2004 Lexus GX470

AFTER A SHORT TIME OF BUYING MY WIFE'S GX470, A SMALL CRACK APPEARED IN THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LOCATION. AT THE TIME WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AS MY WIFE STATED IT WAS MORE LIKE A LINE IN THE DASH. THROUGH THE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP THESES CRACKS HAVE GROWN, AND NOW THE ENTIRE DASH IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY ACROSS. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER IT WAS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY AND THEY STATE THAT NOW THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WE TAKE EXCEPTIONAL CARE OF HER CAR AND ALWAYS PARK IT IN THE GARAGE. THE DEALERSHIP ONCE STATED THAT THE PROBABLE PROBLEM WAS SUN RELATED, BUT THAT STATEMENT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, AND THIS ISSUE REALLY UPSETS ME SINCE LEXUS SEEMS TO HAVE A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE DASH CRACKING ISSUES. I EVEN FOUND THIS TOPIC BEING DISCUSSED IN LENGTH IN THIS LEXUS FORUM: HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/GX-FIRST-GENERATION/427349-CRACKED-DASHBOARD.HTML THE DEALER FINALLY DID OFFER TO REPLACE THE DASH IF I PAID FOR THE LABOR, WHICH WAS LIKE $800. I DON'T BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A KNOWN DEFECT IN THESE DASHES. IT NOW APPEARS MORE CLEARLY THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BEING THAT IT IS IN THE AIRBAG LOCATION. I AM REQUESTING THAT LEXUS STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND REPLACE OUR DASH DUE TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR