[Zentan]

Hey all - I bought my 2014 335i M Sport not too long ago that had 29k miles and I have to say that the steering wheel is already, what seems to be, peeling. The leather is coming off in pieces especially when the weather is dry and humid. Not sure if it's due to the maintenance of the 1st owner, but it could possibly be the quality of the steering wheel itself.

Anyone dealing with this too?

[tturedraider]

Pics

[raquettelaker2]

I bought a 2014 328i M-Sport in November with about 30k miles also. The steering wheel looked new and still does after about 8k more miles, though I have seen others complain about this same issue. I think it has a lot to do with the previous owner's skin (oily/acidity) and/or use of hand products like lotions, etc... For example a colleague wore all the letters off her laptop keyboard and the matte plastic started turning shiny, whereas my same keyboard still looked new. Lord knows what her steering wheel looked like.

[DrifterX]

+1 on pics

I'm at 38,000kms and my steering wheel still looks good after I clean it - I wouldn't say brand new as it no longer has that pure matte finish but a slight sheen since I tend to hold the steering wheel pretty tightly (no idea why I have that habit lol). I don't wear any lotions or anything but oil does accumulate on the leather over time so regular cleaning is required.

[theEZV]

I bought my car at 14k miles and the wheel was a bit rough, now at 24k miles even worse. Kinda looks like those cars that have the clear coat peeling off, like it's sun damage or something. Not the end of the world, but very disappointing.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Zentan

Hey all - I bought my 2014 335i M Sport not too long ago that had 29k miles and I have to say that the steering wheel is already, what seems to be, peeling. The leather is coming off in pieces especially when the weather is dry and humid. Not sure if it's due to the maintenance of the 1st owner, but it could possibly be the quality of the steering wheel itself.

Anyone dealing with this too?

Still under warranty. Take it to the dealer and claim it under warranty. I suppose that the 1st owner could have done something to it, like used some product on it that wasn't proper. But you should have a pretty good argument that a peeling steering wheel is not normal wear at 29K miles.

[Zentan]

Originally Posted by tex2670

Still under warranty. Take it to the dealer and claim it under warranty. I suppose that the 1st owner could have done something to it, like used some product on it that wasn't proper. But you should have a pretty good argument that a peeling steering wheel is not normal wear at 29K miles.

Really? Did not know that would still be covered under warranty. Would they be replacing the entire steering wheel? I'd suppose it would be harder to make a claim on a cosmetic vs. a dysfunctional.. but I guess I can give it a try.

[Zentan]

And yes, will be posting up pics today.

[SlickShift]

Rules for a long life of your steering wheel: Clean hands + regular leather conditioning + sunshade + tinted windows + no "palming" + being careful if wearing rings. My 135i that I bought new had 75K when I sold it and the wheel looked pristine.

[Zentan]

Pics attached....

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Zentan

Really? Did not know that would still be covered under warranty. Would they be replacing the entire steering wheel? I'd suppose it would be harder to make a claim on a cosmetic vs. a dysfunctional.. but I guess I can give it a try.

4yr/50k mi coverage; you have a '14 with 29k miles. Even if it's one of the first '14s sold in '13, it would not have had a June '13 in-service date; so I don't see how it's not under warranty.

[Zentan]

Just called dealership and was told that it is replaceable under warranty. Just scheduled an appointment... fingers crossed that they'll replace it. By looking at the pictures above, does it look severe enough to be replaceable under warranty?

[js 84]

In picks steering wheel looks bad. I had this steering wheel on my car for 3,5 years and 130k km and there was no peeling.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

It's just dirty. Mine looked like that too and the dealer used some magic eraser sponge with soap and water and all of that came off

[435MSport6Speed]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

It's just dirty. Mine looked like that too and the dealer used some magic eraser sponge with soap and water and all of that came off

It does look dirty. Buildup of skin etc...

[Mr. Tasty]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

It's just dirty. Mine looked like that too and the dealer used some magic eraser sponge with soap and water and all of that came off

Holy fuck that is disgusting, do you not clean your interior? Also DO NOT use a magic eraser on leather. You are effectively sanding down the leather.

[chiefneil]

Mine is also a 2014 m-sport and the steering wheel looks perfect. I don't know about the smoother softer leather in the current wheel, but my 2002 330i steering wheel still looked perfect after 12 years and 120k miles with almost zero care.

If you have sweaty hands you should clean the wheel regularly. Use a leather cleaner to remove the sweat and dirt, then a conditioner to condition. Reminds me that I need to get around to doing mine at some point.

[perryo91]

I highly doubt this would be covered under warranty. Thats like asking for a new seat because its heavily used. Or asking for a new bumper because its scraped up.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tasty

Holy fuck that is disgusting, do you not clean your interior? Also DO NOT use a magic eraser on leather. You are effectively sanding down the leather.

I DO clean my interior

This was 3 days after picking the car up (which was used). I didn't notice it when I picked it up

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by perryo91

I highly doubt this would be covered under warranty. Thats like asking for a new seat because its heavily used. Or asking for a new bumper because its scraped up.

How is a steering wheel or a seat "heavily used"? The leather should last way beyond 29k miles without deteriorating. If you are using the seat to sit in, or using the steering wheel to steer and drive the car, "normal wear and tear" should not result in the leather flaking off. Comparison to a scraped bumper is apples v oranges.

[razzy530]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

It's just dirty. Mine looked like that too and the dealer used some magic eraser sponge with soap and water and all of that came off

+1 Its just dirty. clean it with a leather cleaner and then moisturize it.

[Mr. Tasty]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

I DO clean my interior

This was 3 days after picking the car up (which was used). I didn't notice it when I picked it up

Apologies then, I didn't mean to come off rude. I was just shocked at how gross it was. Carry on