seats discolored

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Dye transfer from jeans, other leathers, and belts is very common, and been going on for years. Nothing new. You just see it with light leathers.

One of the reasons I don't wear jeans or have an exposed belt on when driving my Porsches. Not too concewrned about it when driving my past Explorers. My current leather is black, so no issue.

I love the look, feel, and smell of leather, but I'd take a nice cloth interior any day.

 

[FordService]

Peter... Thanks so much for your research! I called Ford Customer Service and put a "claim" in with them. I did wear a new pair of jeans last week that hadn't been washed yet and I'm thinking that might've been the culprit...

RN2003AZ,

I love seeing the amazing community jumping in to help (thanks, guys!).

Here’s the “CLEANING LEATHER SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)” section from page 363 of the 2013MY Explorer Owner Guide 3rd Printing:

“• Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
• Clean spills and stains as quickly as possible.
• For routine cleaning, wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth. For more thorough cleaning, wipe the surface with a mild soap and water solution. In Canada, use Motorcraft Vinyl Cleaner . Dry the area with a soft cloth.
• If the leather cannot be completely cleaned using a mild soap and water solution, the leather may be cleaned using a commercially available leather cleaning product designed for automotive interiors.
• To check for compatibility, first test any cleaner or stain remover on an inconspicuous part of the leather.
• Do not use household cleaning products, alcohol solutions, solvents or cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics, or oil/petroleum-based leather conditioners. These products may cause premature wearing or damage to the leather.”

Go here for a free digital copy of your Owner Guide:

http://Owner.Ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/OwnerGuidePage

Bonus: The following is from the “How To Clean Your Vehicle” guide:

“Leather care

If your vehicle features leather upholstery, maintaining its beauty and protecting it from damage requires regular cleaning and conditioning. We recommend using Lexol-ph Leather Cleaner and Lexol Leather Conditioner at least once every six months.”

For more cleaning tips, here’s the link:

http://Owner.Ford.com/servlet/Conte...=Owner/Page/ArticleDetail&recid=1251387049432

Cory

 

[nnichols]

I had a stubborn spot this morning that VLR wasn't budging. I tried koda2000's suggestion of Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. It worked fantastically. I still followed up with VLR for protectant, but for really tough stuff I'm going the scrubbing bubbles route from now on.

Edit: I did a looked around at some detailing forums and there is some concern that the pH is way off... So this might be best kept for a last resort method. But as with any cleaning/detailing, start with the least harsh item and work your way up.

 

[koda2000]

I had a stubborn spot this morning that VLR wasn't budging. I tried koda2000's suggestion of Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. It worked fantastically. I still followed up with VLR for protectant, but for really tough stuff I'm going the scrubbing bubbles route from now on.

Edit: I did a looked around at some detailing forums and there is some concern that the pH is way off... So this might be best kept for a last resort method. But as with any cleaning/detailing, start with the least harsh item and work your way up.

i don't know about the ph, but i think as long as you follow it up with a good protectant. and only use this method sparingly, you won't do any harm. glad it worked for you. don't know if you watched their video, but theseatshop.com recommends it to get the rest of your interior to match a new panel.

 

[boominXplorer]

I figured I would chime in again since I work at a Ford dealership. I have seen people ruin the color in their seats by using the wrong cleaner. We use a knock off MR.Clean style eraser followed by a clean towel or microfiber and have almost a 100% success rate with jean stains. Just follow with a leather conditioner if you want to resist staining again. At the end of the day when you buy a truck with almost white seats you have to realize they are going to be almost impossible to keep clean but it can be done.

 

[MrsBabs]

My two month old 2013 is doing this. Can you please contact me? I was livid when I saw this today!

jumpervb & new to ford,

I have your contact info from before; drop me a line via PM with your current mileage, and I can forward the details to the Customer Service Manager for your area.


Have you considered showing this to your dealer, jcerrion?


I appreciate the shout-out, GWA1.

Cory

 

[peterk9]

My two month old 2013 is doing this. Can you please contact me? I was livid when I saw this today!

If you are talking about discolouration due to jeans, I doubt there is much that can be done. Usually this happens with some jeans that are fairly new. I wear jeans in my Ex with the light stone seats all the time and have never had a problem.
By the way, Cory no longer monitors the threads. The new rep is Crystal.

Peter

 

[FordService]

My two month old 2013 is doing this. Can you please contact me? I was livid when I saw this today!

Hi MrsBabs,

Send me a PM with your information (VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name) so I can look into some options for you. If you'd prefer, you can contact our Customer Relationship Center directly at 1-800-392-3673.

...By the way, Cory no longer monitors the threads. The new rep is Crystal.

Peter

Thanks for the intro, Peter!

Crystal

 

[davicon]

My buddy's BMW with white/lime (its actually his wifes) leather seats also have same issue with turning blue from denim. Im guessing newer jeans and light coloured seats would be the issue. And his wife only wears "higher end" jeans as well.

 

[GWA1]

Clothing, especially jeans, should be washed before wearing. Some dyes will rub/run and there is sizing in most fabrics. A pair of my wife's jeans actually has I warning label sewn in talking about dyes rubbing off.
Plus if you'd ever been in a garment factory you would always wash before wearing.

 

[MrsBabs]

All my jeans were washed and higher end. I took to the dealer and they buffed it out.

 

[RN2003AZ]

I've been having the same issue since I received my Ex 7 months ago. Through a suggestion on this board I've used a Mr. Clean magic eraser and it worked like a charm... Esp on the seams. I now have a towel on my seat when I know I have jeans on that may cause a problem. And yes I only wear high end dark jeans! Oh and Ford customer service did nothing... Neither did my dealer. The answer was it wasn't covered under a regular or extended warranty and the dealer said this is a common occurance with light leather. My previous vehicle had light grey leather and I never had an issue.

 

[Garrett Custom]

Anyone else having this issue

The light stone leather seats seam to not like blue jeans. My drivers seat is turning blue from getting in and out of it. I keep cleaning the seats with leather cleaner every week but it is getting little a old. Just seeing if anyone is experiencing this issue.

I've never had this issue before with light colored leather seats.

Thanks
Roger
2014 XLT Ruby Red

 

[13Sport]

I had this issue on my 2011 XLT w/ the light stone... Never found a way to stop it, when I ordered my Sport I made sure it didn't have the light seats because of the blue jean staining.

 

[roamingphantom]

What are your jeans brand?

Perhaps they are not the color fast jeans. I have black seats now but in my previous car (not explorer) i had cashmere leather and i typically wear CK or Gap Jeans and never had that problem with the driver's seat. I did have it on my passenger seat and immediately had covers made.

 

[AZmom]

I, too, have the issue. My jeans are White House Black Market and Eddie Bauer, and they are both guilty of it. Doesn't matter if dark or light jeans.

I am looking forward on ways to prevent it, as that is my preferred attire.

 

[Sgt1411]

Watch out for True Religion jeans, the buttons rip the seats.

I think we all just need to wear Costco "mom" stretch jeans LOL!

 

[pingbling23]

i dont think this is a jeans issue. my wifes seats do this and its on the side of the driver seat and it doesnt contact the pants.

 

[peterk9]

The light stone leather seats seam to not like blue jeans. My drivers seat is turning blue from getting in and out of it. I keep cleaning the seats with leather cleaner every week but it is getting little a old. Just seeing if anyone is experiencing this issue.

I've never had this issue before with light colored leather seats.

Thanks
Roger
2014 XLT Ruby Red

As mentioned in my PM, I have merged your thread with this existing one on the same issue. As some posts indicated, this can happen if the jeans are new and haven't been through the wash. After all the jeans are dyed to give them their colour. Fortunately I haven't experienced this.

Peter

 

[Garrett Custom]

As mentioned in my PM, I have merged your thread with this existing one on the same issue. As some posts indicated, this can happen if the jeans are new and haven't been through the wash. After all the jeans are dyed to give them their colour. Fortunately I haven't experienced this.

Peter

Thanks for merge of threads. My jeans are old I haven't bought a new pair in a few months. Not sure what can be done about this but I have an appointment on the 5th of March, for another issue, I'll see what Ford's (dealer I bought the explorer at) has to say about it. I would hate to think the amount of money we spent for this thing and I have to spend an hour scrubbing the seats every week. Doesn't add up for me at quality job one.

Roger