| mstampa |
:confused:
I have a 2003 MDX - Black leather seats. The driver side seat is starting to crack after only 1 year. I read in the forum to condition and clean the leather.
Anyone else having this problem after only 1 year?
........Christine @ Tampa, FL |
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| Dale MDX |
| When most people talk about newer leather cracking, they really mean creasing. Are these cracks like the "cracks" on the palms of your hands (only maybe deeper)? That's a natural thing in leather. Sometimes being a little dirty makes them show where they didn't before, especially on light leather colors. If they are truly cracks in the leather, where the surface is splitting, it can't be truly repaired. See your dealer under warranty in that case, although they may call it normal wear and tear. I'm sure other posts will talk about leather conditioners, like Lexol, that can possibly extend the life of leather. |
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| dham |
quote:
Originally posted by Dale MDX
When most people talk about newer leather cracking, they really mean creasing. Are these cracks like the "cracks" on the palms of your hands (only maybe deeper)? That's a natural thing in leather. Sometimes being a little dirty makes them show where they didn't before, especially on light leather colors. If they are truly cracks in the leather, where the surface is splitting, it can't be truly repaired. See your dealer under warranty in that case, although they may call it normal wear and tear. I'm sure other posts will talk about leather conditioners, like Lexol, that can possibly extend the life of leather.
Dale...I've had my X for less than 3 months and there's a lot of creasing of the leather in the puffy part of the driver's seat closest to the door (the elevated portion of the bucket seat). I imagine this has to do with me getting in and out since the right side of the same seat, and neither of the sides of the passenger seat, look this way. As you said, cracking (as in one's palms) is normal for leather, but doesn't it seem awfully quick for this to be happening? |
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| Dale MDX |
Maybe. I think the creases are there when the leather comes off the cow. They are somehow reduced or hidden as part of the many treatment leather gets before it becomes part of a vehicle. Maybe something analagous to ironing. All the stretching and movement to the parts of the leather where you impact it most getting in and out causes the natural creases to start showing.
I never have believed that leather was that great of a material for car seats. A durable, easy to clean fabric is best, followed by a quality vinyl. Leather may smell good, and high-quality leather feels good (but most automotive leather isn't very high quality for probably many reasons), but it isn't always all that durable, espcially in the sense of maintaining a brand new look. If a person likes a "lived in" look or a "broken in" look to the seats, leather is a good material. Leather apparently isn't a popular material in Europe. (I don't know whether that's due to its durability, or due to some ethical disagreement about it, or just that it never has caught on). That's why BMW and Mercedes both offer vinyl options, even in their more expensive cars (5 series, for example). |
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| dham |
| Thanks for the insights, Dale! |
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