I have 61k on my 2004 TL, ive been using meguiars leather cleaner conditioner on the dash and doors. Knock on wood no problems. However where the crack always starts on the airbag (Right side) mine has a small dip only in that area. I bet it would have cracked already. My car however sits under a cover and I also leave a windshield sun visor on with the sunroof slide closed. If my dash was to crack I would contact acura corp. and threaten to drop a law suit. I did this when my engine failed at 51k due to a faulty wrist pin (Nothing due to my mods nor my driving) They gave me a really hard time, intill I told them fine ill see you guys in court, they ended up doing 50/50 with me.


If anyone is wondering I use to apply it once every week, now that I rarely drive my car It's more like whenever I reuse it. Meguiars leather cleaner and conditioner also gives an amazing shine, it protects against uv and moisturizers/conditions.

 

My dash eventually cracked when I had 6x,xxx miles . I called the Acura dealership and they quoted my $8xx.xx. Obviously when I heard that I said, "yeah right!" No way was I going to spend that kind of money to replace my dash. I took the inexpensive route and bought a dash cover. It looks very nice actually here is a couple of pics

 

^^Looks good Ack, where did you purchase?

I should hear back from Courtesy today, I raised hell with the service manager and corporate. Let's see what they do...

 

wow.....

 

shhhoooooot I just got an 06 and its now that im seeing this thread, scary, im going to the dealer on monday to get mine replaced, it has no cracks but im printing out this whole forum and make them replace it.

ill keep you guys updated on my luck

 

Good luck, don't talk to Angela @ Courtesy...

 

http://www.autoanything.com/dash-mats/60A4600A0A0.aspx

got it from this company, it only cost $45. nice suede like material and very easy on the eyes compared to that dam crack

When people sit in my car they compliment on it too, which is a plus

 

Unfortunately, Ive got a feeling that as the summer heat sets in more and more 04-05 TL's will begin to show the cracks.

 

LOL theres no way there going to replace a dash that "might" crack they hardly replace the ones that do!

 

i have a 04tl and my cracks are getting worst too. the newest ones are around the passenger airbag

 

I have the same issue with mine... $800 at the dealer and Ive found complete replacements on the net for $1200 includes everything...

 

The cost at the dealer includes an estimated 8 hours of labor to swap dashes. Keep that in mind.

 

are all the guys with cracked dashes in the southeast? What about the desert, NV, AZ, Ca, or hawaii.

 

Since the cracks are happening over the airbag area, could this become a safety issue that could possibly interfere with proper airbag operation? I think this would move the problem to a new level and a more important issue in Acura's eyes.

 

No it will not cause the airbag to deploy any different with or without cracks.
Those cracks you see around the airbag happens after airbag deployment. Every airbag system in any vehicle has a precut cover or trim. If you look at the covers of all airbags you will see little lines that run around where the cover opens to allow the airbag to come out. If I can find a picture I can show you what I mean.

My theory is, the airbag unit screws not only to a support bar behind the dash but also on the dash itself. While temp changes from cold to hot it causes things to contract and expland. Over 2-3 years of this it may cause a "over streching" issuse which when summer comes around the the dash heats up from the sun the trim will expand, expand so much so that it cracks. Why this car though?Cheap material, weak spots around the airbag ect ect? Unfortunatly it will not effect it's way to deploying an airbag.

 

Has anyone tried drilling a small, 1/8" diameter or so hole at the end of each crack to keep them from spreading further? That works for other materials to stop cracks from spreading and was wondering if that would work on the dash as well. Fortunately, I never ran into the cracked dash issue before selling my car (72K miles).

 

My '06 has 91,000 miles on it and I've moved around between AZ, Vegas, and Bakersfield, CA and nt problems so far but this seems to be a time based failure so we'll see in a couple more years. That loud pop I get from the dash area once in a while in the summer will probably produce a crack one day.

I don't touch my dash at all unless it's for cleaning. I rarely apply anything to it. The only time it gets touched is with a damp rag and it's very gently.

Of course I carpooled a couple times to work and the idiots felt the need to touch the dash, headliner, etc. Last time I ever let people I work with in the car and after my reactions I don't think they would get in my car again anyway lol.

On the days I don't get covered parking at work and forget the sunshade, it's way too hot to touch.

Maybe we need to gather more info. Out of the people with cracks, who uses a sunshade, what type of cleaner/protectant, climate, garaged or exposed, etc.

 

Very good idea! This is so common with other materials, I'm surprised it hasn't been suggested yet.

 

lol, Sorry bro, but I really don't think my dash is going to crack anytime soon. i live in MA, no constant hot, humid weather up here to crack my dash. but I can understand your pain. GOOD LUCK!

i think if you guys prove that the cracking is due to heat, then you'll probably win. and I'm not sure, but since it's not really a safety issue, and more of an annoyance, I don't think they'll take you seriously.

 

Hi.

I own an '05 TL w/Navi and 50k miles. I'm the original owner.

The dashboard was perfect. No cracks, no marks until I took the car, yesterday, for a "complete detailing special" at Pembrook pines Acura in Fort Lauderdale Fl. As soon as I got my car back, I noticed the cracks all over the dashboard. Trust me, the dashboard was in absolute perfect condition before taking the car for service to the dealer TODAY. They argue that "there is nothing they can do to crack the dash like that". They insist that the cracks were there before they took the car in. I know better than that. I know there were not cracks that morning when I gave them the keys. At first I was convinced that they had stole my perfect dash for someone else's cracked dash. But after some googling, I soon learned how this is a common problem (defect). That was also how I reached this thread.

(1) I'm most upset at the fact that it all happened while THEY had the car for a "detailing special".

(2) This is clearly a poorly manufactured part or at least a defect that should be recalled by Acura.

They are now offering to replace the dashboard for $1500 after a 10% discount as a "distinguished customer" ("distinguished" --my ass!). Absurd. I'm not willing to pay one single penny. Can someone help me find how to fight Acura on this issue? The way I see it, they MUST replace my dash since it cracked while they were working on it. Furthermore, this is manufacturing defect and there is just no other way to put it.

Can the car be deemed unsafe to drive if the passenger air bag is compromised due to a cracked dashboard?

Perhaps we can organize a class action suit against Acura and their dealers and get the money back for those who have already paid and/or have Acura take care of everyone else who is still fighting the matter.

Please write to reinaldo.crespo@gmail.com with any ideas or thoughts on what to do. I'll also stay active on this forum for any news. I'm also thinking of trying to get national attention to alert potential customers about this defect and the poor response from Acura. People need to know this before purchasing a car from Acura.

Thank you very much,



Reianaldo.

 

Welcome to Acurazine Reianaldo!

Sorry to hear about your dashboard. Mine was replaced last summer at a local Acura dealership here in NC. They quoted me at $1800 for the full replacement. Since I told them there was no way in hell I would pay that amount, they took pictures and sent them to the Acura Corporate Representative for the Raleigh area. He did a full write-up and sent the information to Acura Corporate. About 3 weeks later I was contacted and said that they would cover all parts needed for the new dash, but I would pay the $550 for labor. I still wasn't happy about it, but I agreed to the offer.

Like you, I was worried about the cracks affecting the airbag deployment. I spoke to both the general manager and parts manager and they both were certain the dash would not affect airbag deployment.

Since you are the original owner of the car, I would contact Acura Corporate immediately either on your own or through your dealership. Find pictures from before the cracks with dates to back up your claim and take pictures of the dash in its present state after the dealership visit.

Feel free to shoot me a private message or write back in this thread if you have any questions or concerns. Keep us updated on what happens with your case.

 

I know this is a very old thread but I wanted to comment that this is yet another reason why you should tint your windows. It blocks UV rays from damaging things like leather and other plastics like the dash. You don't have t get dark. if legal 35% is dark to you, most shops offer lighter 50% and it still blocks all damaging UV rays. Just a little food for thought if you don't want this to happen to your dash.

 

I'm pretty sure the OEM windshield blocks a lot of UV... I can put my transition glasses on the dashboard and they won't auto-tint, but as soon as I step out of the car they turn black.

 

ok so i dont have a cracked dashboard yet but i feel i soon might. When my car is hot inside, I turn on the car and after like 2-5 seconds I hear a crack noise coming from somewhere around the center console to the passenger side fo the dash, yet there is no actual crack. has anyone else experienced this or know what causes it?

 

I never heard anything when mine started to crack. To keep the inside from getting so hot, you should crack the windows to let air circulate and also invest in a sunshade.

 

^ i should! where did you guys get yours? well i was planning on getting tinted windows but the mod bug keeps pushing my money towards other things. i should probably let the hot air out next time and wait a little before i start it up

 

I think that this is a potential safety issue. A little girl was going to school in my neighborhood and her parents car was hit by another deploying the airbag in a relatively minor accident. The airbag broke her neck. The accident got a lot of publicity

Safety trumps everything else in the automotive business IMHO.

 

How old was this little girl? Weight? Height?
It is very very unfortunate that she broke her neck but doesn't good parenting trump all?
This is of course assuming she didn't belong up there in the first place.

 

Hello everyone!

I just got a call from David, my service representative at Pembrook Pines Acura. They have agreed to replace the dashboard at zero cost.

To answer another post on this forum I only want to add that I never heard any noise or cracking sound prior to this incident.

After learning that the cracking dashboard is a common problem among 5 yr old TL's, I'm really pleased that Pembrook Acura is willing to replace mine at no cost. I'm on my way to the dealer right now!



Reinaldo.

 

That's Awesome Reinaldo! Did you have to call acura customer care, or did the dealer settle it with you? I hope to not have this issue, but very good to hear that some dealers are taking care of the customer!

 

This was a few years ago before there was much being said about children in the front seat. I think her parents were doing what they thought was right and there were no "bad parenting"" issues involved. The girl was an elementary school student. I am not sure of her height/weight/ etc. To the best of my memory I think the car was an Acura.

My point in the post was to bring attention that a cracked dash is a possible safety issue with the front airbag that Acura would want to avoid. I had an 04 TL and there was some discoloration over the passenger's airbag but there was never a crack.

 

'04 with 82k over here, I live in SoCal & my dash started to crack at my pass. side air bag.

 

is that milano red?

 

My '06 is sure to have the problem one day soon. It has developed a dimple on the lower right corner of the passenger airbag outline. I ran my finger over it and it's very noticable....

 

Uh oh. Take it to your local Acura dealership so they have record of you mentioning it before it cracks.

 

I wish they would do something but I'm at 92,000 miles.

 

True. 92k or not, you'll be going to them when and if it cracks. Just because miles are higher doesn't mean you should be turned down service or a goodwill discount.

 

I would definately give it a shot if I were going to let them touch it. However, I would rather drive with a cracked dash than let the dealer touch it. I can only imagine how many new problems they would create. I'm going to start looking around at prices now and install it later, after it cracks.

 

Just curious, do any of you use sunshields to cover the dash at all. I have not had this problem, and all I've ever done is use some 303 every 3 or 4 months and put a sunshield in the windshield when the car is parked outside. No cracks, or anything. I wish you all that are having this problem good luck resolving it. Thats a big job to change out a dash. I saw it done when I worked at the dealer.

 

I use my sunshade whenever my car is parked outside. I always crack a few windows so air can circulate and my car is kept in the garage when I'm not at work.