my new daily driver has a broken headlight lens. I really dont want to take apart the nicely aligned front end to replace the headlight. Is there a way I could just heat up the lens to separate it from the housing to put a new lens on?

 

it won't be fun, if at all possible. there's the clips you would need to slide off the housing and glass, on the top and bottom. guys would put the whole headlight in an oven to heat it up and remove the glass, heat gun works too.

Honestly you're better off removing your bumper, and taking out that headlight. don't even have to remove the filler piece. aligning a bumper and one single headlight is pretty easy.