HelenC

I don't have the exact figure for that, Daniel, sorry. I would ring your dealership. The dash goes downhill once it starts getting sticky - especially in summer temperatures. They need the car for a full day so I am guessing it isn't cheap. If you join the Facebook page, you will see plenty of stories about melting dashboards and replacement - or in some cases of ten year old cars, refusal to replace. There are also photos of how bad it can actually get!

Daniel, There is a ten year cut off. If it's getting sticky now, don't leave it. Take it to a dealership. Cheers.

Hi Jess. If it is under 10, it will be replaced. If it over 10, the other option I have seen on the Facebook page is people buying a dashboard from the wreckers. A dash mat will stick to it, and probably never come off, so if you go down that road, make sure you choose one you like! Very sorry to hear that you are going through this. Cheers.

By the way, we had to extend the page because it is also happening in some Mazdas as well as Toyota and Lexus. On a happy note, my 2014 Aurion dash is still perfect after three years - more than I could say for my 2008. It had started melting. Cheers, All.

Thanks, guys! I try.

You don't have to be the original owner. You don't have to have always had your car serviced at a dealership. And it doesn't matter if it has high ks. Where you may run into difficulty will be if it is over ten years old.

Hello, Yes, there is a limitation on the age of cars. This is an out of warranty replacement. It's not a recall. Therefore, they will only replace to 10 years of age. We have had a few 07 go through but they must have still been within the time frame. Please feel free to visit the Melting Dashboards page on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/803730803039477/ Sometimes, you will have more luck with one dealer than with another, and you may find a dealer in your vicinity on the page because we are listing dealers who have replaced. You can use the search bar on the side, or introduce yourself. There are plenty of people who are only too willing to try to help. I am really sorry to hear of your experience with this. Dashboards take a while to melt. It doesn't happen overnight or on one hot day. It is a slow process where they go from looking a bit shiny/greasy to sticky to melted. This is the experience of everyone in the group. Best wishes, Helen

Hi James. They go by the vin number. Take the car straight in. Do you have a paper trail from your attempt two years ago? Otherwise, let's hope it is not ten years old yet, but they are starting to refuse them at that age. Join the Facebook group, and you will find dealers in your area who have replaced. Cheers!

Hello Geoff. There should be a one year warranty on the part. I was told that when mine was replaced. I would go straight back if it is warping. Cheers, Helen

I started the Facebook page. Please feel free to join as there are close to 300 members now, and Toyota are replacing dashboards. I have read that the car has to be under 10 years old, but I do not know this to be true. Here is the page. You will be welcome, however you will be removed if you come on to slander or bag out TMCA. Otherwise, all members are keen to help, and there is a list of places where the dash has been replaced. I was told that mine had a one year warranty on the new part, and the work done was excellent. We also have members with melting dashboards on Mazda cars on this page now. https://www.facebook.com/groups/803730803039477/?fref=ts Cheers, Helen

A dash mat sticks to it, and tears the entire top layer of the dashboard off. The whole thing disintegrates over a short time once it starts to break down. The smell of the fumes was awful, and commented upon by passengers who were not used to them. For anyone who has this legitimate problem - it eventually does become dangerous, the glare rendering the car not roadworthy - we have been successful, and TMCA are now replacing the dashboards free of charge because it is a manufacturing defect. Most of us have been given a loan car in the interim. Faith restored in Toyota, I have been able to have my 2008 repaired, sell it, and purchase a 2014 Aurion. Prior to repair, no one would have bought it, and I could not obtain a safety certificate. Best wishes.

Don't put a dash mat on it. You will probably never get it off without removing a layer of your dash. Band aid solution. If you join the Facebook page, you will get help as to how to approach this. There is no recall, but there are plenty of us who have had our cars fixed, free, and a loan car in the interim. Best wishes.

Thank you, Phae. You were a wonderful help in getting this through. Yes, I had my dash replaced free of charge and, as Phae said, started a Facebook page (originally just a chat page, but it kept growing, and I decided to leave it open to support others after mine was replaced). Plenty have been replaced free of charge, some are waiting to be done. TMCA has come to the party, done the right thing, and also refunded the payment for some dashboards that were replaced at a cost. It is a win/win situation for all of us. I sold the old Aurion, and bought a 2014. Love it. Faith restored. Toyota number 5 now. :)

Have a look at Melting Dashboards in Toyota Cars Australia on Facebook, and you will see where you are going to end up. They go downhill fast from where you are right now, to the point of disintegrating.

No, I couldn't put a dash mat on mine. It would have immediately stuck to it. I wasn't giving TMCA any way out.

Mine has been replaced. That's three now that I know of, that have been done. It was quite a struggle to get it replaced, but it looks good, and I have been assured by Toyota that it is recently manufactured. The problem seems to be isolated to 206 to 2009 inclusive.

Andrew, I rang the dealership and TMCA. I took photos, and also had the dealership take photos, and then I emailed and called TMCA to ensure that they had them. I was refused at first. I also had an independent assess the car, and he deemed it not roadworthy without a dash mat. If I had put a dash mat on it, it would have stuck to it. I was also concerned about whatever the melting substance is.. glue?. It was an effort to get it replaced. It was authorised by Head Office. The day after it was done, the dealership told me that they had never seen it before.... and I think they expected me to believe it.

In a word.... persistence.

My dashboard was replaced today by Toyota Australia, and the new component has a 1 year or 20,000 km warranty... I did ask, and it is a new and recently manufactured dashboard. The car is an Aurion AT-X, 2008 model.

Yes, sadly, I am not hearing good things about this either, but we have to try. I think we all need to speak up as one, and that is what I am trying to do. Pull people together on it, get publicity. At least we can take a damned good run at it. :)

I just can not bring myself to fix a problem created by Toyota during the manufacturing process. It goes against the grain, Kiranarch. I want my dashboard replaced because it is a known manufacturing fault, being out of warranty does not apply, and I am not picking up the tab for a screw up on the part of a huge corporation. The other problem is that, if we do anything with these dashboards, we will give Toyota an "out". These are supposed to be good quality cars and a reputable company. Toyota aren't short of a quid - they can dig deep into their pockets, and do the right thing by all of us! End of story.

Yes, true. I am working to get a replacement, and trade mine in. I loved the car, but now, we are going to part company. She is getting a few miles on the clock anyway. GREAT beasts mechanically. Got to love how they sit on the road ..... I went looking at Corollas today.

From what I have heard so far, it seems to be limited to roughly 2006 to 2009 inclusive, and it doesn't start immediately. It has taken about three years on most cars to get to the really sticky shiny stage, but then it goes downhill fast and starts disintegrating. There are photos on the melting dashboard page on FB that are just awful, worse than my car! Very disappointing, but I am not going to give up on this. We bought quality cars with hard earned money, in good faith, from a reputable company. My Aurion has been mechanically brilliant, but the dash is a cesspit.

:)Tard, This is a known manufacturing fault. Nothing at all to do with care. It doesn't matter what you do, whether you keep it in the garage or use a sunshade or stand beside it whistling Dixie. They melt on some models. It's a drag. There are some of us who are trying to get them replaced now, but Toyota in Australia are not acknowledging the problem. In fact, and I quote, when I told the Customer service representative that people on forums were discussing this issue, she said, "We only have their word for that." And that just added insult to injury for me. I am really annoyed now.

DeafDave, doesn't matter if it has a dash cover or not. It still melts. It is a known manufacturing fault. Warranty does not apply to manufacturing faults. Love to hear from anyone else with a problem. Just as a point, also, mine only started in the last twelve months and it is a 2008, so early days yet for your car.