Of all the parts on your car that could fail, the dashboard is probably the last you’d expect to, unless you’re one of the more than three million Toyota drivers across the country dealing with dangerous disintegrating dashes.
“Everything from rags or paper towels would stick to it,” said Lehigh Acres Driver Dawn Kelley.
Her Toyota Camry has a dashboard that’s been melting for a couple years, with a glare from the sun’s reflection making for a dangerous drive.
“It’s a big concern,” she told the Lehigh Acres Gazette. “That glare really beats down at particular times.”
The sticky situation first surfaced in 2011 when Toyota’s luxury line Lexus sent out a service bulletin for certain affected vehicles under a specific warranty. As news spread, more drivers came out of the woodwork, leading to a couple of class action lawsuits, and eventually Toyota alone recalling a couple million melting dashboards under an “enhanced warranty program,” as the corporation calls it.
If you’re a Toyota driver needing your melting dashboard replaced, If your dashboard is eligible, you can pay for the replacement up front and Toyota will reimburse you.
If you need information, you can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center directly at 1-800-255-3987. To see if your vehicle is on the recall list, go to www.toyota.com/recalls