Dashboard Repair

There are many different types of dashboards, each with its own set of potential issues. Some can be repaired or re-covered, while others cannot. Below is a guide to the different types of dashboards and what services we can offer

Early Pre-1970s Cars

These dashboards were often hand-covered in vinyl or leather, typically featuring a hard structure and sometimes divided into separate sections. In most cases, we can remove and re-cover these as needed.

Pre-1990s Cars

This era introduced padded dashboards for safety but before the widespread use of airbags. These dashboards were mainly vacuum-formed vinyl, which often cracks after years of sun exposure. Since we do not offer vacuum forming, we recommend Dashboard Doctor in Victoria for these repairs.

  • If we are working on your vehicle’s interior, we can remove the dash and send it off for you.

  • If only the dashboard requires repair, we recommend having an auto electrician remove it, or you can remove it yourself and deal with Dashboard Doctor directly.

  • Some vehicles from this period still had hand-covered dashboards, which we may be able to recover. However, we would need to assess the dashboard first.

Post-1990s Cars

With the introduction of airbags, most dashboards became vacuum-formed with designated airbag deployment sections designed to rip open upon impact. We are unable to repair or re-cover these dashboards in any way.

  • If the airbag deploys from a separate removable flap, there may be a chance we can work on it, but we would need to inspect it first.

  • Hand-covered leather dashboards with breakaway seams for airbags also cannot be repaired or re-covered. However, if the dashboard has a separate section—such as in the BMW Z3 or Aston Martin DB9—we may be able to work on it.

Leather Dashboards

Leather dashboards often shrink near the windscreen over time. Unfortunately, we cannot stretch, repair, glue, patch, or tidy them up for resale.

  • If the vehicle is fitted with airbags, the only solution is to replace the entire dashboard.

  • If the vehicle does not have airbags or has removable airbag covers, the dash may be re-covered.

Sticky Dashboards & Soft-Feel Coatings

Around the early 2000s, manufacturers introduced dashboards with soft-feel coatings, many of which have since started to become sticky, bubble up, or deteriorate.

  • These dashboards cannot be repaired—the only solution is to replace them with a new one from the manufacturer.

  • During this period, some interior components (such as consoles and dashboard parts) were coated with a soft rubber-like material that also deteriorated over time, becoming sticky and peeling off. Unfortunately, these components cannot be repaired and must also be replaced with factory parts.

FAQ’s

  • We do not reskin dashboards here, we use and recommend dash doctor.

  • We cannot repair a shrinking leather dashboard. If not fitted with airbags we may be able to remove and re-cover.

  • We cannot repair a sticky dashboard, it would need to be replaced with a genuine part from the manufacturer.