Abstract: An instrument panel assembly for a vehicle including a lower housing having a first portion and an upper panel separate from and attached to the lower housing. The upper panel defines a front edge and a rear edge. The rear edge is adjacent to the first portion of the lower housing and faces a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The upper panel is attached relative to the lower housing at first and second attachment locations. The rear edge and a portion of the upper panel are adapted to deform and move in a direction outwardly from the first portion of the lower housing to define a gap between the rear edge and the first portion of the lower housing to permit passage of a deployed air bag through the gap such that the upper panel remains attached to the lower housing at the first and second attachment locations.

Abstract: A modular headliner includes a central lamp component with an upper and lower lamp components. The upper and lower lamp components snap together on each side of the headliner. This allows the lamp to be mounted into the vehicle with the lamp already assembled. The upper lamp component is provided with a pair of spaced adhesive tape strips. The adhesive tape strips wet out on a support surface in the vehicle ceiling, securing the upper component to the vehicle ceiling. In this way, there is no complex alignment necessary between the components of the lamp and structure on the vehicle ceiling. Instead, the upper component of the lamp merely attaches itself to the ceiling wherever it may be in the individual vehicle, utilizing the individual headliner. Further, the lower component is attached to the upper component through a yieldable connection. In this way, the lower component can be removed from the upper component after the headliner has been assembled into the vehicle.