Dash Crack at airbag

S

SureShot516

New member
WTF? no other place has a crack just at the release points of the airbag, almost appears that pressure from the airbag caused it to begin to crack, I haven't heard of many 2005 4runners with the dash cracking

let me guess toyota will do nothing to rectify this as they care nothing about our resale values.

and they just called yesterday about the safety braking recall update.

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 20140613_090047.jpg
    20140613_090047.jpg
    135.7 KB · Views: 794
Register to hide this ad
no that was my attempt to fix it, the small holes are to prevent or slow down the crack from spreading

it has cracked right along the half moon (crescent) shape that the airbag breaks free of the dash
 
SureShot516 said:
WTF? no other place has a crack just at the release points of the airbag, almost appears that pressure from the airbag caused it to begin to crack, I haven't heard of many 2005 4runners with the dash cracking

let me guess toyota will do nothing to rectify this as they care nothing about our resale values.

and they just called yesterday about the safety braking recall update.

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Well, welcome to the club, my friend.... "The list is long, but distinguished".
 
Yeah Toyota really screwed up with the development of these dashboards. Mine has a crack running along the front edge from drivers side to passenger side. I'll be looking to buy a Coverlay very soon.
 
Not that I want to come off as callous but, but I haven't seen a cracked 4th gen dash yet in my years at the dealership. Seen some trashed 4th gens, but no cracked dashes yet.

My '04 lived in LA most of its life and sits in the sun all its life so far, so I'm not entirely sure what is causing it for you guys.

That is very unusual, I remember there were a few threads before where people talked about ArmorAll being a possible reason and so on. I also know some states like Arizona (and California) where its typically sunshine and sunshine year round tend to have these issues.

It sucks, but really Toyota isn't going to do much of anything about it as its not really a Safety issue and the vehicles are typically well out of warranty and production.

Best of luck and let us know what you end up doing. I still feel leary of dash covers as they seem to be glued ontop of the existing dash rather than a replacement.
 
Not to challenge you Blackworks, but there's a whole sticky with 26 pages worth of cracked dashes, mine included here. While I may have run mine well, I'd hardly consider it trashed and a bunch of others Im sure are in a similar position.

As for the OP, you're definitely not alone. The problem is that you can't just replace the cover either as it's integrated with the whole front. I'm definitely thinking about a Coverlay as well, but my money is going to other locations at the moment...
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Not that I want to come off as callous but, but I haven't seen a cracked 4th gen dash yet in my years at the dealership. Seen some trashed 4th gens, but no cracked dashes yet.

My '04 lived in LA most of its life and sits in the sun all its life so far, so I'm not entirely sure what is causing it for you guys.

That is very unusual, I remember there were a few threads before where people talked about ArmorAll being a possible reason and so on. I also know some states like Arizona (and California) where its typically sunshine and sunshine year round tend to have these issues.

It sucks, but really Toyota isn't going to do much of anything about it as its not really a Safety issue and the vehicles are typically well out of warranty and production.

Best of luck and let us know what you end up doing. I still feel leary of dash covers as they seem to be glued ontop of the existing dash rather than a replacement.
Click to expand...

original owner and 105k on my '05 SE. Armor All has never touched my dash, taken anal retentive care of my rig... and yet, dash cracks.
 
Yeah I was talking about that 26 page thread mainly if I remember right. Again, not saying that IS the cause; but I do remember it being brought up as one possible reason.

I'm not saying you guys are invalidated or anything. Just that I have yet to see one cracked dash in the Northern California area over the years, which I thought was odd due to the 26 page thread.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Yeah I was talking about that 26 page thread mainly if I remember right. Again, not saying that IS the cause; but I do remember it being brought up as one possible reason.

I'm not saying you guys are invalidated or anything. Just that I have yet to see one cracked dash in the Northern California area over the years, which I thought was odd due to the 26 page thread.
Click to expand...

That really is odd. I would've expected the heat (especially dry heat) to be the primary cause. Mine has spent the majority of it's life in FL, so it was definitely exposed to the heat albeit a much more humid one. I would assume NorCal can get pretty hot as well, no? I was born in San Diego, so never really had much experience with the northern climate.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
....Just that I have yet to see one cracked dash in the Northern California area over the years, which I thought was odd due to the 26 page thread.
Click to expand...

I'm always interested in trying to get some sense of how actual frequency rates shake out.

Can you hazard a WAG on how many you've seen? Tens? Over 100?
 
I mentioned on the cracked dashboard sticky thread (about a year ago), that my neighbor has a Toyota Sienna (I think it's a 2006) and she too, has the exact same cracked dash board problem that we are having in our runners. Hers even looks worse than mine and most that I have seen on this board. She has NEVER used Armor All. Could it be because of humid heat? I would assume, that where BlackWorksInc. is located (Northern California) that there is not much humidity. I am just hypothesizing here. Are any of you in CANADA having the cracked dashboard issue?
 
preacher35 said:
Are any of you in CANADA having the cracked dashboard issue?
Click to expand...

Mine has a 4 inch crack running diagonally about mid dash. Really odd place where it happened. It's not at the cut-out for the airbag or at a corner or edge. Happened about 8 months ago after a drive through a field, I didn't see it crack but I know it wasn't cracked before.

I've never used any special cleaning products, just abit of soap and water. Not sure about the first 9 years of its life tho.

EDIT: I'd ask my dealer how many they've seen but the 4th gens are pretty rare around these parts and I've never heard of any other Toyota's with this issue

EDIT 2: OP, how did the stop drill/hole work for containing the crack. Thinking of doing the same just worried about it not working then i'm stuck with a big crack and two holes
 
Last edited:
SolRayz said:
Yeah Toyota really screwed up with the development of these dashboards. Mine has a crack running along the front edge from drivers side to passenger side. I'll be looking to buy a Coverlay very soon.
Click to expand...
I just noticed mine having the same crack. Sucks because I have a dash cover and the sun never hits the dash. Heck, I even use mink oil on the dash to keep it from drying out.
 
810moto said:
I just noticed mine having the same crack. Sucks because I have a dash cover and the sun never hits the dash. Heck, I even use mink oil on the dash to keep it from drying out.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with direct sunlight, but heat. The material used under the vinyl is expanding and contracting as a result of heat, causing the vinyl to rip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 341 (members: 2, guests: 339)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,310
Messages
3,554,080
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top