The front seats of my 350 are cracked pretty badly. Just the bottom portion... not the back. Any recommendations or advice on how to replace or get reupholstered? TIA


LH

 

First things first - take it to a well-respected local auto interiors & tops shop and let them have a look at it. Some "badly cracked" leather seats can be restored (although admittedly the quality of these 3rd generation RX leather seats is substandard at best). If the shop cannot restore your existing leather, obtain a quote for replacing only the cracked seat bottoms with matching skins. Then come back here and report your results. There may be some aftermarket seat bottom skins that will work for you if you can handle the job yourself. Be sure to obtain the Lexus code for your particular leather. That will be crucial for matching purposes.

 

First spend some time in the detailing forum sticky thread "All about Lexus Leather" It explains much about care, cleaning and restoring the crappy leather.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...s-leather.html

 

Have you done the replacement? I plan on doing it soon to both front seats.

 

I'm in the same boat as Trini, my front passenger seat needs replacement badly. Just haven't gotten around to getting mine fixed. Maybe for 2021 New Year's resolution?

 

Where do you find the Lexus code for leather color?

 

I don't know exactly but you could log onto the Lexus Drivers Site and enter your VIN to see the build sheet for your RX. That should provide all the info. https://www.lexus.com/drivers/account/create-account

There are really 3 most common colors: Parchment which is tan, Gray and I don't recall the official name, and black. Later on there were some with red, but that may be 4th gen.
In some photos it is hard to tell the parchment from the gray.

This color chart from Leather Renew may help. I used their leather paint to restore my seats. If you get some, be sure to also use the clear top coat. https://www.leatherrenew.com/color-c...e-color-charts

 

Thanks for the Lexus website link. I found my colors: Parchment interior and Starfire Pearl exterior!
Now is the question of which product -- Leather Renew - Kits Automotive Colors
I watch a youtube video where you need to clean, prep and sandpaper the area before mixing paint, color-matching and painting....is that right? That's a lot of work. I found a local auto upholstery shop in L.A. that can do it for $500, takes about 6 hours!

BTW I found this custom RX car seat cover on Amazon, cheaper than repair!
https://amzn.to/3Vn4wZE

 

The Leather Renew process is not nearly that difficult. I too have the Parchment interior and their color matches perfectly. You just add a few drops of bond aid to the paint.
Get the leather dye kit without sprayer and also get the leather clear coat which is listed under single products. You can get extra brushes at Home Depot or Wal-Mart.

I did not use the crack filler and feel that after cleaning and sanding that the paint took care of any deep imperfections. Your car may differ.

You do need to clean them first. Use a soft toothbrush and sponge and some household cleaner such as Formula 409 to get all the dirt out of the cracks etc. Then dry it, maybe with a hairdryer and then sand a little as instructed by Leather Renew.
The color is premixed, you just add a little bond aid and stir then run it through the strainer cloth funnel they provide and use a disposable foam paintbrush to put it on. Spraying is too messy inside the car - I tried it. The brush works great. Use some extra lighting to see better as you paint.

Use light coats and build it up letting it dry in between. Have some unwound paper clips or pins handy to clear the ventilation holes in the seat bottom as some do get clogged with paint.
After a few coats have dried top coat it with their clear coat as this makes the color layer last much longer from pants sliding on the seat.
I ended up doing my RX twice because the first time I did not use the clear top coat and it wore in about a year.

Maintenance is wiping with a damp sponge every few weeks.

 

Issue with seat cover is it impact the heat/cool seat function

 

The thread linked below has photos of my seats and another members seats before and after using the Leather Renew system to refinish the leather.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-terrible.html

 

Not to hijack but on my older pick up truck with non-leather, I changed to Katzskins and can't believe the quality and look of them. They look amazing and could be customized to any colors, two toned, colored stitching etc.... I only had minor wrinkling on the console (it was re covered also) where I rested my elbow but never an issue with the seats. I am seriously considering it for my 2016 ES350. I attached a before and after pick of my truck.

I attached a

 

I installed a custom Katzskin leather kit in my 1999 Ram way back in January 2001. Superb leather quality and workmanship. It has held up far better than the lousy factory leather in my wife's 2015 RX350, and it takes much more of a beating in my truck than my wife's RX ever gets.