Hi everyone,
I’d like to share my experience, as it might be useful for other owners facing a similar issue and ask for some advice from D5T5 community!
I purchased my Volvo XC60 (model year 2019) fairly recently, during the summer. The car had relatively low mileage (around 80,000 km), a clean history, and no accidents or body damage — something I verified carefully before buying. Up until winter, I had absolutely no issues with the headlights or lighting system.
The problem appeared after a very specific situation.
During winter, I took the car to a regular car wash. After washing, I parked it overnight in a warm underground garage. The next morning, when I came back to the car, I noticed visible condensation inside one of the headlights — clearly moisture trapped inside the housing. At that point, it was obvious that water had somehow entered the headlight assembly 👇
WhatsApp Image 2026-01-15 at 15.00.43.jpeg
The issue did not resolve on its own.
The headlight would partially dry out over time, but only temporarily. As soon as I drove again in humid or wet conditions, the condensation returned to a similar level. In other words, the moisture was never fully gone — it kept coming back depending on the environment.
After driving like this for some time and monitoring the situation, I decided not to risk potential damage and booked a diagnostic appointment with an official Volvo dealer in Prague, where I currently live.
WhatsApp Image 2026-01-15 at 15.14.39.jpeg
The dealer performed the diagnostic in about 5 minutes, which immediately made me think that this might be a fairly common issue, as the root cause was identified so quickly — especially considering that it is not detectable with the naked eye.
They showed me a loss of sealing between the headlight housing and the lens. By gently pressing on the plastic in that area, a small gap became visible, clearly showing that the seal had weakened. Most likely, this happened due to sealant fatigue over time and vibration.
There were no visible signs of impact or damage, so this issue would be almost impossible to notice without a detailed check.
According to the dealer, this is not repairable, and the only solution they offer is full headlight replacement. The quoted price, including parts and work, is around 55,000 CZK, which is approximately €2,200–2,300 for reference.
Given that this is a very expensive repair, I started looking for alternative solutions.
As a temporary measure, I applied a thin layer of clear liquid silicone to the affected seam. I carefully degreased the area where the sealing failure occurs and sealed it externally, hoping at least to prevent further moisture from entering the headlight. My assumption is that, over time, this might also help reduce the amount of condensation already inside. That said, I fully understand this is not a permanent fix, just a short-term workaround.
WhatsApp Image 2026-01-15 at 15.24.09.jpeg
At this point, I’d really appreciate advice from the community on a few things:
Has anyone successfully repaired a headlight like this, instead of replacing it entirely?
Can you recommend a reliable service in Prague or the surrounding area that specializes in headlight repairs or resealing?
What is your experience with buying a used headlight (for example from online marketplaces like this? Are there known issues with compatibility, coding, or software calibration after installation?
Any shared experience, recommendations, or warnings would be extremely helpful 🙏
Thanks a lot in advance to everyone who takes the time to respond 🙌
PS. I’m attaching a photo of the affected headlight, including the part number:
WhatsApp Image 2026-01-15 at 15.36.11.jpeg
