'06 Mazda5 rocker trim, needs refitting...

hi all,

my Mazda5 is experiencing some unsightly separation on the driver's side rocker panel trim/cover. there's a pronounced gap just below where the front and rear doors meet, a quick glance underneath says there are 3 screws holding the panel in place, but something tells me simply loosening and refitting won't get rid of the problem. i suppose my question is: does this need to be removed and lined with adhesive tape or something to get a nice clean line as it came from the factory?

here's a photo of the offender...

My guess is the separation was caused by a mis-step in/out of the car. Probably snagged a heel or toe of a shoe on it.

I would remove the panel completely and "start over".

Wash/Clean both the car side and the panel itself thoroughly.
Check for any objects that have wedged their way in between.
Remove any adhesive residue - not sure if there is any tape or glue back there.
If the panel still has that shape after being removed - take a hair dryer or a heat gun on low setting to it and see if you can work out the kink.

When reattaching, you can add 3M double sided tape to the problem area and resecure the screws.

Don't bother trying to tape without cleaning everything out first - it won't stick for long.

The screws won't do a thing. The trim is held on by trim clips which are attached to the rocker,so the rocker trim actually slides into place. My guess is one of the mounting brackets on the trim itself has broken,causing the gap. It's a stupid design,my kids are always stepping on them as well. You'll notice the newer models do not have them.

I have the same problem, but it was caused by a hard snow bank this winter that I needed some help to be pushed off of. Kind of got high sided with the wheels off the ground. Yah winter sucks....