Free dash replacement - out of recall period - How to

[fourleggedfish]

Hi All,

First, a huge thanks to all the contributors to this site. The discussions and information found here were invaluable in my recent search for my own GX. Hopefully the info below will help a couple other folks.

After a couple months of searching, I found my GX. 2006, 2 owner, Non-nav!, 65,000 mi., Lexus and Toyota serviced, wp and t-belt changed 7,000 mi. ago. Exactly what I was searching for. Only issue? Majorly cracked dash. Owner didn’t get it replaced during the recall period and it’s clearly outside the 10 years after put-in-service date.

However, before I bought it, I called Lexus and they agreed to replace it free of charge anyway. Why? Because I looked up the Lexus service history on the truck, and it showed that a dash had been ordered by the dealer in 2016, but it apparently was never installed. From research here and elsewhere, there were a lot of reports that the dashes were often back-ordered for months, and owners got frustrated with the wait. My previous owner apparently lost patience and just decided to live with it.

Long story, longer, I told the service manager about the dash being ordered, but never installed, and he asked me for the VIN. He came back 30 seconds later and said they’d be happy to replace it for me for free! I asked what the turnaround would be on this and he said it could be a week, or it could be 6 months. Seems like there is still a supply issue on these.

So, cracked dash owners, check your service history for your VIN on the Lexus Owners Site, and if you see a dash was ordered, you may be in luck.

 

[fourleggedfish]

Oh, and an unrelated side note. I couldn’t have found this GX at a better time. Two days before I got it, the engine on our ‘08 Highlander blew on my better half on her way down to NM. Less than 100k and babied it’s whole life.

The next day, on my way to the airport to fly to Houston to get the GX, I blew the engine in my ‘00 4runner (207k)! No kidding - what’re the odds?

Anyway, drove this back to CO over two days and it ran like a champ (knock on wood).

Now I’ve got two dead Yotas in the driveway. s***e.

 

[GXMac]

Anyway, drove this back to CO over two days and it ran like a champ (knock on wood).

Plenty of wood in your GX's interior! That stinks about your other vehicles- hopefully you will have better luck with this one.

 

[BukkakeAisu]

Two engines blown in that short span of time....something doesn't add up with that? Do you know the cause of each? Anyone else in your area have a blown motor?

Toyota has no such sympathy for my melty dash. It's all sticky and is causing reflection issues as it's it is becoming glossy as it melts. (WTF Toyota?!!) I'm thinking to dill the cracks with black silicone and coat the damn thing with something like plasti-dip or whatever I can find on this side of the pond.

 

[Tak555]

hey guys, didn't want to start a new thread.... so thought i'd just dust this one off, since it seemed fairly relevant.

anyone else have luck similar to the OP? i'm thinking i might just have to order it and try to install myself..........

 

[DSRTRDR]

our 2004 white GX also has the cracked dash - service history says it was inspected during the recall period (several years ago), but somehow a new dash was never installed - then the PO at that time sold the truck to "cruiseninak"

he tried to convince his local Lexus dealer to do something but got no traction - then he had to sell a few months later due to military transfer

so after we picked it up and transferred the truck two states over to Louisiana, I contacted the dealer who did the original inspection on the dash (in Texas), and they agreed on the phone to do a replacement, but recognizing they are 7-8 hours away, they suggested I first try to work with my local Lexus dealer . . . so I prodded my local Lexus dealer - got the run-around - and got some more run-around each call I made over some 3 months . . .

then, when the GX needed an oil change, I brought it to that local Lexus dealer, using the opportunity to prod the service advisor some more, and then they agreed to order the dash (the oil change was minor in $s spent, their first work on this vehicle) - now, do I really know I am in line for the replacement ? . . .

no, so I will dutifully call them every two weeks to remind them of the dash they promised to replace . . .

I still think that the fact that the service record had a notation of inspection for cracked dash during the recall period is the ticket - so check your service history online

[it sure helped that I also got some guidance on navigating the whole process from our service advisor at our Lexus dealer in Arizona who has been taking care of the DSRTGX]

 

[DSRTRDR]

from some pics I have seen here and on other forums, even the dealer installs can look less than perfect in the end, so I don't feel like attempting an DIY install

if the local dealer won't come through in the end, I'd still have the option of driving to Dallas and have the original inspection dealer do the install . . .

or some hybrid option, like the local dealer ordering the part and me paying the labor fee on the install . . .

more phone calls will tell . . .

 

[Tak555]

yah i registered my GX through lexus, but didn't see anything on dash inspection.... so i might be SOL. i'm hoping that if i go into the dealership, i get a miracle. i'm in LA, so i can take it around and see if any of the dealerships will help. thanks for the info though!

our 2004 white GX also has the cracked dash - service history says it was inspected during the recall period (several years ago), but somehow a new dash was never installed - then the PO at that time sold the truck to "cruiseninak"

he tried to convince his local Lexus dealer to do something but got no traction - then he had to sell a few months later due to military transfer

so after we picked it up and transferred the truck two states over to Louisiana, I contacted the dealer who did the original inspection on the dash (in Texas), and they agreed on the phone to do a replacement, but recognizing they are 7-8 hours away, they suggested I first try to work with my local Lexus dealer . . . so I prodded my local Lexus dealer - got the run-around - and got some more run-around each call I made over some 3 months . . .

then, when the GX needed an oil change, I brought it to that local Lexus dealer, using the opportunity to prod the service advisor some more, and then they agreed to order the dash (the oil change was minor in $s spent, their first work on this vehicle) - now, do I really know I am in line for the replacement ? . . .

no, so I will dutifully call them every two weeks to remind them of the dash they promised to replace . . .

I still think that the fact that the service record had a notation of inspection for cracked dash during the recall period is the ticket - so check your service history online

[it sure helped that I also got some guidance on navigating the whole process from our service advisor at our Lexus dealer in Arizona who has been taking care of the DSRTGX]

 

[DSRTRDR]

from some pics I have seen here and on other forums, even the dealer installs can look less than perfect in the end, so I don't feel like attempting an DIY install

if the local dealer won't come through in the end, I'd still have the option of driving to Dallas and have the original inspection dealer do the install . . .

or some hybrid option, like the local dealer ordering the part and me paying the labor fee on the install . . .

more phone calls will tell . . .

and SWAMPGX now has a new dash - installed on the dealer's dime - shoutout to Price LeBlanc Lexus of Baton Rouge

 

[fourleggedfish]

Solid! Glad to hear you got that taken care of for free. When they put mine in, they cracked some of the wood around one of the vents a little and left some adhesive on the windshield, but it’s still better than looking at that old cracked dash!