thats sucks, i use aerospace 303 on mine, try looking the product up

also isnt the center piece normally replaceable? it is on the earlier ones..

 

Dash covers are great, also keep down cabin temps while running the ac, look at dash designs, I have a black one and it never gets hot even in 110 heat and sun all day. I think brushed suede is the most heat resistant, call them to check. I would cover it and save the 500.00

 

Probably won't be able to fix it or make it look any better; I don't even want to imagine how hot it was to even do that. Definitely pick up something to cover the dash (or window reflector) from walmart or something, anything for dirt cheap.

While that price does suck it doesn't surprise me, replacing the dash is several... several hours worth of labor, and an expensive part to begin with, especially on the new ones since it's mostly solid.

But yeah, it's mold formed plastic, you'll never get it to look like the rest of it, now it's a question of is it worth spending the money (maybe when you decide to sell it?), and just get a window cover.

 

Hmm..Thanks guys. I ordered a OEM sunshade and am definitely going to get a dash cover, but I am afraid to use anything now to clean the surface. Still waiting on Mazda to get back to me and will also try out a few more dealers to see if they have a better offer on a new dash. It sucks that the thing is not built modular, so the entire part would need to be replaced. I can hide it with a dash cover, but I am worried about the fact that it might get worse over time and would certainly affect the resale value when I decide to sell my car, so I might just have to bite the bullet now.

 

I would clean it off with a mild detergent and maybe some rubbing alcohol to get rid of whatever caused it to soften.

You won't get back the $500+ at sale time. Only replace it if it really bothers you that much looking at it.

 

Melting Dash on 2010 Mazda3 Hatch

My 2010 Mazda 3 Hatchback’s dashboard is melting.
About 6 months ago I noticed that my dashboard close to the glass was starting to get a shine.
I touched it and it was soft. I do not use any cleaning solutions on it.
I now notice that it is starting to spread to other areas on the dash.
I have not taken it to the dealer as yet.
Has anyone had this experience? What should I expect from Mazda?
Thanks,
sidg

 

What you can expect from mazda is nothing, Mazdausa does not get involved with things like this.

What you can expect from the people working at your local Mazda dealership is different depending on what type of person they are. I know a dealership here that if I had done regular maintenance there they would have covered something like that just for being a good customer.

 

I noticed this was happening to a small area on my dash last week. I've ALWAYS used a sunshade, so I'm pretty ticked off about it. I used my googlefu and found many complaints. There was a class action lawsuit filed in October 2014 in California about this issue but I haven't found anything more about what happened as a result of it yet.

Some people have complained and gotten new dashboards, minus the labor. With the age and milage of my car, it's doubtful I'll be able to broker such a deal. I will try though.

 

I forgot to add that the dash molding around the round side vents can be chipped or peeled off when it gets hot in the late afternoons. I found this out when I accidentally caught part of one on my nail and gouged a piece out.

 

Stopped at the dealership I bought the car from and explained my dashboard problem. The service guy was aware of the issue, but Mazda has not issued an official extended warranty or recall about it, yet. His advice was to check in occasionally and ask.

 

this is a known problem and there is a TSB for it in issued in late 2014, but it only covers vehicles under warranty and has not been extended to 3's out of warranty. the 10-11 appears to get that sticky melting look, and the 12-13's get the lifting warp right above the info/clock display. we got almost 10 boxes of old dashes waiting to go back to mazda under warranty. a few are being replaced by the dealer out of warranty under dealership discretion, approved by the mazda dcsm. usually for customers who have a good history of having the dealer do all the maintenance work. I'm gonna be ordering a dash for my 3 b4 it goes out of warranty warped or not. all I can recommend is if you have this problem call Mazda's customer service at HQ and complain, do it on their FB page even if you have to. if theres enough of a voice or media attn, they will issue a SSP to extend the warranty for the dashs. save all receipts if you already have replaced the dash on your own dime, cuz if there is a ssp issued later, you might be able to file for reimb.

 

Any issues with '15s? I've had the display overheat a few times even with the sun shield in use.

 

Not heard anything, but I don't pay as as much attention to other years.

 

Same thing is happening in my kids 2010 Mazda 3. Soft plastic closest to the window is shiny and very sticky. Will not clean off with anything we tried (water, 409 or rubbing alcohol.) Also there is chipping and cracking around one of the air vents on front.