With only 1k miles, the front camera got hit (with a rock, probably) and as a result, the glass cracked and moisture gets in blurring the image beyond recognition.
Service adviser at VW dealer looked at it and said: it's like a cracked windshield - an unfortunate occurrence. However, to me it seems different -- the front camera is riding low over the road, is facing straight front, and is completely exposed. It looks like the same type of glass that's on side/rear cameras here the possibility of rocks flying is orders of magnitude lower. Basically, the front camera is begging to be smashed and destroyed.
Fixing it would cost upward $1k (calibration alone is over $400) and there is no guarantee that damage wouldn't occur again, rather soon.
Seems like a combination of bad design and poor execution on VW part... I could come with a design that uses a cheap replaceable mirror to reflect image into the camera, that's actually hidden out of the way behind a hardened (and also replaceable) glass.
What do you think?
Service adviser at VW dealer looked at it and said: it's like a cracked windshield - an unfortunate occurrence. However, to me it seems different -- the front camera is riding low over the road, is facing straight front, and is completely exposed. It looks like the same type of glass that's on side/rear cameras here the possibility of rocks flying is orders of magnitude lower. Basically, the front camera is begging to be smashed and destroyed.
Fixing it would cost upward $1k (calibration alone is over $400) and there is no guarantee that damage wouldn't occur again, rather soon.
Seems like a combination of bad design and poor execution on VW part... I could come with a design that uses a cheap replaceable mirror to reflect image into the camera, that's actually hidden out of the way behind a hardened (and also replaceable) glass.
What do you think?