madcrazy10

I have a 2011 Q5 that is still under it's original factory warranty of 4yr/40,000 miles. It will end in August.

I've noticed that the top of the my steering wheel the leather has been damaged by the sun. It is very coarse & feels very rough, like it's almost flaking. This car has always been garage kept so it's not like it's sitting in the sun all day. I've tried Armor All which helps a little bit, for a few days, but once it goes away I'm left with a coarse steering wheel again.

I called my local dealership to ask about whether this damage could be covered under my factory warranty & a lady there said no. She didn't sound very confident but also said it would have been covered under the trim warranty of 1 year or 12,000 miles. I wasn't aware of the separate warranty.

What do you guys think? Is it worth pursuing any further?

IntheQ5

Unfortunately, steering wheels are wear and tear items. Entry and exiting vehicles will wear it down. Driving with one hand at 12 o'clock position constantly, rings, rough hands, callus etc will fall in the dealer excuse for wear and tear.

Hardly have I heard of steering wheels prematurely wears. I've had trim peeling and warranty claims on those were claimable.
You can try calling corporate as a last resort.

DanMontgomery

I had mine steering wheel on my Lincoln do something similar. End up being my and /or my wife's ring rubbing against the leather.

Now, we are have learned to be a bit more careful with the edges of our wedding rings.

Not sure if you are having the same problem...but never know.

As for warranty work...never hurts to ask. All they can say in "No".

V/r
Dan

madcrazy10

Yeah, I didn't think it would hurt to ask either. It just seems odd that a garage kept vehicle with only 36k miles (I know, I don't drive much) on it would have issues like this. Would have thought it being a higher quality vehicle it wouldn't be prone to this type of issue so quickly.

Appreciate the replies.

Dalancroft

"Armor All which helps a little bit" ... in my experience Armor All is the devil. Completely cracked the dash in my old Honda Prelude. Far better products out there.

stix

You can stop the steering wheel from further deterioration. Leatherique Rejuvenator & Prestine clean products work well if both are used correctly. Not cheap but worth it. Some roughness may/may not still remain.
Armor All, as mentioned, isn't advised.
Good luck..



[URL="http://www.leatherique.com/do_it_your_self_instruction/rejuvinator_pc_directions.html"]

Redd

ArmorAll can be funny stuff. I used it for literally decades on another car, including a genuine leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the only problem was with the paint on a repainted bumper. ArmorAll is known to "lubricate" coatings and make some paints and glues come apart! So you really have to know what you're putting it on.

I've also had a "leather" steering wheel that was all gummy and sticky, and when I started to really clean it, the "gum" and the "leather" both came off. Apparently the last mechanic hadn't cleaned the brake fluid from his hands, and it ate the "leather", the way brake fluid can eat all sorts of things.

Which makes me wonder, because my steering wheel sure looks like "imitation leather finish" the same way the melty one was. Did you order a leather option? Are you sure it is leather?

The good news, if it is not leather? The guy at the body shop recommended another guy who does vinyl and interior repairs. The vinyl guy said yes, he's done it before. And he cleaned off whatever "leather" was left, resprayed it all with a new vinyl layer, and that wheel is as good as new. Slightly different texture, but good as new. For $75 instead of the hundreds that a new wheel and installation would have cost.

snagitseven

Armor All - beastly stuff.

ThunderDent

If all else fails for you, I've got my original Q5 2011 OEM 4-spoke steering wheel I could sell you to get a permanent fix if need be. Don't order new, unless you are upgrading to flat bottom!

DanMontgomery

Totally agree with ThunderDent....if your going to replace it, upgrade it.