Cracked dashboard

[TurboD4D]

After reading this post last week and a bit of other googling. I decided to take some pics and then email and ring my Local Toyota agent. I was fully prepared for the worst.
I introduced myself and told them that my dash was sticky and cracking around the vents and I had heard that Toyota where doing a "Customer Support Program" in relation to this issue.
She asked what type of car I had (2007 GXL Prado). When I told her she said well that's lucky as they have been given a cut off period of 10 years. She asked me to bring my car in for some photos. I said I have some pre taken photos if that was OK? She was happy with that
Within 1 hour she rang me back and told me it had been approved and will be booked in for replacement. 4 weeks from Japan. She will call when it arrives. No mention of any cost to me.
Very happy with the service so far.

[Kurt]

For anyone looking at getting repairs done to a cracked 120 dash - I just had one done by New Life Repair Services. Total cost of the work was $495 for the dash repair and also touching up the leather on the front driver & passenger seats. Overall I think they did a great job. You can still see that it had been cracked, but it doesn't look too obvious at all. Compared to how it started, literally a million times better. Will upload some photos in the next couple of posts.

Here's the AFTER repair pictures. You'll see in the last two pictures in particular that you can still see a faint line where the largest cracks had been, but nothing compared to what the crack had been to start with.

[Kurt]

For anyone looking at getting repairs done to a cracked 120 dash - I just had one done by New Life Repair Services. Total cost of the work was $495 for the dash repair and also touching up the leather on the front driver & passenger seats. Overall I think they did a great job. You can still see that it had been cracked, but it doesn't look too obvious at all. Compared to how it started, literally a million times better. Will upload some photos in the next couple of posts.

Here's the before pictures

[Kurt]

For anyone looking at getting repairs done to a cracked 120 dash - I just had one done by New Life Repair Services. Total cost of the work was $495 for the dash repair and also touching up the leather on the front driver & passenger seats. Overall I think they did a great job. You can still see that it had been cracked, but it doesn't look too obvious at all. Compared to how it started, literally a million times better. Will upload some photos in the next couple of posts.

[gspy4u]

Thanks, yes i will get it in to them when this back of mine gets a bit better and see what they say. The local dealership has been really great with everything else they have done so far, so im hoping they will agree to a recover.



Mine is a July 07 model, so still within the 10yr time frame. I noticed the crack today is also on the passengers side, from next to the radio above the glove box and air bag areas towards the passenger A pillar..

Take a photo of the cracks and email it to their service area or manager. That's all I did and they approved the replacement there and then. It was 3 days before the 10 yrs as well. As long as the process is started before the time period then it should be right.

Make sure to mention that the dash also gets sticky and seems to melt when left in the hot sun, seems to make a difference if that happens as well.

[LowRange]

Get it in ASAP. Mine was notified to and seen by them ONE DAY before 10 years from delivery! Do it now and take no bullshit from them.

Thanks, yes i will get it in to them when this back of mine gets a bit better and see what they say. The local dealership has been really great with everything else they have done so far, so im hoping they will agree to a recover.

what pug said ^

what build month is yours lowrange?

Mine is a July 07 model, so still within the 10yr time frame. I noticed the crack today is also on the passengers side, from next to the radio above the glove box and air bag areas towards the passenger A pillar..

[Wtrxprs007]

My dash was perfect, it had a dash cover and i always kept it garaged out of the sun. When i took it to Toyota to get the timing belt replaced they left it out in their holding yard in the sun on a 43c day. When i came to pick the car up and got in it there was a huge crack from the center across the instrument cluster and over towards the drivers door. A 2007 so 10yo this year, no idea if they will do anything about it at this stage.

what pug said ^

what build month is yours lowrange?

[404pug]

Get it in ASAP. Mine was notified to and seen by them ONE DAY before 10 years from delivery! Do it now and take no bullshit from them.

[LowRange]

My dash was perfect, it had a dash cover and i always kept it garaged out of the sun. When i took it to Toyota to get the timing belt replaced they left it out in their holding yard in the sun on a 43c day. When i came to pick the car up and got in it there was a huge crack from the center across the instrument cluster and over towards the drivers door. A 2007 so 10yo this year, no idea if they will do anything about it at this stage.

[Steve M]

Gspy4u, totally agree with your comment 100%.

[gspy4u]

Yes, we have had the same issue with our '04 model. And I agree, it would appear to be heat related. It's amazing how much a simple sun shade could have saved the dash. A bit disappointed that it was with a Toyota-made vehicle though.

Don't think a sunshade would have made a difference other than making it take longer to happen. My 07 was always garaged, had sunshade up whenever parked for any time in the sun, cleaned and looked after all the time and even got a dashmat for it and the only difference is that it took 9 years to start its melting process. Started to go shinny, then sticky, then smokey white when cooled down. Then it got stickier and stickier as the heat went up.
Finally it got a crack and got brittle looking at 9 years 360 days. Luckily i noticed the crack and took a pic and reported it to Toyota and since it was still under the 10yr limit they changed it over for new one.
Seems it is the glue they used affecting the plastic in the manufacturing process or something like that. Am assured that the new dash's are different and it won't happen again (fingers crossed).

[AusNomads]

Yes, we have had the same issue with our '04 model. And I agree, it would appear to be heat related. It's amazing how much a simple sun shade could have saved the dash. A bit disappointed that it was with a Toyota-made vehicle though.

[Kurt]

Cracked dashboard

I've only read a few pages back so sorry if this info is a double up. I see a few people saying that Toyota don't put anything in writing or that they deny there's a problem. When I was at a service centre recently they had a service notice from Toyota about cracked dashes across Prado and others like Camry and Corolla. The rules from the notice seemed to be that you have to make a complaint, the car needs to be 10 years old or less, and there needs to have not been poor maintenance (so they ask about service history - but what's that got to do with a dash?). If the criteria are met supposedly the dash can be replaced for free. Seems to be increased willingness to deal with it if it's been serviced by Toyota all along as well.

Unfortunately my 2004 model 120 Grande is well over the 10 years. The dealer said I didn't have a hope, and when I called Toyota I got the same result. Annoyed with myself now that I didn't get onto it years ago as the cracks on mine have been there for many years. The first couple were there when I bought the car back in about 2009, and the dealer I bought it from got a patch job done on them before I accepted the car from them.

Sounds like Bprado has had some success on getting a 2004 repaired recently. That's great news. If I had more time I'd have a go at pushing more for mine, but I'm only actually fixing it to sell the car as I've just upgraded to a 150 series. Don't really want to stuff around too much.

[mersenne]

Rockhampton Dealer did my 2006 under warranty last year - I made it by just 2mths short of the 10yrs.
Apparently, is was the glue Toyota used on them.
They ordered it and took 3wks from Japan, but didn't pay a cent. They said they've had to replace dashes on Camry too.

[blackvx]

How can it not be true when thats what they told me on the phone?
I understand people are getting different results but thats what the Toyota woman told me direct, not word of mouth.