NHTSA Complaint #10610533 — 2005 LEXUS RX330

2005 RX330 DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG AND AIR VENT ON PASSENGER SIDE...CALLED DEALER AND DIDN'T GET ANYWHERE. BEGAN LOOKING UP INFORMATION ON GOOGLE ON HOW TO REPAIR DASHBOARDS AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS LISTED AND THAT THE DASHBOARDS WERE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE, BUT LEXUS NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEMS. CONFRONTED DEALER WHO SOLD THE CAR AND HE THEN ADMITTED THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM..I COULD EITHER REPLACE THE DASH FOR AROUND $2000 OR TRY TO PATCH/REPAIR IT. CALLED AND SOME REPAIR SHOPS WOULD NOT REPAIR MY DASH BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS RIGHT WHERE THE AIRBAG IS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEY WOULDN'T TOUCH IT. HOW CAN A LUXURY CAR MANUFACTURER GET AWAY WITH DEFECTIVE DASHBOARDS? IF THE DASHBOARD CRACKS MORE SEVERELY, WILL THE AIRBAG DEPLOY? ONE REPAIR COMPANY SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THESE DASHBOARDS CRACK SO BAD THAT THEY LOOK LIKE A SPIDER WEB OVER THE WHOLE DASH. IS THIS SAFE TO CONTINUE DRIVING LIKE THIS? *TR