I know we all talk about our dash's, dimples and discolorations etc. Today I got in the car to go to work, was just getting ready to back out of the driveway and when the sun hit the dash I had a lovely "outline" of something showing thru from underneath the dashboard covering! It is the shape of a shoebox but with rounded corners! I am guessing it is the housing for the passenger airbag, and I am NOT happy with the way it looks. Antone else experience this? I will be making an appointment with the dealer, sure hope the dash doesn't need to be replaced. I wil try to get a picture when I get home from work but it may be difficult to get it to show.

 

Don't need to see a pic here...I can just look at my dash. Let us know if you get it fixed. I doubt the dealer's going to do anything about it, but it'd be cool if they did.

 

for me, pics will be helpful. Let's see it and make sure what it is while you're scheduling to visit your dealer. Thanks.

 

I think it is really a lame design. I guess in some people's opinion it is better than the 2nd generation "cover" over the air bag, but if you are going to hide it in the '04 and '05's at least they could have done a better job. Mine is the same way as yours. The part that bothers me - if that airbag deploys - then I gotta get a new dash top - where I am guessing in my wife's '02, the little trap door looking thing would just blow open, not blow through the dash. Maybe you always need a new dash after a crash I dunno - hope I never find out.

 

I think this design is pretty common. When I hit a deer in my 1995 Ford Windstar the airbags deployed. The vehicle sustained $4000 in damage; $1500 externally and $2500 inside (Two airbags, shredded dashboard, destroyed steering wheel, and countless little plastic parts). There were no injuries, but I was only going 35 mph.

 

i have no idea what you people are talking about...how about posting some pics of this horrible dash deformity

 

I believe all TL's have this issue. When the dash gets dry or is in the right light you can see where the dash is "thin" so that the passenger airbags can deploy. The steering wheel also has "thin" spots that, fortunetely, cannot be seen until you slam your horn hard and they break open allowing you to see them.

I suggest that you try treating your dash with some vinylex or something like that and you should notice the problem go away or become substantially reduced! At least that is what happened in my case. If it doesn't totally fix things, I would learn to deal with it. I think all dashes are going to have this problem.

 

I have this problem and I will try to get some pics. But "Thenip" has the right idea. When I use my 303 on it it's less noticeable.