I had a suitcase on the front seat and the wheels much have scratched against the interior console when I took it out. I'm shocked at the extent of the damage. If you look closely, you will see that the "leather"covering is thinner than the cheapest toilet tissue. I'm really disgusted by such poor material in what is essentially a $60,000 car. Please be careful with yours. Any ideas on how to repair?

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Wow, Thanks for sharing that, that is really scary and something that I think we need to be more thoughtful/careful with. I would not have imagined that something like that could occur.

 

There are guys who do repair work on that kind of interior damage. Dealers use them frequently to repair that kind of damage to vehicles that are on their lots or that they have taken in as trade-ins. In most areas, the people who do that kind of work move from one dealer to another during the course of every month and do repair work at those dealers.

For a repair like yours, they would lightly sand the areas where the gouges are. Then, they would use some sort of filler to make the surface even. Before the filler dries, they would be able match the grain to that on the rest of the trim piece. Then, they would finish the job by spraying it to match the color.

If you can find out who does that kind of work in your area and if you contact them directly, you can probably save yourself some money. Over the years, I've built up a relationship with the people in my area who do interior repairs, paintless dent removal, wheel repairs, etc. If I need work done, I will try to work directly with the repair people. If you work directly with the person who does that kind of work in your area, repairing the damage might cost you $30-40. If you go through the dealer, it is more likely to cost $100+.

If the dealers won't tell you who does that kind of work for them, I know that there is a company that has franchises in many parts of the US, and you might want to see if they do business in your area. The company is called Color Glo.

 

What Lesz says is correct but with your car being almost brand new, you might first try just going to your dealer and see if they can help you with the repair. I scuffed up something like this (loading a bbq into the car, bad idea) and as it happened the trim repair guy was at the dealership right at that time. The service writer drove my car to the back and in about 30 minutes returned it to me looking like new. They charged it off as a "goodwill repair". I have since established my own relationship with a repair tech.

Dave Mac

 

And you do know that having a suitcase in the seat like that can really be a problem if you were to be involved in an accident - personal experience speaking here, stay safe.

Dave Mac

 

Airbag issue????

 

As an alternative to a repair you might ask the dealer if the damaged part can be replaced.

 

how heavy was the bag? Any reason why it wasnt in the trunk?

While I agree that materials should resist wear and tear, how did the last gen hold up?

 

If bag is heavy enough the airbag might deploy and keep it in the seat or the side airbag might blow it right into you. My experience, the bag wasn't that heavy and it hit me in the head. To my credit, it was my wife who had the bag in the seat and I just took the car out for a quick hamburger. And I had told her that was a bad practice but being a good husband I had to demonstrate what I was talking about for her.

Dave Mac

 

I can't say for sure what is the case for the 2019 ES, but for previous Lexus models, it has usually (perhaps, always) been the case that the center console has been sold only as a complete unit, and the price of the center console has been shockingly expensive. That is the reason why, when dealers have damage to the center consoles of their cars, they will typically choose to repair the damage and not to replace the part. Besides cost, another potential negative related to replacing the console would be that, with the new part coming from a different production lot, a perfect color match with the trim on the rest of the car cannot be guaranteed.

While it certainly would be a good idea to check out the cost of replacing the part, I think that it is unlikely to turn out such that the cost of doing so would be practical.

Another alternative would be to check out salvage yards. But, with the 2019 ES being relatively new, it likely would be difficult to find one with a console with the right color, trim, etc.

 

Tough one to blame on Lexus.

 

Agreed,
Once my sister in law got into one of my previous ES's and was carrying a Huge Hand Bag (Large enough to carry all her life possessions, Really Ridiculous) and when she exited the vehicle she had put a small similar tear in the leather on the door, you can just imagine how pissed I was.

Now, I don't let anyone bring really large things into my cars, it either goes in the trunk or you simple Don't ride in my car period.

My son has a bad habit of getting in the car and keeping his backpack on, I have to constantly tell him to take it off and place it on the floor.

It is so easy for things to get destroyed due to carelessness, but it is always Annoying and/or Expensive to correct/fix.

 

Hard to say how the 2019's compare to the 6th. gen cars as far as resiliency. I never had a suitcase sitting next to me. The heaviest thing would be my wife... Let me rephrase that, the heaviest thing in the passenger seat would be another person with a seatbelt on... No suitcases, backpacks, ice cream, water ice, hamburgers, sodas, cheesesteaks, French fries, etc. You get the idea... It all counts after a few years and the car looks pristine.

 

The interior of this car and most Lexus models is anything but inferior. Just my opinion.

 

This is in an area in which one could expect a lot of wear. And the covering is thinner than Saran wrap. This was a poor materials choice and should have been better thought out.