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Leather renew is for painting the entire seat. The kit provides all you need. Get the brush on kit, not the spray. You clean and lightly sand the dirty cracked seats, then paint several light coats. Then finish with the clear coat which they sell separately as an option. It makes the paint last a lot longer. If any gets into the ventilation holes, use a toothpick to clear them. See the links posted above to threads with before and after photos.
In 2015 I Idon't recall a 3rd gen touring package. All were the base trim which had cloth seats, to which most dealers added the Premium package which included leather seats.
The rare top of the line edition got some Premium leather. Whatever it is, it is not very good and the stuff in my 2016 Toyota Sienna is much better.
So this vehicle has leather seats.
You should make the folks who had your car pay for a professional detail shop to clean it up.
Last edited by Clutchless; Sep 19, 2025 at 01:00 PM.
If your RX is base model the seating surfaces including perforated centers are covered in Nuluxe artificial leather with some vinyl sections on the sides, if your car has Touring package then perforated seat centers are real leather but seating edge panels are Nuluxe or vinyl. F-sport model and special orders got the real leather seating surfaces. I'd phone the Leather Renew company and get a recommendation for what works on your interior but I don't see any product mentioned there for Lexus Nuluxe artifical leather or vinyl surfaces. The cracking on Nuluxe artificial leather is caused by sunlight uv rays.
You have leather seats. You do not have nulux. Your interior looks exactly like my 2010 in Parchment.
In 2015 all the RX models were the base trim (except F Sport) which had cloth seats, (which no dealer ordered and I have never seen) to which almost every dealer added the Premium package which included leather seats and other nice stuff. The rare top of the line edition got some thicker Premium leather.
Lexol is a great leather cleaner and conditioner. But, unfortunately, it cannot work wonders. It will improve the appearance though. Gently use the cleaner until it foams and do it several times. Then condition multiple times.
Chemical Guys make great cleaning products. You can find them on line and it will work on the headliner. Apply the cleaner to a micro fiber and do it several times gently
As recommended, use a carpet cleaner. We have a little Bissell Green Machine that we use for pet accidents and the cars.
For US owners easiest way to tell if a car has Nuluxe artificial leather or real leather is to register at https://www.lexus.com/My-Lexus enter your VIN and have a look at the cars interior build. My-Lexus site doesn't work with Canada sold cars and VIN numbers.
Curious about maintaining the condition of the leather seats in the wife's 2010. Don't need much in the way of cleaning, but rather keeping the leather from cracking and such. What products have ya'll used that are better than others?
Use both the Lexol cleaner and then conditioner. While the seat may look clean, it is best to clean and then condition. Ensure you get the bolsters on the seat as they get the most wear from entering the car. I do the bolsters several times
What products have ya'll used that are better than others?
Living in a humid part of the country might require some extra cleaning steps. Cracks in leather upholstery is where moisture sits leading to mold growth eating leather collagen and eventually the leather breaks down at that point. Anti-mold cleaning product available at Home Depot and similar hardware stores can be used for car interior and especially leather surfaces before conditioning. Lexol products are generally pretty good but there are complaints that made in China Lexol is not as good as the old stuff. Saphir leather care products are expensive but much better than Lexol for fine leather particularly for touching up, recoloring and sealing cracked areas which is the worrying part, uncracked leather already has an intact surface coating. Little bit of Saphir products in the cracks goes a long way. https://saphir.com/
See the All About Lexus Leather sticky thread forum that is under special interest forums: You will learn what many others have found works to clean, preserve and repair their leather seats. It is very old so after reading the first post you may want to start on the last page and scroll backwards for more recent posts..
Check with detailers if they would use your vehicle as an opportunity to show/advertise their skills. Your vehicle is a prime candidate for before and after.
The only question is can they make things worse for you?
I have a 2015 RX 350 whose interior is in a poor state. There are marks on the headliner, and the carpet is very dirty. I can vacuum it but need a way to make it clean.
Can you suggest products that can help clean it (the cleaning product in the house does not appear to work, plus I don't want to spread the marks when I try to scrub it clean)
I don't plan on hiring the car cleaning person, as they are quite expensive in my area.
The car is in California/USA
Please see the pictures
i just used car guys leather nectar and it did wonders on my interior. Leave it on overnight. I did it twice and really made a huge difference
thanks. I can clean the roofliner using Folex carpet cleaner for the fabric surfaces, such as the roof liner and pillars. I bought one, but i ran out and now ordering a two-bottle set so that I can clean the rest of the car and my second car.
Regarding the suggestion about the leather seats, which are also in a very poor shape. Is Formula 409 a good choice for cleaning and clearing the dirt from the cracks? How is the leather renewal kit? How can I be sure that the dyed color matches the color of the seats? I only intend to dye the affected area?
Be sure to get the top coat clear coat as it makes the new paint last a lot longer.
I think painting a section will match the remaining seat. Their color mix is excellent, but why not paint the entire seat. Get the kit with the foam brush as it is too sloppy to try and spray the interior. Use a few light coats of paint. It dries quickly.
You can try cleaning a small section of seat with 409 and a toothbrush, or even try the Folex, but be sure to rinse with water afterward and dry it right away. However it may change the seat color a bit.
Last edited by Clutchless; Oct 9, 2025 at 05:38 AM.
Be sure to get the top coat clear coat as it makes the new paint last a lot longer.
I think painting a section will match the remaining seat. Their color mix is excellent, but why not paint the entire seat. Get the kit with the foam brush as it is too sloppy to try and spray the interior. Use a few light coats of paint. It dries quickly.
You can try cleaning a small section of seat with 409 and a toothbrush, or even try the Folex, but be sure to rinse with water afterward and dry it right away. However it may change the seat color a bit.
Many thanks again,
Since I have to fix two entire car seats, one package may not be enough, as it says, "This kit contains everything you need to dye leather and make minor repairs. There is enough dye to touch up two to four seats, or dye one entire seat"""
Based on what I read, I apply this solution after I clean the seats and so that all the cracks are clear of the dirt, otherwise these will stay exposed even after I dye the car seats. I did try using the Folex over the cracks, but it didn't help(I didnt use the brush to rub it just spray over the cracks and cleaned with a towel), and the cracks still show the black lines. I can check if 409 is any better.
Regarding top coat clear coat, any suggestion which one to buy
