The upper dashboard covers the passenger airbag and to allow the bag to deploy the cover is perforated so it will tear when the bag forces through it.

Depending on your location and how much sunlight/heat hits it, the damaging effects of the sun can cause the cover to rip at the airbag perforations. Alternatively, as you've already suggested, someone has over done it when 'cleaning' and gone through it. the only solution is a brand new or 2nd hand replacement.

 

Yes I'm pretty sure putting in the windshield caused it. Was not there this morning. But I can see that there is some kind of insert below it. Its cold here like 15 deg F and it would not take a ton of pressure on it to tear it. They probably pushed down on it inserting the windshield which compressed the foam under it and ripped it at the seam like paper.

Looks to be a weak spot in the design of the dash.

Here is a pick of one that looks like mine, a Y shaped cut. Looks like it could be filled or fixed vs replacing the entire dash. Not sure.



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I'd try that....find an upholstery shop. I have read that a new dash is expensive AF.

 

Yea it seems to be sort of a weak spot in the dash. If its going to split its going to be on those cut outs. Gargoyle repairmen need to be more careful.

New dash expensive, hell everything on a LandRover is over priced, nothing is cheap.

 

That's not true!!!

If you aren't the original owner you may not know this but there is an amber colored plastic insert that goes into the hole where the hitch receiver fits. It was a cover of sorts. Well, they almost ALL fell out at some point. Just for the hell of it I asked the dealer parts guy if they have them and if so, how much....this is after 10+ years of not having mine....I thought it would be something absurd (for what it is) like $30.

It was like $5!!!!

I bought one.

 

Wow a bargain! Oh the amber ones are China, mine came new with a Red insert. Those are 50.00

 

So I call a vinyl repair place and they said "Oh we are not allowed to fill in the split because there is an air bag in there"

 

Lame...I guess you could rock a dashmat.

I bought one, actually, thinking that I'd use it as a sun protector when I'm detailing the Rover or maybe when I go camping and want to protect it. Hell...I pretty much just leave it up there now. I called it my "ugly dash mat" at first, but now it's growing on me!

I don't need to take it down to impress chicks (since I'm married) so WTF, I can just go for function over fashion.

 

I found a place that will do it for 90.00.

That glass place was a bit sloppy. The plastic cover where the windshield wipers are was black now its like chalk colored. They must have cleaned it with some kind of solvent that hazed it. Scrapes off with my fingernails so its some kind of gunk.

 

Its been so damn cold out not really looked at the windshield repair.
They did sort of a **** poor job.
- The cowl was jet black now its almost white, they hazed it, maybe cleaned it with acetone or something that reacts with plastic.
- The cowl is not tight against the windshield big gaps. I think they broke the clips and did not replace. I even asked them to get extra clips
- The side rails coming down from the roof are loose at the bottom near the hood. I can push them in like 1/2". Probably more broken clips.
- Dash cracked.

All in all they cost me time and money. Shoddy work. Not sure I trust them to fix it now.