I've never seen this happen. Typically, I just apply Armor All once in the winter, and 2-3 times in the summer. The dashboard doesn't seem to crack if I stop using it- it doesn't seem to get "addicted". If you like that shiny look, of course you have to apply it more often. If all I have is regular shine, I use a damp cloth to wipe it down when I'm done.
Car vinyl and plastic is going to age no matter what under certain conditions. It seems to me alot of badmouthing of Armor All is just the good ole post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. IE, people keep a car in the hot, baking sun with minimal window tinting, they use Armor All maybe once, and the dashboard cracks after a while... and they blame Armor All when they should be blaming the sun.
I suspect with newer cars with built-in UV blocking on the windows, wear to the dashboard is going to be reduced anyways.
As I said before, "Armor All cracking dashboards" ranks right up there with "Pledge is bad for furniture". Silicone on furniture is pretty harmless. I use it. It just makes refinishing harder. OTOH, its better at protecting against water and stains than many waxes. Wood doesn't breath really- the finish only penetrates a milimetere or so, which explains how polyeurethane finishes work so well. So there are alot of urban legends that are complete BS.
Does having NOS raise your insuranceBig Bill it, was Hagerty, will even There's some verbiage in the little piece of paper you have to sign when you get the plates that is something like "will be driven only...
I do know Armor All does a good job of protecting against ozone. I have some vulcanite and rubber things, and when I turn on an ozone generator to clean out a room, if the rubber-vulcanite doesn't have some Armor All on it, then it will oxidize somewhat (it takes a few days- the ozone generator is low power), necessitating some polishing.
