Will this make airbag deployment painful?

[pinkyracer]

Hi! So I've had my trusty 4Runner since 2004. I'm worried about these cracks along the dashboard. One runs the entire width, and there are other shorter ones.

Will this make the dashboard shatter messily when the airbags deploy? I don't know what the dashboard is supposed to do when the bags deploy, but I suspect cracks might change the way it behaves in that event.

Have any of you had the bags deploy with a cracked dashboard? I don't want some dealer selling me a replacement dashboard if I don't need it.

Thanks!

 

[Kandor]

As someone who has seen thousands of deployed air bags my somewhat educated guess would be that you should be ok. Obviously, there are a lot of significant forces involved in any airbag deployment so there are no guarantees but if this was my vehicle I would not be overly concerned.

 

[Bumbo]

You do know that your dash is covered under a Toyota warranty or some sort of recall…

I got mine replaced at no charge with a brand new OEM dash last year… all I needed to do was call the dealer and give them a VIN # and a few photos which you already have and they scheduled an appointment; got it done in one trip.

After that and a brand new OEM windshield which I also got comped, it damn near feels like a new truck again. Still thinking of doing the steering wheel to round it all off.

Just FYI, your dash is also worse than mine was. I actually had to try and get some good photos of the cracks.

 

[pinkyracer]

You do know that your dash is covered under a Toyota warranty or some sort of recall…

I got mine replaced at no charge with a brand new OEM dash last year… all I needed to do was call the dealer and give them a VIN # and a few photos which you already have and they scheduled an appointment; got it done in one trip.

After that and a brand new OEM windshield which I also got comped, it damn near feels like a new truck again. Still thinking of doing the steering wheel to round it all off.

Just FYI, your dash is also worse than mine was. I actually had to try and get some good photos of the cracks.

SHIT! Thanks for telling me. Well, I called Toyota and that warranty expired May 2017. Apparently they sent two notices to my correct address that I never got. This is exactly why the USPS is worthless. That makes me so angry! If I were the sort of person who wants their car to look meticulous, I'd have a Lexus, not a 4runner. So of course I waited until it seemed dangerous to even look into it.

But thanks for letting me know.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

SHIT! Thanks for telling me. Well, I called Toyota and that warranty expired May 2017. Apparently they sent two notices to my correct address that I never got. This is exactly why the USPS is worthless. That makes me so angry! If I were the sort of person who wants their car to look meticulous, I'd have a Lexus, not a 4runner. So of course I waited until it seemed dangerous to even look into it.

But thanks for letting me know.

A scapegoat is always the best excuse.