NHTSA Complaint #10630226 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY'S DASHBOARD HAS MELTED. IT HAS BECOME A STICKY, SHINY MESS. I TRIED TO PUT REFLECTIVE SHADES IN THE WINDSHIELD TO HELP SLOW THE DISINTEGRATION. UPON REMOVING IT TO DRIVE THE CAR ONE AFTERNOON SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED USING IT, PART OF THE VINYL WAS MELTED TO THE SHIELD AND RIPPED OFF THE DASHBOARD LEAVING THE ORANGE FOAM SHOWING. THE SAFETY HAZARD COMES FROM THE SHINY "PUDDLES" OF MELTED DASH. THEY ARE INCREDIBLY REFLECTIVE AND CAN BE BLINDING IN SUNLIGHT. THE GLARE IS DISTRACTING WHILE DRIVING. I CANNOT LAY ANYTHING ON THE DASH TO REDUCE THE GLARE, BECAUSE THE VINYL WILL ADHERE TO IT AND PEEL AWAY LIKE IT DID WITH THE SUN SHIELD. WHILE IT HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT FOR ME, I CAN SEE WHERE IT MAY HAVE FOR OTHERS. AS THE CARS AGE FURTHER, MORE OF THE DASH WILL BECOME MELTED. EVENTUALLY, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ON THE ROAD WITH THE EQUIVALENT OF A SPOTLIGHT BLINDING THEM WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING. HOPEFULLY, A SAFETY SOLUTION WILL BE HAD BEFORE THEN. ANOTHER PROBLEM THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW, THE WINDSHIELD DOES NOT HAVE GOOD CLARITY WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I HAVE CLEANED IT SO MANY WAYS AND REPLACED THE WIPER ARMS, BUT IT HAS A SMEAR, OR FILM, THAT MAKES IT HIGHLY DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH IN WET CONDITIONS. *TR