Another Sticky Dash Issue
 

Ok so I have been doing some serious research on why a little section on my dash has turned to a rubbery sticky mess. It is right above the center console.

I literally take amazing care of my car!

After searching google and finding out that Nissan has had issues with the Altimas becoming sticky, a class action lawsuit was granted here in Florida for the 2008-2009 Nissan Altima models. This suite was approved in Miami on Jan 15, 2017.

Now I'm pretty sure the plastic material used in this model is the same as ours??? anyone?

My car is kept in a garage but I notice when I have driven the car and left out side the dash starts to turn to a high gloss and sticky. My Z is not a DD.

Where the door plastic meets the dash, there is a line crack.

This is going to bother me for the rest of my life!

Dude, my dash is garbage for the very same reason on the Altimas and I called Nissan and they refuse to cover it. It's complete ********

Same issue here, cracks and all.

Big problem on the FX as well. There was a recal campaign for the Fx several years ago for the melted dash boards. Infiniti ended up replacing them under that recall. And how the hell is there a class action on the maximas and there aren't any for the csc issues that's been going for years?!

No issues here after 6 years sitting in the Texas sun. Your dash issue sounds like something that should be covered under warranty.

I have a 09 with less then 70k miles.

Everyone is reporting the issue after the warranty is up, go figure.

I will be calling Nissan today but I am pretty sure I know what they are going to say.

Maybe its time to micro suede wrap it!

Can you post pictures please?

Just out of curious do you use anything on the dash? cleaners/conditioners?

I have barely use any cleaners or conditioners because the car has always been garage kept.

Do you use a sunshade when the car is parked outside?

I have noticed issues with other vehicle dashes as well. All have one thing in common; the owners are putting crappy chemicals, i.e. armour all, on the dash to give it that clean and shiny look. Stop using junk on your dash. Soap and water will clean your dash just fine.

I do use a sunshade when I do park outside.

Not sure if that can be true. I never used Armour all and I am having this issue. This sucks!

So I just spoke with Nissan Corp and started a case. I will be taking to Nissan to have them look at it and go from there. They need a dealership to look at it first.

I will keep you guys updated.

Good luck!

Of course they are :ugh:

If you're out of warranty, your best bet is to ask for "good will" coverage. If you have a Nissan dealer that you use for lots of car purchases and/or service, then you might have a pretty good chance getting approved. Good luck!

I use a sunshade and I have never used any chemicals on my interior.

This has been brought up in the past but the topic always dies out because people go on the thread stating that the problem is caused by using chemicals on your interior. But wait, don't thousands of European cars also have dashboards? I'm sure they use cleaning products on their dash as well, but you rarely see issues like this on those cars. My point is, chemicals or not your dashboard shouldn't be melting or cracking. I noticed mine started in 2012 right outside my warranty and wasn't as bad as it is now. I mentioned it to a service rep at a dealership before the class action law suit and I was simply told that I was out of warranty.

My dash is sticky, shiny, cracking, and the vents are sagging. If there is direct sunlight to the shiny parts of the dash, the glare can be so bad that it obstructs my vision when driving. I literally need to move my head up and down, side to side, to avoid the glare on the windshield. I wish I could change the dash but at least $700 for a used dash, plus install isn't feasible especially when the problem may occur again another 3 years down the line.

Hope this helps anyone's case with the means to fight this.

Here are the other threads:
http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...h-melting.html
http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...h-melting.html
http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...sh-sticky.html

Attachment 121737Attachment 121741Attachment 121742

Scary. Hope this gets taken care of... Might be cheaper just to get your dash and door panels reupholstered custom (but probably not).

Here are some more pics:

Attachment 121744Attachment 121745Attachment 121746

Those are brutal pics, pisses me off. I am in no way defending Nissan. I am certain that some of the dashes are poorly manufactured. Whether it's materials, ingredients or molds.
When I mentioned chemicals or cleaning solutions, I was merely bringing up a valid point that these chemicals over the long run tend to ruin the materials they are used on. This happens on many cars, regardless of the country of manufacture or use. I know first hand though that the Florida sun, high heat, salty air and crazy humidity is also a major culprit when it comes to aging materials. I truly hope Nissan steps up and covers this.

So far I have no problems with the dash on my Z, but I did have that issue (but more severe) on a 2004 Toyota Solara that I handed down to my son when I got my Z. Here is how Toyota handled that, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Nissan take a similar path:

About three years ago I received a letter from Toyota advising me that they were initiating a program to replace dashboards which had that problem and that they would even reimburse people who had had theirs replaced already. They stressed that this was not a recall. They also stated that dashboards were in short supply and they would send another letter when they had ample supply. But they did say to take the car to the dealer to confirm that the issue was present, so we did.

About a year later I received the notification that dashboards were in supply and to ask the dealer to order one. We did that. Several weeks later we were notified that the dash was at the dealer and to make an appointment to have it replaced.

I assume that Toyota agreed to a "voluntary" program to avoid risking an official recall. And it was evident that they delayed and delayed in an effort to replace fewer dashboards. It reminded me of how Firestone handled the recall of the infamous Firestone 500's in the 1970's--delay, delay, delay until most are off the road. I would not be surprised to see the same sequence of events play out with Nissan's dashboards.

That Toyota chose to acknowledge the issue at all was a HUGE step in the right direction. Let's see if Nissan has the 'cojones' to acknowledge this issue?

Mine cracked in the same spot! on both sides. :(

Wow your sticky dash is way worse but I am beyond OCD.

This is not only an issue with the 370z, but also the G series as well. Certain chemicals can cause issues with the dash long-term but also the windshield is working like a magnifying glass on sunny days and causing the dash to melt. I have the same issue happening on my G37.

Going forward, I'd recommend using a sun-shade, dash cover or tint the front windshield a clear ceramic film that blocks UV so it doesn't get worse.

It does suck.

So here is an update:

I went to my local Nissan dealer and had them look at it. The lady I was working with was very nice and she agreed the dash is becoming sticky and cracking.

I had mentioned many people are seeing the same problem now on the 370z and mentioned the Nissan Altima's.

She did speak with Nissan Corp and a Specialist is going to call me tomorrow.

I did tell them I would install the dash myself to help save on the labor.

We shall see what happens tomorrow. I am positive this has nothing to do with chemicals or cleaners.

That was not too long after Toyota had the major lawsuit about the gas pedals and floor mats. It doesn't surprise me they "voluntarily" did this.

That's awesome man. Keep us posted.

I am also willing to start a petition for us to address this issue with Nissan. Maybe you don't have this issue now but considering both me and Khern11 have 09 models, it is only due time till your newer model Z starts having the same issue.

You need to take the car back to Nissan man and express all these concerns. I would also call Nissan Corp and start a ticket with them. Use as much info as you can. Mention this forum, mention the Altima's....

Tell them it is a extreme safety hazard while you are driving. Out of warranty is ********. The entire resell value of your car just went down.

Your dash is way worse then mine and I would be livid.

I am seeing a trend here. Common denominator is Florida.

I'm going to stop by the dealership later this week to see what they say. If they partially covered repairs for similar problems on the Altima, they should at least do the same for the Z. I'm sure they sold way more Altima's than they did Z's, so less people are complaining about the issue. If the dealer can't do anything, I'll see if they can take it up with corporate.

Hope they take care of you. I mentioned cleaners as I was wondering if any conditioners/protection was applied, not that the chemicals were causing the issue. :tiphat:

And shitty Japanese (Nissan) quality. Sad but true...

Most are sh!tty, regardless of country of origin. Quality has taken a back seat to profit.

I have a 96 Acura Integra GSR and the dash is mint. No cracks or fading at all!

Went to the dealer today, not a great experience, seems like the more customers a dealer has the less they feel that they need to take care of previous customers. So bottom line is that I spoke to a service rep, he acknowledged the problem but said that they couldn't do anything about it. I asked him if he can file a complaint with Nissan and he said that I needed to call.

If a dealer doesn't want to help you, call Nissan corporate at (800) 647-7261 and file a compliant! Select the extension for recalls and service bulletins. Speak with a representative, file a complaint and get a case number.

There is more of a chance this issue will get resolved if more people speak up. If you see the slightest sticky spot or imperfection on your dash, chances are it will get much worse.

I'm waiting for a call from the regional service rep tomorrow. Will update

Stealership reps, typical jackasses, be it in service or sales. You should have demanded to speak to the service manager or even the general manager. Hopefully Nissan Corp. will escalate this issue and resolve it?

I usually deal with the service manager but he was out to lunch. The representative at Nissan corp sounded understanding to my situation, so we'll wait and see.

Something you have to understand is that dealerships don't like to warranty things because the manufacture only pays a portion of the actual labor that's involved in replacing the faulty item. Example, to completely pull a dash and replace could take 5-6 hours. Well Nissan may only compensate that dealership 3.5-4 hours, where the ACTUAL time did take 5-6. The dealership has to eat that extra time involved which is why they're a lot less likely to budge on major issues than petty ones, like a faulty gas cap.

Dealerships love when people are out of warranty because they charge full actual labor rate for jobs. Unless you REALLY know someone in the industry, it's very hard to get anywhere when it comes to major issues like these.

Just so you guys know the Dealership quoted me $3,360 to replace the dash. Still waiting to talk to the Nissan corp rep. I missed her call yesterday.