Hey team -

So quite simply, the leather 'side bolster' or side panel of my driver's side seat that is positioned closest to the driver side door above the seat control panel has vertical cracks in multiple places. Basically, the panel of leather has failed and I need to replace it. I called the nearest upholstery shop and they are quoting me $350-450 depending on materials cost to replace the side panel.

Needless to say, all of the above is one of those small annoying issues (because I see it every time I get into my rig) with the annoying unexpected backfire effect of being pretty expensive to fix. Especially considering that I could upgrade my low beams/fogs to HID for less money. Why spend money on things you want to do when you can spend it on things you have to do, right?

Prior to shelling out the benjamins I wanted to throw this issue out there to test for better/less expensive suggestions/solutions. Given how rock solid these rigs are, I'm surprised by this issue as I haven't even hit 100k yet and expected longer term durability...cmon Toyota!

Ran into same issue. It happens because of the frequent weight that is put on it when getting in/out. Car seat covers are best bet.

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You could look around and get the cover and do it yourself. It's really not hard at all. I'm in the process of recovering mine myself.

Here's a gray bottom. I don't know what color seats you have though.

2003 2004 2005 2006 Toyota 4Runner Leather Seat Cover Driver Side Bottom Gray | eBay

Won't help your situation any. But if you get it fixed it will help in future. Use Leather conditioner every once in awhile. Will keep the leather pliable and smooth.

When I got my 4Runner from the dealer this was present and I made sure before I took it off the lot that it was fixed. Knowing how dealers operate I wasn't expecting a new seat or a even a whole new section maybe a stitch or something, but I wasn't prepared for what I found. They had used some sort of colored wax repair kit that laid over top of the cut and sorta of created a makeshift bandaid for it. It worked and I wasn't going to leave this awesome 4Runner because of a tear in the seat, but over time the split has come back so maybe look into this cheap quick repair (you can find a kit with a simple search on Amazon, found some for $14) and see if maybe a more caring hand can make it last longer. I have attached a link of a product that should work, you might need to do more research on the best product like this, but this might get you going in the right direction for a simple, quick, and cheap fix/bandaid.

https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-8178...t+crack+repair

At 202k mine's pretty bad so I'm thinking of a patch that is strong. I'm not really concerned about it looking like new since nothing about my truck looks new these days. It's just time to stop it from getting worse. Anyone have a patch product that worked over time and have pictures? While I'm not real concerned about appearance I want something better than duct tape!

the leather cover linked from the ebay seller in utah above is your best bet for an oem looking (and better quality (.5" of padding built in to it) replacement. They are awesome as I used one of my wife's 4R driver seat (been cracked since we bought the vehicle used 4 years ago), more comfortable than original and perfect color match.

once replaced and on all other un cracked or torn leather I recommend using this kit. It's amazin and really restores old, hard leather to it's like new supple state: https://www.amazon.com/Leatherique-L...ds=leatherique

so for roughly $265 you could have a brand new seat bottom and treat your entire leather interior and it will all feel like new and be less prone to future cracking. a soft supple leather is less likely to crack (like on the side bolster) than a neglected, hard dry leather.

Actually, Toyota 4Runner leather seats are not full leather but leather uppers (the seat surface).
The sides are actually vinyl so you can try a vinyl repair kit.
I just bought a 3M one from Amazon to try out.

https://www.amazon.ca/3M-08579-Leath...ar+seat+repair

Here we go bringing this up again, making me look at that growing flap in the driver side bolster. I got a sample piece of material from that ebay seller to compare material to my seats and at first thought it didn't match at all. Upon further inspection it was just due to neglect of my seats, it matched perfectly on the undersides and edges of back seats that have seen no wear, sun, or dirt. This made me conclude that I would need at least 4 pieces, seat bottoms and seat backs for the front seats in order for it to look right. Maybe I could try to restore the existing not cracked leather and get a way with just the drivers seat bottom.

Had the same issue on my 03 Limited - although it is no longer my problem, since I recently traded it in on a 2011 Limited.

I did research in my area for auto upholstery repair, and the best price I could find was under $150 CAN. The big cost was the labour, and they were going to replace the side panel vinyl on the side with leather. I'd suggest looking around at other shops for a better price.

That's more what I thinking, let us know how it works out!

As part of the Urban Runner package, my rig came with pleather/Alcantara seats. I just had the driver side bottom pleather portion repaired by an mobile interior specialist. Here is a before and after.

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Try the DIY fix mentioned above for the meantime, then save more money and have it fixed by a pro.

I just recently picked up a 2007 with 210k on the clock and to my surprise the driver seat was actually in good shape. Assuming many factors go into wear and tear, such as weather, how one gets in and out, knifes and shards of glass in pocket, and driver size. Still no idea how one gets away not cracking seats with a higher mileage.

oddly mine too when I picked it up at 202k miles. Driver was a large 250lbs man.