Beware

[drinkJava]

Does anyone have any issues with head rests peeling off?

If not yet, please be careful wiping them.
They don't have an inch of a real leather, just cheap fake bondo

Funny enough, I paid for Luxury trim with what supposed to have 'Premium Nappa Leather'
While I understand that some of the interior parts can be made of fake leather, to save on us, this is the surface that deals with human hair, which should certainly withstand various hair products and basic cleaning.

The car is only 15 month old, and Hyundai refused to replace, it saying that the warranty is only 1 year for their leather.

I think it might be a legal case, since customers not getting what they paid for.
Certainly to keep in mind.

Again, it was another experience communicating with Hyundai on the issue... Those folks are the worst.
Very disappointed now..

 

[dougmcp]

With the exception of cars like Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti, Ferrari etc, vehicles do not have all leather interiors.
Most manufacturers use the term "leather seating surfaces" when they indicate a leather package and most sales brochures spell this out.
Seat sides, door panels, armrests and headrests are usually high grade vinyl.
Kinda curious as to what hair products and cleaning materials you may be referring to that would eat vinyl headrests.
A copy of the 2017 G80 brochure is located here for reference: http://clients.dealeronlinemarketing.com/Car-Research/Hyundai/2017/Brochure/2017-Genesis-G80.pdf

 

[damtachoa]

This is my first time seeing this. So the nappa leather is a joke?

 

[Aquineas]

Honestly this is the first time I've heard of this. I do know that even with leather the surfaces have to be dyed. Having said that, I would take it to a local upholstery repair company to see what they tell you.

 

[Mark_888]

... this is the surface that deals with human hair, which should certainly withstand various hair products and basic cleaning.

Can you elaborate on what hair products the driver was using? Also, what cleaners did you use on the headrest?

 

[Nikgen]

Again, it was another experience communicating with Hyundai on the issue... Those folks are the worst.

I fully agree - that is my experience over the last 4 months as well!

 

[Ragnar]

Actually from our own experience :
This exact thing happened to my wife and I after purchasing a real leather sofa from a reputable furniture store had the same thing happen.
We were told that this is common on real leather,this after less than 6 mos.seems your natural hair oils and or hair products will dissolve the dye in the leather.
Good thing is it can be re-dyed.
Don’t think I didn’t throw a fit after putting out 4 grand for real leather.
We have a 2016 Genesis Ultimate and have seen no sign of this problem but will definitely be keeping a sharp eye on our interior surfaces.

 

[1FstYota]

 

[drinkJava]

Nothing special, just a little bit of gel and holding paste occasionally. And I don't think the products are the cause.
Just a general quality of this piece. I used a tiny drop of hand soap on wet microfiber cloth
I was rubbing it gently and started seeing the lighter area where I rubbed. That's why I continued going prior to realizing that it's the bondo coming off along with the tad of grease
Something to keep in mind, especially with Hyundai attitude.

- - - Updated - - -

This is my first time seeing this. So the nappa leather is a joke?

Those marketing folks could soon tell that it's made of genuine crocodile and you would find a tiny croc swag somewhere on a shift knob along with the 10-pages fine print in the manual. You get my point...

- - - Updated - - -

Actually from our own experience :
This exact thing happened to my wife and I after purchasing a real leather sofa from a reputable furniture store had the same thing happen.
We were told that this is common on real leather,this after less than 6 mos.seems your natural hair oils and or hair products will dissolve the dye in the leather.
Good thing is it can be re-dyed.
Don’t think I didn’t throw a fit after putting out 4 grand for real leather.
We have a 2016 Genesis Ultimate and have seen no sign of this problem but will definitely be keeping a sharp eye on our interior surfaces.

Yes, certainly to keep in mind. Maybe they addressed it already on '16th, mine is 15
I wouldn't mind even vinyl there, as far as it works and lasts much longer than 15 months...

But the biggest thing was the experience with them.

I had a completely different story with Audi before. They had a configuration tool on the website which customer used to configure the vehicle. Each config get's it's own code that uniquely represents selected features. It also has all the features listed and some nice pictures. When I got the vehicle the pictures didn't match what I got. I haven't specified the cargo package, but it was on pictures of my config. (that's actually was the reason I haven't selected it thinking that it's there) When I called Audi, it was a very polite and resourceful conversation. They explained that it should be a separate package, but acknowledged their mistake with the photos, apologized and sent me the missing parts. Same happened with the tires.
It's just because THEY CARE about customers.

 

[EdP]

I'm glad it is not real leather. I have a leather recliner and had to replace the headrest because it did not hold up to head oils and I guess perspiration. Vinyl will last longer under the same circumstances.

My car is two years old and the headrests look like new. I just cleaned the upholstery yesterday and saw no signs of deterioration. Of course, what little hair I have is very short and I don't use any chemicals on it, just pure natural beauty.

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[jsmit86]

Remember - head restraints are not really head rests. Generally speaking, your head should not be resting against it in a normal seating position.

 

[TroyK]

my headrests look absolutely pristine after 2.5 years!

 

[greekgeek]

Mine are definitely leather in the Ultimate trim, no issues after 3 years.

 

[John F. Tamburo]

my headrests look absolutely pristine after 2.5 years!

This is my experience as well. The leather is astoundingly pristine in my 2015 Tech sedan!

To the Original poster: I have the same color leather as you do. Did you contact Hyundai Customer service? Did your dealer? Did you file a complaint with the BBB at www.bbb.org? My experience with Hyundai is that its customer service is very attentive, and especially so with Genesis. What year and model and trim is your car?

Thanks
John.

 

[Audio]

Can you stop using the word "bondo" in place of dye or coating. It's not a word, it's a name brand of auto body filler. As noted above, EVERY surface in your HYUNDAI(not Bently, not an S-class, not a Rolls Royce) can not be feasibly covered in high quality leather. Like it or not, it's a cheap alternative, not an equal vehicle for a lower price. Also as noted above, the head rest(short for "restraint", not "rest your head here while driving"), shouldn't has your head pressed against it unless something less than desirable is happening(getting into an accident etc).

All and all, while I find this crappy that they're not working with you on the quality of their dye/materials being sub-par, I also think this has a lot to do with misuse of the headrest where you're pressing your head, hair products and all, against it for a prolonged period of time where it's not designed for that at all.

 

[eciplus]

I have the EXACT same issue with BOTH of my front headrest (2015 Tech Package, black interior). Hyundai will not change them, state they are our of warranty. They will charge 150$ each to replace.

I'm now on the hunt for a pair of black units on eBay, I say some grey ones at 65$ each. Much better price than dealer.

It's a shame that the material is so cheap. Seats and back seats are still in pristine condition.

 

[batmanmiami1]

Perhaps the OP was just being facetious with the use of the word "Bondo". Now had he said he used a lot of elbow grease to remove the stains, then I would have issues. As we all know there is no grease in the elbows.