We've owned our Countryman for a year now and recently, we've been getting flashed by oncoming cars.

First year, this didn't happen but now with regularity, we get flashed as if we are driving with the high beams on. I had my wife pass me the other day and they did seem rather bright.

I know back when I owned a Jeep, the suspension was so stiff that it caused the headlights to jump and I'd get flashed, wondering if its more of the same but why the drastic change a year later.

 

It's not likely that the brightness has changed, but rather the aim. Assuming your car has not been hit in the front (even lightly), are you carrying more weight in the rear of the car than previously? When we started carrying a collapsible spare tire and jack in the rear, it definitely lowered the rear of our CM (and raised the front).

 

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. The wife does have a lot of junk in her trunk...

 

I would think it would have to 50 lbs or more to make that much of a difference.

 

Do you have xenon light?

 

I've always had this issue with my car (non-MINI). The lights are just bright, but I am able to adjust the aim from up and down. Most newer cars now a day just seem to have much stronger/brighter lights. It could just be coincidence that people are now more recently flashing their lights at you and nothing could have really changed.

 

Want to rephrase that? Gave me a good chuckle.

 

If you have Xenon lights , they might need adjusted or the bumped / bent the arm on the auto levelers on the front and rear suspension ? That causes the lights to be a tad higher and people are getting blinded by the Xenon high cutoff.

 

If the wife was sitting in the back seat, that would explain it

 

Your wife has more than 50 lbs of junk in her trunk!