What the heck is this?!

[Ford Motor Company]

As the title says… “What the heck is this?!”

I got in my truck today and it looks like the plastic on the steering wheel (just the center piece) in my Mav aged 15 years overnight! To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine. Additionally, before anyone asks or suspects it, I’ve never applied any cleaner, protective treatment, or any other product or chemical to this plastic.

Anyone have any ideas?

Hi there, I'd be happy to look into your Maverick concerns on my end. Will you send us a message with your VIN and dealership info? I can look into things on my end.

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[skyhawk]

Looks somewhat like mold release from the mfg. process.

I was thinking something along those lines as well

 

[jsus]

To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine.

Everyone here understands this part of OP's post, right? This isn't a brand new truck. It's a year old.

As for me, I'd start with a damp microfiber just to see if it wipes off at all..

 

[GPSMan]

Stuff, VAPORS OR SMOKE elsewhere could have done this. Hell, steam from hot french fries.

Does not have to be directly applied.

Is it in an agriculture area by chance?

This happened to mother-in-laws truck when planes flew at night spraying. They had orchards on two sides.

 

[Maverickman74]

Everyone here understands this part of OP's post, right? This isn't a brand new truck. It's a year old.

As for me, I'd start with a damp microfiber just to see if it wipes off at all..

Ohhhhh duh. It's Armor all then.

 

[Hkak45]

My bronco vinyl floors looks like this after it was a year old. Ford told me it's from the oils releasing from heat supposedly. May be the same thing with yours but now my broncos 2 years old and it still looks the same

 

[fossil]

providing it's true that this an unmolested part is it possible it's left over release agent from the molding process aging?

 

[James Garner]

Take a dark cloth and dampen it just a bit and gently wipe over the plastic surface. Check the cloth to see if anything came off on the cloth.

 

[ReadyMav]

Noticed the same thing with my truck the other week….mine is about 1.5 years old. I wiped it down with Mequiers interior cleaner and looks new now. Only thing I can think of is I recently had the air bag recall done. Thought that was only curtain air bags but maybe steering wheel as well?

 

[Montana]

Try some 303 to revive it.

These recycled polymers get the wrong stuff on them and they do not hold up very long. I don't see any other way this could happen in such a short time, but I wouldn't rule anything out with these recycled polymer blends. They are not made to last, they are made to be cheap.

For anyone reading with concerns of cleaners - 303 on a damp rag or just a damp rag by itself and then a dry microfiber after your initial coating to remove excess. Distilled water to avoid streaking on shiny parts and glass. Keep it simple.

 

[jsus]

Noticed the same thing with my truck the other week….mine is about 1.5 years old. I wiped it down with Mequiers interior cleaner and looks new now. Only thing I can think of is I recently had the air bag recall done. Thought that was only curtain air bags but maybe steering wheel as well?

It's "only" the side curtain air bags, steering wheel is not included in the recall. That said, the recall does involve removing some interior panels and the headliner so things could get dirty/dusty in the process.

 

[Deleted member 14823]

My bronco vinyl floors looks like this after it was a year old. Ford told me it's from the oils releasing from heat supposedly. May be the same thing with yours but now my broncos 2 years old and it still looks the same

Oh, that might explain it for mine. It hit 98 degrees on Saturday and Sunday where I live.

 

[clos0791]

As the title says… “What the heck is this?!”

I got in my truck today and it looks like the plastic on the steering wheel (just the center piece) in my Mav aged 15 years overnight! To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine. Additionally, before anyone asks or suspects it, I’ve never applied any cleaner, protective treatment, or any other product or chemical to this plastic.

Anyone have any ideas?

Its kind of like what happens to leather called fatty spue. A white mold substance. Has to do with moisture/temperature and how the plastic was manufactured and stored before installed on the truck. That white subtance seeps through the plastic.

 

[Pastor_Zatx]

Thank you all for the replies. Some of you have good reading comprehension, others I fear have been failed by our public school education.

As originally stated, the truck is over a year old and it never had anything applied to the steering wheel. Heck, I don’t even touch the airbag cover with my hands. They are on the wheel of the steering wheel in order to steer! I’m going to go with your suggestions that it is a substance created by the manufacturing process that was then affected by heat, light, temperature and humidity. Interestingly this discoloration was on the backside of the cover as well which rules out transfer from my hands or a chemical applied without my knowledge. Furthermore, this supports the manufacturing theory

I also took other’s advice and cleaned it with soap and a damp cloth.

It cleaned right up.

 

[Tailender]

nice. Glad it cleaned up for you.

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