'Vette-powered Escalade or XT5 - Which Is the Future?

I have a 2011 Chevy Truck and my desk crack right above the passenger airbag! The dealership offered to pay for a lil more than half but they said that was from GM! They would have covered the entire thing if I was within warranty but when I finally got someone that knew what they were talking about I was out of warranty! Hmm, dumb luck or just planned like that!

 

It has been reported for the early trucks to the newer ones! Don't think we will hear about it from the newer models as they changed the dash!

Had a 2004 Titan. Same thing happened. Also the clear coat came off the roof and hood.

Mine is cracked pass side in 3 places

 

 

 

Ryan

My Tahoe is cracked. I know Ryan's truck dash is craked also, we have spent time trying to figure the best alternative.

 

I have done a lot of research.

 

GM revised the dash several years ago and *surprise* there are reinforcements where the cracks normally appear.(if it's not a design fault why would they update?)

 

But, a few people talked GM into replacing the dash, and even the replacements and new designs later cracked. People who have used protectants (of all types)religiously, people who never use them, people who always use a sunshade, people who never do.....there seems to be no rhyme or reason.

Edited September 9, 2015 by SnakeEyes

no issues so far with my dash on my 2008 Silverado LT shortbed. 84K miles

My 2011 cracked a couple months ago at the left corner of the passenger airbag nearest the windshield. The truck only had 30K miles. I believe it could be a safety issue if the airbag deploys and sends dash pieces flying. NHTSA can figure that out. I did some research on the internet and found literally thousands of folks with the same problem. I made a call to General Motors Customer Service and they called my dealer. GM told me to see a certain service advisor. I did, she had the Service Manager look at it and he said they would repair it. They ordered a new dash and installed it the next week. The new dash has a little different grain and is less shiny. Perhaps they changed suppliers or the type of plastic. Looks good and was free.

Edited September 9, 2015 by RonBergmann

If its caused by the Texas sun, it was a fluke.

 

I've had my vehicles parked side by side for years. The 2004 Silverado has a perfect dash. The 2008 Tahoe LT had the dash replaced in 2014. Both trucks are well maintained and although it was 6 years old, the Tahoe had only 50,000 or so miles on it.

 

My wife noticed the cracked dash a year or so earlier but since it was out of warranty, decided to let it slide.

 

When we took the Tahoe into a non-GM service center for an annual inspection, the manager advised the dash cracks were common in Chevys and GMCs. He was also concerned that the crack was headed into the airbag area and felt the dash needed to be replaced.

 

I spoke to the dealership where I purchased the truck. The indicated they had never heard of a cracking dash problem but were more than willing to replace it for a little over $1300.

 

Decided it was worth a phone call to Detroit. They keep good records. When they pulled up my information it showed I had a GM product in my driveway continuously for over 25 years. (The actual number is closer to 42 years.)

 

They quickly advised that they would replace the dash free of charge and would contact the dealership.

 

The next day the dealership called to schedule the repairs but advised that they would be charging a $125 deductible. Total BS but better than $1300 and way better that listening to the wife complaining.

 

So far the replacement dash has done fine Only complaint is the dealership used the original airbag cover in the repair which due to age does not perfectly match the color of the new dash.

 

 

I find it sad that GM has gone back to having these issues. It had been a common problem with the 88-98 bodies, but seemed to be resolved with the change of body from 99-07c. Now they've got back to having the same stupid issues?

I know a handful of people with the 07+ Silverado/Tahoe/Subirbans, and all of them have had their dashes crack. Some have paid the $600+ to replace the dash, and now wonder how long the new one will last. Compare that to the same number of friends who have the 99-07c bodies and haven't had a cracked dash yet. I currently have an 03 with 207k miles on it, and so far, no cracks from the Miami sun/heat combo. My truck lives outside, and I don't cover the dash with anything.

 

I had been looking at 10+ Silverado with around 30k miles to replace my truck, and at least half of them either had cracked dashes or already had replaced dashes. I'll be curious to know if the 13+ trucks will have the same issue..

 

For now I'll keep mine, and put the "dash money" into a motor!

My '07 Silverado WT cracked in a few spots (same as Ryans). Dealership was of no help, so just bit the bullet and bought a new one from one of the GM stores online, and saved my receipt...in case I can get reimbursed. The old dash pretty much just crumbled when I was pulling it out (which wasn't that difficult).

My 08 LTZ cracked in the same place everyone elses did. My truck is kept out of the sun in a carport as much as possible. I'm in SC so no long cold winters.

Cracks come from unrelieved stresses. Why are most of the cracks happening in the same places? Anyone have the drivers side dash crack?

One of the reasons that I started using DashMat dash fabric dash covers years ago. UV hates plastic. I knew when they started using more plastic on dashes that this would occur. I have yet to have a dash crack on me since plastic dashes came on the scene decades ago. My semi trucks, autos, SUV's, pickups... everything, has gotten DashMat dash covers. The definition of "cheap insurance". When the dash is protected, it can flex better under little stresses.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Cowpie

I have a 2011 Silverado with 37000 miles and the dash has already cracked above the passenger side air bag. Dealership won't repair it.

As long as it runs I could careless about the dashboard. Scratches, cracks and/or other things don't bother me much.

 

Got a 2000 Z71 with many, many miles no cracks and another 2009 with no cracks neither have been pampered either.

One thing I noticed on my LTZ Tahoe is my side windows have an extra UV/IR blocker in them than I have seen in some other trucks. It seems that in 2007 at least the Black interior Tahoes/Suburban/Yukons may have gotten front windows with a rating of E9 where the lighter color interiors only got an E1. My dash in my 2007 Tahoe LTZ is not cracked, but the windshield has been replaced with a pinkerton before I bought it. It appears to be a newer windshield.

 

I would think it is a danger to have a cracked dash by the airbag, if it exploded shards of plastic in theory could fly all over the interior at more than 100 mph.

 

I wonder if my dash had not been replaced already as it is clearly a darker Black than the Airbag.

Had a 2004 Titan. Same thing happened. Also the clear coat came off the roof and hood.

Was the Titan a Blue, Silver or white hue? Back in the 1980's & 1990's when GM cars were pealing paint, the problem happened to be that they did not put primer on the car. What it was is a expensive sealer, but the sealer was not UV stable, therefore those blue, silver, white hues that were not in the Red, Yellow, Orange family (these colors need more solids & pigment for proper tint) allowed the UV rays to filter past the paint and attack the sealer.

 

Likewise clear-coats that are not UV stabilized will peal.