I had the misfortune of having a headlight lens broken by a rock recently and was shocked at the $525 cost of a replacement, which my dealer said came as a single sealed total unit. Now, after reading some of the Volvo 850 postings, they say that the 850 has a detachable and replaceable lens which costs only $70-130. Was I conned by my local dealer, or is the single piece fixture a necessity for the S80?

Volvo does not supply replacement headlight lenses in the U.S. market. I guess they figure we're not smart enough to replace them without hurting ourselves. The 850 lenses you talk about are aftermarket or available overseas. The Volvo parts catalogue lists a replacement lens and gasket for 850 models, but not available in U.S. Plus, to replace the S-80 headlight, the bumper cover must be partially removed, hence the labor charges.