Do your leather seats look like crap?

[prestone818]

I have noticed since i had the car for a few weeks that the leather seats look like crap after very little use. I am referring to the cracking/ warped look. Both driver and passenger chairs have the look of what i would expect to be 4+ year old leather seats. Looking at the backseats from the drivers on the lower seat(not backrest) the leather is not flat and tight its loose and not something i would expect to see in a car thats less than 4 months old. I have seen pictures and videos of 4r that have the same issue.

Are they just crappy leather seats? If i would have known this prior i would have went with the TE instead.

View this video at 2:05... [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NBltXYZHGw[/ame]

 

[Froggy]

:worthless

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[prestone818]

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i posted a video...

 

[snow&surf]

Many here feel the OEM leather is subpar. I agree that it's not the best but my leather has been holding up just fine. My truck will be one year old this Dec and I've had everything from two child car seats, snow, rain, and sand all up in my leather and it looks just as new, tight, and wrinkle free (even driver's seat) as the day I purchased.

Sorry to hear about your situation, maybe you can take some pics of your leather as I'm sure someone here can provide advice to help you.

 

[westwind77]

My truck will be one year old this Dec and I've had everything from two child car seats, snow, rain, and sand all up in my leather and it looks just as new, tight, and wrinkle free (even driver's seat) as the day I purchased.

Ditto (minus the car seats) and it looks like the day I got it. I take it you got the factory leather? Can we see some pics of the problem? I know a couple dealers added leather and said it was 'factory', just have to always be alert.

 

[Ben_Mueller]

The questionable quality of the OEM leather is part of the reason I went with a trail and put aftermarket leather in.

 

[BFLAN]

I think the problem is that dealers are installing their own aftermarket leather and not really telling people its been put in after the fact. I think the true factory leather is fine, but lots of people are getting weird cheap stuff that the dealer is putting on and still charging people the factory $$$$$ upgrade!

Just my opinion. You can't really trust those people at all!!!!!

 

[Blackknight]

The rubber smell is the test for Factory Leather LOL

Did your ride have that rubbery smell when you picked her up? The factory leather has a coating/ leather conditioning on the leather that makes it smell rubbery. It's in many of the reviews. It took me some time to get that smell out of my ride. Had to clean and condition my seats several times to get rid of the smell. It's all good now... nice leathery smell.

 

[fins]

No problem here. Treated the seats with Zaino from day one and monthly thereafter. Seats look as new....

 

[prestone818]

hmm...i will post pics in the morning. maybe i made it sound worse than it really is. just disappointed i guess.

no rubbery smell. im not sure its as much of a leather quality issue as it might be an under the leather issue??? pics are coming tomorrow

 

[jmbaker3]

I have noticed since i had the car for a few weeks that the leather seats look like crap after very little use. I am referring to the cracking/ warped look. Both driver and passenger chairs have the look of what i would expect to be 4+ year old leather seats. Looking at the backseats from the drivers on the lower seat(not backrest) the leather is not flat and tight its loose and not something i would expect to see in a car thats less than 4 months old. I have seen pictures and videos of 4r that have the same issue.

Are they just crappy leather seats? If i would have known this prior i would have went with the TE instead.

View this video at 2:05... YouTube - 2010 Toyota 4Runner Limited In Depth Interior and Exterior Overview

I know what you are saying and I have seen it on a number of the 4runners. There just appears to be too much flex in the seat. Go look at a BMW... 70k to 100k and not much better.

 

[harper7]

Do your leather seats look like crap?

Are they just crappy leather seats? If i would have known this prior i would have went with the TE instead.

No ,but my crap looked like seats one time.

Most automobile leathers are top grain leather,it's the finishing work that makes them soft and supple on say a Lexus GX460.You just need to condition the leather if you want it softer.I used Leatherique brand rejuvenator and cleaner on them on a hot day last spring and they are now buttery smooth and clean up with ease,not to mention looking alot better.The heat of the sun opens the pores.You have to follow the directions exactly with this stuff and let it soak in ,while the truck's sitting out in the sun.

Here's the website but this stuff isn't cheap. Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products Alot of Porsche ,Beemer guys swear by it as do I after using it for years.Research and you'll find there are alot of good leather conditioners besides this product too.

This leather is about on par with any truck in the $40k range. I had a Denali and a BMW M3 that cost alot more then this 4Runner and the leather was about the same on it til I conditioned it.I find that complaining about stuff doesn't fix things that erk you. Educating yourself and finding solutions does!

 

[prestone818]

here are the pics

my backseats have been used no more than twice by passengers

 

[prestone818]

I find that complaining about stuff doesn't fix things that erk you. Educating yourself and finding solutions does!

the intent of this thread was not to rant but to see if this was a common issue with resolve.

 

[kingpin748]

I second the leather conditioner. The weather up here is brutal so I condition it twice a year.

I don't have any issues with my leather and we have passengers and car seats constantly.

 

[EVOL ARDNUT]

Wonder if the leatherette (vinyl) is just better as in the VW"S when they put low quality leathers?

Our previous C 230 had 12 year old NATUZZI leather from the factory that looked brand spanking new. People always asked if we put in new leather in a 12 year old mercedez.

If you slide out of the car allot, then it can make that look on outside part of car seat.

 

[mbrogz3000]

You guys are making the leather in the 4runner sound like the leather thats in my 1st gen Mazda6. Basically the lower back and ass parts of the front seats are this cheapo perforated 'real' leather, and the rest of the seat and backs and doors are color matched vinyl. My seat looks worn, the passenager looks fine, the rear looks ok. I always said though that if my next vehicle had the same grade of leather, I'd just opt for the cloth seats.

 

[harper7]

You guys are making the leather in the 4runner sound like the leather thats in my 1st gen Mazda6. Basically the lower back and ass parts of the front seats are this cheapo perforated 'real' leather, and the rest of the seat and backs and doors are color matched vinyl. My seat looks worn, the passenager looks fine, the rear looks ok. I always said though that if my next vehicle had the same grade of leather, I'd just opt for the cloth seats.

What model 4Runner do you have?Yours must not be factory leather or a dealer add on then because mine only has vinyl on the back. The lower back part and azz part are not perforated leather as you described either.I've got 20k miles on mine and they look like new.

 

[Riser]

The true factory Leather is great in this truck. Subpar? Compared to what, a Bentley?

I use zaino z10 on mine and it looks and feel great.

 

[TOYSTRY]

The leather isn't crap, it just looks cheap IMO. All automotive companies chince when it comes to leather seats. Usually just the center portion is leather, with the sides and the backs in vinyl/pleather.

I'm not a fan of my leather, especially since I just left a Mercedes for a Toyota, but it will suffice until the day it rips and I have them re-wrapped in quality leather of my liking.