leecm

I bought an IS250 used in March and I love it except for one thing. I didn't notice it until after I bought it and tried cleaning the inside of the windshield with a microfiber cloth in the blazing hot sun. I set the cloth on the dash while I sprayed the invisible glass and when I pulled the cloth off, a lot of the fibers were stuck to the dash, which had become sticky in the hot sun. I didn't realize it then, but I'd end up putting permanent pits in my dash while trying to pick the stuck fibers off with my fingernail. The thing is I noticed it was sticky before that happened but it didn't occur to me that it was going to be so soft and delicate to scratches until then.

Now I'm very careful with the dash (which can be annoyance) but it seems no matter how hard I try, new scratches seem to appear every other week somehow. Even my Heatshield causes light surface scratches or "scrapes" if I take it off or put it on the wrong way. I have to make sure that I push it flat up against the windshield when putting it on, making sure nothing touches the dash, and reversing that method when taking it off. Even so, I've managed to mess it up when I wasn't paying attention.

Another random scratch. Dunno what caused it.

The pits I left when trying to take the fibers off of the sticky dash with my fingernails. The thing is, I don't remember digging in to the dash like this. I would think that would be something I would remember doing. I was pretty careful to just "grab" the fibers with my fingernails, but who knows. Maybe I did the damage. It was either that or I bought the car with these already there, but I don't remember them being there when I bought it. Though, I didn't exactly look, either.

Just some random scratch. I don't know how it happened. Pretty much par for the course.

These are the scrapes that the Heatshield leaves if it creases during removal and rubs against the dash on a hot day. Also, notice how the dash has been getting scratched up on the left side of the picture? That is the edge of the heatshield causing that, and it can't really be avoided, so it scratches every time the heatshield is used. Also, notice the lint and stuff all over the dash? Yeah, that's a constant issue. A day after I clean it off, it's back.

What could have caused the dash to get sticky and delicate like this? Could it have come from the factory like this? Could it have been a third party product that someone along the line applied to it and caused a chemical reaction? If the latter is the case, I'm going to guess it was the used car dealer (a dealer I had a really good experience with and would do business with again, all things considered) because the dash was in perfect condition when I bought it. It could not have been in this good of shape had the previous owner had to drive every day in this car in Miami (where it was originally leased) unless they never used a sunshield and never touched the dash unless with white gloves and in the shade.

JMcDonald

iTrader: (2)

It looks like someone could have sprayed a clear coat or some type of paint or topcoat on the dash bro. That would cause it to be sticky if different chemicals are added to that type of surface. You should contact the people who you bought the car from and see if something was put on the surface....if you bought it from a dealer then they probably won't openly admit putting something on there but you could get something out of them. There is this stuff that will take everything off the surface but you will have to "re-finish" the dash again....and that could be a pain in the @$$ job....Ill see what I find out for you.

IS-SV

Not experiencing that on my 3+ year old IS350.

jbjones85

iTrader: (20)

Nothing like that on my 07.... maybe someone put a cleaner or "protectant" on it that caused an adverse reaction to the material....

JMcDonald

iTrader: (2)

Yup.....someone put some type of chemical on there. Id be willing to bet it was a paint of some sort to make it look " newer"....

ISRabbit

Its actually common if you're not careful. My IS300 is the same way. DO NOT use Armorall. That stuff is actually horrible. The best thing to clean your dash/trim with is Windex. Not all do it, but its more common then you think. Mine got really bad and I actually took my entire dash out, did a light sand on it and sprayed it satin black so it has a low gloss look to it. It looks factory just with a slight shine all the time.

leecm

So is there any way to get the sticky off or is it too late? The sticky is one thing but the fragility is my main concern. Is it just gonna be fragile like this forever?

ISRabbit

At this point...no nothing you can do. If someone put something on it then the only way to get it off would be a good cleaner. Which in turn will jack it up even more. You can see if it is something that will come off easily. Use cool water and a sponge and put in a little bit of baby shampoo and wash it good. Don't use a wash cloth because if its still sticky it'll make bad prints in it. Use one of those special sponges for washing your car. They're like 10 bucks for a sponge but worth every penny.

What makes it worse is the sun. You're in Tennessee so its not as bad Im in FL and it gets really bad. The biggest thing that helped for me was tinted windows. Once it has become soft like that heat will make it really bad. It got to the point where if someone leaned their leg against it you could see an impression of their jeans.

Edit: Mine was on the trim around the climate control and radio (IS300). Yours is actually on the dash on not too bad yet. Best thing you can do is prevent it from spreading. Use shampoo and water when you want to clean it. McGuiers makes a interior cleaner for those parts thats really good as well. Try using one of those gay sun shades for front window in the summer time when you'll be parked for a long time.

chrisyano

Don't do anything more to your dash board. You will not make it any better. This is a known problem to Lexus, although I don't think it happens all that often. Your car came from Miami (I'm in Hawaii) and this is the other place where dash boards seem to melt. You obviously park in the sun a fair bit in Tenessee as well if you have a sun shade.

My dash board did the exact same thing. I did not use Armor All or any other oil-based cleansers/protectants on it. I don't even think I wiped it down much at all. But I do park in the sun a lot, and perhaps the humid environment of Hawaii is conducive to this melting. I don't have actual answers for you, but the service tech who replaced my dash under warranty told me that Lexus dash boards are more notorious for crumbling (which yours will do if you try to pry up any corner of it) than melting.

There's another thread about the subject here, with a little more information and I think I posted some other things that may be helpful. You could try getting Lexus to fix it under "good faith". There's always a chance for that.

Oh, and make sure to get the UV clear film installed on your windshield. It's worth it, trust me.

OPTiK

Doesn't windex have ammonia in it? ie bad for dash?

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

i wouldn't use windex.

get meg's quik interior detailer or 303 aerospace.

kobi2002

Found out from the dealer that it's a problem with the dash. It's starting to become more common. I was in for service and they were changing out two dashes when I was there. My warranty is up and the extended warranty does not cover trim way to go Lexus.

lexusis305

iTrader: (2)

Am a tech for lexus, if ur under warr. Take asap before you run out of warr. And if you ran out call 1800lexus and you pay labor and they cover the dash

MBTC

Is there a TSB on this? What years does it apply to?

timgs300

iTrader: (22)

My 02 IS300 dash had a nuclear meltdown. I was worried about this when I bought my 08 IS250, but thought surely they must have fixed this problem by now. The only thing that kept that dash half-*** nice was tons of armor all. I know people say not to use it, but that's really I think in the nothing is wrong phase. Really, only water on a soft cloth should be used to clean the dash. If you have the tenacity, you can call Lexus and stay on the phone for hours and hours and you might be able to wear someone down to help pay for the replacement. Good Luck!