How To Repair A Cracked Vinyl Dashboard

Q: I have tried to take exceptionally good care of my 2006 Jetta’s interior and exterior, but this winter a 1/4-inch crack appeared in my dash. It almost looks like it has been cut, and I have no idea where it came from. My greatest concern is the crack getting larger. What are my options? 

A: That dash consists of a vinyl fabric over a foam padding. Sunlight, excessive cleaning and incessant slathering with protectant can leach all the vinyl-chloride plasticizer out of the vinyl—which then gets brittle and cracks. Eastwood (eastwood.com) has a repair kit that will let you make a pretty good repair if the crack is small, especially if it’s in an unobtrusive place. Unfortunately, odds are the vinyl will crack elsewhere fairly soon. The only real cure is to recover or replace the entire dash, which is neither simple nor cheap.

Your other solution is one of those cheesy-looking fabric dash covers. You also could go retro and glue on some shag carpeting . . .

Next time, don’t use anything except a soft rag and warm water to clean the dash. Avoid harsh cleaners like 409, Janitor in a Drum, ammonia, alcohol, window cleaner or even detergents. They’ll leach the plasticizers out of the vinyl coating prematurely. 

Read more: How To Repair A Cracked Vinyl Dashboard - Popular Mechanics
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