How to Restore Tears to Vinyl Seats in Your Car

Over time, a car goes through a lot – from breakdowns under the hood, scratches and dents on the body to wear and tear on the interior. This includes tears and holes in the seats, which can occur whether they are made of fabric, leather, or vinyl.

Unlike their ancestors, modern vinyl seats can often pass like leather and not scream, “I AM PLASTIC!” Although vinyl is tough, it can rip or crack.

One option is to have torn vinyl car seats professionally repaired, but this can be costly depending on the severity of the tear and the type of seat. But another option is to do it yourself. In an article in The Drive , Chris Teague shares several strategies for repairing tears in vinyl car seats. Here’s what you need to know.

How to fix a tear along a sewn seam

For the most part, Teague’s article doesn’t focus on the tears that are next to the sewn seam on the car seat. That’s because he says this kind of tear can be taken care of by using a heavy duty needle and thread, stitching the vinyl back along the seam. But as Teague points out, to do it yourself, you need “at least a passing understanding of sewing and an eye for the shape of the seat.”

How to fix rips in vinyl seats

If you care about how your car seat looks, Teague says you’ll want to opt for either a repair kit or liquid vinyl. You will be working with chemicals anyway, so make sure you work in a flat, well-ventilated area and wear gloves and safety goggles. Also, when choosing a product, pay attention to the color and choose the one that best suits your seats.

Teague recommends cleaning the seats with a mild detergent and a towel before moving on to the seats. He then provides step-by-step instructions for using both the repair kit and the liquid vinyl, so refer to his article for those.

If you’re not too worried about the look of your seats, Teague says there are easier (and cheaper) ways to repair them as well. First, there are areas that can be torn off, which Teague says should be applied using the glue that came with the product.

Then there is the old clamp and glue method. “In some cases, the vinyl will be gentle enough that you can close the gap and tape it or tape,” Teague writes. “You will need to leave the pinched area long enough to allow the glue to dry, and you may need to apply more than one application.”

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