Noticed a dead animal smell today from somewhere inside the 4runner. I discovered that my kids had spilled something near the seatbelt anchors, likely chocolate milk and water, over several occasions. The carpet pad is soaked with stuff so nasty I almost set it on fire. It turns out, and all spills in the back seats end up in these two little recessed areas under the seats. It would be nice to have some protection for this area, such as a removable cup liner or even a liner for the whole area.
I stripped out the seats and carpet to deep clean it with an extractor vacuum and an assortment of odor neutralizers and carpet cleaners. It's drying overnight with a fan and dehumidifier.
Replacement OEM carpet is $800 retail. I'm hopeful that I can save it but just looking at my options. Have you ever used an aftermarket carpet company? I've heard the quality may be better but that some cutting and fitting may be required. Aftermarket color matched is under $200 and has the option for actual carpet or even a rubber floor. Any firsthand experiences?
Edit: found good condition, used oem carpet on eBay for less than aftermarket, no cutting or attaching plastic clips.