Interior of Taco incredibly weak.. Plastic scratches easily..

So my friend decided to put his backpack on the floor while sitting in my truck.. As he was trying to push it between his legs, he ended up scuffing (pretty deep scratches) into the plastic of the glove compartment and the center console area..

Ugh. what an eye sore.. I have to see this everytime now.. His bag wasn't even hard or had metal clips or anything.. Just regular zippers and it ended up scratching it pretty deep.

Is it known that our Tacomas have weak brittle plastic interior that scratches easily?

Is there anything I can do to make the scratch less visible? (I know, wishful thinking)

 

Yup, the interior of our trucks are really fragile. Iused my fingernail to file down the gouge, then spread a thin layer of vasoline to hide the scratch. Some people have used a blow dryer or heat gun to soften the scratched area and rubbed the scratch to blend it in.

 

i dont' understand how vasoline helps hide the scratch??? is it only temporary while it's on there but when you rub it off, it's visible?

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/3026-taking-out-interior-scratches.html

 

I just dont even bother. To me its a truck and a few scratches dont bother me.

 

Use a lighter to warm up and depress with a finger. Don't get it too hot just warm up the spot and it will be alot less noticable.

Did that with great success on my dash under the HVAC.

 

Jeez, what were the zippers made of? Metal or something?! Just messing with you.

I've got a couple already and I have no idea how they even got there. I'm going to heat them up like the others said. That's how I've fixed them in other vehicles in the past.

 

The Vasoline isn't going to get rid of the scratch, but will do a very good job at hiding it. Second the Vasoline doesn't come off that easily unless you puposely wipe it off with Armor all or something like that. I've noticed over time the petroleum base in the Vasoline fades the scratch as it absorbs into the plastic. Think how it works on dry skin. If your scratches are that bad, you're going to have to do the heat gu/lighter method.

 

You have a double cab with i assume, an entire back seat available, and some idiot felt the need to shoe-horn the back pack into the small crevice between his knees and the dash.

Sounds like that 'soft plastic' may not have been the issue here. People need to use their heads a little.

 

its a truck.....

 

Everyone has a brain the problem is most people do not use their brain.
I don't think the Tacoma interior is more scratch prone than any other vehicle out there. I have seen cars with destroyed interiors 4 years old and the same model owned by someone else 15 years old with a perfect interior.
Example #1 of lack of brain usage
Jam and cram a bag with a zipper on it into a tight space composed of hard plastic = scratches and gouges.
Example #2 of lack of brain usage
I sure everyone here has seen a passenger in a vehicle with their feet on the dash at 70 mph. I have even seen drivers with their left foot on the dash while driving. Cars and trucks are not living rooms. They are fun to drive and look at but can become injury causing appliances at any time.
When in a vehicle you are supposed to sit in your seat like a person who is using their brain.
Sit with your feet on the dash and have an accident = potential stretched and severed spinal cord. Lots of fun to never walk again.
And the list goes on and on

 

holy common sense overload!

 

my interior is all F*ed up, used to be my work truck, screw it, if your concerned about it, then do what they said, use the heat gun,

i would be kind of leary about this though, i would think it would weaken the plastic more than it already is, like when you heat metal it gets brittle, idk just a thought.

or REALLY fine grit sandpaper might work?

 

I had a guy from best buy put a cardboard box in my front seat, rest of truck was packed solid. Barely brushed the rubber like material that covers the airbag above the glove box. Left 3 big scratches. Dealer says 1400 for a new piece and Toyota told me to go f myself, they weren't paying for it. Truck gas 900 miles on it. I get to look at these scratched for the next 100000+ miles.
Taco interior is a brittle P O S. So much for rugged.

 

A metal zipper will scratch any interior and I don't see how a cardboard box is going to leave three big scratches unless something was sticking out of it. I always pack stuff in my truck myself, ever notice it's always someone else that messes up the interior ? You also have to watch out for watches, bracelets, rings, etc.

 

The last sentence applies to more than one post.

 

A lot of complaints I have seen on these forums fall into this category as well. Things break, paint will scratch, things will make noise not vehicle is immune but of course there is the occasional lemon.

 

the last time i did injection molding/making plastic parts,they were soft.i dont think our plastic trucks(all trucks)are any different.welcome to the new age of plastic.

 

When you use things, they will get wear.

Such is life.