cwppwc

I purchased my 2006 C280 new in October of 2006. Within 3 months, the fog light on the passenger side had a crack across the lense. The dealership service department said something hit it and they had to replace the whole unit for ~$300. About a month ago, I was washing the car and noticed the same light had cracked again. Since I knew I would be needing an oil change soon, I thought I would have the dealership look at it then. Today, I go out to wash the car and the DRIVER'S side fog light has a crack across it too! I've looked closely at both lenses and I don't see any nicks or chips from anything hitting the lenses, just clean breaks. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with the fog light lenses breaking or if I'm just "lucky".

kevblah

thats rather odd....
the stock lenses are relatively thick
my guess is maybe your fog lights harnesses are putting pressure on the lenses?

coin

Don't spray the fogs (after you use them for a long trip) with cold water. The extreme difference in temperature can crack them .

Mu9enx

sorry i can't really help with this topic, but i was just wondering, is it 300$ at the dealership for the whole assembly + wires? or is it ust for the lens? thanks.

cwppwc

Thanks all. After my limited research online, I had a feeling the problem wasn't "common". I dropped the C280 off at the dealership this morning. I explained that I had already paid for one complete fog light assembly to be replaced only to have the same fog light crack again and then the other. I pointed out that there wasn't any dings or chips on the lens, just the crack. (I wish I would have looked closer at the first one that broke) Long story short, I received a call this afternoon that my vehicle was ready and they were stumped as to why these cracked, so they replaced them under warranty. No charge is a "good thing". We'll just keep an eye on them. Thanks again! (side note: They just replaced the lenses this time but they replaced the whole assembly the first time I took it in.)

RES

Maybe try putting clear gaurds on them to protect them

cwppwc

Thanks Russell. After the first fog light broke, I did inquire at the dealership about them. I forget exactly what they wanted to protect the lights only but it was excessive I thought. Something like $600 just for the lights and $1800 for the lights, front of the hood and exterior mirrors. I told them "No thanks." Especially for a leased vehicle and in my 53 years, I driven a lot of cars without taking out any headlights or fog lights, so I thought the odds were with me. A couple months ago, I came across a company called XPEL TECHNOLOGIES. (www.xpel.com) They have the guards, precut for an exact fit on the C280 and for only ~$60. I ordered a set but then the second fog light broke before I could install the kit. Now that I have new lenses on both sides, I'm going to go ahead and install the guards. It'll be interesting to see if they continue to break.

ctC230K

do you have a garage? someone is sneaking into your driveway at night with a hammer...

cwppwc

I always thought that garden gnome looked like trouble.....