i have a 2014 premiere edition and have an issue with the black leather shrinking and pulling away from the center vent on top of the dash. really looks awful. my extended warranty won’t cover it and i have been quoted $3k to $4k to replace the leather. as much as i hate what it looks like, i’m not about do drop that kind of coin to fix what is nothing more than a beauty issue. so i’m looking at dash pads. anyone have any? i really don’t like them as a rule but am wondering if they have improved over the years. anyone have them? if so what did you go with?
on another note, is it easy to remove the top vent cover? wonder if it just snaps in or if it’s screwed in from underneath.

 

Pics of the issue?

When I hear dash cover all I can think of is the carpeted eye sore people put on cars in the 90s.

If 90% of the dash is ok, seems like overkill to cover it all just to hide the 10%. Maybe there is something creative that can just cover the problem areas, like a phone holder to radar detector... no idea.

Also never herd of or seen a dash pad cover for a C7.

 

They make the pads.....people have them. If you're not going to replace it, see if you can find a local custom shop that might be able to rig something for you. I had the issue and there was a local shop that was willing to work on it and could have made it better, but I was able to get the dealership that I bought the car from (2 months prior) and GM to help out so it didn't kill me in the end. Many people seem to have gotten GM to cover some of the cost usually getting the bill down. For me, GM went to $1250 and the dealership that I bought the car from gave me $500, so it didn't kill me.

 

i tried to get gm to at least help me with the cost of the repair but they refused. didn’t feel like fighting with them. i also went to a couple places that specialized in custom car upholstery. they said it was a common problem with leather dashes. the glue used is as important as the leather used. they would take the windshield out and get at the repair without having to pull the dash. they still wanted $1800. they also said, because the windshield is so thin to save weight, there would be a 50% chance it would crack removing it and the cost of replacing it would be added to the bill, another $1800. that didn’t sound to appealing to me.

 

i totally agree with your opinion of dash covers. i was just hoping that perhaps someone has developed one that didn’t visually suck. wishful thinking i guess. i will take a pic of the issue and post it. seems to me there should be a way to at least hide the issue without costing a fortune. i thought i could stretch the leather enough and use a strong glue to make it less noticeable. to do that i need to remove the center vent but don’t know if it’s attached by clips or screws. don’t want to mess with it until i know how it’s attached and have not been able to find out.

 

I looked everywhere on the internet to find a suitable (aka that which I could live with) dash pad for my 2015 C7 LT3 dash, and they're all either a carpet type or the fuzzy velvet stuff. Nothing that's remotely like vinyl or leather in appearance. In my case I need the entire dash replaced (was replaced under warranty before) which is a bigger job that I want to tackle as (according to the shop service manual) it includes taking out everything (as in seats, steering column, disconnecting all the gauges, etc..) even though the parts themselves are not really that expensive and can be purchased online. My current plan is to eventually take it back to the dealer (when I feel comfortable doing that with COVID-19) and have them replace the LT3 main dash with the LT2 since it sounds like the LT2 is less prone to this. As much as I hate to say it, it would be worth what the dealer charges for labor to do it--that's a big job.

If, however, the piece that is bad is the small section that trims the very edge of the instrument panel, and goes up the left side of the console and around the HUD cut out, that is easy to replace, and the part is available to order.

P.S. re-read the original post--if vent means the defroster slot, that's the big, main dash piece that is the big labor job to replace. And it will get worse--that's where mine started pulling away, this time.

 

here is a pic of the problem i am talking. it’s cutou in the leather that goes around the top vent. it’s only along the far edge and doesn’t go all the way around the vent.

 

I don't like the sun baking my dash so I got a cover from Dash Designs. It made of a suede type material, fits pretty well and can be pulled of in an instant. I don't use any type of fasteners like velcro etc.

 

this could be doable as long as you can easily remove it. i trust it comes in other colors. dash designs you say. i’ll look into it. thx

 

just read your added PS and that is exactly where my issue is and it is slowly getting worse. see my post that shows what is going on around the defroster vent.

 

Puckered/cracked 3LT leather dash or dash cover, a toss of the coin as to which looks worst.
Have you had a good upholstery shop look at it?
Search this forum, I remember a thread where a guy fixed his by injecting adhesive under the leather.

 

Would this cover it?



Seriously though sorry for your trouble with the dash has to be very frustrating.

 

Kevin: i answered your question in an earlier post. “ i also went to a couple places that specialized in custom car upholstery. they said it was a common problem with leather dashes. the glue used is as important as the leather used. they would take the windshield out and get at the repair without having to pull the dash. they still wanted $1800. they also said, because the windshield is so thin to save weight, there would be a 50% chance it would crack removing it and the cost of replacing it would be added to the bill, another $1800. that didn’t sound to appealing to me.” injecting adhesive only works on puckered leather which i also have but doesn’t really concern me.

 

Does Dash Design dash mat minimize or muffle audio sound as it covers all 3 speakers in front dash

 

They are all ugly, all held down with Velcro, or nothing, just lays there, but at aprox $50 vs. 1-3K, I get it
One option may be pull windshield for access
Dash Design, local to you in Tempe AZ, Sedona Suede or Dashtex material looks a bit better
Covercraft
Coverking, only company with speaker cut out option
They all have defroster and sensor cut out
You may need HUD cut out option
If you contact these company's they will send you samples
I got my front Windshield tinted inside, not dark at all, hard to tell its tinted, really knocks down heat, Llumar Formula One Stratos

 

i was going to get the dash designs as it looks like it’s kind of molded to the dash negating the need for velcro or glue. that way i could remove it at will whenever i wanted and would protect the leather and hopefully not get any worse. i didn’t even think about it covering the speakers. that could be a deal breaker.

 

All 3 company's websites say the material does not effect sound, ???, maybe Joe C5 C2 will chime in

 

I'd consider going to an auto accessory specialist - we have one https://autostyles.net/ near me in Clearwater FL area - that has a 3D printer. Someone with a 3D printer - or even someone with 4 hours of time - could make you something that looked like our speaker grills that could just be placed over they bad leather you have.. and you could have them make the grill slats as small or wide as you like to get the right air flow...
just an idea for a relatively cheap way out..

 

that could be but i’m a little skeptical. maybe i will wait and see if joeC5C2 chimes in

 

the bad leather is around the defroster vent. it’s no issue around the speaker grills.