of the vehicles they are installed on. When they are new they look good. Beyond 2 years they begin to deteriorate rapidly. And here is the real customer rip off: The dealer tells me that for a mere $700 plus dollars they can replace these fixtures. They also come with no guarantee!. what was wrong with the earlier model cars that had glass head lamps and could be replaced for less that $ $10 total. They did not haze up like this expensive cheap plastic. It would be interesting to know how many night time accidents really happen because of poor visibility, yet do not get attributed to such simply because the drivers did have their lights on and that is all that was considered necessary. Again if you drive very much you probably have been stopped by the road patrol at night due to having a head lamp out. Seems to me that this problem is just as significant as driving with a head lamp out. What are we missing here" is it against the law for me to drive at night without any lights" there must be some requirement to ensure that manufacturers design with adequate lighting for driving at night, and that should mean that the lighting be serviceable for the expected life of the vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informa

- Lyons, GA, USA

The headlights on the vehicle are made of plastic which has faded into a yellow color, making it very hard to see at night. Took to dealer. Problem has not been resolved.

- Round Rock, TX, USA

Consumer states that after a long period of time the headlight lenses start to turn from clear to a white cloudy color, consumer can barely see the road.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

The headlights on the vehicle are made of plastic, which has faded into a yellow color which makes it very hard to see at night. Took to dealer. Problem has not been resolved.

- Port Soulfer, LA, USA