Car seat leather cracking...fixable?

I plan on keeping my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee as long as possible. I've been making some small cosmetic fixes here and there. One thing I'm not sure about is the cracking leather seats. Feels more like the fake leather to me. I don't know how to fix this and the guy at the auto fabrication shop seemed to blow me off when I asked about it; didn't even offer to come out in the lot to take a look.

Any way to fix this? It doesn't have to be perfect, just one step better than duct tape would be OK

And NO SEAT COVERS...I hate those.

Only the center portion of the seats is real leather. Funny how they charge us for "leather" interior. The part that is cracking is vinyl. So you can use a vinyl repair kit to fix it. It may look a bit goofy. If you call around to a few dealerships in your area, any Brand, they may have a person who goes around and fixes these things on their used cars. Its not going to be perfect, but it can look OK.

Not sure your budget, but check out this link. They are the company I have used several times. They have a great product and with some tools and weekend you can probably do it yourself. If not, get a shop to do it for you. With Katzkin kits your options are endless!

http://katzkin.com/

I second the Katzkin (http://katzkin.com/interior-selector) recommendation. They are not seat covers -- they are exact replacements of your factory seat coverings. (i.e. you remove the old "leather" upholstery and replace it with theirs.)

I've gotten many, many compliments on the ones I installed in my truck and I did it myself. Ordered the factory base seats (vinyl) and replaced these as soon as I got the truck from the dealer...took about 3-4 hours from removing the seats to installing them back into the truck. I found it easier to remove the seats and work on them outside the vehicle...and I'd already done the same job on a similar truck, so the second time went a bit faster, but it's nothing that someone that is moderately mechanically inclined can't handle...

They're a bit pricy, but they are VERY well made and wear very well.

Thanks those look great but I can't afford $2000 If I invested that much you know I would probably wreck the thing the next day.

I found a local upholstery shop who quoted me $200 to remove and replace the "leather" on my driver side seat cushion (2005 Yukon), materials included.

You might call around and see what a local upholstery shop says.

cland72, that 05 Yukon side piece should actually be real leather.
In Texas, it does fade & wear quickly. UV rays from Drivers side window & windshield don't help things out. Tint windows and using a quality sunshade like Heatshield make a world of difference on your leather. I also recommend Griots leather care products. If you use all of these tips you maximize the life of your leather interior.

Also FYI: there are different ways they color leather. Some use a spray dye GM, and others use Vat dye like Katzkins. If the color is on the the top only its spray, if its through and through its vat.

Str8stroke said:

In Texas, it does fade & wear quickly. UV rays from Drivers side window & windshield don't help things out.

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I've learned through various sources that UV is blocked by auto glass, including windshield and side windows. I specifically looked into this when I got some glasses that automatically tint from exposure to UV and they didn't change while in my truck...much to my consternation. I did some research and found UV is blocked by the glass. Great for skin health...not so great for auto tinting glasses.

I had a similar problem with both front seats. The first one I took to an upholstery shop and the technician replaced the panel with new material. He did a great job for $125.00. The other seat.... I went to a junkyard and pulled the factory seat covers off a junked car. Paid $20.00 and came home and installed the whole thing in less than an hour... Both seats look like they came with the car.... Both seats have held up quite well for several years....

Jumpmaster said:

I've learned through various sources that UV is blocked by auto glass, including windshield and side windows. I specifically looked into this when I got some glasses that automatically tint from exposure to UV and they didn't change while in my truck...much to my consternation. I did some research and found UV is blocked by the glass. Great for skin health...not so great for auto tinting glasses.

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Yes indeed they are supposed to now! But not all manufactures did back in 2005. If you research skin cancer in US males, you will find a larger percentage have it on their left side arms & faces. This is due to the UV exposure whilst driving. Think about truck drivers too. Not all UV is created equal, nor is the glass. So a good quality aftermarket tint will help block the cancer & damage causing rays more effectively than factory glass.

I tint all of my vehicles with the legal stuff on the front. I also find it more comfortable to drive. On my truck, it has factory rear tinted windows, I added the 5% tint on the rear & legal on the front roll downs. It is so dark, no body can see whats inside the back. I like that for security reasons as well. That way they can't see the bodies I transport! LOL

HotWire said:

I had a similar problem with both front seats. The first one I took to an upholstery shop and the technician replaced the panel with new material. He did a great job for $125.00. The other seat.... I went to a junkyard and pulled the factory seat covers off a junked car. Paid $20.00 and came home and installed the whole thing in less than an hour... Both seats look like they came with the car.... Both seats have held up quite well for several years....

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Thanks for the info. At this point, it's not real bad but enough to bother me. Worth $125 to get it done right I guess. I just purchased the 3M repair kit for $10, but I don't know about that; I have a feeling I may screw it up and really make it look bad.

So what you see is actually a cover, even from the factory?

It's like a big sock. It's sewn up apart from the car and then stretched over the seat frame and cushions and secured. So they can be removed and replaced relatively easily. My dad works for a seating company and has re-upholstered a mess of seats for his car restoration hobby. It's not terrible if you're handy.

Thanks...I had no idea!