Dash Melt Down

I should add that my dash has started to show cracks as well now : 2 right above the gauge cluster and one at the lower right corner of the cubby. And this car has spent most of the last 4 years in the dark garage .

Have you tried contacting subaru or a subaru dealership and see if the warranty still applies to your car?

I think I'll bite the bullet and replace my dash later this year. Subaru Canada pretty much gave me the middle finger when I asked about why the US warranty extension didn't apply up here. Funny how they don't have any issue sending me marketing materials though...

Also thinking about replacing the front door cards. They're not bad yet, but showing early signs of getting tacky when in the sun. Plus a friend's sunscreen stained one of them a while back.

Have you tried contacting subaru or a subaru dealership and see if the warranty still applies to your car?

I already purchased a dash and will install it later on the 05. But I need another one for the 06 as well . So I may 'beg' for help for that one. I mean, come on!

I already purchased a dash and will install it later on the 05. But I need another one for the 06 as well . So I may 'beg' for help for that one. I mean, come on!

Staying tuned for a dash swap log!

How's the new dash material like compared to the old one? Good match or...?

Staying tuned for a dash swap log!

 

How's the new dash material like compared to the old one? Good match or...?

I think it is the exact same material. This time I will not use any chemical to clean it. Just water.

I should add that my dash has started to show cracks as well now : 2 right above the gauge cluster and one at the lower right corner of the cubby. And this car has spent most of the last 4 years in the dark garage .

My car has spent 90% of the last 8 years in my garage in WI and still was getting sticky, starting to shows cracks. I got mine replaced last year when they did the air bag recall. I really think it depends how much the dealer likes you and your car. Mine really wasn't all that bad and I got it replaced without any hassle.

The new dash matches just fine. I can't really tell if its any different that the old one. It does seem more dry/chalky if that makes any sense. I haven't tried to clean it yet.

The new dash matches just fine. I can't really tell if its any different that the old one. It does seem more dry/chalky if that makes any sense. I haven't tried to clean it yet.

The new one I got has that same feel to it.

My car has spent 90% of the last 8 years in my garage in WI and still was getting sticky, starting to shows cracks. I got mine replaced last year when they did the air bag recall. I really think it depends how much the dealer likes you and your car. Mine really wasn't all that bad and I got it replaced without any hassle.

 

The new dash matches just fine. I can't really tell if its any different that the old one. It does seem more dry/chalky if that makes any sense. I haven't tried to clean it yet.

Yup, mine is in the parkade at home, and in the parkade at work. It did get more sun in its earlier years though, but I suspect it's more of a problem with the material itself. Sort of like those screwdrivers that go all sticky after a while.

I use a Covercraft UVS100 windshield shade quite a bit, but if the sun comes in the side window, the spot with the light is what'll get tacky.

Mind posting some pics of the new dash?

Putting this here for future reference. I may give this a try...

Welp, dropped off the driveshaft yesterday and the guys said they didn't see any major problems with it, so it looks like I may have to crack the transmission after all. Since I was already there I had them replace the U-joint going into the transmission so it has a grease fitting now. It's improved now where the joint won't hold itself up against gravity. I guess this isn't so bad since I would have had to remove the driveshaft anyway.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=259803&stc=1&d=1513899047

 

In case you missed it in my other thread, here's the noise I'm trying to isolate:

 

 

This means I might also be in the market for a new clutch and I'm looking at the South Bend Stage 2 Daily Driver with a SMFW(I live in NYC).

 

I figure I'll also post up pictures from another little project from this summer.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=259804&stc=1&d=1513900666

 

I made the mistake of letting my cat in my car and he scratched up the surface of my dash. I figured I'd take the opportunity to swap in an '08 dash which has the silver accents emanating from the center console trim to the dash. What you see above is a dash I picked up from a junkyard that I found out was tacky.

 

After finding out that the tackiness wasn't something that could be cleaned off, I did some research and settled on the SEM system of products. This was my first time painting/spraying and I was pretty pleased with the results. T

 

The shopping list included:

 

• 400 and 800 grit sandpaper
  
• SEM Soap
  
• SEM Vinyl Prep
  
• SEM Satin Vinyl Coat
  
• SEM Tac Free and
  
• SEM Sand Free
  
• 3M Respirator
  

 

I didn't intend on doing a walkthrough so I didn't take many pictures, but there are many YouTube

out there detailing the process.

 

I started by sanding the dashboard down, followed by the Soap, then Vinyl Prep. These steps are pretty important to ensure adhesion. Then, I put on a few light coats of the Satin Vinyl Coat. The Satin finish is important for reducing glare from the sun. Tac free is a product they use for marine applications for sticky vinyl. When I called SEM the rep said it wouldn't work for my application but I went against his advice anyway - I didn't see why it wouldn't work if vinyl is vinyl. The Tac Free leaves this sheen that looks like dust that can't be wiped off, so I followed it with another coat of Satin Black. Time will tell whether this has solved the tackiness problem but as of today the (uninstalled) dash still looks and feels great.

 

I also took the opportunity to repaint the door handles since the paint was peeling off. This is where the SEM Sand-Free comes in. Sand Free is an adhesion promotor for the type of plastic the door handles are made out of. Determining the plastic involved using acetone to see whether it melts (it did).

 

I'll post up the pictures of the dashboard once it's all installed. First, I need to take care of the other bigger issues. What looks like dust on the photo below is actually just the sunlight hitting the dash.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=259805&stc=1&d=1513900666

FWIW the Subaru service manager said the new dashes are made up of a different chemical compound that eliminates the issue plaguing the original ones. He also stated at first they had an 8 month wait for new dashes but Subaru has since caught up. New dash is 2-3 days out. Going to have it swapped this Monday - will update with results.

Apparently the 03/2017 expiration is overwritten by a 10 year unlimited mile warranty. So anyone with an 08/09 should be good. Service guy said my 10 year warranty technically expires August 28th.

OK. I still want to see the pic though for proof . Here is what I posted earlier in the thread:

I just bought a dash online that was supposed to be new and manufactured in 2016. I inspected it and am seeing this time stamp. Do you guys think it was in fact made in 2009, which means it is a new dash from an old stock?

 

Here is a quick video I made as well...

 

I called SOA yesterday with the question of dash warranty extension. The PO never called or asked about it. Now I have the car and am stuck with sticky dash since the extension expired last year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I called SOA yesterday with the question of dash warranty extension. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What did they say?

My doorcards are still OK. I was under the impression that there were made of a different material...

My steering wheel airbag cover, however, is now exhibiting the same problem.

I called SOA yesterday with the question of dash warranty extension. The PO never called or asked about it. Now I have the car and am stuck with sticky dash since the extension expired last year.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FWIW you can find a new dash on eBay for ~$420 and according to this website: (https://subaru.oemdtc.com/389/melting-sticky-dashboards-instrument-panel-ip-2005-2009-subaru-legacy-outback) it looks like labor to replace it is about 2 hours (so figure $200). Sounds like a $600-700 endeavor if you buy the dash and have them replace it. I have no idea if the eBay dashes are new stock or old stock though.

Anyone have similar tackiness/stickiness develop on other parts like the doorcards? My driver's side card is starting to get sticky on the window edge area...

That is the only part of my car that is truly sticky. Dash is fine. Some other parts feel "soft" if you will, but my driver's door is pretty gross. It's too bad because both the PO and I have always made sure to keep the car spotless. Everything was fine until this summer, it's been brutally humid.

What did they say?

They said I’m SOL

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FWIW, the dash in my 09 was inspected at the time of the notice. It was fine at that time. Currently it does have a tacky feel to it.

I'd definitely go back and talk to them. You're still under warranty until 2019