Hello,

After the airing of the two ladies owning Camry's with dashboards and steering wheel issues on KHON, I called in to Subaru's Customer Care line.

The problem they were experiencing was that after sitting in the sun for a short period of time, their dashboards and steering airbag would change from a soft tacky "grayish" rubber to a molten, shiny black sheen...when cooled, it would change back into the soft tacky rubber. When the dash and airbag were in the sun, the material turned into like a black tar like substance...

What's bothering me is that my car goes basically from my garage, to my covered garage at work, back home to my garage...it spends very little time in the sun at all. The problem only occurs when the car is in the sun for any length of time...I cannot clean my dash either cold or hot...I do not use any sort of Armor All or any other cleaning agents...my steering wheel airbag is the same.

I have been experiencing this for a while now...and I just lived with it...yesterday, I went to honk my horn and my hand got stuck to the wheel and when I finally pulled it off, it was gross...ruined a good pair of khaki's to boot...the stuff won't come off. In fact, I was lucky to find an 06 STI steering wheel to put on last night...so I can drive the car without ruining another set of slacks...

Anyhow, I brought my car into Servco on the 17th to have them check it out. Ken, along with a few others, took pictures and noted down what happened and verified my findings...

Today I spoke with Jason at Subaru Customer Care, and initially, he said they would not honor it as a warranty issue. I then told him that my friend, who has an 06 Legacy was experiencing the same issues...and that he would be calling to make an appointment as well.

I am airing this here because Jason asked that I contact any others with the problem and to schedule an appointment.

This is not a slam on Servco in any way, shape, or form so do not make make this a negative post by adding in your frusterations or unnecessary comments... I am just following up with Jason and his request for more examples of the issue.

If you are experiencing this issue, please call Servco customer care at:
839-2273. Please make an appointment to bring your car to them to check it out...

Thank you,

Brent Sugita

 

SRS/supplemental restraint systems are usually a 6 year or 100,000 mile warranty....after that your on your own....

unless of course subaru wishes to recall everyone...

 

Sorry I can't agree to this. I'm not bashing you but jumping on the bandwagon cause some lady didn't want to pay for a new dash that was clearly out if warranty is crazy.

I'm not saying it hadn't happened but at the same time should we start complaining when our valve cover gaskets starting leaking after 60k miles? Should we start complaining when our turbos go out at 100k+ miles? Should we start demanding alignments to be done for free yearly?

A warranty is there to be a warranty. Servco is doing this cause if the commotion this lady had caused. Do you want be this lady? Toyota is not covering it Servco is.

Get a dash cover. Put up a window shade there are ways to protect your dash that is why they are sold. To help protect your interior Along with air blue front window tint (legal in Hawaii FYI it's a 80% film) and if your the 2nd 3rd 4th owner you really have no right to complain (as this lady was) you don't know how the car was maintained when they had it.

 

My car has a HUGE problem with the dashboard. It's all melted and tacky on the top where the sun always hits it. No problems with my airbag though.

When it first started happening I didn't pay attention to it and just let it go. But it has gotten pretty bad. My car is practically never parked in covered parking so I just get bombarded with sun rays. I do feel a little jew'd and feel like subaru uses some cheap *** material cause imo a 08 shouldn't have this problem. At the same time I blame myself more for neglect. I got lazy for awhile and stopped using a sun shade so obviously that didn't help. All complaints or blames aside I just ended up buying a dash cover (should've done this from when I first bought the car cause I love the look) and started using my sunshade everyday again. No sense crying over spilled milk. You have the chance to slow this process way down, not to mention you have covered parking both at home and at work. Don't neglect it like me and don't think the dealership should cover this issue. It's like never taking care of your paint and when the clear coat starts peeling you take it back haha. Just buy yourself a nice dash cover and call it a day.

 

So your hand got "stuck" to the steering wheel and ruined your khakis? Do you want subaru to buy you a new pair? Don't worry, this isn't a bash at you even though you'll probably take it that way, but I don't quite see why that is Subarus' problem that the car see's 30 minutes of sun while you drive everyday, my 1999 Miata POS has I'm sure way lower quality material used in it and its perfectly fine, a little dirty but nothing that's extremely sticky. I'm sure that of everyone that had a "sticky" dash wanted the car companies to pay for it, they would lose a ton of money. The warranty only covers xxx miles and xxx years

But so since my steering wheel is severely worn from the previous owner and its out of warranty but everyone else's steering wheel does the same, would that mean Mazda should change them all out?

Also since you put on an 06' STi steering wheel, would tampering with the safety device void that said warranty since it wasn't touched by the dealer?

 

Mines isn't the dash or steering wheel, it's the ac vents and around the door handles. Other then that it isn't sticky or tacky anywhere else. I also agree with the 2 ***** up there, they have really valid points, and I honestly hope that ladies dash takes a crap in her again jus cuz I can't stand people whom feel like they need to do something so radical as to go on TV and complain just because they're not getting what they want. Jus saying

 

^lol "the 2 *****"

 

My car sits in my garage most of its life...

The dash and airbag cover has just deteriorated...to the point where its gross. Call it in and see what happens...that's all we can do. It's just strange how the material, when exposed to the sun, turns from a soft pliable rubber like material to a shiny, black, wet like state...I rarely touch it and rarely if any honk my horn, but that day it required me to me to quickly honk with a person not seeing me and turning into my lane...

I have been thinking about a dash cover for a while now...and plan on getting one should the dash replacement be denied...I've already taken care of my airbag issue by replacing my steering wheel/airbag with an 06 STI steering wheel/airbag.

I'm not going to reply to some of the pointless comments posted on this page to stir an argument...Jason at Servco says the more people that call in and a commonality is found as a product being possibly defective, the better chance it will be resolved. I am just following his lead...

To others, I asked once to keep your unnecessary comments to yourselves...this post is just a way for me to find the other Legacy members that may be experiencing the same issues as me, as requested by Jason, and to see if there is a problem out there with the materials used in the dash and other areas...This is not a post about how you feel about this issue...just a shout out to the Legacy owners in Hawaii.

Thank you

 

The surrounds around my door handle are also sticky just not as bad as my dash or my airbag cover...

My friend with an IS300 just had his dash replaced for the same reason...covered as a manufactures defect...

 

i was gonna say, the lexus is300 ones are totally horrible, they all get sticky. i guess toyota uses crappy plastic/paint.
probably not much chance of a total recall from subaru itself, and though it might be from some owner neglect, something like that is a manufacturer fault. my 91 miata dash is from 1990... and has sat in the sun for 23 years.... and is still good. lol

 

Who is Jason? Never met this person in my life. I didn't know there was a Jason at Subaru.

Also please don't say your car spent most if its life in your garage when u just got it last year. That car use to parked on the street a lot. We would see it all the time. ESP when it was at vakamon (unless they had a secret garage to park cars that I don't recall)

Why should Servco pay for a part that is out of warranty. Shouldn't Subaru issue a recall not you going after the company who brings them in since you know that Subaru is not gonna be paying.

So if my seat is worn I Should also make a complaint that it worn out after my warranty ended just so I can make it look better? Because my butt doesn't fit nicely like it once did? (I smell fat jokes coming to me here)

Trying to gather people up to help you get this fix for you. FYI your probably already making a big enough fit that your might actually get done. So what happens when they only do yours and no one else's how would u feel? They did that lady's one to squash this who thing. Paying out of pocket for something not required to be done.

 

<------Starts poking his dashboard

 

hate to play the devil's advocate here but it sounds like Brent and the other owners with this issue have a valid complaint. just because the warranty is up doesn't mean that the manufacturer is not still liable for putting out a product with defects. things are recalled all the time on cars that are way past their warranty period and if a true defect is found then a recall should be issued and those with the affected parts should get them replaced. Dylan this isn't an issue of normal wear and tear so your steering wheel analogy makes no sense and the fact that your old-*** dash doesn't have a problem yet a much newer one does would suggest a problem no? Shaggy you make some valid points but i know you and if it was your car, you'd be doing the same thing. if you can honestly tell me that John should have to pay for a new dash or just deal with it on an 08 then you're the crazy one my friend. anyway Brent i hope you get things sorted and i'm glad that servco is a great company and stands behind what it sells, even when it doesn't have to. k now don't get butthurt, you know you guys are all my friends....except Dylan....no homo

 

IMHO john has a more valid point then brent & ryan he is the OG owner and his car is a 08

 

btw jason is not from subaru he is from servco warranty department