Hey all,

I know a cracked dash was a common issue on this generation and that Lexus back in the day actually had a recall to help resolve this issue. I own a 2008 RX350 that I purchased back in 2019 that showed no issues with the dash. I also do not believe it was ever replaced as I have all the Lexus records from the previous owner. Over the past few months or so I have noticed the center portion of the dash, above the radio head unit, has been developing hairline tears. They are barely visible but if you apply some pressure to the hairline tear you can tell it is going to spread. Right now there are two small areas. The vehicle stays parked in the garage when not in use so UV rays and the heat of the sun are not the cause of this from what I can tell. Any insight on how to fix this before it becomes more of an issue and spreads? I was thinking about trying to get some super glue inside the tear(s) to help seal it up and help prevent it from spreading but not sure if that would be a great idea and if maybe there is a more common solution out there since I know this is a known issue. Thanks!

 

Those hairline cracks would get bigger and longer and travel from side to side unfortunately. I own a '06 RX330 and I had a dashskin placed over the whole dash. This I think is a decent solution and a lot of RX owners have done and readily available on amazon.

 

I have a 2005 RX 330 that I chose to replace the dash on. I’m the first owner of the vehicle and it has always been garaged like yours. Lexus extended the coverage on the dash, as it was a known problem. Unfortunately for me, mine didn’t crack until after the extension ran out. A small crack eventually extended all the way across, and I just couldn’t stand to look at it. Aside from the dash the vehicle still looked new, so I bit the bullet and forked over the cash for replacing. It looks fantastic now. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

 

Cracks on my 2008 RX 400h were so bad, they looked like vandalism. Coverlay was my solution. More expensive than the Dashskin, but with several differences: the Coverlay has cutouts for the dash top speakers, and for the passenger side airbag. (Dashskin support told me they are introducing a new version, with speaker cutouts rather than perforations, at some point in the future.)

A separate cover for the airbag opening was included, but I didn't install it. Actually I like the way the opening breaks up the vast expanse of plastic on the passenger side.

Also, the color palette is more extensive than the Dashskin. Coverlay offers Dark Gray (which I chose), while Dashskin offers only Black. Of course, neither is a factory color match, as both companies point out. In bright, direct South Texas summer sun, my Dark Gray dash cover can seem a little lighter than it does in a less intense environment, where it seems to match perfectly.

The Coverlay was easy to install and fits amazingly well for a third-party product. To almost anyone sitting in my car, it looks factory.

 

Thanks for the feedback and insight. Might have to go the way of a cover over time as it worsens. I suppose I might as well go ahead and try to glue it up to see if that slows the spread down since it sounds like its going to continue to get worse either way.

 

I went w/ a http://covercraft.com dash pad, they even offer a Carhartt.....I've used this in mustangs, Camaro's as well......

 

Brief background: We own and drive a 2002 RX-300 we bought from a neighbor. A different neighbor just sold us a 2008 RX-350 with a pretty cracked-up dashboard.

Is there going to be warranty repair? (Not likely)

A recall? (Maybe?)

Will dealer fix and, if so, any estimate of cost? (Guessing No, but if they would, $1,000,000, give or take ...)

We have a local person who has reupholstered BMW seats and the headliner of a Dodge minivan for us - is that the right kind of person to ask about this? Estimate of cost?

Bought the on Friday, it's at our local service station getting the once-over but we'll have it back in a day or two and would like to get this taken care of quickly. Not interested in DIY solutions, just too busy.

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-

 

Dealer recall -extremely unlikely that was quite awhile ago 15 years later you're on your own

Will dealer repair for a cost? Of course... and that cost will be at least a couple grand for labor only

The cost isn't in the recovering the cost is removing and reinstalling the dash, I've heard a few fabric places doing the actual remove/recover on other top end cars for a few hundred

 

We are in the NYC area in Northern NJ. If anyone has any specific recommendation, I'm all ears. I will check with the guy I mentioned I'd used before.

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

-S-

 

Just get the aforementioned cover. There's a person selling them on Ebay for this gen RX in black for around $100.
Alternative is a fabric cover, but it looks kinda pokey

 

Yes but what I’ve heard is that it’s the labor that’s the big cost.

 

No, the labor and big cost is for a full dashboard replacement

The aforementioned cover, is a layer of thin plastic that you can install yourself - here's a YouTube guide

 

the dash replacement from Lexus itself is $800. I would probably estimate another $2K for labor from a dealership.