Oddest 'Problem' with Speedometer Display

I've got a one month old 2006 Prius that I've had no problems with - and basically have been thrilled with - to date. But I noticed something odd today, and I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this.

Driving home from work in darkness tonight, I noticed what I first thought were water droplet marks on the speedometer display. When I got home, I attempted to wipe it clean with some glass cleaner and a rag. That's when I realized that the display was actually a mirror and the LEDs were actually embedded in the dash.

Regardless, the 'spots' were not actually spots. They appeared to be bubbles that were embedded in the actual LED display housing (not the mirror's surface). They could not be removed with the rag. In fact, they actually appeared to INCREASE in number when I wiped the display. It's almost as if they were created by the slight amount of stress that I applied in attempting to clean the lens housing. I was hoping that these bubbles would just disappear over time. But after several hours, they are still there in all their glory.

Has anyone else noticed such 'stress bubbles?' It has become more than a mere annoyance. They are dense enough that they actually slightly blur the speedometer and odometer readings.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silentak1 @ Oct 14 2006, 06:00 AM) [snapback]332658[/snapback]</div>

Just checked it out this morning under good lighting conditions.
It's definitely not dust, and it definitely did not disappear overnight.
I even took a rather powerful hair dryer to it and it had no effect.
Actually looks like artifacts embedded inside the lens (assume it's plexiglass).

Normally I'd just live with it, but it definitely blurs the display at night
and it appears to have gotten worse with time.

So I'm going to call the dealership's service department.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Oct 14 2006, 12:06 PM) [snapback]332733[/snapback]</div>

Cheap! -

Never thought of that! Interesting idea. I'll take a closer look at it to see if there
are any signs of a plastic cover.

Regardless, I'm scheduled for service on it on Monday.
Funny, during daylight it's really not noticeable, making me feel a little sheepish taking it in for
service. But at night it really is noticeable.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Oct 14 2006, 07:23 PM) [snapback]332859[/snapback]</div>

Well, for those who are interested...

Dropped the car off at dealers at around 8:30am expecting to have a fight on my hands, or the usual "Yes, we agree you have a problem, now we have to order a replacement part" routine.

Instead, I got a call three hours later that the problem was corrected. They stated that the lens covering the speedometer was dirty, probably contaminated at the factory, and that they were able to gain access and clean it. I'm happy to say that I have a very legible speedometer now.

Only 'problem' is that the service rep wouldn't tell me if/how I could gain access to the cluster to clean the lens if it happened again. He stated that the speedometer cluster is a sealed unit and the dust problem shouldn't happen again. I hope he's correct. But I also checked under the dashboard when I got home to see if I could locate the unit. Man, it's a complex assemblage of parts in a very tight space. I decided not to press the issue and will leave well enough alone.


To all who responded: thanks for the advice

Stevejm