A couple of years ago I noticed a crack in my dash in a distinctive square pattern. I showed it to the dealer (Hampton Mazda) and said I thought something internal was causing the cracking since there were no other cracks anywhere on the dash (and still to this day no other cracks anywhere else). The car is garage kept at all times and not allowed to remain in hot sun unless absolutely necessary and only then for brief periods. The dealer told me it was just wear and tear and could not be fixed without replacing the entire dash, a very expensive repair.

Now a couple of years later I get a recall for the passenger airbag. The airbag was replaced and now the cracking is much worse, with additional cracks now extending all around the square. I asked again about the cause of the cracks being the airbag, and while they didn't say no I was told that repairing the dash was not part of the recall and would be very expensive.

Now I am ready to possibly sell the car so took it to CarMax for an appraisal. The car was found to be in perfect condition with one exception...the dashboard. Their comment on my appraisal is "the dash is cracked around the passenger side airbag."

I cannot believe that Mazda would not recognize the reason for this problem and the impact that it is having, not just cosmetically but as a potential safety issue. While I do appreciate the airbag being replaced, it seems that the damage it caused should also be fixed. Instead, it will now compromise the value of my vehicle which I have worked hard to preserve.