I have just noticed that the so-called leather that is covering my seat is falling apart. They are all cracked up and they are pilling out like shedding skin. I can see the cloth under the black covering. I have the car baked under the sun for 4 years with 120+k miles.

So, I think I am ok for the cheap leather to all cracking up. But it is too much for me to see the black thingy pilling out!

Do you guy how much they will charge for replacing the upholster?

hmm... or... should I just buy a seat cover and just cover the seat and be done with it?

Thanks!

 

You can try looking at custom places that do leather for a cars interior. I know my friend was looking into a civic 07 and wanted leather seats but it wasn't an option yet, so the dealer pointed him to this place that did the whole car for 600.

 

Well, you did say you have the car baking in the sun for 4 years and it has 120K miles worth of wear, so I don't see how you can be criticizing the leather. I'd hate to see what the paint on your car looks like.

 

The sides and back are not real leather. Many Mercs and BMWs stay in the sun for 4 years but don't have this problem because they use real leather. If you are re-upholstering it at your own cost, do it outside at a leather retrimmer so that they use REAL leather and you won't get the same problem in another 4 years time.

 

if you were to let the real leather stay out in the sun for 4 years without proper care if will dry and crack. we owned a mercedes that unfortunately did that-now we condition the covers.

 

Will the quality/color of the fabric has anything to do with it? One of my friends has a 01 Accord EX loaded with very nice light brown/yellow leather. She also doesn't park the car inside. Her seat looks brand new. When I try to feel the leather with my hand, the leather is clearly thicker than the one in my car.

P.S. What is a leather retrimmer? Is it one of those Upholster body shop?

 

Is it just the drivers' seat? I'd be surprised if an upholsterer could match the one seat to the rest of the interior. Maybe if you had both of the buckets redone so they'd look the same. How's the rest of the interior, like the rear parcel shelf and the headliner (like along the A pillars)? That's exposed to the sun too. If the whole interior is faded and/or starting to look less than nice, then maybe you should cut your losses and just do the seat cover thing.

 

Whatever you do, and for anyone else worried about this... make sure you condition the leather and the pleather frequently with a high quality conditioner. I use Lexol cleaner and conditioner (2-step) and it's very good stuff. It'll keep the leather and the pleather soft and help prevent it from drying out, which is what UV rays from the sun will normally do to it. I'd recommend once a month during the bright summer months, and at least once every 2 months in the darker winter months for those of us in snowy areas.

Tinted windows also help reject more UV than the OEM "UV rejecting glass" does as well... it's added protection.

As for your specific problem, OP, I'd visit a few places that do re-upholstering and see what they think and get some quotes. Take a look, if possible, at cars they've done to see if you are happy with their workmanship. Then make a decision from there.

 

Another link would be asking a couple of dealers who they use ... as it will be an economical place. Around here, a Toyota dealer uses a shop in Charlotte, which -- I was told -- could do a Sienna minivan (6ix seats) for < $1000.

I'm even tempted to do my car in a few years. At 40,000 miles, the outside bottom cushion area is creasing from wear ... and I really dislike how Meguiar's leather wipes impact on the vinyl parts. I thought I was getting leather, and a fair amount of it, not "leather-like."