Steering wheel

Toyota should replace every one of those, happened to me, I was lucky to know service manager, he got Toyota to replace, Toyota doesn’t want to. Wheelskins would probably be the best choice. It’s actually pretty common, some got replaced, but not all.

 

<OFF-TOPIC> - but I'm wondering how Alcohol Hand Sanitiser affects synthetic steering wheels - but I think there have been some which were pre-COVID-19.

Steering wheels delaminating have been a problem well before PRIUS - I had MAZDA replace a 2½yr old one under warranty in the '90s.

I'm a pipe organist and pianist - Allen Organ Company sent a bulletin out early in COVID-19 "don't play the organ soon after using Hand Sanitiser" - apparently eats plastics.

 

Mine did that too. Got it replaced under warranty before I hit 36k

 

My 2022 prius xle steering wheel is flaking at 34400 miles and 10 months old. I've seen the posts about hand sanitizer and lotion The flaking is in an area we're I don't rest my hands. I've taken the car to the dealer and will be waiting for a reply.

 

Just curious (trying to figure it out possible causes for this) do you use the heated steering wheel option? I’m assuming you don’t park in hot sun in Alaska.

 

Toyota has a problem with SofTex steering wheels with this design, its a manufacturing error which they will never acknowledge, got mine replaced but it was a hassle, Toyota refuses to claim there is a problem. The problem that anyone can see is that they allowed whoever manufactured the wheels to use too thin of a layer of SofTex and bad glue, knowing this in the early models, real leather should be the ONLY product used for the steering wheel period.

Toyota knows there is a problem with the wheel because on the Lexus version of the Prius, they use Leather-trimmed steering wheel even though they use NuLuxe (SofTex) seats.

 

Hot sun in Alaska... hahah...but no I have a car port and work mostly evening shifts.
I did use the wheel warmer last winter but there is not heat tape in that location. My thought is the use of the right side thumb well is stretching the Softex further up, past that, it's just poor materials.

 

Softex seats are bad enough, now they have softex steering wheels. I would ask Toyota to cover it under a goodwill warranty, they should be able to afford such a cheap replacement, to keep a loyal customer happy.