tangierc

Folks, the red leather in my driver seat is tearing beneath me and I want to get it fixed or get it replaced. I could use some repair recommendations or locations in Los Angeles, CA. Is it just better to just replace the seat if I can find a matching color somewhere?

AJLex19

I wouldn't go as far as getting a new seat - i'd first reach out to hear how much the dealer wants to charge for the repair. If it's absolutely outrageous, then go to local spots...the dealer outsources leather repair to local shops that special in that type of repair. My local dealer actually has a leather repair specialist come in to make repairs on customer cars at the dealerships as needed.

tangierc

Thanks for the suggestion. I've never had to have a leather seat repaired so I need to research what's a reasonable price.

ItzFilyO

Yeah, that and a glass installer and PDR.

GrandSedanFan

iTrader: (1)

There is no need to replace the entire seat unless you are changing to a different type of seat or a replacement seat is cheaper than a specific repair. Seats consist of the frame, the motors, the cushions, and the cover (leather or cloth).

Your leather damage is a simple fix, either with a repair paste+dye, replacement of the damaged panel, or full replacement of the cover. I have replaced a seat bottom cover on my wife's Legacy with the OEM part, which cost about 90 dollars, along with a set of hog ring pliers and hog rings from Amazon. An upholstery or body shop can do this very quickly.

tangierc

Maybe a full cover of the seat would be the way to go. I'll post a pic of how bad it is when my wife gets back with the car. It's a 2013 GS F-Sport with red interior.

tangierc

Here's an image of the seat.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

How many miles on that GS?

That's also a result of dry Leather no treatments. There's thoughts that certain Leathers don't need treatment just cleaning, but thats far from the truth.

GrandSedanFan

iTrader: (1)

It appears that the foam is also torn. When you have the seat apart, you may want to also replace the foam and check the wiring for the seat ventilation fans. May be best to have a shop do this. Seat back covers are more difficult than seat bottoms to remove and replace.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

Personally if me I would be looking for some used seats on ebay. I have seen them from $300 - $500.

tangierc

The vehicle has somewhere around 111K miles.

peasodos

iTrader: (1)

Geez man what did you do to that poor seat. I'm at 119k miles and just have minor wear on the side bolster by the door. It looks to me the seat was cleaned with something strong that dissolved the protective layer started damaging the leather. That leather is basically disintegrating.

I found a used one on ebay in much better shape, but they are asking stupid money for it.

Check car-parts.com to search all the junkyards. Search for other f-sport parts and look at the pics, sometimes they don't have the seats listed for sale yet. Also search for seats too.

I would also defiantly show this to a leather/upholstry repair shop and get a quote. Compare that to the used seats you find and decide what to do.

tangierc

I bought the car from a family member some years ago and the seat was already in poor condition, but the center where the tear is just started a few months ago. I was thinking of looking into car parts. I did the same for a previous car I had and found everything I needed.

Gr8

Oh god... that picture hurts... perhaps the previous owner kept the car outdoors, in the direct Cali sun/heat?!? Regardless, it is a bit unusual for a leather seat with that low miles to tear this way. I would also try google and see if it gives you some local leather seat repair/installers. In my previous Acura, I did something stupid and ended up having the back of my back seat torn with a pinky-nail sized tear. I searched on google and found this shop with stellar reviews on google and on Yelp. Took my car to them and they did the repair in an hour or so. Then again, mine wasn't too bad, yours might end up needing something of a more detailed repair.

Niralsp88

I'm in a similar situation with a scuff in my driver's seat, been hunting for a good repair cost but haven't had any luck so far. Check out post 29 from this thread - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...ed-trim-2.html - I was able to find a material that is an exact match for rioja red for relatively cheap if you wanted to go the new upholstery route.