7.4
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- No data
- Average Mileage:
- 109,050 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 17 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace the entire dashboard (11 reports)
- not sure (5 reports)
- not fixed (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Lexus dealer.
Called Lexus for a sticky and shiny dash... I was told I received a letter in 2014 about it, YES I DID ...But letter stated that "if you have not experienced the condition described, there is no action necessary at this time"....not it is time. I have had my car at the dealer several times and most recently Jan of this year with NOOO mention of it even when air bags were replaced. Now they tell me SORRY, it won't be covered... the car has 19,800 miles on it and they said "NO".
THANKS FOR NOTHING!!!!!!
- Karen C., Oceanside, NY, US
My Lexus ES 350, year 2007 dashboard is melting, and sticky. I just need your help to complaint to Lexus manufacturer, Thanks.
- Cao N., San Jose, CA, US
Called Lexus and they said they will not take care of it.
- Ed P., Sale Creek, TN, US
I was told by Lexus dealership the warranty enhancement expired in 2017 and I had to pay if I wanted to have it replaced. I don't understand why they aren't willing to do a recall so everyone can be notified and have it taken care of.
- Betsy B., Baltimore, US
I need the dashboard replaced. ..sticky dash.. melting dash..
- Tammy L., Gardendale, AL, US
It is a meticulously maintained and garage kept car, but this does not prevent dashboard from cracking and melting. There must be something wrong. Other parts looks like new and shining. This in contrast with the melting and cracking dashboard, reflecting the issue is on the company side. This affects our resale value greatly. We shall not let customer bear the responsibly for product defect. Lexus, Toyota, the brand once we trust and spent so much money, please prove you are still trustworthy. Don't let us lost faith on your product!
- Wendy W., Plano, TX, US
Took me a while to realize the dashboard was melting. Then I had the evaporator go out and the dashboard had to be removed to replace. The shop told me that the dashboard was melted and crumbling inside. I thought that makes no sense and Lexus would cover it. The dealership agreed the dashboard looked awful and filed a request with corporate, but the refused to cover it! I did not get the recall notice in time to know about the problem and by now the period had expired. People do not buy 40K cars to have dashboards melting and looking worst than a 5K car. Lexus should learn to take care of its customers.
- Imran A., Cary, NC, US
I really am surprised by the customer service with Lexus. The took for ever to do the airbag and then when they did it they didn't do the dash that was very apparent should have been replaced under recall. I was never notified by Lexus. Toyota does a better job than Lexus with their recalls. I am not sure why I pay for a premium car if I get substandard service.
- West C., La Mesa, CA, US
Bought the car in March 2016. Received a recall on airbag in Aug 2016. When we took the car to the Lexus of Clearwater dealership we were assured that after the airbag recall is done, then the sticky dashboard will be taken care of. The airbag was fixed on Aug 2017, by that time, come to find out, the dashboard deadline had expired. We were not even notified about it until just a few weeks ago when I try to get them to fix it. I called the corporate office in Plano, Texas, they refused to honor it because the dealership did not document about the dashboard problem.
- Rosario G., Palm Harbor, FL, US
click to see larger images
I was in my garage kept ES 350 one day when I noticed a razor type crack in the dashboard. Upon further inspection, I had noticed more cut-like cracks in the dashboard. I had called the main Lexus number and found out from Nicole that there was a warranty enhancement but it was no longer being covered. I informed her that I never received any type of notification about this and she responded by saying that they use DMV records to verify location of ownership and that they were not responsible for the postal service. I called the dealership where the car was purchased to inquire about replacement cost and five days later I got a response after being told that I would receive a call in about an hour. Once I finally got my return call, I was told that the replacement would cost $2113.44. I am deeply disappointed with the fact that apparently this "warranty enhancement" was issued originally in 2015 but seems to be kept quiet so they would not have to replace all the defective dashboards. And that I never received notification of this issue being that I'm the original owner of the vehicle. I know some dashboards are probably worse than mine, but the cuts are just the beginning of something worse to come.
Update from Apr 15, 2018: I left out the fact that my dashboard has the glare once the car is in the sun, going from a dull color to a shiny color creating a glare while driving.
- Gerald S., Ocean Springs, MS, US
click to see larger images
A couple years ago I noticed my dashboard was melting (made it extremely unsafe to drive when driving into the sun) but was never notified by Lexus of the recall and although I always took my vehicle to the dealer for service, the dealership never noted it as something they could repair... until after the deadline. I contacted Lexus Corporate and they said it wasn't their fault I wasn't notified and referred me to the dealer. The Dealer referred me to Lexus Corporate.
This isn't the first problem I have had where Toyota (their parent company) has balked on warranty repairs. They did not tell me the truth, it was a lie by omission. Apparently, there are millions of owners who still have not had the repair completed, either because Lexus failed to notify or in the case when they did, they have spent years dragging their feet.
I believe the class action should be refiled and Lexus penalized for their failure to resolve this problem in a timely, acceptable manner for countless owners of these vehicles.
- Tom S., Columbia, SC, US
The dashboard started to melt and crack in July and August 2017, we did not know it was a recall problem with Lexus, they never notified us. We bought the car new in 2007 and are the original owners. Lexus notified us about the air bag recall and replaced the air bags in 2017 but NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE DASH MELTING PROBLEM. It is now December 2017 and I just found out about it when I went on line to Google how to repair melting dash. We contacted Lexus dealer in Jacksonville Florida that replaced the airbags and said SORRY, the warranty period on the melting dash ended on May 31 2017. They knew the problem and never notified us.
- Gene M., Ocala, US
THIS MODEL IS TRAP-STAY AWAY FROM IT AND BE SURE TO CHECK THE RECORD FOR DASHBOARD PROBLEMS ON ANY LEXUS MODELS. IT BEGAN AS AS A SMALL STICKY SURFACE ON THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. I THOUGHT THAT I COULD WIPE IT OFF.
I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AIRBAG REPLACEMENT IN JULY AND THAT WAS WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. IT HAD SPREAD TO MOST OF THE DASHBOARD SURFACE. THE DEALER QUOTED ME A HIGH PRICE FOR A REPLACEMENT AND ORDERED A NEW ONE THAT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS. HE SAID THAT LEXUS WOULD REDUCE THE PRICE FROM ABOUT $1700 TO ABOUT $1000 AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE INSTALLATION. I AM AWAITING THE DELIVERY.
LEXUS CLAIMED THAT I MISSED THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY BY A FEW WEEKS. NOW I FIND FROM SOME RESEARCH THAT THIS DEFECT IS COMMON-BEWARE, YOUR TIME IS COMING.
- Gary F., McLean, US
The dashboard is awful and creates a glare that makes driving unsafe. Please help me!
- Brian H., Florence, MS, US
This problem, while covered under a recall, has been a real pain. When the air conditioning was repaired (requiring removable of the entire dash all the way to the firewall) the nasty dashboard left goo on other interior parts. It makes the car feel and look cheap. We are still waiting on Lexus to produce the parts to fix our dash. Hopefully they will replace the ruined front pillar trim as well, but I am not very hopeful.
- Paul W., Newnan, GA, US
Just like you see others reporting, the dashboard plastic melts when it sits in the sun for a while. It gets sticky and it smells bad and then it gets shiny because the plastic changes. For some reason this was covered under my warranty but the problem with my window coming loose because of the plastic clip was not.
- Larry W., Newport News, VA, US
I hate this dashboard. My father had a guy come out who said the dashboard is not fixable.
Essentially, the dashboard is made of a material that becomes really soft when it gets hot. It's so soft that my little 15 pound puppy placed his front paws on the dashboard and it left all shorts of puncture holes in it. It literally took him 3 seconds to do it.
Also, I have fairly long (natural) nails. I've reached for the steering wheel, accidentally grazed the dashboard with my finger and removed a whole chunk of the dashboard with my nails alone.
I hope Lexus NEVER uses this material again.
- Taryn N. B., Atlanta, GA, US