interior plastic scratches- disappointed!

We too have the scratch problem in the plastics, it's not too bad (we've had the car since end of May), but it is noticeable. Would love to see if others experience this as well. We don't have any rattling and I'm generally extremely happy with the vehicle.

 

Unless you have kids, how the heck do you get scratches on the plastics? When I'm in the car, the only places my body touches are the leather/pleather/vinyl.

 

I have them too. Where my feet scrape the threshold, where my keys hit the center console a couple of times, etc. The thing is, I had all the same kind of scratches in my 97 Camry. I don't think there is any difference with the Prius. Its tough to see in a new car but you will get over it.

 

The plastics that Toyota is using in its new cars do seem to be more prone to scratching than the older plastics they used previously. Not a whole lot you can do but be careful...

Lighter colors show scratches less...

 

you might try a heat gun to "heal" the scratches. I've done this using my wife's small crafting heat gun. The idea is to gently heat the plastic until it almost melts, at which point the scratches get filled in. You should see the plastic start to glisten when it's about hot enough. It can be very easy to go too far & do more damage than repair.

The drawback I discovered is that the area treated looks different from the surrounding area. If you try this, try one scratch in a relatively inconspicuous place. Good luck!

 

Yeah I think in general thats a bad idea. You can very easily make the situation look worse...

 

don't do it.


i tried it once with a vinyl door panel with a small hole. vinyl turns too quickly and it shrinks when it gets close to it melting point.

and i was using a hairdryer very carefully

 

I feel the same - the plastics seem to be subject to easy scratching. The interior around the dash and console, although attractive IMO, do not have a nice feel to the touch and may have poor durablity. I have a few light scratches - the big ones where the tonneau cover latches in the back. I feel sorry for the folks that have kids or use the car for hauling and/or moving things around the interior. Afraid it will age quickly.

Although I love the car, overall the interior material quality is not quite where it should be. Inexpensive Hondas, Kias, Hyundais, seem to have better material quality.

 

Scuffs on interior plastic are easily cleaned with the "Mr Clean Magic Eraser". Use it with a little water. Note that there is now a cheaper alternative to the Mr Clean product, and it works just as well. If the plastic is actually scratched (grove in the material) then it will only remove any dirt/residue from the scratch. It will be less visible but will still be there.

 

I too have a few scratches on my glove box. I think the weird texture of the plastic makes it susceptible to scratching easily. I also put a light scratch on the plastic behind the center arm console with a washcloth! That was the 1st scratch and the most annoying since it was a soft cloth! The tag rubbed against the plastic...

Oh well, it is only a car afterall. No complaints about anything else. Runs great and gets AWESOME MPGS!

 

I wouldn't say that... our Kia Sedona has all the same scratches in the dash, etc. However with the lighter color in the Kia they blend in a bit more.

 

Oh gosh - the first week I had my car I sat in the driver's seat with glasses in my pocket and scratched the side of the center console. I shed a tear, learned a lesson and figured it was a christening of sorts. Now I'm very gentle with any sharp objects.

 

Come on, fess up. We all know it was the ruby you wear in your belly button that caused the scratch. hoto:

 

Remember, don't run with scissors, or in this case, drive with them.

In a previous vehicle, I was working in the garage and put a pair of needle nose pliers in my back pocket for just a moment. My wife came out and wanted to do a quick errand so we hopped in the vehicle to go and just as I sat down, I remembered the pliers (sharp end up) but too late before they poked a small hole in the seat fabric. I was not pleased with myself at all.

 

It's those "quick" moves that will get you every time. Like hurrying someplace and forget to take your keys...Thank God if you do that in the Prius with SKS, You can open a door!

 

I would be VERY careful using a Mr.Clean Magic Eraser on interior plastics. They are VERY abrasive and have a very harsh bleachlike cleaner imbedded in them. I have seen people ruin dashpads with Mr.Clean Magic erasers...

Not a car care product IMHO...

 

I have seen a couple references to the "recycled plastics" being at fault. I am not aware that these are made from recycled plastic, but would be happy to learn I'm wrong.

Maybe people are confusing it with the plant-based plastic used in the vehicle? But the dash is also not made of this.

 

It seems that the plastics used in the Prius are a bit "waxy" to the touch. I, too, have easily scratched the center console. If fact, you can scratch it with your fingernail! I love this car...BUT wish Toyota wouldn't have skimped on the interior quality. Once the scratches are there, they're there. I don't know of anything that would get rid of them. Someone mentioned Magic Eraser, but I would advise against that. I've used this item before and based on my experiences I think it would be too harsh on the delicate Toyota plastics.

 

I think the goal is to produce "soft touch plastics" which almost feel like they have a thin spray of vinyl on the surface. When car mags review new cars they universally condemn hard plastics now and praise the soft touch kind. It may be they are slightly more vulnerable just because of this softer surface layer to enhance esthetics.