I wrote Summit Industries (makers of Lexol) about what happened to my car and they replied with a letter which is not backed by the product information. Most alarming is the fact that it uses water! When was the last time you saw leather stand up to water? This would be the exact reason my leather is toast. All they did was offer a refund for the bottle I purchased but now I need to replace my front seat, center console and do something quick to fix the damage caused on anything else I sprayed with this junk.
BUYER BEWARE! My car leather is now completely totalled thanks to Lexol! I will take photos if someone does not believe me. I had to throw a towel over the seat so I don't feel angry every time I get in the car. It's a tough feeling to know the leather is literally rotting away beneath you while you drive and shift around in your seat. The person who wrote the below letter wants to believe a few things about his product but belief is completely different from reality.

------- letter from lexol manufacturers-------
Mr. Frasure

Based on your e-mail I can certainly hear your frustration and upset that your seat is damaged . However, based on the information that you provided to us , the problem does not trace to Lexol ph Leather Cleaner or Lexol Leather Conditioner . Please allow me to explain why .
In your e-mail you state that "I've been taking care of my seats for years using various over the counter products including mink oil". When any substance is put "on" leather , it is also put "in" leather and it stays there except for the volatiles that evaporate off . In Lexol products that would be primarily water- the carrier for the fine oils in Lexol Leather Conditioner . Lexol Leather Conditioner is very much like the fat liquors that are used in tanneries around the world to condition and preserve leather when it is made . Our formula is somewhat unique and just can not "stress and tear leather to the point of having holes !" Our Lexol ph Leather cleaner is neutral in ph ( at 5.5 ) and is totally safe for cleaning leather .
By "using various over the counter products to care for your seats over the years " you have put a variety of chemicals "into" your leather that have now reached a point of not being compatible , and the result is the damage that you describe. Many people find that the name "Mink Oil " suggests fine oils derived from mink . This is far from true as product marketed as "Mink Oil" is really liquefied pig fat and silicone . There is no product marketed anywhere that is made up of oil somehow derived from mink .
If you had used our products "for years " I sincerely do not believe that you would be having this problem , but if you somehow did we would stand behind our products . It is my sincere hope that you will understand this .

Phil Meyers
Vice President
Sales & Marketing
Summit Industries Inc.

 

I'm just a novice here, but you don't believe that the statement above has ANY validity?

HBH

 

I believe it does have some validity but the problem is the bottle does not state what he said. If it did, I would be cautious. There is nothing stating that your leather may actually be worse off if chemicals inside your leather contain (fill in the blank). Why is it that every leather product I've used has not harmed my seats? Every product that I've used has been a waterless product except lexol. I believe the water is at the core of the problem.
If not, why would they sell an oil which would react with other oils on the market? Further more I've never seen an oil cause leather to turn rock hard and split immediatly after the fact.

 

On my last car that I owned for 10 years, I excussively used Lexol products. My leather was in great condition when I recently sold it. I have no complaints with Lexol.

On my current car, I started off using the Lexus branded leather conditioner because it is supplied by GST (the supplier of the Lexus/Toyota leather). Now I have switched to Zaino Leather conditioner because of the UV protection. I also like Zaino better than the Lexus conditioner or Lexol, because Zaino doesn't have that greasy, oily feeling and is easier to appy and buff out. I initially thought that Zaino didn't need to be buffed out...but I ended up with streaks on my black leather. Now that I buff out the Zaino, the streaks are gone.

I have confidence that Lexol would be fine for my current car... I'm just looking for something better and am willing to spend more money for a product that offers UV protection and isn't as oily.

I really doubt that Lexol caused the damage to bfrasure's leather. I have a feeling that the waterless handsoaps were the culprit as they are mostly made of rubbing alcohol and would be very harsh on leather seats and would cause the leather to break down. Further, using mink oil in combination with the waterless soap probably sped up the break down of the leather by allowing too much mink oil to be absorbed by the leather.

 

That sounds viable but does not explain why the leather would suddenly turn rock hard. The tearing is due to the tension of the leather. I don't think I will chance Lexol again despite what others here may say. The main point to my posts is to warn others of what happened. Theories or no theories, this was the last product to touch the seat. It's hard for me to believe it even now.

 

Waterless hand soap? Sounds like this is what caused your problem. This stuff is loaded with alcohol and often harsh citrus based cleaners. Some even contain pumice. Clearly not intended for leather. I believe you were sitting on a time bomb. Had you used products designed for your car, I doubt you would be having the issue you have today. I'm not surprised that this practice would eventually harden and dry out your leather.

IMO, I don't think you should be upset with Lexol when you were using inappropriate products on your leather seats.

If there is any warning you should be giving here it is: Don't use products on your car that are not specifically purposed for them.

 

Gojo is loaded with oils and lanolin and can be used on leather. It does not contain alcohol. Again I'm not convinced this was the best product to use, however it's been working fine for years in this hot az sun where most other Lexus seats have broken down due to dryness and heat stress. I was one of the few people I knew with a '95 lexus that had seats with little or no wear.
To prove my point on Lexol, I'm going to have to find a few seats of the same make and model and spray them to find out if if there was truly something wrong with my seats or something wrong with the product.

 

My bottle of GoJo contains: Water, C13-C14 Isoparaffin, Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol, MEA-Tallate, Nonoxynol-10, Petrolatum, Nonoxynol-12, Tall Oil, Carbomer, Lanolin, BHT, Zinc Pyrithione, Formaldehyde, and a Fragrance.

Most of the volume of GoJo is water, the very substance you berate Lexol for having as it's base. BTW, water will not damage your leather unless you leave it drenched. The leathers in your car are actually tanned with water.

Stay clear of any product that has petroleum or mineral oils. They do damage over time that is irreversible. GoJo has both. I believe this led to your leather failure.

Now, lest you think I am defending LEXOL because it is a favorite of mine, I don't use LEXOL as I think it leaves the leather to shiny.

If you live in a hot and dry area you need to condition your leather much more frequently than those who live in a cool climate. I'd probably condition monthly. I'd probably use Lexus, Zaino or Sonus products for this.

At this point you might look to a salvage yard for replacement seats.

 

I've ordered the leather cleaner/conditioner from Sewell Lexus.. I think it works pretty well.. I've used Lexol in the past and have no complants.. Both are good products..