So far I've seen two in San Diego. One of them I happened to drive next to on the freeway and it was the same color as mine. It also looked like it was being driven by an older gentleman.
That area hardly gets touched unless you like placing object on top of it for some reason. No wear or tear to report.
Mine had the titanium knob installed by my dealer and I did have to apply considerable force to loosen it but luckily it wasn't as difficult as your experience 😬