Mobile headlight restoration Ann Arbor, MI We come to you
Cloudy headlights, restored to full clarity. Drive brighter.
A yellowed lens is not just a tired look on the car. In AAA lab testing, headlights off 11-year-old sedans measured 22% of a new headlight’s output on low beam. We bring the clarity back at your car in 45–60 minutes, then seal it with a 3-year ceramic UV coating.
Why Beacon
Every other option in Ann Arbor is a shop.
You drive there, you hand over your keys, you wait. Beacon is mobile — we work at your house, your apartment lot, your workplace car park, wherever the car is already sitting. You never leave your parking spot.
And headlights are the only thing we do. Shops and detailers treat restoration as one line item among dozens, which is why theirs stops at a polish and ours finishes with a warranted UV coating.
What clarity actually buys you
A clear lens puts the light where you need it.
A healthy lens sends light down the road in a defined pattern. As the surface oxidizes, that same light scatters instead — which is why old headlights look dim even with new bulbs in them. Drag the slider to see the difference.
The scale of it is measured, not guessed. In AAA’s lab testing, headlights taken off 11-year-old cars put out 22% of a new headlight’s light on low beam. About half of all crashes happen at night, which is exactly when that missing light matters.
Source: AAA headlight research.
Beam pattern Low beam / 25 m
OxidizedRestored
The process
What actually happens at your car.
Four stages, in order. The last one is the reason the result lasts.
- 01
De-Yellowing Treatment
A de-yellowing treatment strips the oxidized, UV-damaged top layer off a yellowed headlight lens so the plastic underneath is clear again.
- 02
Wet Sanding
Wet sanding levels the lens through progressively finer abrasive grades, taking out the deeper hazing and fine scratching that polishing alone cannot reach.
- 03
Machine Polishing
Machine polishing brings the sanded lens back to full optical clarity so light passes straight through instead of scattering.
- 04
3-Year Ceramic UV Coating
A ceramic UV coating replaces the factory protection that was lost, and is warranted for three years.
Warranted 3 years
The difference
This is what a restored headlight looks like.
Real jobs, photographed at the car. Every before-and-after is our own.
Photo sets go in here after each documented job. Until then these stay empty rather than showing someone else’s car — in a category full of that, it matters.
What it costs — most cars
$120
per car for most vehicles. A second car on the same visit is 30% off — $205 for two.
For scale, published 2026 repair pricing puts a single replacement halogen headlight assembly at roughly $250 to $700 fitted, and LED assemblies far above that. Two cars costs us one trip instead of two, so the discount is real rather than a gimmick. Neighbors and households with two vehicles should get quoted together. Larger vehicles and badly damaged lenses can run higher, and we confirm the exact price before starting.
Where we work
Ann Arbor and the surrounding area.
If you are inside this area, we will come to you.
- Ann Arbor
- Ypsilanti
- Saline
- Dexter
- Chelsea
- Milan
- Manchester
- Whitmore Lake
- Pittsfield Township
- Scio Township
- Superior Township
- Canton
- Plymouth
- Belleville
- Brighton
- South Lyon
Common questions
Headlight restoration, answered.
How much does headlight restoration cost?
Most cars are $120. A second car on the same visit is 30% off, which makes two cars $205. Larger vehicles, heavily damaged lenses and longer drives can be more, so we confirm the price with you before any work starts. No deposit and no obligation.
Do you come to me, or do I drive to a shop?
We come to you. Beacon Auto Care is fully mobile and works at your home, apartment lot, workplace or wherever your car is parked in the Ann Arbor area. There is no shop to drive to and no waiting room.
Do cloudy headlights actually make it harder to see at night?
Yes, and by more than most people expect. AAA had an accredited lab test the headlights from two sedans about 11 years old and found that on low beam they put out just 22% of the light a new headlight does. That is roughly one fifth. Michigan also sets a standard, MCL 257.701, that headlights reveal people and vehicles at at least 200 feet. A lens passing a fraction of its light makes that harder to do. It is not only about how the car looks.
How long does the coating last?
The ceramic UV coating is a 3-year coating. It replaces the factory protective layer that wore away and is what stops the lens yellowing again.
Why do headlights turn yellow in the first place?
Headlight lenses are polycarbonate plastic with a thin factory UV coating sprayed on at the plant. That coating is the only thing protecting the plastic, and it wears out. Sunlight, engine heat, road salt, car-wash chemicals and road grit break it down, typically starting three to five years in. Once it is gone, oxygen reacts with the bare plastic underneath and that is what turns the lens yellow, cloudy or hazy. The haze is in the lens, not on it, which is why washing the car never fixes it.
Tell us about your car.
Send your details and we will reach out to agree a time, or call and we will sort it out on the phone. Serving Ann Arbor, MI and surrounding areas.