New here - Leather Seat cover question

[Task]

Hello,
My wife and I are seriously thinking of purchasing a new 2006 V6 4Runner with the 3rd row seat. We would like to get it with leather, but none are available in Northern California (dealers did a scan for us). Quite a few SR5's are available with the 3rd row, but they don't have leather. I know (from other threads) that Leather can be added after market to the 4Runner, but what does this mean to the Side Air Bags in the 2006? I had heard from a dealer that the side air bags are deployed from the seats? Does this sound right? If so, do I run risk of having a new seat cover keep the side air bags from being deployed if installed incorrectly, etc? Would love some feedback from others here on this. Thanks!!
Task

 

[alpha]

Talk to the shop you're thinking of having the leather installed from. I'm pretty sure they have kits that take the side air bags into account..

 

[4RunnerRon]

Most dealerships in northern California (or at least the bay area, where I live) use a company called Classic Soft Trim to do the "aftermarket" leather installs. They come to the dealership, take out your seats, take the seats to their shop, and put on the leather. Then they come back and re-install your seats. There is an option for heated seats if that interests you, and from what I have been told, they do not interfere with the side airbags. You can check out their website at www.classicsofttrim.com and you can call them to confirm the side airbag issue at (800) 460-0640.

 

[alpha]

Most dealerships in northern California (or at least the bay area, where I live) use a company called Classic Soft Trim to do the "aftermarket" leather installs. They come to the dealership, take out your seats, take the seats to their shop, and put on the leather. Then they come back and re-install your seats. There is an option for heated seats if that interests you, and from what I have been told, they do not interfere with the side airbags. You can check out their website at www.classicsofttrim.com and you can call them to confirm the side airbag issue at (800) 460-0640.

I have Classic Soft Trim leather in mine. Very comfortable imo.. The heated seats can be faster though, but they get hot quick, just not as quick as I would like it. My mom's Pilot stock heated seats are faster. But they work well. Oh, another thing with the heated seats, not sure if they changed it or not, but they couldn't install the heating element on the lower portion on the passenger seat, i believe it conflicted with a seatbelt sensor, might have been an airbag sensor.

oh, and the CST dealer here picked up my truck from the dealership and brought it back when they were done. They didn't disassemble it at the dealership.