How to Fix a Car Headliner

Car headliners are made of a thin material attached to a foam liner on the ceiling. If the thin material is torn or if the adhesive loosens, the material will fall down. Headliner dangling from the ceiling blocks vision, is distracting and could cause a wreck. The foam liner attached to the headliner will flake off once the headliner falls down. The flaking foam can blow around the car and get into your eyes. It is simple enough to a cars headliner without replacing the entire headliner, which is expensive.

Instructions

1

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the screws in the plastic trim around the edges of the headliner. Pull the trim down with your hands.

2

Remove the overhead dome light with a Phillips screwdriver. Most lights are in the ceiling, and you only need to remove the plastic trim surrounding the lights. Some dome light units are made with the plastic housing and light being one piece. For these, pull the unit down and unplug the light from the wiring in the ceiling.

3

Pull the headliner out of the car along with the foam backing and headliner board. Angle the headliner board to fit it out of the largest door without bending it. In SUVs, pull the headliner out of the rear door. For cars and trucks, the front passenger door is the best option since the steering wheel isn't in the way.

4

Place the headliner board flat on a clean surface with the headliner material facing up. Pull the headliner material back to expose the underside in all areas where the headliner is no longer attached.

5

Cover the back side of the headliner material and the corresponding section of headliner board with spray adhesive. Use a thick coat and wait 5 minutes until the adhesive becomes tacky.

6

Lay the headliner material over the headliner board and smooth it from the center towards the outer edges with your hands. Let the material dry for 10 minutes.

7

Replace the headliner in the car. Have someone hold the headliner in place against the ceiling while you replace the Phillips screws and the trim and the dome light. Plug the wiring into the light before replacing the dome light screws.