Cracked Climate Control Screen

[SB1500]

Hi people, 

I spotted this damage (looking like a finger nail imprint) a month or two ago. I thought I must have scratched it whilst cleaning it, my bad, ignored it and learnt my lesson.

A few weeks on, more cracks and similar dents have appeared. They look like they're coming from the inside, but you can feel them from the outside. Along the bottom of the plastic is also looking a bit deteriorated. 

I know it looks like an obvious hard blow has cracked it, but I am 99% certain this is not the case. 

I took it to Toyota today, my warranty is up in August so I thought, might as well check if they can fix this..  He looked and said it looks like it's been physically damaged therefore there's no point in even putting it through warranty. I understand, as me saying 'I know I didn't whack it!' is very convenient for me, and just would come across as a total lie, so I don't blame them for that. He did say had there been any functional issues or if the whole unit was dead they'd have no hesitation in getting it replaced. 

Problem being... I'm now going to have to live with this. A new unit it £985 from Toyota. a little much for this little damage. But it's front and centre, and a bit of a !Removed! in the punch bowl so to speak of the otherwise beautiful fresh interior..  It will probably continue to crack and eventually become a big deal. So what should I do? 

I was thinking of buying another (even a non functioning one) with a clean front fascia, and moving the part. I know the part system shows this as one unit, but obviously the thing will be built of multiple pieces and if they can build it... I can rebuild it carefully, right?! 

 

 

[avensis_2018]

hi, i would first try to take a light black window sun protector and try it on the screen unit, cut it to the same size/shape it can solve the screen thing easily. it just will be darker.

[Hybrid21]

Hi Shane, certainly from the picture that area looks as if it has been physically damaged somehow ? I take it no one else uses the car ?

I would imagine that you could repair it yourself if you source the parts 👍

 

[avensis_2018]

i think it because you clean it with something that made this happened, it's look like you clean it.

or spray something on it (tell us that we won't do this mistake) any way, it's with it's working order, if it wasn't working i would replace it, other, i will try with DIY thing to make it disappear.

 

[avensis_2018]

first clean all well from the material that you clean or spray on it.

you can buy small emblem and stick it on this cracking area: for example:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004882647454.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.73.78f652efqMKTx4&algo_pvid=02258176-2b31-4708-ae85-13af4f22a1f5&algo_exp_id=02258176-2b31-4708-ae85-13af4f22a1f5-38&pdp_npi=3%40dis!ILS!18.56!9.28!!!!!%40214527fd16862939212257849d07b7!12000030878753983!sea!IL!1649895141&curPageLogUid=t0dGQdhPjUQc

[SB1500]

On 6/9/2023 at 7:49 AM, avensis_2018 said:

hi, i would first try to take a light black window sun protector and try it on the screen unit, cut it to the same size/shape it can solve the screen thing easily. it just will be darker.

I might give this a go if I can't think of any other way to fix it. 

 

On 6/9/2023 at 7:49 AM, Hybrid21 said:

Hi Shane, certainly from the picture that area looks as if it has been physically damaged somehow ? I take it no one else uses the car ?

I would imagine that you could repair it yourself if you source the parts 👍

 

Certainly, that's what Toyota said and from their point of view, it's hard to argue or expect them to believe otherwise. Nobody else uses the car, but I'd have passengers and there's a remote chance maybe someone has done this by accident and I'm just not aware.  I will try to source a broken unit but one with the face in tact / good condition and find a way to transplant this part. 

On 6/9/2023 at 7:54 AM, avensis_2018 said:

i think it because you clean it with something that made this happened, it's look like you clean it.

or spray something on it (tell us that we won't do this mistake) any way, it's with it's working order, if it wasn't working i would replace it, other, i will try with DIY thing to make it disappear.

 

Possibly. Though all I've used on this is Turtle Wax products, AutoGlym and some 'King of Shine' brand someone got me that I didn't want to waste.  Come to think of it, I had some of that fancy Turtle Wax 'mist spray' stuff for glass cleaner and interior detailer. Both bottles failed on the second use (they refunded me) but in order to not waste the liquid, I put it into a bottle that was sitting around. That bottle had previously been used with AutoGlym intensive tar remover which I totally totally failed to remember at the time. Would traces of a chemical like that be enough to ruin the finish????  But I'd expect all clear finishes to be suffering as a result if it was this..  Oh no.