Automotive Hoodliners

Hoodliners are installed in cars and trucks for safety reasons. If cars did not have automotive hoodliners, the car’s engine could easily overheat causing the paint to melt and the hood to warp. A hoodliner is meant to keep the hood cool and prevent overheating as well as dampen the noise of the engine. The heat is absorbed into the material of the hoodliner. Another important safety factor of a hoodliner is to protect the rest of the car and the passengers in case the engine catches fire. If fire occurs, the bolts that attach the hoodliner to the hood melt away and the hoodliner drops onto the fire and smothers it.

For several decades these hoodliners were made using asbestos fibers because of it is fire-resistant and insulating properties. However, these fibers are also the only proven cause of one of the deadliest forms of cancer called mesothelioma. The fibers in the asbestos hoodliner could be released into the air when they were manufactured, installed, removed, and repaired. This fact lead to a number of mechanics developing mesothelioma and other serious illnesses related to asbestos exposure.