Fixing tears in leather and vinyl seats

By Lawrence Minnie

If you have a leather or vinyl interior, there is nothing more devastating than having it rip or tear. Unfortunately, there is nothing much you can do about once this has occurred and you will have to have it fixed.

Fixing leather and vinyl tears is no small matter, and there really is no quick solution that will restore the torn panel to a factory finish. This is doubly bad if the torn panel is a perforated seat back or bottom, as the tear will spread rapidly.

There are options such as stitching the tear or placing a backing piece underneath the tear and gluing it down. Although these fixes might work, you will always have the tear mark or stitches on the surface of the damaged panel.

If you are wanting to completely eliminate the damage, you will have to take the damaged panel to a professional interior refinisher and have them strip the item and make a new panel that can then be stitched into place.

The best course of action is to prevent rips and tears from happening in the first place, by

not transporting sharp-edged goods such as boxes or furniture anywhere but in the trunk, or when all the seats are folded down. Never place items that could potentially puncture the interior fitment inside the car.

Avoid sliding items across the seats while putting them in or taking them out of the vehicle.