Leather dye transfer question

C

carnage

New member
I did a warm damp cloth wipe down with water on a 2018 Dodge Durango leather seats. Less than a year owned.

The cloth was the same color as the seats. Is it normal for the dye to come off?

Will this eventually stop as the leather ages or a manufacturer defect?
 
I have cleaned a lot of leather and never had any color come off.. I have never heard of leather bleed off either.. It is never normal for the color to come off.. Perhaps the leather on the Durango you have was painted recently,, would want to know why.... Was it to change the color, or to repair damage, etc...
Dan F
 
carnage said:
It`s deep red/ maroon.

Does certain color leather bleed off more than other?
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I was asking to see what color you were seeing on the towel.

If you are indeed pulling the red color then perhaps the leather was repaired and/or re-dyed at some point.
 
The SUV was bought new with less than 5 miles. Unless something happens when someone took it on a test drive.

I`m going to try the rest of the seats to see if I get the red color on the cloth. I stop cleaning when I saw the color coming off, with the driver side seat.
 
Over the weekend I tried the rest of the seats. All had the color transfer to the microfiber cloth when I wipe the seats with a damp cloth, even the the 3rd row.

I`m going to call the dealership where the SUV was bought to see what they have to say.

Thanks everyone for the replies, been helpful.
 
That`s very odd just using a damp cloth. If it had a solvent on it I could understand or if you were using a magic eraser, lol.
 
You said the cloth is the same color as the seats, are you sure it’s dye transfer? It could just be a treatment they put on the leather that is changing the appearance of the cloth. I would try with a white cloth, that should show a lot better exactly what is coming off.
 
I ask the dealership about the leather color coming off. There reply was it`s normal. It will stop as the leather gets older.

From the rain we had the past 2 days. When are pants get wet the red leather dye will transfer onto are pants, jeans.
 
Better not wear anything that will pick up that leather dye. I don`t believe this is normal and would check his answer with corporate. They can`t expect you to sit on these seats and wind up with stained clothing. Take a damp towel to the dealership and wipe the seats on another vehicle with similar red leather and see if he is being honest.
 
carnage said:
I ask the dealership about the leather color coming off. There reply was it`s normal. It will stop as the leather gets older.

From the rain we had the past 2 days. When are pants get wet the red leather dye will transfer onto are pants, jeans.
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""There reply was it`s normal. It will stop as the leather gets older"". This is totally Unacceptable !

In the 60+ years, I have been around vehicles cleaning vehicles, etc., l I have NEVER seen this, and even then it would have never been acceptable..

Normally, some leathers will get stained usually by bluejeans, but never ever, the other way around.
.
I would take the vehicle back ..
Dan F
 
jfelbab said:
Better not wear anything that will pick up that leather dye. I don`t believe this is normal and would check his answer with corporate. They can`t expect you to sit on these seats and wind up with stained clothing. Take a damp towel to the dealership and wipe the seats on another vehicle with similar red leather and see if he is being honest.
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I was thinking the same thing. Calling corporate, see what they have to say.
 
Stokdgs said:
""There reply was it`s normal. It will stop as the leather gets older"". This is totally Unacceptable !

In the 60+ years, I have been around vehicles cleaning vehicles, etc., l I have NEVER seen this, and even then it would have never been acceptable..

Normally, some leathers will get stained usually by bluejeans, but never ever, the other way around.
.
I would take the vehicle back ..
Dan F
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There is blue jeans dye transfer on the leather. This is why I used a damp cloth to see what is coming off, dirt, blue jeans dye, etc. A white microfiber shows the red leather dye.

Doing laundry I would see the leather dye on pants. More so on rainy days.

How can I tell if there a treatment or something that was put on the leather? As DaveT435 mentioned.
 
carnage said:
There is blue jeans dye transfer on the leather. This is why I used a damp cloth to see what is coming off, dirt, blue jeans dye, etc. A white microfiber shows the red leather dye.

Doing laundry I would see the leather dye on pants. More so on rainy days.

How can I tell if there a treatment or something that was put on the leather? As DaveT435 mentioned.
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Carnage -
Think for a moment of all the numerous vehicles you sat in, your family sat in, all your neighbors, sat in, and how many times/people ever said, "Hey, I got out of my car, and all the leather seat color is on my pants!!! I am positive the number of people who ever said that to you, or what you have experienced in all these decades of life, is limited to probably just this vehicle..

This is because the leather used in all vehicles is dyed and coated by the people who actually acquire the leather, tan the hides, condition the leather, dye and coat the leather for the car manufacturers who specify the colors, and then the hides go to the people who cut them and possibly assemble the seats for the vehicles..

What you have in this vehicle is leather that was sprayed the color after the fact for whatever reason, and now the color is coming off, because it was not -Dyed- into the leather after the hide tanning, etc., process...

I bet if you go over to any lot that sells that vehicle and wipe it with a towel exactly as you did on this one, it will not be coming off on the towel..
If it indeed Does come off on the towel, this would to me, represent a huge mistake by the people who made and sold that vehicle and I can only imagine how many take-backs they are dealing with, and the people who took them to court over this..

Again, this i just me, and not even all the great people on just this site, I have Detailed and cleaned with leather cleaners made for leather only, used steam through a white towel, etc., hundreds of vehicles, and never, seen anything come off that white towel but brown, grime, dirt, etc., from the top of the leather surfaces, on the worst cases... Never any color..

Good luck with this..
Dan F
 
I called two different dealership, asked if it`s normal. One said, I need to make an appointment so they could do a water test. If failed they would have to replace the the leather.

The other one said he supposed it`s not normal but would have to take pictures, then send it to Dodge to see what they want to do.

I guess there replies are better than the dealership where the SUV was bought.
 
Stokdgs said:
Carnage -
Think for a moment of all the numerous vehicles you sat in, your family sat in, all your neighbors, sat in, and how many times/people ever said, "Hey, I got out of my car, and all the leather seat color is on my pants!!! I am positive the number of people who ever said that to you, or what you have experienced in all these decades of life, is limited to probably just this vehicle..

This is because the leather used in all vehicles is dyed and coated by the people who actually acquire the leather, tan the hides, condition the leather, dye and coat the leather for the car manufacturers who specify the colors, and then the hides go to the people who cut them and possibly assemble the seats for the vehicles..

What you have in this vehicle is leather that was sprayed the color after the fact for whatever reason, and now the color is coming off, because it was not -Dyed- into the leather after the hide tanning, etc., process...

I bet if you go over to any lot that sells that vehicle and wipe it with a towel exactly as you did on this one, it will not be coming off on the towel..
If it indeed Does come off on the towel, this would to me, represent a huge mistake by the people who made and sold that vehicle and I can only imagine how many take-backs they are dealing with, and the people who took them to court over this..

Again, this i just me, and not even all the great people on just this site, I have Detailed and cleaned with leather cleaners made for leather only, used steam through a white towel, etc., hundreds of vehicles, and never, seen anything come off that white towel but brown, grime, dirt, etc., from the top of the leather surfaces, on the worst cases... Never any color..

Good luck with this..
Dan F
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Awhile back I called this company (GST Auto Leather) the guy I spoke with gave me a lecture on leather, and how it was made to become auto leather. I was going to call again to see if someone was available to speak with.
 
carnage said:
I called two different dealership, asked if it`s normal. One said, I need to make an appointment so they could do a water test. If failed they would have to replace the the leather.

The other one said he supposed it`s not normal but would have to take pictures, then send it to Dodge to see what they want to do.

I guess there replies are better than the dealership where the SUV was bought.
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carnage --
The Dealership that said if it failed the water test, (and you know it does) they would replace the leather, is the one I would be working with, so you can get it all covered under warranty, no ???

It would appear that this Dealership has already gone through this issue, and is way ahead of the the other one that wants to"send it to Dodge to see what they want to do" ..

Dan F
 
Stokdgs said:
carnage --
The Dealership that said if it failed the water test, (and you know it does) they would replace the leather, is the one I would be working with, so you can get it all covered under warranty, no ???

It would appear that this Dealership has already gone through this issue, and is way ahead of the the other one that wants to"send it to Dodge to see what they want to do" ..

Dan F
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I made a appointment with the dealership that knew what I was talking about. The down side is, It`s going to be a month before they can look at it.

Thanks a lot for all of your help!
 
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