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I know this post is old but I live in Orlando as well and was wondering if they ever did anything regarding your dashboard?
Ferman Acura in Tampa good-willed the repair. We only had to pay $479 OTD for everything. No fuss, went in expecting a fight, they said it's no problem and had the repair done in two days. Was a few years ago when it was done, but talk to Todd Schuler if he's still there.
My dash is cracking on my 2008 TL-S. I also will add that it was originally from Florida, but 8 years and been in Va for 5 years and just now cracking. It sickens me, makes my car look cheap and not well maintained!! Knowing my luck, nothing can be done about it and I will have to purchase a used dash and Im sure it's only a matter of time before it starts cracking!!! 😡😡😡😡
Since owning my car, this is the only thing I use to clean my dash. It's never seen chemicals or water while in my possession.
I've come across a thread which discussed the "engineering" of the dash and it was designed to "breathe." Using chemicals or cleaning solutions to wipe the dash was purported to block pores and disallow the dash material to breathe (contract/expand), hence the cracking.
Looks like the material is thinner around the common spot where the cracks begin, above the glove box area.
Aerospace 303 is like suntan lotion for the dash with UV protectants in it. I've had two 3G TLs for 12 years and never had any cracking or fading of the dashboards.
I use 303 as well. It's a great product, but don't fool yourself into believing that it's solely responsible for your dash not cracking. Others who have used it have ended up with cracked dashes, and others who have never used it are still crack-free.
I saw that too...looked hella messy to replace. No wonder replacement cost is so high. The guy in the shop with ADHD probably gets assigned these jobs, lol.
Someone in Texas has done a lot of these so he'd only charge $200 for it. The only issue is that I have no guarantees that the new dash won't prematurely crack.
I have an 04 TL that has been garage kept and my dash looks like a spider web. I took it to the dealer when the cracks first started but it was after my warranty expired. I have counted at least 16 cracks in the dash. The dealer says it will cost $1200, His dealership is in Weston and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. A friend gave me a new dash from his body shop and the dealer wanted $800 to install it. He is a crook and I would never go there again or recommend him ever. This is a crime Honda won't step up and do the right thing on an expensive car in '04.
I mean, judging by the amount of stuff that has to be removed or disconnected from the dash, I'm not surprised the labor is $800. What is that break down to- 6 or 7 hours labor? Seems about right.
Actually, if anything, that seems kind of like a bargain. I can imagine taking the dash out takes quite some time... there are A LOT of screws back there...
The real fact is why the dash cracked in the first place. I have had numerous cars that were parked outside all the time and never cracked. This is the first car and the most expensive car up to that point that has had a cracked dash. I think Honda should step up and do the repair. One of the dealers in Orlando replaced the dash on several cars for $300 which I would gladly pay. They don't want to accept responsibility. I really don't care about the time it takes, it's just the right thing to do. Look and see how many thousands of people have complained about the same thing for 04 and 05 TLs.
Aerospace 303 is like suntan lotion for the dash with UV protectants in it. I've had two 3G TLs for 12 years and never had any cracking or fading of the dashboards.
I used it as well and my dash still ended up cracking. So there.
BTW, before I sold my Acura I simply went to my local dealer and they called Acura for me. They got me a goodwill repair and only asked me to pay $100.
Joe, does this mean that anyone that is willing to travel to Tampa (I have family in NPR) could get their dash replaced if cracked for like $479?
Jim,
Honestly, I don't know what my Indy mechanic would charge for labor but I know one of the master techs at the shop has a lot of experience competently taking apart and putting dashes back on.
Damn dash cracked on me this morning. I have been away and forgot about turning the defroster on when the interior is cold. Came out to take it to the car wash and noticed 2 big cracks! What are my options to fix it? Looked at a dash cover on ebay but they looked cheesy. Also saw they were selling used dashboard but for $400 without installation is kind of pricey! Please help, love my car but now i don't even want to drive it! Smh
I think my car has a pretty bad dashboard crack because whenever i accelerate from 0 there will be rattles from the dashboard. But the previous owner covered it up with some nice leather stitches lol
08 TL bought new, now has 63k. Garage kept. Just noticed 2 vertical cracks above where passenger airbag cutout is. Wasn't there on Friday!
Showed to dealer SA (Ft Myers, FL). Contacted Acura Client Relations, obtained Case #.
SA submitted claim today and received tentative response later in afternoon that I contribute $500.00 +tax and total replacement of dash will be done.
Advised that 3G manufacturer of dashboards used substandard material which is main reason it cracked.
My 2007 TL dash just started cracking above the glove compartment area. I live in south Florida but always use a windshield visor to protect it from direct sun each day it is outside longer than a few hours when at work. It was always garaged when at my house too. I used Armor All or Turtle Wax protectant on it. But I was told those will cause it to crack, which I don't believe was the case. 9 years is pretty good after reading some of these posts. I keep my car looking good and have 189K miles on it, but now the dash makes it loook like a POS haha.
Has anyone recently contacted their local Acura dealership referring to this problem? I have a '07 TL-S w/120K miles and my dash just cracked on the passenger side. I plan on making a trip to the dealership soon to see what the deal is; hopefully they've figured some better customer service solution.
I don't believe that putting any Armor All or other protectant causes this. 303 is not the answer either, as Armor All and others have UV protection. People have cracked dashes using 303. I used a sun visor shield religiously every day since I bought it new and live in south Florida. These are all occurring in the exact same spot, which indicates a problem with the design. If the material needed to breathe as you put it, the entire surface would crack at the same time. My two cents...there is no cure for this other than it's a faulty dashboard product design. Carry on....
This just happened to my '04 TL after 12 years of ownership. The crack in my dash clearly outlines the location of the passenger side airbag, and I imagine it could affect proper air bag deployment since one area of the dash is now significantly weaker than the other. If you also think this could be a safety issue, you can add your voice to a list of concerned drivers here: Acura TL Air Bags - 2004 ACURA TL Problems With Air Bags
A summary of the linked site is below. Please repost in any appropriate forum if you want to get Acura's attention:
Car problem(s) with the 2004 ACURA TL. This database includes information received by NHTSA from consumers either directly or as recorded by the Vehicle Safety Hotline. This information may be used by NHTSA during the investigation process. You may file your own complaint by calling the NHTSA Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153. You can also file your complaint online.
For '08 TL owners with the cracked dash problem (ours is cracked and I am not a happy camper), the site that jpolk linked also has similar complaints for the '08 TL; that link is here: Acura TL Air Bags - 2008 ACURA TL Problems with Air Bags. Thanks for the link, jpolk! Also, as jpolk said, please, please, file a complaint with the NHTSA as well. Thanks.
Last edited by theDirizhor; 12-20-2016 at 02:13 PM.
06 TL with ebony/black interior, 160k miles, and mine is somehow in perfect condition. Never used any sort of treatment on it. Strange because Ohio has vast temperature differences throughout the year...hell it's not uncommon to use your heat and your air conditioning in the same day. Wonder if I just got lucky.
I have an 06 black interior also. A few years ago lines developed on the dash around the passenger airbag, but no cracks. The whole dashboard was also starting to look very gray. I applied Mothers brand Back to Black all over the dash and it made it look almost as good as new. The lines around the passenger airbag were also less noticeable and I haven't had any problems since.
I just got an 04 tl and cracked like crazy I do not think they will ever do anything about it. Im going to fill it with whatever matches the color, lol.
06-07-2015, 08:40 PM
