My wife's 2019 steering wheel fake leather is peeling. I took it to Toyota a few months after the warranty expired and obviously they said sorry, the warranty expired. I found a local guy that can reupholster the steering wheel for $180 but I have to take him the steering wheel. I am very mechanically inclined but would prefer any guidance from anyone that has removed the steering wheel. My main concern is airbag and was wondering if there is a way to disable COMPLETE power to avoid an air bag deployment.
Mine has been peeling too and so far I've just left it, but someone, I think in the forums here, mentioned this, which is the route I'll take at some point: One Color Leather Steering Wheel Cover Manufacturer.
If it's like a 2004 Prius, I believe all you need to do is disconnect the 12v battery and let the car sit for 30-60 seconds. I generally waited a bit longer than that, plus the takes some time to get the steering wheel apart, etc. Of course the best way to know for sure is to check the repair manual. Shawn [Edit: And of course, never place the steering wheel on anything with the airbag pointing down.]
You generally remove the airbag from the wheel for access to the wheel-to-column nut (which, of course, you do after the right waiting time for power to drop). So that last bit simplifies to, don't set the airbag anywhere with the bag side down and the metal side up. (Likewise, don't set it against a wall with the bag to the wall, etc.)
