Risk of Leather Cracking On Driver's Seat?
 

I never paid much attention to my seats but I just noticed that there is a patch of very deep creases on the left side of the driver's seat, I'm guessing from all the times I get in and out of the car. Hoping I can get some advice as to how to proceed with regards to cleaning/treating and maintenance going forward.

I browsed through the sticky about Lexus leather but that seems to be more about general cleaning and maintenance, unfortunately I think my situation is a bit more dire.

Photo is attached below, it's a 2012 IS350. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

My approach would be using and all purpose cleaner, using a soft interior brush agitate the area with the solution, mop with clean microfiber, then rinse and repeat for desired results. The goal is to remove all the dirt and return the leather looking it's best without being aggressive and removing any of the leather coating. It appears that the leather coating is peeling in some areas in the pictures.

If that doesn't work you can step up to a leather brush those are a little stiffer, there's even more aggressive brushe, but I would try the above approach first.

Leatherique is my personal favorite for restoring and maintaining leather:
http://www.autogeek.net/leatherique-...hoCA7EQAvD_BwE

I have another thread on here that shows how much of an improvement it made on my parents' 2002 Tundra. Definitely awesome stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions. I did some gentle wiping earlier with baby wipes (wrung out a little so it's not too wet), then wiped dry with a towel and it seems to have cleaned it up a bit. The area's no longer as dark.

I'll get a set of Leatherique and give that a go once it arrives.

I'm surprised it's gotten so creased and peeled after just a few years. And I almost never wear jeans or any abrasive material like that.

The creases are common on the side bolster as you get in and out of the vehicle over time. This is just normal wear and tear. The peeling that you referenced is of concern though. Lexus leather seats come with a clear coat of sorts. Once the coating fails, your seats will continu to get worse.

The best thing you can do at this point is to keep the seats clean and protected. Some people choose to use a leather specific cleaner and conditioner, others simply use a dilluted mix of Woolite and water. Because the seats have a clear coat, I find that using a leather conditioner to be a waste. I personally use the Woolite solution every once and a while when I feel the seats need to be thoroughly cleaned. Otherwise, I simply wipe down the seats with a warm damp microfiber cloth. I follow the wipe down with Aerospace 303 for UV protection.

As stated above a good leather cleaner with a soft bristle shoe polish brush. You really need to agitate the leather to get the dirt out. I use Zaino leather cleaner. It makes the leather smell like new again. if this does not get it back to normal, I than will use a dye in that area. The linked company's products match our interior's perfectly. Multiple very thin coats just on the bolsters.

https://www.leatherworldtech.com/Aut...art-s/1843.htm

I just did a dye job on the front and rear seats of my 2010 RX450h that I bought used a couple of months ago. I ordered my dye from Classic Dye Products. My passenger seat was worse that the seat pictured above. There was also a small tear between two of the vent holes in the seat. I used the leather glue I ordered with a small 3/4" backing patch on the tear then filled in with some filler. My seats look new! The dye goes on a little light then dries to a perfect match. I used a mini roller with a 3/8" nap and it di an excellent job! Front and back seats took about 3 hours total. I highly reccomend this project to anyone with leather problems!

I have a 2015 RX350 with 38K on it.. and my leather looks *exactly* like the OP. I always thought they were kinda "ruff" and now has even become kinda "shiny" in some of the worn places. I am 5'10" and weigh 150lbs. Not a big guy. I use the dealer (Toyota) leather cleaner as well from time to time.. makes no difference.

I JUST bought a 2016 IS 200t last week to replace this RX (wanted something more sporty) and this car has EXTREMELY nice, soft, and near perfect looking seats and has 23K on it. I can already tell that this will hold up MUCH better over time.

Now, my wife has a 2018 RX and that leather is nice and soft like my new IS and the leather is much better. So they did make a change for the new 2016 model and up.