Leather on dash 'pulling'
Veteran Member
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From: Victoria, Canada
Leather is skin that has undergone a tanning process; leather needs to have conditioner on it regularly when it is exposed to the drying effects of sun and heat - that goes for the seats, door panels and especially for the dashboard. This is just common sense and common knowledge if you have any familiarity with automotive leather. There are many conditioners available but MANY have silicones in them - do NOT use them. "Good" brands: LEXOL, Leatherique, and there are others. The best in my opinion for modern Jaguar leather is Lexol. Use this regularly on the dashboard (according to directions) and on the seats to avoid shrinkage and cracking. Properly cared-for leather will last decades.
It is worth noting that only the XK cars with the "Premium" interior have the leather dashboard; the others have the vinyl which looks virtually identical except for the grain!
Gregory
It is worth noting that only the XK cars with the "Premium" interior have the leather dashboard; the others have the vinyl which looks virtually identical except for the grain!
Gregory
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From: Atlanta suburbs
Stuart
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From: London, UK
Cheers
M
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From: New Zealand
I believe that if you have perforated leather like the attached, you have the luxury interior. The seats will also be 16 way adjustable instead of the usual 10 (extra lumbar adjustment) so there is an extra switch on the seat adjustment panel.
Last edited by u102768; Feb 15, 2013 at 06:27 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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From: Los Angeles
The shrinking dashboard leather is not a Jaguar only problem, it has been a problem in Ferraris for years. My close friend's Maranello and Testarossa both had terrible "shrinkage," unbefitting of cars that cost twice as much as the Jaguars. These cars were well pampered, and contrary to some that believe that slathering globs of conditioner will prevent it from happening, I would tell you that this shrinkage occurs as a result of either a faulty adhesive (as has been suggested) or more likely as a result of a faulty tanning process of the hides used. If the leather has not been properly finished it can continue to shrink after it has been used on dashes, door panels, seats, etc. This represents a defective product as opposed to neglect by owners and should be covered by responsible manufacturers, especially when there have been so many reported instances.
I am not suggesting that you shouldn't condition the leather, because the objective of conditioning should be to keep the leather soft and pliable so that drying out and cracking doesn't take place. But, I have worked in the textile industry for over 40 years, and my experience would indicate a poor tanning process in the curing of the hides.
I am not suggesting that you shouldn't condition the leather, because the objective of conditioning should be to keep the leather soft and pliable so that drying out and cracking doesn't take place. But, I have worked in the textile industry for over 40 years, and my experience would indicate a poor tanning process in the curing of the hides.
Last edited by tberg; Feb 16, 2013 at 11:41 AM. Reason: left out a word
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Joined: Mar 2013
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From: Los Angeles
I totally agree that this is a terrible thing to have happen to a 95k dollar car, but I would much rather be dealing with sorting the interior than dealing with the potential engine explosion on a Porsche. Before getting my XKR, I was looking at a P 996/997/993 and each car had potential major mechanical issues. The 993 had an SAI issue that caused a check engine light that required a major top end rebuild to the tune or 9k. The 996 and 997 had the IMS bearing issue that would cause the engine to eat itself (cost of a new engine? 20k). You could get a retrofitted aftermarket bearing at the cost of 3k but that was seen as preventive work that would need to be done every 40 - 50k miles. So, you're basically out an extra 3k every 4 years on an auto and a few hundred extra every time you did a clutch job. BTW, this doesn't even cover the nasty Real Main Seal issues on the 996. Was a pity as I've always loved Pcars!
This is just a long way of saying, any car is going to have issues. I would much rather the issues I deal with effect comfort and can be easily repaired instead of driving around just waiting for my car to implode.
This is just a long way of saying, any car is going to have issues. I would much rather the issues I deal with effect comfort and can be easily repaired instead of driving around just waiting for my car to implode.
Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 82
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From: Lake George, NY
I looked at a 2007 XK Coupe in June 2013 and it had this problem. The Jaguar dealer removed the dash and had it recovered with leather. He said that he expects all Jags of this era to require repair sooner or later. He also said, when they recover the dash they do not trim the leather as close as the Jaguar Factory does, leaving extra material to accommodate some future shrinkage.
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Joined: Jun 2013
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From: us
warranty cancelled
Not to be the bearer of bad news but it appears from multiple threads that Jaguar North America will never do the right thing and cover items it has a warranty duty to cover...regardless of what is right or wrong. I had to get a lawyer to obtain service under a Jaguar Warranty..they just are so blatant in their total disregard for their customers. I would think that if enough people here get together and find a lawyer that will pursue a class action it would be in every bodies best interest. I have had the dash pulling as well. I have had other issues as well with Jaguar North America....they pulled my new car warranty because the car was damaged in an accident (not totaled...just damaged...so be aware). You need to know going in that Jaguar North America appears to operate very much in a predatory manner (judging by multiple threads here as well as other places) and you may literally have to get a lawyer if your dealer won't go to bat for you...sadly, dealers that go to bat for their customers are for some reason hard to find...or maybe Jaguar North America just squashes their ability to cover their customers...I don't know...just know this is a common thread and complaint with the Jaguar warranty coverage can be almost unusable in practice.
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Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Espana
I totally agree that this is a terrible thing to have happen to a 95k dollar car, but I would much rather be dealing with sorting the interior than dealing with the potential engine explosion on a Porsche. Before getting my XKR, I was looking at a P 996/997/993 and each car had potential major mechanical issues. The 993 had an SAI issue that caused a check engine light that required a major top end rebuild to the tune or 9k. The 996 and 997 had the IMS bearing issue that would cause the engine to eat itself (cost of a new engine? 20k). You could get a retrofitted aftermarket bearing at the cost of 3k but that was seen as preventive work that would need to be done every 40 - 50k miles. So, you're basically out an extra 3k every 4 years on an auto and a few hundred extra every time you did a clutch job. BTW, this doesn't even cover the nasty Real Main Seal issues on the 996. Was a pity as I've always loved Pcars!
This is just a long way of saying, any car is going to have issues. I would much rather the issues I deal with effect comfort and can be easily repaired instead of driving around just waiting for my car to implode.
This is just a long way of saying, any car is going to have issues. I would much rather the issues I deal with effect comfort and can be easily repaired instead of driving around just waiting for my car to implode.
I looked at a 2007 XK Coupe in June 2013 and it had this problem. The Jaguar dealer removed the dash and had it recovered with leather. He said that he expects all Jags of this era to require repair sooner or later. He also said, when they recover the dash they do not trim the leather as close as the Jaguar Factory does, leaving extra material to accommodate some future shrinkage.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 344
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From: NW Alabama
JNA won't do anything about this even though they recognize this as a problem. I had rounds with them about my door panels. I love this car. Just not the dealer and Jaguar Customer Service. When the time comes for the dash repair, if I still have it, I think I'll go the route of having it covered. I'm going to check into having these door panels recovered. I know where I'd like to shove the faulty material, but I'll be nice.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 112
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From: Qualicum Beach
Is there any color dash that is more common then another for this to happen to?
I have the camel interior on a 2008 and have seen no sign of this problem up to this point.
Any feedback would be appreciated
I have the camel interior on a 2008 and have seen no sign of this problem up to this point.
Any feedback would be appreciated
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From: Victoria, Canada
Yes, the black dash leather will indeed absorb more heat - but it is unnecessary for ANY of the dashes to have this problem: just use leather conditioner on them regularly and keep the dash covered when in the sun (either through the use of "sun shades" or an actual dash cover - these are available for the new XK. I use a black one on my Caramel dash not only to protect it from the sun but also to cut down on glare while driving in the sun.)
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 26
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From: So Cal
I can confirm that it is also a common problem with Ferrari. I had two instrument pods and one passenger side airbag cover where the leather shrunk and pulled back. The difference was Ferrari sent a flatbed truck to my home to pickup the car, made the repair and returned it fully detailed by flatbed.
That said, I now keep Leatherique on all of my leather and have had no further issues with any car since. One thing you will deal with when using conditioners to hydrate leathers is they will sometime "outgas" leaving a thin film on the inside of your windows which can be a PITA to clean off.
That said, I now keep Leatherique on all of my leather and have had no further issues with any car since. One thing you will deal with when using conditioners to hydrate leathers is they will sometime "outgas" leaving a thin film on the inside of your windows which can be a PITA to clean off.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,411
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From: Vero Beach, FL
A note about stretching/steaming:
It can be done—and is actually what Jaguar NA [reportedly] told my car's former owner's dealer (follow that?
), so I can confidently inform you that once the leather is stretched it looks like absolute trash.
Why? It has been explained to me that because the grain of the dash leather is so very fine—like the rest of the leather wrapped over every surface in the XK—that once it's pulled even slightly it looks like a wet paper bag of which has dried in the sun. And, it gets crispy!—at least mine did, but I think that may be due to the chemical stretching agent they applied. And, like several of you already mentioned, it doesn't much matter anyway—because no adhesive on this planet will hold that leather back from its continued journey to shrink and wither away before your very eyes... (over time, of course.)
The solution, as some of you may also know, has already been identified by Jaguar—and has been implemented on 2010+ XKs: a chemical bond (as before) supplemented by physical docking.
2010+ dash leather not only wraps a full inch around the leading edge near the windshield, but it's also anchored to the plastic frame by numerous tacks and/or staples; in addition to the special hide-to-plastic adhesive (resists heat-induced enzymatic breakdown).
In my [humble] opinion there are generally three ways to handle shrinking leather on an XK / XKR dash:
(in ascending order of out-of-pocket expense)
Cheers!
-e
*my initial method
**my current method (With contrast stitching! Pics to come shortly...)
It can be done—and is actually what Jaguar NA [reportedly] told my car's former owner's dealer (follow that?
), so I can confidently inform you that once the leather is stretched it looks like absolute trash. Why? It has been explained to me that because the grain of the dash leather is so very fine—like the rest of the leather wrapped over every surface in the XK—that once it's pulled even slightly it looks like a wet paper bag of which has dried in the sun. And, it gets crispy!—at least mine did, but I think that may be due to the chemical stretching agent they applied. And, like several of you already mentioned, it doesn't much matter anyway—because no adhesive on this planet will hold that leather back from its continued journey to shrink and wither away before your very eyes... (over time, of course.)
The solution, as some of you may also know, has already been identified by Jaguar—and has been implemented on 2010+ XKs: a chemical bond (as before) supplemented by physical docking.
2010+ dash leather not only wraps a full inch around the leading edge near the windshield, but it's also anchored to the plastic frame by numerous tacks and/or staples; in addition to the special hide-to-plastic adhesive (resists heat-induced enzymatic breakdown).
In my [humble] opinion there are generally three ways to handle shrinking leather on an XK / XKR dash:
(in ascending order of out-of-pocket expense)
1) loads of scotch and a handkerchief to cry into*
2) commissioning the assembly of a custom dash by a skilled trimmer (upholsterer)**
3) having your dealer install an OE replacement
If any of you are interested in pictures of a stretched dash, let me know and I'll embarrass myself right here in this very thread. 2) commissioning the assembly of a custom dash by a skilled trimmer (upholsterer)**
3) having your dealer install an OE replacement
Cheers!
-e
*my initial method
**my current method (With contrast stitching! Pics to come shortly...)
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 112
Likes: 22
From: Qualicum Beach
A note about stretching/steaming:
It can be done—and is actually what Jaguar NA [reportedly] told my car's former owner's dealer (follow that?), so I can confidently inform you that once the leather is stretched it looks like absolute trash.
Why? It has been explained to me that because the grain of the dash leather is so very fine—like the rest of the leather wrapped over every surface in the XK—that once it's pulled even slightly it looks like a wet paper bag of which has dried in the sun. And, it gets crispy!—at least mine did, but I think that may be due to the chemical stretching agent they applied. And, like several of you already mentioned, it doesn't much matter anyway—because no adhesive on this planet will hold that leather back from its continued journey to shrink and wither away before your very eyes... (over time, of course.)
The solution, as some of you may also know, has already been identified by Jaguar—and has been implemented on 2010+ XKs: a chemical bond (as before) supplemented by physical docking.
2010+ dash leather not only wraps a full inch around the leading edge near the windshield, but it's also anchored to the plastic frame by numerous tacks and/or staples; in addition to the special hide-to-plastic adhesive (resists heat-induced enzymatic breakdown).
In my [humble] opinion there are generally three ways to handle shrinking leather on an XK / XKR dash:
(in ascending order of out-of-pocket expense)
Cheers!
-e
*my initial method
**my current method (With contrast stitching! Pics to come shortly...)
It can be done—and is actually what Jaguar NA [reportedly] told my car's former owner's dealer (follow that?
), so I can confidently inform you that once the leather is stretched it looks like absolute trash. Why? It has been explained to me that because the grain of the dash leather is so very fine—like the rest of the leather wrapped over every surface in the XK—that once it's pulled even slightly it looks like a wet paper bag of which has dried in the sun. And, it gets crispy!—at least mine did, but I think that may be due to the chemical stretching agent they applied. And, like several of you already mentioned, it doesn't much matter anyway—because no adhesive on this planet will hold that leather back from its continued journey to shrink and wither away before your very eyes... (over time, of course.)
The solution, as some of you may also know, has already been identified by Jaguar—and has been implemented on 2010+ XKs: a chemical bond (as before) supplemented by physical docking.
2010+ dash leather not only wraps a full inch around the leading edge near the windshield, but it's also anchored to the plastic frame by numerous tacks and/or staples; in addition to the special hide-to-plastic adhesive (resists heat-induced enzymatic breakdown).
In my [humble] opinion there are generally three ways to handle shrinking leather on an XK / XKR dash:
(in ascending order of out-of-pocket expense)
1) loads of scotch and a handkerchief to cry into*
2) commissioning the assembly of a custom dash by a skilled trimmer (upholsterer)**
3) having your dealer install an OE replacement
If any of you are interested in pictures of a stretched dash, let me know and I'll embarrass myself right here in this very thread. 2) commissioning the assembly of a custom dash by a skilled trimmer (upholsterer)**
3) having your dealer install an OE replacement
Cheers!
-e
*my initial method
**my current method (With contrast stitching! Pics to come shortly...)