Hi, asking advice here...

Three months ago, I had my LR mechanic (private, not dealership, specializes in LR's) change the right front headlight. In the course of the change, I was told that the bolt that secured the assembly had rusted and broke during removal, so they proceeded to drill it out, and replace the fasteners. Since then, that headlight started accumulating condensation (the left headlight had been accumulating condensation for a while, so we thought nothing of it).

My husband decided to try and deal with the headlights himself this time, and in removing the right headlight assembly, found that the mechanic had drilled a hole into the headlight housing, which punctured the seal, which, we suspect, is the cause of the condensation. I plan on calling them on Monday to let them know about this.

My questions - How big of a deal is this? Does that mean the headlight assembly is ruined? Can I expect them to fix it, or replace it? I know it's a $400 unit, so I'm not sure they would want to replace it. What can I expect from the garage when I tell them that the headlight is worse when it came than when it went in to be fixed? Is this a normal (albeit careless) mistake that any garage, including dealerships, would make?

We plan to have some major work done soon (replace head gaskets, front cover gasket which will cost a few thousand $), and now I'm unsure about trusting these mechanics to do the work. I've used them over the past year since getting the LR, and while they're great guys and back up their work, I feel like I am always taking it back to the garage within a week (if not the same day) of getting something rechecked. Our option is to take it to the nearby dealership for this work, though it is more expensive.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

ps - Ironically, reading the forum posts, I see that the solution to headlamp condensation is to drill holes in it ...

 

See if they will order a new headlight at their cost and sell it to you at that price. Otherwise put some silicone in the drill hole and dont worry about it. As long as the front lense is not cracked it will be OK. Too bad they were not upfront enough to show you their mistake. Its hard to fine a trustworthy mechanic. Like finding a honest car dealer. Not worth their weight in gold.