Ripped leather seat repair? Please advise...

[JeffKeryk]

2007 Acura TSX. Used to be my sister's, she gave it to me and I gave it to a friend and his daughter. Sits in the CA sun too much.
Any advice is appreciated. I will get a seat cover soon. Thanks in advance.

 

[ctechbob]

Nothing you can do other than replace it. My TL has/had the same perforated leather. I don't think the company I used is in business anymore though. It was something like $1200 for everything.

You might be able to get a good upholstery shop to replace just that panel, or just order a replacement cover, but it isn't going to match the rest of the seat.

 

[CKN]

That whole seat is toast. You can see the rest of it is " rotting" as well. Either have the whole seat redone or find some seat covers. Doesn't seem feasible cost wise to have it reupholstered- on a nearly 20 year old vehicle.

 

[goblin]

If you feel adventurous - search for "Cechaflo" on YT. They advertise paid upholstery tutorials, but even their free videos have plenty of info.
Also, some of the bolsters and foam pieces might be available new. Your mileage will vary on that one.

 

[JHZR2]

Oof, not great, but it’s not a wide open tear.

I’d get some matching black vinyl, and good purpose intended adhesive, and glue the ripped leather to the vinyl patch placed under the leather. Do one side stretched and laid where it should be. Let it cure, then adhere the other side in a close/closed manner. You might adhere some vinyl over top of the tear too, but it could look worse that way.

 

[ctechbob]

Oof, not great, but it’s not a wide open tear.

I’d get some matching black vinyl, and good purpose intended adhesive, and glue the ripped leather to the vinyl patch placed under the leather. Do one side stretched and laid where it should be. Let it cure, then adhere the other side in a close/closed manner. You might adhere some vinyl over top of the tear too, but it could look worse that way.

It will just tear elsewhere. Once they start to go there's no real good way to hold them together. Those perforations look nice and are comfy, but they're just built in tear spots when it starts to get old.

That's exactly how I repaired mine the first go round, it lasted about a week before it tore again.

 

[JHZR2]

It will just tear elsewhere. Once they start to go there's no real good way to hold them together. Those perforations look nice and are comfy, but they're just built in tear spots when it starts to get old.

They may, but that’s why you cut the vinyl a good deal larger and adhere more leather to it.

At least it will buy time.

 

[clinebarger]

Nothing you can do other than replace it. My TL has/had the same perforated leather. I don't think the company I used is in business anymore though. It was something like $1200 for everything.

You might be able to get a good upholstery shop to replace just that panel, or just order a replacement cover, but it isn't going to match the rest of the seat.


View attachment 300805View attachment 300806

You get what you pay for just like anything else....Nothing like a raggedy seat to make an otherwise good vehicle feel like a beater, 2nd would be the Steering Wheel

 

[50yr Street Mech]

My 13' CRV had some minor tears in the driver seat pleather. Bought a pleather seat base cover,,, and had my wife stitch in in with a good needle and thread. Covered the whole " butt" area. Use black thread. You can see it, but who cares. Beats picking away at the foam. I mean the stupid truck is pretty old anyway.

 

[Escape08]

It will cost you a dearly to fix that faux leather replaced. Just leave it like that and cover it with a black towel or cloth. If you don't see it you'll forget that's in there.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Black duct tape.

This is BITOG isn't it?

 

[skyactiv]

I'd just use a black leather repair tape such as this on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Repa...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

 

[fsdork]

Other forums/Reddit seem to suggest ~$1500-$1900 to get two rows of seating done by Katzkin. If the back seats aren't as cooked as the front, and some material differences from front to back don't bug you too much, you could get just the front row done. The forum post linked below suggests the savings by going from 2 rows to 1 row aren't as much as one might think.

https://www.f150forum.com/f2/katzkin-leather-seats-1-row-vs-2-row-pricing-566854/

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Black Gorilla duct tape. The stickiest duct tape I've ever used !!!!!!

 

[Cujet]

There are methods that used car dealers use to buff up old seats using cloth underneath and contact cement, along with filler and paint. They typically don't hold up well and within weeks the seat will start degrading. The best way to repair this is to purchase a replacement leather seat cover (on Ebay for example) and install it. Generally, it is not that hard to do.

 

[97prizm]

2007 Acura TSX. Used to be my sister's, she gave it to me and I gave it to a friend and his daughter. Sits in the CA sun too much.
Any advice is appreciated. I will get a seat cover soon. Thanks in advance.

View attachment 300787

Look for an automotive upholstery or convertible top repair business. They are out there. If not that the local Acura dealership may have a contact for you.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Look for an automotive upholstery or convertible top repair business. They are out there. If not that the local Acura dealership may have a contact for you.

This is the best option, IMO. There was a guy around here, Jim Morgan, who was a legend. He did my Corvette seats and my 442 carpet and front seats. Licenced by Rolls Royce and others to repair their interiors.

He had a '49 or '50 Caddy convertible that belonged to Neil Young last time I was there. Complete new interior and rag top. There are no patterns; he was doing it all by hand. A nice man; not sure he is still around.

 

[JavierH19]

Nothing short of having the seats completely redone will make it like new again. It's possible you could stitch that up and then rehydrate the leather with lots of leather conditioner but whether you do that or not throw some fitted seat covers on it and call it a day.

 

[Pablo]

Silver duck tape and spray paint

 

[TomYoung]

There is no one answer to this question. You can certainly do nothing and you can go all the way up to seat replacement. The considerations have to do with the quality you will accept and the amount of money you feel is appropriate for the repair on a car that has been around for some miles, and more than a decade.

A good repair on perforated leather is very difficult, and most often quite visible and harder in feel than the old stuff. In my experience, those repairs don't last --- sometime the repair lasts, but the leather around the repair degrades.

One option I tried recently was a complete set of Coverado seat covers from Amazon. There are some very OEM-looking options, some leather, lots of nice vinyl and they fit great -- which has been for years the gripe with seat covers. You are out a few hundred dollars. I will note that they are tight and took me about two hours to stretch them over the seats and get a nice fit. The Katzkin choice is great, but a lot of cash. replacement seat(s) might have similar patina and be a good solution too... but the wreckers know their value.

Best of luck.