New owner - Nuluxe tear
10-12-22, 05:24 PM
#1
9th Gear
Thread Starter
New owner - Nuluxe tear
I just purchased a CPO GX460. Somehow, in less than one week of ownership, I've managed to put a 1/4 inch tear in the driver's seat cushion. It's like it splits along 3 of the perforations. I have no idea what I did to cause this. What is the best solution? I'm afraid it will get worse if I do nothing.
Last edited by gjowers; 10-12-22 at 05:34 PM.
10-13-22, 07:47 AM
#2
Intermediate
There are vinyl/leather repair kits you can use. Won't be perfect but will probably stop the tear. You can also buy a new seat cover but that is probably quite expensive then pull off the old cushion and put on the new one.
10-13-22, 08:18 AM
#3
I have seen and experienced poor quality fixes from the dealer (not Lexus) when a car is prepped for resale. Do you have any glue residue on the tear?
10-13-22, 08:26 AM
#4
Intermediate
If you have an auto upholstery shop close by I would have them take a look at it and give you a quote.
They have the skills, products and experience to complete a repair and you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is.
I was going to try a DIY repair on my 4Runner seats but decided to have a local auto upholstery shop look at it. They actually knew what was wrong before looking at it (described the wear & damage as we walked out to the 4R) and I found the price reasonable considering the value of the vehicle
They have the skills, products and experience to complete a repair and you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is.
I was going to try a DIY repair on my 4Runner seats but decided to have a local auto upholstery shop look at it. They actually knew what was wrong before looking at it (described the wear & damage as we walked out to the 4R) and I found the price reasonable considering the value of the vehicle
The following 4 users liked this post by IanG:
10-13-22, 09:03 AM
#5
Instructor
Had a puncture in my front passenger seat in the perforations when I was buying it. The dealer had an upholstery shop fix it. While it’s noticeable it hasn’t had any issues since. These repairs will hold assuming the person doing the repair is skilled.
10-13-22, 05:56 PM
#6
9th Gear
Thread Starter
I just ordered a new seat cushion cover, OEM. It was pricey, but I see this little tear in the driver's seat every time I get in and out of the car. I can't imagine how I did this and it's not outside the realm of possibility that it had previously been torn then "fixed" for resale. I'll be getting a new one and at least the highest wear seat in the car will be brand new and will, hopefully, look nice for years to come.
10-13-22, 09:13 PM
#7
Screwdriver or something in your back pocket that maybe transferred your body weight via the tip and tore through a few of the perforation?
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10-14-22, 06:08 AM
#8
10-14-22, 07:10 AM
#9
I haven’t repaired Nuluxe, but have repaired three sets of leather seats at this point. When we purchased our RX, it was overall a nice car with only 16k miles, but had a 1/2 inch tear in the back seat, the dealer “promised” to fix. Their “pro” fix was way worse than the tear, so ticked off as I was, I decided to take before and after pictures of their repairs vs. mine, with me having never even attempted to repair leather or vinyl of any kind. The tear was on the ventilated spot in the middle of the seat. Their repair looked like they had stuck a piece of gum on the seat and painted it. All I got from the dealer was it’s a vented seat and you can’t expect perfection…..funny, that’s not what they said when I was negotiating….
Anyway, got a kit from leatherrenew.com and proceeded with cleaning up their mess and trying my own hand at it. Took me eight hours to read and go slow and understand the repair process….in the end, it’s been seven years and we still can’t see the spot I repaired. Done right, they hold up just fine. So far as the vented seat, I used a piece of masking tape as a template for the holes to line up perfectly, then used a small drill bit and my fingers to core out the tiny holes. The edges were a bit sharp at first, but the kit comes with fine grit sand paper I used to knock down the sharp edges a bit, re-died the section and it turned out perfectly.
As one would expect, nothing from the dealer around their crappy repair, until I flamed them hard on an online review. Then the merciless begging started with offerings of refunds, etc. Nope, the review remains till this day.
Moral of the story, dealers will cut corners at all costs, so if something isn’t right, just walk, as I should have. Also, absolutely no reason to fear a well repaired vinyl or leather seat. If it holds up in AZ heat after 7 years, I can’t think of a reason it won’t hold up anywhere else, except maybe Alaska and I’m sure someone has tested it there too. That said, the thought of vinyl or leather seats in Alaska……Brrrrr!
The OP already bought a seat cover, but for anyone else who may want to try their hand at a repair or trust a good repair to last. I say go for it.
Anyway, got a kit from leatherrenew.com and proceeded with cleaning up their mess and trying my own hand at it. Took me eight hours to read and go slow and understand the repair process….in the end, it’s been seven years and we still can’t see the spot I repaired. Done right, they hold up just fine. So far as the vented seat, I used a piece of masking tape as a template for the holes to line up perfectly, then used a small drill bit and my fingers to core out the tiny holes. The edges were a bit sharp at first, but the kit comes with fine grit sand paper I used to knock down the sharp edges a bit, re-died the section and it turned out perfectly.
As one would expect, nothing from the dealer around their crappy repair, until I flamed them hard on an online review. Then the merciless begging started with offerings of refunds, etc. Nope, the review remains till this day.
Moral of the story, dealers will cut corners at all costs, so if something isn’t right, just walk, as I should have. Also, absolutely no reason to fear a well repaired vinyl or leather seat. If it holds up in AZ heat after 7 years, I can’t think of a reason it won’t hold up anywhere else, except maybe Alaska and I’m sure someone has tested it there too. That said, the thought of vinyl or leather seats in Alaska……Brrrrr!
The OP already bought a seat cover, but for anyone else who may want to try their hand at a repair or trust a good repair to last. I say go for it.
The following users liked this post:
SteveInCal (11-03-23)
10-14-22, 09:14 AM
#10
I haven’t repaired Nuluxe, but have repaired three sets of leather seats at this point. When we purchased our RX, it was overall a nice car with only 16k miles, but had a 1/2 inch tear in the back seat, the dealer “promised” to fix. Their “pro” fix was way worse than the tear, so ticked off as I was, I decided to take before and after pictures of their repairs vs. mine, with me having never even attempted to repair leather or vinyl of any kind. The tear was on the ventilated spot in the middle of the seat. Their repair looked like they had stuck a piece of gum on the seat and painted it. All I got from the dealer was it’s a vented seat and you can’t expect perfection…..funny, that’s not what they said when I was negotiating….
Anyway, got a kit from leatherrenew.com and proceeded with cleaning up their mess and trying my own hand at it. Took me eight hours to read and go slow and understand the repair process….in the end, it’s been seven years and we still can’t see the spot I repaired. Done right, they hold up just fine. So far as the vented seat, I used a piece of masking tape as a template for the holes to line up perfectly, then used a small drill bit and my fingers to core out the tiny holes. The edges were a bit sharp at first, but the kit comes with fine grit sand paper I used to knock down the sharp edges a bit, re-died the section and it turned out perfectly.
As one would expect, nothing from the dealer around their crappy repair, until I flamed them hard on an online review. Then the merciless begging started with offerings of refunds, etc. Nope, the review remains till this day.
Moral of the story, dealers will cut corners at all costs, so if something isn’t right, just walk, as I should have. Also, absolutely no reason to fear a well repaired vinyl or leather seat. If it holds up in AZ heat after 7 years, I can’t think of a reason it won’t hold up anywhere else, except maybe Alaska and I’m sure someone has tested it there too. That said, the thought of vinyl or leather seats in Alaska……Brrrrr!
The OP already bought a seat cover, but for anyone else who may want to try their hand at a repair or trust a good repair to last. I say go for it.
Anyway, got a kit from leatherrenew.com and proceeded with cleaning up their mess and trying my own hand at it. Took me eight hours to read and go slow and understand the repair process….in the end, it’s been seven years and we still can’t see the spot I repaired. Done right, they hold up just fine. So far as the vented seat, I used a piece of masking tape as a template for the holes to line up perfectly, then used a small drill bit and my fingers to core out the tiny holes. The edges were a bit sharp at first, but the kit comes with fine grit sand paper I used to knock down the sharp edges a bit, re-died the section and it turned out perfectly.
As one would expect, nothing from the dealer around their crappy repair, until I flamed them hard on an online review. Then the merciless begging started with offerings of refunds, etc. Nope, the review remains till this day.
Moral of the story, dealers will cut corners at all costs, so if something isn’t right, just walk, as I should have. Also, absolutely no reason to fear a well repaired vinyl or leather seat. If it holds up in AZ heat after 7 years, I can’t think of a reason it won’t hold up anywhere else, except maybe Alaska and I’m sure someone has tested it there too. That said, the thought of vinyl or leather seats in Alaska……Brrrrr!
The OP already bought a seat cover, but for anyone else who may want to try their hand at a repair or trust a good repair to last. I say go for it.
10-14-22, 04:55 PM
#11
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...l#post10351480
10-19-22, 07:12 AM
#12
Intermediate
I just ordered a new seat cushion cover, OEM. It was pricey, but I see this little tear in the driver's seat every time I get in and out of the car. I can't imagine how I did this and it's not outside the realm of possibility that it had previously been torn then "fixed" for resale. I'll be getting a new one and at least the highest wear seat in the car will be brand new and will, hopefully, look nice for years to come.
more durable than leather but I doubted. Leather can be preserved like new with proper care and I am not sure Nuluxe can.
10-24-22, 04:51 PM
#13
9th Gear
Thread Starter
Probably the best solution. OEM seat covers are ridiculously pricey though. I would’ve gone to an after market leather one for $180. People say Nuluxe is
more durable than leather but I doubted. Leather can be preserved like new with proper care and I am not sure Nuluxe can.
more durable than leather but I doubted. Leather can be preserved like new with proper care and I am not sure Nuluxe can.
Update - OEM seat covers are indeed ridiculously expensive. The cover was $520. Installation was about $550. It was an expensive fix. I'll say this about Nuluxe, my brand new driver's seat cover looks the same as the original passenger seat and rear seats (2018). It's like they haven't aged at all. I would have preferred leather, but I can see the attraction of Nuluxe, and, 99% of people won't be able to tell the difference.
10-25-22, 07:23 AM
#14
I think after you clean and repair leather as often as some have had to and the leather still looks 200 years old, Nuluxe starts appealing more and more. There’s something about a luxury car and vinyl that’s just wrong though…That said, if you ever actually use the GX for what it was designed for, the vinyl seats are a godsend.
So far as replacing the cover for a small tear, it’s just me, but that’s a great platform for experimenting. Having something I couldn’t screw up worse thought me I could fix most leather and vinyl seats for cheap. Not having any luck with the “splotchy” finishes matching, but otherwise…
Not knocking the fix. Just saying it’s worth the attempt if you can generally fix things around the house. If not, don’t attempt it. Not worth getting paint all over everything else.
So far as replacing the cover for a small tear, it’s just me, but that’s a great platform for experimenting. Having something I couldn’t screw up worse thought me I could fix most leather and vinyl seats for cheap. Not having any luck with the “splotchy” finishes matching, but otherwise…
Not knocking the fix. Just saying it’s worth the attempt if you can generally fix things around the house. If not, don’t attempt it. Not worth getting paint all over everything else.
11-02-23, 11:26 AM
#15
5th Gear
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Alberta
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If you have an auto upholstery shop close by I would have them take a look at it and give you a quote.
They have the skills, products and experience to complete a repair and you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is.
I was going to try a DIY repair on my 4Runner seats but decided to have a local auto upholstery shop look at it. They actually knew what was wrong before looking at it (described the wear & damage as we walked out to the 4R) and I found the price reasonable considering the value of the vehicle
They have the skills, products and experience to complete a repair and you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is.
I was going to try a DIY repair on my 4Runner seats but decided to have a local auto upholstery shop look at it. They actually knew what was wrong before looking at it (described the wear & damage as we walked out to the 4R) and I found the price reasonable considering the value of the vehicle
Cheers!