Well on mine the hood pad is gone exept for
some patches here and there.

My wagon has 368K and if this was the original
pad then it did his job.
It does get alot of abuse since the turbo gets
really hot and I think over time the heat dries the
foam and starts to break down.

When the pad is gone the heat could damage and
maybe ever warp the hood.
On the inside of my hood the paint looks dried
and cracked,wich made some rust take a hold.

Louis.