Driver seat lower side bolster: how's it wearing?

[smc007]

Wife and I aren't exactly tall people...so lots of sliding in and out of the vehicle. Only 10k miles on it and I can already tell this is going to be a problem area.

Anyone experiencing the same?

Our 2013 3 series (30k miles on it) still looks great though.

[stewy604]

Not an issue for me, but I'm taller (6'2") and I try to avoid the "sliding" in and out. I think overtime, any vehicle is going to see wear here, especially with higher than average bolsters. I've got 62k on the odometer.

[Kzang]

I'm 6'1" I tend to slide in / out and my jeans actually are more worn then anything else..
I had to buy a new pair. My 2013 E70 at about 26K miles showed the side bolsters being worn though... on my F15 with about 9,000 miles the leather is still as new as can be.

[X5Jouster]

5'11" and i slide in and out.....yes there is wear 15k miles...yes it will get worse. yes it bothers me, but there is nothing we can logically do to correct this.

[Jimmie48]

5'8" here and I slide out for sure, 20k on the car and its kind of "smoothing" the ridges of the Dakota, I honestly dont mind it cuz its kind of softer than the original Dakota. My problem is with the mocha the little creases seem to be drying out often. I have tried a couple products and it just dries out so quickly.

[alphaod]

Definitely causing creases at 11k. I'm 5' 11" and I try to step up and over with the running board but not always possible to prevent this especially if I need to shake my boots in the winter. I try to maintain the seat with conditioning products but that can only do so much.

[kanvas]

6ft. Some creases. 17,000 miles. Slide out always.
I really don't care about it.. lol

[42pilot]

21,000 miles. The stitching is discolored and the leather needs to be cleaned at least once a month to keep it from turning blue. For the price of this car, you would think BMW would know which leather to use. It's a disgrace.

[X5Jouster]

my problem is not with the cosmetic factor or creases/cracking, its the fact that the sliding causes the inner support cushioning to go flat and not provide support to the driver on that side.

[stewy604]

Originally Posted by 42pilot

...the leather needs to be cleaned at least once a month to keep it from turning blue.

Turning blue would be from the dye in your jeans (I'm guessing), not the choice of leather that BMW uses. This is an issue with many vehicles out there and very dark wash jeans. We had this issue on our Acura TL, had tan leather interior...never again!

[42pilot]

Originally Posted by stewy604

Turning blue would be from the dye in your jeans (I'm guessing), not the choice of leather that BMW uses. This is an issue with many vehicles out there and very dark wash jeans. We had this issue on our Acura TL, had tan leather interior...never again!

It is the leather process BMW allows (because BMW does not make their seats - I think Lear makes the seats) for their seats. I do not have any other vehicle with leather seats that does this, including the interiors of Acuras I have owned. I have an 05 pickup with leather seats and don't have color transfer at all. Again, this is ridiculous for this price point vehicle.

[Diper]

With all due respect gentlemen, but ALL leather interiors have this issue. The lighter leathers will show it more, but it is also visible on the darker ones. But not by color, but being reflective instead of mat. It's due to the dye in the clothes or the fat from your skin or sunblock/lotion.
That this doesn't happen on cheap or fake leather might very well be the case, but probably due to a coating. On all sorts of Nappa and dakota leather you will observe this and can very easily be treated if done the RIGHT way. Youtube video's are plenty about this subject, I would advise AMMO's video's on this one.

If one is not willing to put in the man-hours to keep the light interior clean, don't buy it. It is not the fault of the manufacturer. Furthermore there are plenty of aftermarket solutions regarding coating. And not wearing jeans will make a world of difference as well.

So, straight to the detailer store and buy:
- all purpose cleaner
- a toothbrush or nail brush
- microfiber towel
- leather lotion.
And you're interior is as good as new within a couple of hours.

[JonM]

The best nappa/merino/full grain leather cleaner I have ever used is Swissvax Nappa leather cleaner and their special $12 brush too. Cannot recommend them enough. And I use Spinneybeck (a.k.a.: Knoll) conditioner afterwards. This will keep the seats looking matte and keep them exceptionally clean.

Other things you can do: (1) learn to not drag ass across bolster. Lift and move in or out. This is the most important thing you can do. Never sit sideways on the bolster and put shoes on or off or shoot the breeze. Sit straight ahead only. (2) wipe down with a damp cloth (water only) periodically to keep small particles and dirt off the seats. The dirt and your weight basically polish the seats shiny and create wear. Keep the seats very clean and this won't happen (3) do not over-condition. Some people condition leather once a month. That might be too often depending on what you are using. The factory leather has surfactants on it to protect it you do not want to strip off.