2013 WRX 300 miles and headlamps already hazy

[Pool Runner]

Got a '13 WRX, sedan with only 300 miles (I work a lot so don't drive my car much sadly) anyway the car sits in the garage 98% of the time, but I admit I ran my WRX through one of those "touch less" automatic car washes. I paid for the cheapest wash $5 but it still put soap all over the car. I'm thinking the soapy water from the wash started it, it's not bad or ruined but I can already see a light hazy area forming on my driver side lens.

What's weird is that I drive my two other vehicles through the same wash weekly and both other vehicles headlamps still look brand new (Outback has clear bra film on lamps though) F-150 is a year old and no problem. Anyway I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed the haze on there WRX?

[nsibanez]

Probably a bad gasket. Have the dealer fix it, they're kind of a pain to do yourself.

[mangostick]

You know those touchless car washes have a mild acid in the soap? .. its what helps dissolve the dirt off the car. Problem is that it also eats into the surfaces on the car.

you can probably bring the lights back clear using meguires scratch x or something similarly mild and a microfiber towel to do the buffing.

Stay away from the touchless car washes. Nothing but trouble for the life of your paint/trim!

[nsibanez]

That's true. It could be fogging because it's eating away at your headlights. But if it's fogging because water vapor is getting inside, its the gasket.
It'll start staining the inside of the lamp too. I'm just going to eplace mine once it's bad enough

[nsibanez]

And ALWAYS hand wash your car yourself if you're going to want the paint to last

[SNE2040]

It's fogging because they're not sealer right from the factory. Mine did and it went away once i retofitted my lights and resealed them.
The dealer wouldn't want to warranty it either.... according to SOA they said that it's normal for some condensation.

[Annihilator817]

This is incredibly common. Had the same issue when new. It went away.

[gundamz2001]

It's worth taking it to the dealership. They said my WRX's headlights have more than normal condensation so the dealer replaced them.

[Annihilator817]

It's happened to every WRX, and for that matter, every new Subaru I've seen in the last couple years. Even saw a BRZ with.the issue last week.

It goes away. If you want to take it to the dealer, go for it, but the replacements are likely to do it as well, and the techs are well trained to repeat what I just posted.

[nsibanez]

Get yourself a set of REPLACE
they seem oem style but probably have better seals

[EuroWRX22]

i have a 2012 wrx and my headlights began oxidizing i have owned the car for about 3 months now and i work for subaru they told me its normal... how is that normal??? i have never ran it thru a carwash always handwashed. Is there anyway to get rid off this haze and keep it away'

[nsibanez]

better seals

how's the pay at Subaru? I was thinking about trying over there

[Pool Runner]

Just so everyone knows, I'm not referring to condensation or water vapor inside the housing or lens. What I have is like an etching, it almost looks like water drops that have permanently dried or leached into the outside of the lens surface. I'm an experienced detailer but even purchasing Maquires headlamp kit I could not polish the etching out of the lens, I probably improved it by 30% but that's the best I could do.