Wow, after reading most of this thread I'm REALLY glad I just got a really nice dash cover for my 2007 GX. My dash is perfect and I want to keep it that way. I'm hoping that by putting on the cover I can avoid this affliction from happening to me. Thanks to all that have shared their experiences!

 

Do you have any pics? I'm sure people w/ cracked dashes would love a nice looking cover instead of those carpet type dash covers.

I doubt it will help. If anything I would think it would speed up the cracking process since your dash can't breath as well covered up and the cover is trapping in the heat and cooking it.

 

Hmm, I understand your point, but not the logic. Why would they sell (so many) dashboard covers if they actually SPEEDED UP the cracking process? That doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Now you're making me rethink putting on my "high tech" dashboard cover, lol. I think I'm going to go ahead and leave in on and just hope that you're not correct. I guess time will tell. After 6-8 months I will post again and comment on what has, or has not, occurred with my dashboard. Hopefully, it'll be just fine. I live at a high altitude and I really just want to protect my dashboard from the possible high-altitude sun damage. Because from what I've read here, replacing, or even repairing, a whole dashboard is a pretty expensive proposition. Besides it just looks like heck. Thanks for the input!

 

Most dash boards don't have the cracking problem like ours does. Just look at all of the 4Runner / GX / RX cracked dashes. There is something wrong w/ the materials used in the making of our dashes. I've never had a cracked dash in any of my past vehicles and I've had some OLD vehicles when I was younger.

I hope it does hold up but I wouldn't hold my breath. There's people that have always garaged their GX and still had it crack. It's happened in cold and hot climates. My GX has always been in TX and now FL and it's fine, while others in hot climate states have cracked. It's the luck of the draw I guess.

And yeah it's pretty expensive to replace and once you replace a factory installed dash, 9 times out of 10 you'll have rattles that were not there before.

 

Ahh, I see. Well, I guess I was very lucky with my old 4Runner Limited. When I (or the deer) totally it about 2 months ago, it was over 10 years old and the dashboard was perfect. However, to your point, my Wife has an '06 4Runner SR5 and the dashboard got a crack in it after about 4 years. It's a simple, 4", crack on the drivers side by the air-conditioning vent, but she is annoyed like heck about it. When she bought it is was/is a CPO vehicle so we have been toying with the idea that Toyota MIGHT repair it under that Warranty that comes with it. But we haven't made any moves yet in that direction. I guess I'll just have to hope that my GX's dashboard stays "perfect", high-tech cover and all. The cover was only $49, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'll post in a few months and let everyone know what's happened (or, hopefully, not happened). Thanks!

 

Do you have a link to the cover?

 

No, I'm sorry, I don't. I bought it through a small business here in the small Colorado mountain town where I live. You might want to try Googling "Blondie's Pit Stop, Durango Colorado". I think she has a website. The owner is Dot and she is very helpful. It took a week to get my cover, which I thought was very reasonable. She offers 3-4 different kinds of covers, from the plain old "carpet" covers to the "high tech" cover called Dash Tex. She also offers a faux suede cover that looks pretty nice for something like a GX. Here's the link, found it: http://www.blondiespitstop.com. Very small company in a very small town, but she's been around forever. I have bought sheepskin seat covers from her before for one of my BMW's and they were top-notch. If you call her, please tell her Jason sent you. She'd appreciate the referral. Good Luck!

 

I have the same problem with my 2007 GX470 dashboard. There are small hairline cracks that have woven a web accross the dash. They started a couple of years ago and I did not think it was a big deal, but now they have continued to grow accross the entire dash, driver and passenger side.

I keep the car in our garage and it never sets out in the sun for long periods. I asked the dealer to look at it and they said it is a problem with the cars in just the warmer climates. It is not the sun that causes the damage, it is the heat in the summer that cracks the leather over time.

It is a manufacturer defect and I am thouroughly disappointed in the Lexus "quality care"!! This is my fourth Lexus and it will be my last! My other car is a Mercedes and I once had a problem that was clearly a defect and even though it was out of warranty, they still repaired it and stood by the product.

The only answer I got from LEXUS is that they would help offset the cost of the repair ($1600) by 33%. This is ridiculous when they know it is a defect with substandard material. Lexus is just not what they used to be!

 

The dash isn't leather.

I don't buy the dealers reasoning for the cracking. You have owners that are in cold climate states that have cracks and you have owners in warmer climates that have high heat more than just summer time (such as myself) that have no cracks at all. It's definitely a defect since it effects a lot of other Lexus and Toyotas as well.

I wonder if you could stop the cracks by using a razor blade and slice a little slit at the end of the crack to stop if from spreading?

 

I have a 03 GX and have a 3” crack on the passenger side of my dash. When id doubt....YouTube.
I found this link, it’s about 7-minutes too long. Here are the Cliff Notes:
Take a Pin, heat the end and melt where the crack ends, it will stop from spreading.


PLEASE NOTE: I cannot bring myself to inflict pain/damage to my GX.

 

Who want's to have a million holes in their dash? I'd try what I suggested with a razor blade before I did that. The type of material the dash is made out of won't show the slit probably at all and if it does it won't be as noticeable as a 2-3mm hole from a needle.

 

August 2004, I bought a new LEXUS RX330. Last two weeks my 2004 Lexus RX330 seems to be falling apart. The dashboard crack is getting bigger; instead of 4” now it's more than 10”, and the keys are also cracked to pieces. Two years ago, I paid $45 to replace a broken key. Not only is the replacement key broke, the original key also cracked to pieces. In all, we have three keys that have broken. The keys all have cracked in the same place.
Lexus Customer Satisfaction offered me $200 for the key only, but nothing for my dashboard, So much for stand behind their product and keeping owners happy.

 

August 2004, I bought a new LEXUS RX330. Last two weeks my 2004 Lexus RX330 seems to be falling apart. The dashboard crack is getting bigger; instead of 4” now it's more than 10”, and the keys are also cracked to pieces. Two years ago, I paid $45 to replace a broken key. Not only is the replacement key broke, the original key also cracked to pieces. In all, we have three keys that have broken. The keys all have cracked in the same place.
Lexus Customer Satisfaction offered me $200 for the key only, but nothing for my dashboard, So much for stand behind their product and keeping owners happy.

 

http://www.drvinyl.com/

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...-cracking.html
The thread above should be merged with this one it should really be a sticky since this is a known defect for both Toyota and Lexus vehicles.




For those that have any marks etc. over the passenger side airbag maybe this is a point to bring up with Lexus and then site this thread too and hopefully they will replace the dash for free. It's one thing if it's just a cosmetic issue it's another issue all together if it's a safety issue dealing with an important part such as an airbag.

Obviously there's a defect with the material makeup of the dash itself or else there wouldn't be so many Toyota / Lexus owners with the same exact cracking issue. Toyota really needs to step up to the plate and issue a recall on this problem.







YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT HERE ----> https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/Vehicl...nt/index.xhtml