Nearly 5 million cars are getting fixed because of our continuing investigation into melting dashboards in several model cars. Subaru is the latest car maker to do something.
Sticky shiny dashboards - it's a problem in many make and model cars including Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, and Subaru vehicles. While car makers say it's not a safety issue, drivers say the reflection blinds them.
Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, and now Subaru are all giving drivers free dashboards to fix the issue.
Cars covered under the Subaru repair include the 2005 to 2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles.
Like the other manufacturers, if you paid out of pocket for repairs, you'll get reimbursed.
Nissan cars also have melting dashboards, but that car maker has not agreed to a fix.
The car makers blame the heat and humidity for the deteriorating dashboards.
Lawyers are still looking at causes, and may even test some.
"What is the same is that these vehicles came from Japan. US vehicles do not seem to have this problem," explained Attorney John Yanchunis. "It could be a supplier. Cars today are put together by different part manufacturers."
Parts are a big problem with these repair programs. Many Toyota and Lexus drivers are waiting over a year for the fix. There is no telling how long it will take for all the cars to be fixed.
It's expected there will be delays for Subaru drivers too. If you're waiting, make sure your name is on the list at the dealer.
Subaru Full Statement:
As part of Subaru’s dedication to customer satisfaction, the company has extended its new car limited warranty. Subaru is implementing a program, that extends warranty coverage on dashboards for all 2005-2009 Subaru Outback and Subaru Legacy vehicles sold or leased in the United States. This change is in anticipation that a small number of vehicles may require repairs to dashboards that have a surface degradation as a result of heat or humidity. Subaru will also reimburse vehicle owners who have previously paid for the replacement of affected dashboards. Please note that this is not a recall, as it does not impact the safety of the vehicle.