GMC’s Recall Fix For Too Bright Headlights Is A Piece Of Tape, And Owners Are Frustrated

What’s in a name? Not enough to save GMC from the ire of its customers, who say that the “appliqué” being applied to the headlights of their recalled Terrains, is actually just a “sticker.”

The fix is being applied to GMC Terrains from the model years 2010-2017, whose headlights were found to be too bright by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Glare from the headlights, the regulator found, may dazzle oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

In response to the problem, GMC resolved to install “a headlamp appliqué that will ensure the headlamps do not exceed the 125 cd limit,” per GM Authority. According to Tire Meets Road, the procedure also involves cleaning the headlight with alcohol, and using a template provided by GM to place the appliqué perfectly.

Read More: NHTSA Rejects GM’s Bid To Avoid GMC Terrain Recall Over Too Bright Headlights

Customers, though, weren’t too pleased to discover that “appliqué” was just a fancy word for what appears to be a sticker that, effectively, gives part of the headlight a frosted glass effect.

We’ve reached out to GMC for more information on this “appliqué” and how it works and will update this story when we hear back, but posters on the GMC Terrain Owners & Fans Facebook group are none too pleased. One group member wrote that “this is not a permanent fix, and it’s unprofessional and ridiculous.”

Other owners, meanwhile, were curious about how long the appliqué would last, calling it a “band-aid,” and wondered what would happen if the appliqué needed to be replaced. More still were concerned that their UV damaged headlight glass might need to be repaired.

GMC‘s unwillingness to participate in this recall from the beginning is unlikely to do anything to ease owners’ concerns. In March, we reported that NHTSA had rejected the automaker’s attempts to overturn the recall on the grounds that it did not impact safety.

What should make owners feel better is that the fix is supposed to just take 12 minutes to complete. Which means that their visit to the dealership should, at least, be speedy.