The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the common issues seen that can negatively affect the fit of the escutcheon. We have made numerous improvements to the design of the new escutcheon which in combination with the information in this article should help you achieve satisfying results.
Design Improvements to improve retention in our new escutcheons:
- Aggressive retaining tabs in the middle and rear location lock the escutcheon in place.
- Front retaining tabs modified to correct the often-seen slight misalignment of the armrest subassembly bracket to the door panel with two-step retaining tabs on each side.
- Areas where breakage was common on originals and current reproduction parts sold by others have been strengthened.
- The material has been changed to Nylon 6/6 with glass fill to increase durability and reduce warpage and other distortion due to heat.
Factory Revisions to the armrest brackets:
Armrest subassembly brackets went through 13 revisions, most of which were to improve the fit of the escutcheons. There was even a proposed (but rejected) revision that would have added a visible screw right through the escutcheon into the armrest bracket. Clearly, the factory struggled with the escutcheons quite a bit.
Obviously, the earliest version of the brackets caused the worst fit issues. On these brackets, the holes that receive the “pockets” of the escutcheon are in an incorrect position, making a nice fit impossible. If a nice fit on an early bracket is to be achieved, modification to the bracket will be required. In this case, the center hole is shifted up relative to the door release handle hole.
The corrective action here was to grind that hole as close to the correct shape as possible by removing material from the offending side to a total width of 44mm. We also painted it black, which is a nice thing to do anytime you have such access.
This is the limit where retention at the center pocket could become an issue. If retention here is lost due to the hole modification, it is recommended that the bracket provided with our new escutcheons be installed in order to properly retain the escutcheon. 
There were two major TSA (Temporary Substitution Authority) documents issued that improved the escutcheon fit overall but could result in the rear portion of the escutcheon being poorly retained. All of these armrest brackets were hand-reworked so identifying them is easy. Look (and feel) for grinding marks on the edges highlighted here:
If you see this, test fit the escutcheon and scrutinize the fit and retention at the rear of the escutcheon. If it is unacceptable, install the provided escutcheon bracket.
For the most part, the two above examples are the only situations that might have a substantial impact on the fit of our new escutcheon, which was designed to work well with all other armrest bracket designs. If you do not have one of these armrest revisions and still have an unacceptable fit, read on for common reasons why and recommendations on how to fix them.
Misalignment/Damage to the armrest brackets:
It is common to see a significant misalignment between the armrest subassembly bracket, which is attached to the door, and the door AC vent bracket, which is attached to the lower door panel. When this occurs, the escutcheon and the door AC vent will meet at differing heights and angles. This misalignment can occur due to several reasons:
1. The armrest subassembly bracket is bent downward. This can occur when one leans too hard on the lower door panel or pulls too hard in the wrong spot while closing the door. In severe cases, this can prevent the escutcheon from being able to reach the bracket properly for positive retention. You can identify this type of misalignment when there is a vertical gap present between the escutcheon and the mirror switch or blanking cap. 
To repair the issue, the lower door panel must come off. It may be apparent what part of the armrest bracket is bent out of shape, in which case you can remove it and reshape it. If not, it is possible to shim the two lower mounting points up with M6 washers to improve the angle of the bracket with the door. 
Do not shim to excess - or adjustment of the door lock rods can be negatively affected. Approximately 3 flat washers (or approximately .200 inch/5 mm) is the most you can use. We recommend the SP10256SS stainless steel washer as an ideal shim.
2. The door AC vent bracket is loose or bent. This is very common as the bracket is only riveted to the lower door panel and these rivets loosen with repeated removal and installation or excessive force on the door panel. This bracket can sometimes be reattached with low profile rivets run in from the inside. The length of the rivet is critical for it not to show through the vinyl material - we recommend using an SP10130. Also, great care must be taken not to accidentally perforate the material. If there is not enough door panel material remaining to use a rivet, it is possible to use 2-part epoxy to bond the bracket with the panel. This repair can be somewhat fragile as it is only as strong as the panel material but it can be done successfully. At this point, lower door panel replacement should be seriously considered.
In addition to the lower door panel brackets coming loose from the panel, it is also possible for the rivets that join the two halves of the AC vent bracket to be broken and missing, or for the bolts that retain the AC vent to be loose or missing. The two halves of the bracket are riveted together in two places: 
And the AC vent is captured inside the bracket and secured with two screws. If you find any of this hardware to be loose or missing, it must be corrected. Check the fit of the AC vent on the door panel. Is there a gap where the flange around the vent is supposed to rest against the door panel? Now is the time to correct that by loosening the mounting screws, adjusting, and re-tightening.
3. The tab on the forward end of the armrest bracket is bent. This happens easily when the lower door panel is removed. When this happens, the top edge of the hole which receives the mirror switch or blanking cap distorts. This holds the switch (or blanking cap, depending on the side of the car) up proud of the surface they should rest against, resulting in a misalignment between the escutcheon and AC vent. 
This tab can be bent back into shape but the distortion at the top edge can be more difficult to correct. It is recommended to bend the tab into the correct angle with a pair of pliers, then flatten the edge at the top of the mirror switch/blanking cap hole on an anvil with a hammer. The finished product should look as close as possible to the image shown here: 
Revised HCC 12/13/2024 [format, product links, minor edits]