2nd gen Mazda 3 dash started cracking. What to do?

[nyexx]

So 2 weeks ago Mazda sent me a 10 year warranty extension for dashboards melting in 2010 Mazda 3s. Literally three days later I notice that a small crack has started by the airbag cover. Over the past 2 weeks the crack has spread and now the lines where the airbag is supposed to deploy are showing and I'm pretty positive it'll start cracking there soon.

Pics:



Black line is below where the lines for the airbag are starting to show:





Video of the melting and cracking happening simultaneously:


So I went to the Mazda dealer yesterday with hopes that because the melting and cracking are caused by the same reason they would be willing to work with me to fix this issue.

Turns out they told me they can't help me because the warranty extension states that the dash has to be melting for them to fix it. The best advice they could give me is to call Mazda customer service and file a complaint. I'm a Mazda fan and would be lying if I said this didn't bother me (it's a $700 repair out of warranty) So TCL, what should I do? (Mazda forums are dead)

car in question has 92,000 miles:

[RAVatar]

So 2 weeks ago Mazda sent me a 10 year warranty extension for dashboards melting in 2010 Mazda 3s. Literally three days later I notice that a small crack has started by the airbag cover. Over the past 2 weeks the crack has spread and now the lines where the airbag is supposed to deploy are showing and I'm pretty positive it'll start cracking there soon.

Wow. That sucks.

I'm at work and I can't see the pictures but I can gather enough of what's happening from your description. I had a '10 2.5GT but don't recall any cracks happening to the dash. It was always relatively sticky though, even when clean. That MAY have been the early signs of melting, perhaps? I only had it 4 months before it was totalled , otherwise I'd be happy to provide some more insight.

For now, if they won't warrant it until it's "melting", I guess consider parking it with the dashboard facing the sun while you're at work/home? It might not be very warm out now, but it should start to get warm inside cars soon enough. Best I've got, unfortunately.

[GTI-DNA]

[QUOTE=nyexx;92813066]So 2 weeks ago Mazda sent me a 10 year warranty extension for dashboards melting in 2010 Mazda 3s. Literally three days later I notice that a small crack has started by the airbag cover. Over the past 2 weeks the crack has spread and now the lines where the airbag is supposed to deploy are showing and I'm pretty positive it'll start cracking there soon.


So I went to the Mazda dealer yesterday with hopes that because the melting and cracking are caused by the same reason they would be willing to work with me to fix this issue.

Turns out they told me they can't help me because the warranty extension states that the dash has to be melting for them to fix it. The best advice they could give me is to call Mazda customer service and file a complaint. I'm a Mazda fan and would be lying if I said this didn't bother me (it's a $700 repair out of warranty) So TCL, what should I do? (Mazda forums are dead)

Holly Crap, I have a 2013 Speed 3 and you can clearly see the perforated lines of the airbag opening already. Also, the whole square that the airbag is in is a darker color than the rest of the dash. I'm still under bumper to bumper....maybe I should look into a replacement STAT.

[GolfTango]

Get a heat gun and melt that ***er. Problem solved.

Seriously, that sucks. And that video is crazy, I didn't know those dashes were so brittle. I put a thread up awhile back on cracking dashboards because my friends '07 Mazda3 is starting to crack.

[rice is burning]

See if you can get Mazda to at least split the cost with you. That car is still too new IMO to drive around with a broken dash cover. It would drive me nuts. Maybe $700 nuts.

[BetterByDesign]

Post a reply to the thread: 2nd gen Mazda 3 dash started cracking. What to do?

Forget about Mazda.

What's your insurance deductible?

[clutchrider]

Dash must be melting.

[DUBPL8]

I expect the dash to crack on a early 90s 323, not on a 3!

[BostonB6]

[nyexx]

Wow. That sucks.

I'm at work and I can't see the pictures but I can gather enough of what's happening from your description. I had a '10 2.5GT but don't recall any cracks happening to the dash. It was always relatively sticky though, even when clean. That MAY have been the early signs of melting, perhaps? I only had it 4 months before it was totalled , otherwise I'd be happy to provide some more insight.

For now, if they won't warrant it until it's "melting", I guess consider parking it with the dashboard facing the sun while you're at work/home? It might not be very warm out now, but it should start to get warm inside cars soon enough. Best I've got, unfortunately.

I was thinking the same. This is the first real problem I've had with this car over the year I've owned it. My CPO warranty ends next month but that's only for the power train.

Holly Crap, I have a 2013 Speed 3 and you can clearly see the perforated lines of the airbag opening already. Also, the whole square that the airbag is in is a darker color than the rest of the dash. I'm still under bumper to bumper....maybe I should look into a replacement STAT.

I've heard that in colder climates the cracking starts first and in hotter climates the melting starts first. I'd look into it but there probably isn't much they can do for you now.

Get a heat gun and melt that ***er. Problem solved.

Seriously, that sucks. And that video is crazy, I didn't know those dashes were so brittle. I put a thread up awhile back on cracking dashboards because my friends '07 Mazda3 is starting to crack.

There is a TSB for CX-5s and Mazda6s as well IIRC. Only a matter of time before they extend those warranties if enough people complain.

See if you can get Mazda to at least split the cost with you. That car is still too new IMO to drive around with a broken dash cover. It would drive me nuts. Maybe $700 nuts.

It didn't bother me much when it was a small crack but the crack grows literally overnight It shrinks and grows based on temperature, too.

[Elite_Deforce]

I have plenty of experience with both BLs and BKs, and have never witnessed such a thing. The interiors in these cars is arguably not of pristine quality as it is, but I've never seen anything quite this far. The cracking I would just live with as it is not worth it at $700, but the melting is definitely concerning.

I would raise more hell with Mazda because they have been known to step up occasionally. Only other thing I can add is that Mazda3 values have been dropping since the BM came out and since yours is a first MY, I don't think this would hurt resale *too* much if you just left and tried to stay on top of it somehow, maybe by covering the dash so the melting doesn't happen.

I would hit a dead end with Mazda completely and then take it from there. It's only a 6 year old car.

[OrangeA4]

Interesting.
I definitely thought the interior plastics (dash, door trims, etc) were a little wiggly after several summers of LA heat even with a metallic tint.
We sold our SP23 before it got too old, but I was always wondering if these would hold up. I am still a Mazda fan. That car was really great. Was pretty much perfect. Only beefs were slightly thin paint, just OK leathers, and the aforementioned interior plastics that got a little warpy and also scratched a bit easy. I'm comparing to our Audi's tho. Maybe a bit harsh to compare a car that was 1/2 the cost of either of my other cars. Even my Audi door cards scuff too easy for me.

Still would buy a Mazda again. Sorry to hear of your cracking issues.

[Ross1013]

Anyone watch or listen to the video?

Apparently this TSB isn't just for the 3...it's for basically everything including the CX-5.

[2.0_Mazda]

That really sucks. I'd try pushing Mazda on this issue. Since you do have that 10yr extended warranty for your dash, you could also wait it out until it gets worse.

[KeiCar]

I expect the dash to crack on a early 90s 323, not on a 3!

Seriously. This is a 5 year old car....FIVE YEARS OLD! With a cracking dash. Makes you wonder what else if failing prematurely on the car.

Nice to see Mazda owning up to it, but I would say they kinda have to. Somthing like this is unheard of.

[Ross1013]

Seriously. This is a 5 year old car....FIVE YEARS OLD! With a cracking dash. Makes you wonder what else if failing prematurely on the car.

Nice to see Mazda owning up to it, but I would say they kinda have to. Somthing like this is unheard of.

Early 3g TL had this, but it was limited to that car early on. This Mazda issue is spread throughout the range.

[proximal]

The best advice they could give me is to call Mazda customer service and file a complaint.

And did you do that? Their customer service line is staffed by real, knowledgeable people.

[Iroczgirl]

That's horrible...and here I complain about a cracking dash in a 30 year old car...

[Dodeejeroo]

We had an '08 Mazda3 before we got our Subaru and we were affected by the power steering recall (intermittent loss of power steering), pretty scary issue when it happens and you don't expect it. We take it in to get it fixed at the nearest Mazda dealer (about 20 miles away) and just over a year later the power steering pump fixed under recall started spewing. I looked into and found that the fix wasn't to replace the entire pump, but to split it at an oring and replace part of it. Well, the oring failed, causing the leak, and because it was about one month past a year from the recall fix the dealer would not warranty it. Called Mazda and they wouldn't do anything for me. $600 dollar repair just in parts. This was on a car with less than 60k miles. I fixed it and traded it in for our Crosstrek within the year. As mush as I may like some Mazda vehicles, they permanently lost me as a customer.

Hope your dealings with them go better OP.

[Elite_Deforce]

Seriously. This is a 5 year old car....FIVE YEARS OLD! With a cracking dash. Makes you wonder what else if failing prematurely on the car.

Nice to see Mazda owning up to it, but I would say they kinda have to. Somthing like this is unheard of.

Calm down. It is perfectly fathomable for a car to have niggling interior issues and still work 100%.

[BetterByDesign]

Calm down. It is perfectly fathomable for a car to have niggling interior issues and still work 100%.

Correct.

The Mazda rust issue was fixed and rust is an exterior issue.

[Bibs]

Could a cracking dash be considered a safety issue (in general)? Airbag pops, and the dash is designed to release in a certain way, and not break away into flying pieces. Might be an angle to look at?

[dr.pepperuwm]

Easy. Purposely melt your dashboard, duh!

[BetterByDesign]

Seriously. This is a 5 year old car....FIVE YEARS OLD! With a cracking dash. Makes you wonder what else if failing prematurely on the car.

Nice to see Mazda owning up to it, but I would say they kinda have to. Somthing like this is unheard of.

Maybe Mazda buys their melting dashboards from the same guys they buy metal from and the same guys where they source materials for engine mounts.

Minor niggling issues.

[MK5golf]

Maybe Mazda buys their melting dashboards from the same guys they buy metal from and the same guys where they source materials for engine mounts.

Minor niggling issues.

lol! Not surprised they're having issues. My cousin has a first MY second gen and no cracking dash or problems yet though he seems to be the exception among Mazda owners that I know IRL. His first gen was a complete piece of junk though, surprised he went for another after that experience. Hopefully Mazda customer service will be good here though. VW would just deny deny deny