SMEDINA

I too have an 02 Black IS300 and have the melting airbag problem. I bought it used however didnt notice the problem until i went to clean the dash... I sprayed meguiars quick interior detailer and the cloth started sticking to the airbag. It didnt affect any other part of the dash except for the airbag. I hadnt sought a resolution since I thought I would be told by the dealer that it was Meguiars fault.

One other thing that i noticed is that my dash is okay for the most part but you can easily scratch it and take a chunk out if not careful. My sis has an IS and her dog did a number on the dash taking chunks out by jumping on it.

wayneh

I'm still working with Lexus of America to see if they'll replace the airbag and cover at no charge.
Of course this is a slow process, but I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the responses - hopefully this will help others too.

wayneh

Well, I finally got mine resolved -
I called Lexus of America and complained - a lot - and they provided a new airbag (with cover) for free, and I complained to my Dealer until they installed it for $100.00

I suggest that if you have this problem you contact Lexus of America and complain.

Insist that this is a Manufacturer's Defect, regardless of your warranty.
The logic is simple no matter what Lexus says:
1) If this is a rare occurrence then it requires special attention
OR
2) If this is common, then it's definitely a manufacturing problem and should have been recalled, and therefore fixed no matter what the state of your warranty.

They may claim that it's caused by "additives" like ArmorAll, however, if this were true then your entire dash would be melting, not just the airbag cover - right?

Also, if they know about the ArmorAll problem, where do they state not to use it? Where is our warning?

Good Luck and don't give up.

Xtine423

Hello my fellow aggravated IS300 owners. First off, I live in FL and my car (an 02) has been in Florida for half of its life (I have owned it for two years). I park under a large carport, I only drive about 6K mi/yr so most of the time my car is out of the sun. When I first bought the car 2 years ago I used Armor-All to clean the dash. That was when I began to notice the stickiness getting worse- and stopped using it! The airbag was so sticky, that when my brother rubbed a piece of notebook paper onto it, it was STUCK! My boyfriend tried scrubbing it down with some soap and water, which did 2 things: 1) it dried it out, making it appear a little lighter in color- but no longer sticky and 2) the terry-cloth put new scratches into it.
Eventually, the stickiness came back and, now, I'm afraid to touch it.

I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. A new dash is going to cost around 300. And I am not shelling out money to fix a problem that should be fixed by Lexus. It is bad enough they used a poor quality chemical in their dash; it is even worse that they are ignoring this nationwide problem. They are only hurting themselves. Who would be stupid enough to buy another Lexus after this disgusting defect? Hah so much for standing behind your product. I hear more negative about Lexus than I do positive concerning customer care/service

LexusGSXR

yea.. dont touch the dashboard..


This is why i used a front windshield cover to block the sun and heat out of the car.

LexusGSXR

Rule #1.. = dont touch the dashboard.

Bretsuaz

After seeing this thread, I touched my airbag cover. Its a sticky mess. While the rest of the dash is "stickier" than any of the rest of the 40 cars I have owned, its not nearly as bad as the airbag cover. I can't wait to see how it gets in the summer on a balmy 120 degree day here in Phoenix.

I guess one of the positives is that I won't have to worry about any flies. They will all be stuck to the dash like those sticky strips that hang from the ceiling.

RareSC

Greetings. Just an update. My 02 SC now has about 89K miles on it and after stripping my dash and repainting it (rattle can), all is still fine. The sticky dash problem never came back and my dash still looks fine. It is not a garaged car an is out in the Missouri sun all days.. The repair was completed @ 25K miles

hlu1

iTrader: (1)

My 02 lexus is300 is have the same exact problem with the air bag. i tried cleaning it off but it wont come off. I used armorall cleaning wipes, I tried to rub it off. After intensive rubbing, the residue is not as sticky but i see patches of smudge. I guess i have to live with it.

timgs300

iTrader: (22)

Glad I saw this thread. I have owned a 2002 IS300 from new in Florida. Garaged most of the time though. Only 34,000 miles on it as of today! Sticky airbag came along around 2006-2007 and I didn't have time to get down there to take it in for warranty complaint (I live in MD). I never did anything with the dash, just wiped it with a wet cloth. Then the dash had a nuclear meltdown. Used tons of armor all and it's in a so-so state, but you just can't get it good. I am either going to bite the bullet and buy used or do something like carbon fiber the dash. Anyway, just my addition to this very frustrating MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.

wuzzy

This started happening to me a couple weeks back

I bought a childrens sunshade to put on the passengers side windshield.

mhand

i just cleaned my dash with armor all non-grease and this is what it looks like.
it has ripped away the melting dash i think. not good at all







any ideas whats going on here?

Playdrv4me

Dear LORD that is HORRIBLE! I guess Toyota/Lexus tried a lot of new things on the IS/Altezza and this material was not properly heat tested... or it was heat tested, but not enough.

These fancy materials never seem to hold up. I know in various cars I've had that have rubbery surfaces, that rubber crap always comes off and looks ugly. I guess this Lexus material is of similarly poor quality.

03LexIS300

ive used amor all on my dash about 2 or 3 times since i bought my is300 a year ago, and knock on wood i have not had this problem yet. my dash still looks just as new as it did back in 03 when my car was made. however after reading all the stories on this thread you guys have convinced me to not use anything to clean the dash at all lol. i either dust my dash off once in a while with a duster or i leave the dust on it to protect it lmao.

worker

what a useless thread. I'm here to see some melting dashboard pic but nothing. All pointless talk.