Cracked Dash

Did you use any cleaners on your dash over the years? Seems most that have the cracks did. I've never had one crack myself but always just used water to keep it clean.

I think it also has to do with weather. Hot climates such as Florida and the south-west are really bad on dashes.

IMHO, unless you are anal, a dash pad is the way to go. There are also dash covers that look *almost* oem when properly installed. These are cheaper to put on than a full OEM unit.

No personal experience with then, but:

five dodge vehicles, four of them trucks going back to 1991 and not a single crack even in the georgia hot sun. the 72 dart does have a crack but hey, it is 37 years old and the previous owners probably used the wrong cleaners.

did you ever use any ammonia based cleaners like windex on the dash? if so, that is the problem. only use specifically designed cleaners for interior plastic parts. most of these also have a uv inhibiting additive. standard household cleaners just accelerate the degradation of automotive interiors. michael

I won't say definitely "NO", because I simply can't remember. If I did, for cleaning purposes, I made sure to lube it up right after. I use the leather treatment that I put on the seats. I also ALWAYS use a reflective window shade.

I'll check Geno's as another poster suggested.

Craig C.

I live in Arizona where its hot and dry. Never a cracked dash. In a poll a few years ago on a few Dodge forums it was evident that those with problems were far more likely to have used various cleaners over the years.

I won't argue the cleaners bit! (I agree, it is important to use the proper cleaner on your dash) I always cover the dash with a towel when doing the inside of the windshield, both for this reason, and the fact that many glass cleaners are just plain nasty stuff when used on non-glass surfaces.

I suppose now we should thread drift to the best cleaners for plastics such as the dash, right? Something that doesn't leave a gloss to reflect!

Mine cracked right in the middle about 1 year and 9 month ago. At that time I coincidentally caught a news item where many Dodge owners were complaining in conjunction with electrical problems. Long story short, Dodge started to replace the dashes, but never - at least to my knowledge - had an official recall. Got mine replaced also as part of that and didn't pay a dime for it. Since then I am religious with putting up a sun shield in my windshield whenever I park. I am in Florida. My recommendation, go to the dealer and insist to get it replaced for free. I had to open a claim with Dodge to get a claim number, but that was it.

Axel