How to Install a Headliner

Easy steps to replace the headliner in your car or truck

Co-authored by Chad Zani

Last Updated: December 6, 2024 Approved

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.

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Steps

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1
Remove the old headliner.^{[1]
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- 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.
Be gentle, so as not to damage the board. The smoother the board surface is, the better your finished headliner replacement will look.

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Spread it out flat and smooth out any folds or wrinkles.
Working each half of the fabric application separately makes the job easier to manage.
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]
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- Get the strongest glue you can. Because of the location of the headliner, many weaker glues will fail with heat.
Fold the unattached half of the headliner fabric back on itself and repeat the gluing, stretching, pressing process for the other half.
Drying time will be listed on the adhesive label.
Use a hobby knife for this.
^{[3]
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Research source} 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.
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Return the headliner board back to its place in the car.^{[4]
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- Tuck the excess fabric under for clean edges.
- Secure the headliner with the car's headliner clips (if applicable).

The Takeaway: Replacing a Car Headliner

Take out the old headliner and board by removing the trim panels and detaching the accessories on the ceiling. Then, scrape off leftover foam on the board with a brush or sandpaper. Spray the board and the underside of the new headliner with adhesive and stretch it over the board.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Tips

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

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

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Warnings

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.

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

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