[pbplayer257]

The top layer of my steering wheel on one side is deteriorating. Has this happened to anyone else? I have a 2016 coupe with 20k miles on the clock. I feel like this shouldn’t be happening this soon. I tried saddle soap and clear shoe polish. Both only softened the leather a bit but did nothing to help the look of the deterioration. Any suggestions?

 

[seldomseen]

I'm not experiencing anything like this on my '17 coupe. I've also never noticed this sort of issue on any used 16/17 Accords either. Do you grip your steering wheel unusually tight when you drive?

 

[emeron]

2014 with 51K miles, no issues. I use leather cleaner/conditioner about once a year. I take care to make sure my hands are clean, wipe the sweat off before laying my paws on the leather. The material is actually soft. It gets scratched easily if it comes in contact with sharp accessories, but no peeling. I would not be surprised if later models are sourced through cheaper vendors.

 

[pbplayer257]

I didn’t have any problems until a few months ago when my friend drove my car, and his sweaty hands were taking the coating off the of steering wheel. His hand were black from holding the wheel. Idk what could have caused this but it doesn’t look or feel great. I still blame him entirely. Maybe I can lightly sand down the edges with a magic eraser or something like that to try and blend it. It’s pretty irritating but I’ll learn to live with it I guesse

 

[BLCKFLSH]

I doubt it will get better, only worse. I suggest looking for a cover/wrap. The leather on my 7th gen steering wheel was deteriorating, but it took 10 years. As was said before, make sure your hands are clean and not sweaty. I know that is hard to do when it's really hot in the car.

 

[pbplayer257]

LoL ya, my hands get a bit greasy and dirty from my job so that probably contributed to the deterioration. Oh well. Hazards of the job I suppose.

 

[GolftangoV2]

No, my wheel still looks new.

It's under warranty, bring her in.

I also wipe down my entire interior every few days, including the wheel, with this.

 

[siscorskiy]

That is NOT normal for 20k miles. Are you sure it's actually deteriorating and that isn't just some weird deposit from dirty hands? Try using a soft detailing brush with diluted APC and gently rubbing it to see if it comes out.

If that fails the only thing you can do to stop that is coat it with a protectant i.e. 303 Aerospace

Also... I'm not convinced that the steering wheel is really leather, it feels like some kind of synthetic material so saddle soap may have done nothing for you

 

[pbplayer257]

No, my wheel still looks new.

It's under warranty, bring her in.

I also wipe down my entire interior every few days, including the wheel, with this.

LOL every few days? That’s nuts man haha. My warranty is no more so I’ll either have to replace it or deal with it. I’m gonna just deal because it’s not worth it to replace the whole thing. It gives it character! Haha

 

[paterico]

Even if it’s under warranty it may not be covered. Give it a shot though. Otherwise, I’d get the most plain looking black steering wheel cover to prevent any more damage and just take it off if/when you sell the car.

 

[GolftangoV2]

Okay, so no more warranty, gotcha.

Just cruise eBay and get a used leather wheel. It’s easy to swap out wheels. Disconnect battery, unbolt airbag and release clips, unbolt wheel, unplug clock spring and install in reverse.

Aftermarket wheel covers are gaudy IMHO.

 

[ssjgoku69]

I used an aftermarket wheel cover on mine. Maybe you can try this. The wheel cover can be bought on ebay for like $45, but you have to stich it up yourself

 

[pbplayer257]

I’m disappointed in Honda for the longevity of this steering wheel. I can see it beginning to deteriorate in other spots as well. Maybe it’s just my hands lol. I would probably only replace it if I was going to sell the car and it got a lot worse. But it’s a good car and I like it and will probably keep it for a bit. I do like the new accords with the type r motor though...?

 

[rexgo]

my '15 is fine - just keep it clean. I recall - leather goes bad from the oils in your skin, and then them decaying.

I've had good luck with these aftermarket wheel covers on my old Supra: https://wheelskins.com/original

here's the one I had:

 

[pbplayer257]

I had a wheelskin on my 05 accord, they are really nice feeling. I just wish they made them so they fit over all of the factory wheel, and not just the outer edge

 

[crspangenberg]

The top layer of my steering wheel on one side is deteriorating. Has this happened to anyone else? I have a 2016 coupe with 20k miles on the clock. I feel like this shouldn’t be happening this soon. I tried saddle soap and clear shoe polish. Both only softened the leather a bit but did nothing to help the look of the deterioration. Any suggestions?

I have this issue on my 13 accord. Worse then what you have though. I tend to drive with one hand and use my palm when turning my wheel lock to lock at the top of the steering wheel.

 

[jackpine]

Back when I owned an F-150 King Ranch, I was warned not to use saddle soap on the leather in it. The leather on the steering wheel had turned black, and I cleaned it using what was known as the "spa technique", which was very hot water on a towel, that you could gently rub to get the oils out. It cleaned the wheel, but left it dry-looking and rough. I then applied Tandy's Satin Sheen (an acrylic product) that restored the finish and protected it from then on.

- Jack

 

[DARKART]

I have this issue on my 13 accord. Worse then what you have though. I tend to drive with one hand and use my palm when turning my wheel lock to lock at the top of the steering wheel.

Then stop driving that way.

 

[pbplayer257]

So it looks like this steering wheel is rubber with just a very very thin layer on leather over it. check the pic. I think I’m gonna just peel the leather away on this one section of the wheel

 

[pbplayer257]

Idk why that pic came out blurry, it’s not on my phone, but I’ve decided to get a cover instead of replacing the wheel itself, because I don’t want it to happen again