It's a common problem with the 05-09 cars. My leather trim was almost totally off the passenger door panel around the arm rest. I tried to fix it with spray adhesive but it came off again after a couple of months. I took it to a local upholstery shop and they reglued it for only $40! It looks good again. For any of you in the Phoenix area who have this problem and want it repaired professionally, the name of the shop is Bell Auto Upholstery.
Hard to beat for $40!

 

Here's a late update on my door panel fix at Bell Auto Upholstery. It came off again after only two weeks. So I really don't recommend the place. I will fix it my self. I bought the high strength spray adhesive and it should work. We'll see...

 

The high strength spray adhesive will not work. That's just a waste of time.

Contact cement will not work... as well as one would hope. I did that... and it's coming off. Slower, true, but still happening. Very irritating.

The first problem is the foam backing of the vinyl insert. It *must* be completely and utterly obliterated from the vinyl. Then, on the door panel, that must be cleaned and scrubbed until as clean as humanly possible. Then you can use the contact cement method and hopefully get a good result. Be *VERY* careful, the cement will melt the plastic of the door panel, so if you mess up, you really mess up.

You have to paint the vinyl and the area of the door panel it goes into, then wait a little bit for it to set up, then stick 'em together, and you had best be completely and utterly accurate, 'cause it ain't going to move after you stick it.

GOOD tape on the edges of the door panel where you don't want the stuff. Stuff that'll stick to the door panel. Green tape won't, blue tape won't, tan masking tape might... I dunno, the door panel just doesn't want tape on it.

And then a couple of years or so later... bubbles. Peeling. Just... dangit.

It's gotten to the point that I'm considering, when I decide to do something about it again, getting door panels from a '10 and up. Those seem to be completely compatible with the doors, with a cute lil' flip at the back, and the ductwork that goes nowhere for the window defogger. Wouldn't concern me a bit.

 

I used 2-part epoxy on my nephew's '07 over a year ago and it is still holding.

 

I used the method and materials outlined in this tutorial about 3 years ago. Still holding up perfectly.
http://www.s197forum.com/threads/doo...r-re-do.38765/

 

Another update as of 6/29....it appears that my repair worked. I used 3M High Strength 90 Contact Adhesive back on 5/19 and the panels are still holding fine even in our hot Phoenix summer so far. The temps have been over 100 and they still are holding fine. I guess the adhesive I used was better than the one the upholstery shop used. Oh well I'm glad it worked.

 

That's what I was just getting ready to recommend. I would only use sprayable contact cement on speaker box material. I use epoxy for everything else.

 

Has anyone ever tried using another material besides the original or the replacement from american muscle? Say maybe, alligator or snakeskin leather and cut/install it their self?
I would be interested in some pics. I'm getting ready to do something with mine, just not sure yet. I was thinking about a black snakeskin insert in my black/black convertible.

 

Bump...no ideas on this?

 

 

Ha. I lived with this for almost two years. During the winter, the spray adhesive worked until it started getting warmer again. Every few weeks I'd spray a little bit more on it. And sometimes I'd just deal with the loose flap of the vinyl.

It's funny, now that I have my '17, I still sometimes shut my door with my left arm lower, so that I can push up the flappy vinyl. Muscle Memory. lol

 

After much thought process, I'm just gonna one day get 2010+ Shaker door panels and install those. They look to be exactly the same mounting wise, and I know the 05-09 switches will mount in the 10-14 switch panels (you'd have to because wiring issues), with the only thing being they aren't flush anymore but stick up just a little like they do now, but no 'guards' on the outside. Meh.

The other is the lil' vent for the window glass, but that can just be there and not have a matching hole in the dash.

Well, the lil' lip at the end for the hip bump is there, but it will not impact anything.

That'll be my solve.

 

I had this same issue 5 years ago and I was able to purchase all black panels for relatively cheap. I think it made the interior look even better.