Protect or not your plastic interior?

Do the Prius 2010 windows effectively minimize UV radiation damage of the dash and interior plastic. This seems to be the case for my 2004 Sienna dash plastic (different texture to that in my 2010 Prius), which still looks new, despite not being treated with Armor All or any other UV protectant solutions for the last 5 years. Treat or no treatment?

I soaked mine with 303 the day it got home, cheap insurance in my mind. I think most will tell you to stay away from armor all, does more harm then good.

Also if you've got the Blu Logic bluetooth system, their FAQ warns you against using anything that might weaken the glue that holds the microphone on to the dash.

I think all the OEM windows these days have built in UV protection. I believe part of the reason that dash/ plastic/leaather looks bad after after years is due to interior high heat and low cold fluctuations over the years.

That is one reason I got the IV w/ solar. It will help to keep the interior cooler in the summer heat. Use a sun shade (got mine online from the Prius Chat store) on the front and tint the windows to your liking.

Hopefully, I'll keep my Prius as long as I kept my "clunker for" - 17 years!!

Another myth to bust. Glass doesn't pass UV except the very long wave type, which is pretty much harmless. It's the heat cycling that damages the plastic. The volatiles boil off, and the plastic becomes brittle and falls apart. UV damage usually shows up as fine cracks in the plastic (all over, not just one or two), something you don't see in a car. Instead you see the plastic dull and large cracks eventually appear.

"UV coatings" on glass and plastic lenses is just another way to extract money from customers. e.g. - we want to measure UV. Guess what, we have to use a quartz window to pass it to the sensor.

I have a nice dash mat that I like, but what's 303? Just curious...

303 Aerospace protectant.

Great stuff--I've been using it for many years--it's great as a tire dressing as well:

303 Products, Inc.: 303 Aerospace Protectant