Fungus (!!!) growing inside dashboard glass

My friend is a Toyota mechanic... He said that the problem is that there is a pink reflector in the display assembly which redirects the display to the dash. The pink reflector is being distorted by excess heat from the electronics. The only recourse is to replace the affected assembly. The replacement assembly is no different than the installed one and that they have already replaced some assemblies twice in some cars. They have forwarded the info to the parent company in Japan and does not know if there will be a change in design or if a recall will be issued.

he also said it appears all the Prii with this assembly are having this problem...

 

great info thanks.

I bet if I call Toyota corporate they'll deny anyone has had an issue...

 

I've been following this thread and it is interesting how the dealers respond so differently - they must know about it with so many people having this problem. I had a recall notice but no explanation what it was for (thought they were just trying to get me to service my car). I need to get this fog issue fixed. It started on the right side of the display now. When it first started, was the bottom left corner all the way up to the battery charge level.

I wanted to pick the best Service Dept. The closest ones are Dover or Milford DE, or Annapolis MD. Has anyone had any positive experience at any of these?

Last time I went to Milford for my last car they said I needed all this other stuff done (which I don't think I really did . . .)

Thank you,
Karen

 

................so I called and I was right, "hummmmm....we have no record of anything like this being previously reported".

....everyone NEEDS to call Toyota at 800-331-4331 to report this issue and feel free to use my case number as a reference (my "case number" is 1106170710).

 

Hi--I'm having the same issue, and stumbled across your postings. My case number is 1106202582. Indeed, the guy on the phone said he had not heard of a lot of these cases, but I gave him a case number as posted earlier in the thread. He looked it up, came back and said that "Toyota does not rely on the Internet for information". So dozens of people spontaneously made up the same issue? I think I may run into some trouble. Best my local dealer could promise was that if I arrive at 6:30 am, 30 mins before they open, I may be able to be seen right away, at least to take a look at the problem. Any later and I risk having to drop the car off all day. Will post my findings.

 

I called my dealer today to set up an appointment for an oil change. I mentioned the "mold" growing inside the HSI and the service writer immediately knew what I was talking about. He said it would take several hours to disassemble the left side of the dashboard to replace the "lens." He didn't say I had to pay for any of it. I'm going in tomorrow for the oil change and I'll see what the technician says about the "lens" at that point.

 

I took the car in today and they replaced the lens under warranty. They said it was "fogged." It's perfectly clear now and I didn't notice any rattles on the drive home. It took about 4 hours total for the 10K service and the lens replacement. They did reset my Trip B numbers though, so I lost my lifetime mpg record.

 

still holding off getting mine fixed until there is a REAL fix for this condition.

 

Went to the dealer today for our 30,000 miles check. Mentioned the "haze" that is showing up under the glass covering the display. Service Manager said they would check it out and let us know. Came home to wait, found this thread. Svc Mgr told us at pick up that it would have to be taken apart and determine cause. They would have to replace whatever was needed. We paid for full warranty, but were told that this needed to be done before 36,000 miles or it wouldn't be covered. I am guessing that since it isn't a safety issue, just an embarrassment, there won't be much attention to the problem or any recall. Maybe when the entire display is “fungied” over they will have a safety issue when you can’t see what speed you are traveling!!! Maybe someone important will have this problem and more attention will be paid. Maybe everyone in humid climates will be told that they will have to move!!!

 

I also experienced the "fungus" problem with the mfd. I initially thought it was just a smudge that some messy passenger left behind. I tried cleaning it off and it wouldn't come off; realized it was on the other side of the glass.
I took my car into the dealer back in Jan 2011. He told me that they would need to replace the whole display assembly (includes the speedometer). I asked him whether he can just clean the glass off or replace the mfd part; he said no, it was one unit. Replacing the speedometer meant I had to leave the car at the dealer for a few days because they have to take the part to a shop that can resync the odometer. I had the repair done and so far, the problem has not returned. I am not sure if they replaced the unit with a new design or the same part; didn't get any info from the dealer. They marked this problem as a "blemish" on the display. I am surprised from this thread that there doesn't seem to be a common fix.

 

Is this on the 2010 only or both 2011 and 2010?

 

ok, I finally give up and will be dropping off my car in the morning for this fix.

will report back here.

 

dropped off the car at 7am, got a call it was ready at 3pm....picked it up at 5pm.

funny they have the parts in stock ready to be installed, but its not an issue.

anyway, looks perfect, brand-new....can't even tell the dash was disassembled.

 

I have not read through every page on this thread, so it may have been mentioned already, but I have this problem with my 2008 Gen II as well. It is not isolated to the newer builds. In fact, I have been trying to determine the best course of action over the last few days- since mine is out of warranty, do I buy another meter assembly off of eBay, clean it up and properly seal it or what? I cringe at what Toyota probably wants for a new one.

 

My dealer pulled my instrument panel and cleaned the lenses and replaced. I am pretty sure it was sealed because it has not returned. It was amazing how much clearer the dash looks after a thorough cleaning.

 

I've been putting off going to the dealer, kind of got used to it . . . now coming up to 2 years! Has anyone waited that long and if so, is it still covered under warranty?

Thank you,
Karen

 

I have a 2010 Prius that was purchased in July 2010. In June of 2011 I noticed spots on my dash lens. At first I thought it was a scratch on the outside but then it started to grow. I then realized it was a fungus on the inside. I now have about 4 areas where the fungus is growing. They now are about 1/2 inch in diameter and looks similar to the other pictures in this post. I brought the car back to the dealer and they have never seen this before. They agreed to take the dash appart to clean it and it would be covered under warranty. I am not sure it is worth ripping apart the dash to have this removed but once the warranty expires I would have to own the problem.

I am surprised that only one other person has had this problem. I live in NJ and the car sleeps in a garage at night and is parked in an open garage during the day.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I have the exact same problem with my 2010 Prius. Did you get yours fixed/cleaned by the dealer?

 

I live in Texas and am having the same problem. Interesting to find backup. I guess I'll take it in.

 

I had the same problem. Actually I always had what looked like a little drop of glue in the corner of the lens. It'd been there since I picked up my 2010 Prius in August of 2009, and it never bothered me. A few weeks ago we went out of town for a week, during which time we had a unseasonably warm temperatures. When we returned it looked like the glue had melted and spread out. I brought it in to the dealer who found a TSB about this issue. Apparently the problem is caused by melted glue that was used to adhere the lens to the dashboard. The fix involves taking the dashboard apart and replacing the lens with a new one that is affixed by clips, not glue. Surprisingly, when I got my car back, many of the normal dashboard rattles that I am used to hearing, when driving over less than perfect roads, were gone. The new lens is perfect.