An accessory body panel includes a recessed feature. The body panel is mounted at the exterior surface of the vehicle body over an opening or hole formed in the vehicle body. The opening can correspond to an OEM window cut-out. The mounted body panel creates an indentation present at the interior side of the vehicle body, which effectively extends the available interior space in the lateral or transverse direction.

A method of visually checking for alignment between an instrument panel ornament and a door ornament is provided. The method includes locating an enlarged head portion of an alignment tool on a top edge of the instrument panel ornament. The enlarged head portion includes a side measurement feature with a height for checking for a misalignment condition between the instrument panel ornament and the door ornament. It is determined whether a top edge of the door trim ornament is located within the height of the side measurement feature with the enlarged head portion resting on the top edge of the instrument panel ornament.

A locator assembly for an interior trim panel of a vehicle comprises a bracket and an adjustable locator. The bracket is disposed in the interior trim panel. The adjustable locator comprises a locator pin and is rotatably supported by the bracket. The adjustable locator is capable of rotating from a first positon to a second position. The locator pin is disposed in a first location when the adjustable locator is in the first position. The locator pin is disposed in a second location when the adjustable locator is in the second position. The first location of the locator pin is displaced a first distance in a first direction from the second location of the locator pin.

An installation apparatus for mounting a garnish on a vehicle can include a jig, a tool and a controller. The jig can be placed on a predetermined portion of the flange and in a predetermined orientation relative to the flange. The jig can orient the tool in a predetermined orientation relative to the garnish when the jig is placed on the vehicle and the garnish is positioned adjacent to the vehicle. The controller can be configured to indicate an install complete condition based on force data and tool proximity data, where the force data is indicative of a force applied by the tool onto the garnish while the tool installs the garnish onto the first portion, and the tool proximity data is indicative of a proximity of the tool relative to a portion of the vehicle after the tool mounts the garnish onto the vehicle.

A module trim element having a body defining an upper bearing surface, at least one first covering element defining a first upper bearing surface, mounted rotating about a first axis of rotation between a retracted position and at least one deployed position, and at least one second covering element defining a second upper bearing surface and mounted rotating about a second axis of rotation between a retracted position and at least one deployed position. The first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are substantially parallel and extend at different heights relative to the body, with at least one of the upper bearing surfaces being a flexible surface and at least another one of the upper bearing surfaces being a rigid surface.

A door trim installed in a vehicle includes an upper board and a lower board. The upper board includes a mounting boss. The lower board includes a body and a mounting flange. The body defines a lower portion of the door trim. The mounting flange extends upward from an upper edge of the body and includes a mounting hole. The mounting flange is disposed behind a back face of the upper board. The mounting boss protrudes from the back face of the upper board toward the mounting hole of the mounting flange. The mounting hole includes a through hole portion and a slot portion. The mounting boss is inserted in the through hole portion. The slot portion extends from a front section of a hole edge of the through hole portion toward a front of the vehicle to communicate with the through hole portion.

A connecting structure for connecting an actuator to an opening flap for opening and closing an exterior trim component of a motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the connecting structure has at least one carrier arrangement, which can be connected to the opening flap, and at least one connecting section arranged on the carrier arrangement, with which the opening flap can be connected to the actuator for moving the opening flap. The invention also relates to an exterior trim component with such a connecting structure and to a motor vehicle with such an exterior trim component.

Vehicle window post assembly, in particular a windscreen post assembly, comprising a base part arranged to be fixed to a vehicle chassis along a side of a window of the vehicle, and a cover part arranged to be fixed to the base part and in use covering the base part. A sealing strip is provided for sealing a gap between the side of the window and the cover part. The sealing strip is provided on a mounting part which is a separate part from the base and cover parts, and the cover part and the mounting part are together provided with complementary fixing elements by means of which the mounting part is mountable on the cover part in a position suitable for sealing the gap.

A vehicle seat is provided having first and second trim panels having an outer appearance surface. An illumination trim portion separates the first and second trim panels. The illumination portion has a pocket formed of translucent material and has first and second lateral flaps disposed on opposite sides of a central tunnel. A first seam secures the illumination portion to the first trim panel and to the first lateral flap. A second seam secures the illumination portion to the second trim panel and to the second lateral flap. A light conducting strip is inserted in the central tunnel of the pocket. A light source is in communication with the light conducting strip. Light from the light source is visible through the translucent material of the central tunnel.

A vehicle interior component including a patterned padding surface positioned proximate to an occupant of the vehicle. The component includes a substrate layer with a plurality of padding projections and an exterior layer connected to the substrate layer and including a plurality of gaps matching the location of the substrate layer's plurality of padding projections. Each of the plurality of padding projections aligns with one of the plurality of gaps and is exposed above the exterior layer to thereby form a pattern of padding on the surface of the vehicle interior component.