Dashboard Glare Blinding You? Porsche Can't See the Problem
- Porsche's beige dashboards are so reflective that the glare can make it hard for drivers to see.
- Porsche has been sued for not offering to help owners, something the automaker just calls "buyer's remorse."
Porsche has a glaring problem according to a lawsuit filed by two California residents. The duo claims Porsche's beige-colored dashboards produce a dangerous amount of glare on the windshields. Should've went with the black interior, I guess.
What Causes Dashboard Glare? ∞
Glare is pretty simple – the sun shines into your car, reflects off the dashboard, and projects a shiny (sometimes opaque) reflection on the windshield. And while "my dashboard is too shiny" sounds like the pinnacle of 1st world problems, it really can be quite dangerous.
All dashboards will have some glare, but some might have more than others.
Lighter dashboards will always have more glare than darker ones since black absorbs more light (hence why baseball players wear eye-black).
The angle of the dash relative to the windshield could come into play. Depending on the angle of your windshield, it could produce a larger glare.
The materials used by the manufacturer may contribute to glare, especially if they have a glossier finish.
Speaking of gloss, the number one cause of glare? Protectants (also called "dressings" or "shields") – both the stuff automakers put on during manufacturing and the after-market stuff you can spray or wipe on. Cleaning your dash is a good idea, but cleaning it with something that adds a glossy finish? Not so much.
Shiny dashboards are nice to look at. Which is good, I suppose, since it might be the last thing you ever see.
Back to the Lawsuit ∞
The plaintiffs, who are represented by Capstone Law APC, want Porsche to pay damages and to recall all vehicles with the Luxor Beige and Sand Beige dashboards.
Porsche things there's a glaring weakness in their argument – common sense.
In a motion to dismiss, Porsche says all windshields can reflect glare because sun + glass = reflections. They're calling it a case of buyer's remorse and resent the idea that they "hid anything" from buyers.
Luxor and Sand Beige Interiors ∞
Some tips from various owners:
- Polarized sunglasses can be your best friend on super sunny days where the glare is strong
- Newer, pricier interiors like the 'Saddle Brown / Luxor Beige' are darker and produce less glare.
- Another option is black with Luxor Beige, which is essentially the beige interior with a black dash cover.
- Speaking of covers, a simple black matte dashboard cover will do the trick. Even a piece of black felt (with holes cut out for the vents) would help.
If all else fails, get a black cat?
Further Reading
A timeline of stories related to this problem. We try to boil these stories down to the most important bits so you can quickly see where things stand. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts for your vehicle over at CarComplaints.com.
When deciding between beige or black for an interior color of your Porsche, I'm guessing you never thought "I wonder which one of these will reflect the light of a 1000 suns?"
But for some owners who chose beige, that's exactly what's happening. The light-colored dashboard is apparently creating a glare on the windshield that's so intense, some say the car becomes very difficult to drive.
Two California residents were tired of their Porsche's glare and filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California Los Angeles County. The lawsuit says:
"The glare and reflection from the windshield is a safety risk that Porsche fails to mention when selling the cars."
Porsche, in the least shocking response of the century, doesn't think the case has any merit.
"All automotive windshields are made of transparent glass and are therefore reflective.”
Science! The automaker went on to say the plaintiffs didn't give a date when they first noticed the problem, or if the problem actually prevented them from using their cars.
keep reading article "Are Porsche's Beige Interiors Blinding Drivers?"
What Owners Say About This Problem
The car is black with the standard beige interior. When I drove the car for the first time I was shocked to discover the total blinding reflection of the dashboard in the windshield. I find this to be completely distracting and unsafe. After almost two weeks, and not hearing from them, I called and spoke to a Customer Commitment Associate.
The dashboard’s image gets reflected on to the interior of windshield, thereby blinding the driver. Recently there while I was driving the vehicle and was behind a Bus, the sun rays were falling on the dash board and the effect was so bad that I just could not drive the vehicle further as nothing was visible through the wind shield.
[A service manager] then asked , 'Well didn't you test drive the car?' I explained that my husband had and the test car had a black interior. He said we could put a mat on the dashboard, and get a pair of sunglasses. He then said that 'Porsche will NOT do anything.'