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A headliner is the foam-backed cloth covering that is attached by adhesive to the ceiling of your car. It is not unusual for a car headliner to become unattached and cave in if it has been exposed to excessive amounts of moisture or if the car is an older model. You do not have to hire a professional to come in and fix a saggy or dirty headliner. You can replace it yourself by following these steps for how to install a headliner.

Steps

  1. 1

    Remove the old headliner. [1]

    • Pry off all the trim that surrounds the headliner and holds it in place.
    • Detach and remove all of the seatbelt covers, lights, speakers, visors and clothes hangers. You may also have to remove some of the upper A, B, C pillar panels to get the headliner to drop form the roof area. You may have to unscrew some bolts and/or pry some parts up with a flathead or torx screwdriver.
    • Unclip any clips that are holding the headliner board in place.
    • Slide the headliner board out of the vehicle and set it on a flat work surface. A large table or the floor will do.
    • Remove the material from the car headliner board. It should peel off without much effort.

  2. 2

    Scrape off any foam that remains stuck on the headliner board with a bristle brush or lightweight sandpaper. Be gentle, so as not to damage the board. The smoother the board surface is, the better your finished headliner replacement will look.

  3. 3

    Lay the replacement headliner fabric over the headliner board. Spread it out flat and smooth out any folds or wrinkles.

  4. 4

    Fold 1/2 of the fabric back onto itself, leaving 1/2 of the headliner board exposed. Working each half of the fabric application separately makes the job easier to manage.

  5. 5

    Prepare both surfaces for adhesion. Brush contact cement on the underside of the headliner fabric and on the exposed half of the headliner board. Alternatively 3M makes a spray adhesive that is much easier to work with.[2]

    • Get the strongest glue you can. Because of the location of the headliner, many weaker glues will fail with heat.

  6. 6

    Stretch the cemented material over the cemented half of the board, pressing it in place with the palm of your hand as you go.

  7. 7

    Fold the unattached half of the headliner fabric back on itself and repeat the gluing, stretching, pressing process for the other half.

  8. 8

    Wait for the adhesive to dry. Drying time will be listed on the adhesive label.

  9. 9

    Cut holes in the car headliner where the lights, seat belts, visors and clothes hangers need to be attached. Use a hobby knife for this.

  10. 10

    Trim any excess fabric from the edges before you install a headliner board back in the car. [3] Leave about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) of extra fabric around the circumference of the board so that it can be tucked in during installation.

  11. 11

    Return the headliner board back to its place in the car. [4]

    • Tuck the excess fabric under for clean edges.
    • Secure the headliner with the car's headliner clips (if applicable).

  12. 12

    Replace the accessories and trim that you removed for the headliner replacement process.

Add New Question

  • Question

    Where can I get my headliner installed and what is the cost?

    Community Answer

    Upholstery shops that advertise headliner replacement will charge anywhere from $300-$600 depending on the shop. The shops I called would not warranty the work. Another option is to remove the foam, paint the headliner, and never worry that the headliner will droop again. It worked for me on an older Jeep Cherokee.

  • Question

    Do I have to buy a new headliner or can I use the old one?

    Community Answer

    You should purchase a new one, which you can get from a fabric store or online. Buy two yards (1.8 meters) for a small to average-sized car and three yards (2.75 meters) for a larger car.

  • Question

    How much time should it take to install headliners?

    Community Answer

    About an hour or two to remove the headliner, another hour or two to prepare the surface, an hour to install new fabric to the board and an hour for reinstallation.

  • Question

    How would I work with a sunroof that opens?

    Community Answer

    There is a hole in the headliner where the sunroof is. Just cut out and adhere the shape of the headliner. Be careful you don't get creases, and stretch the fabric around the curves.

  • Question

    How can I glue back the original headliner?

    Community Answer

    You can't. It will only get worse if you try. The glue isn't the issue, it's the foam separating from the fabric.

  • Question

    Can I use any kind of fabric?

    Community Answer

    Yes, you may use any kind of fabric.

  • Question

    Is a foam backing required when refinishing a headliner? Can I just use straight fabric right on the headliner board?

    Community Answer

    I would imagine it would look very wrinkly without the foam backing, as the fabric is extremely thin and would be hard to place without a certain level of stiffness. I suppose rolling the car on the roof may solve this problem, though creates others. Also, I would worry that the thickness wouldn't be appropriate and there would be gaps where the trim pieces and light fixtures met the headliner.

  • Question

    What is the best glue for headliner?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Community Answer

    The best adhesive to use for a headliner is contact cement. It creates a tight seal and will help prevent bubbles, wrinkles, or folds in the material. Brush the contact cement on the underside of the headliner fabric and on the exposed headliner board. If you don't have contact cement, use 3M spray to glue your headliner fabric to the board. Make sure you stretch the material tight when you attach it so it doesn't bubble or wrinkle.

  • Question

    How do you get wrinkles out of a new headliner?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Community Answer

    One trick you can try is to use an iron to smooth out the wrinkles. Take damp towel and hold it over the surface of the iron. Iron the wrinkle in the fabric until it's gone. Keep the iron moving so it doesn't stay in 1 spot for too long. The damp towel will help keep the iron from burning the headliner fabric, but it's important that you keep the iron in motion to smooth out the wrinkles without damaging the material.

  • Question

    How much does it cost to fix a sagging headliner?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Community Answer

    The best way to repair or install a new headliner is to have a professional do the job. While the price can vary based on the amount of damage as well as the make and model of your vehicle, generally, it costs between $200-$350 USD. Contact a local body shop and bring your vehicle in to get a price quote to have your headliner repaired.

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Video

  • To save on money, shop online auction sites and discount fabric stores, or local fabric liquidation warehouses for headliner replacement fabric.

  • If you don't want to purchase all of your supplies separately, you can buy a car headliner replacement kit.

  • Be very careful about gluing the headliner fabric to the headliner board. Contact cement bonds on contact, meaning once the cemented fabric touches the cemented headliner board, the 2 surfaces will adhere and you cannot undo it.

  • Be careful when removing and installing, as some cars have curtain air bags behind the headliner.

Things You'll Need

  • Screwdrivers (Philips head, flat, or torx)
  • Car headliner material
  • Bristle brush or light sandpaper
  • Strong glue
  • Hobby knife
  • Scissors

References

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