Is ripped leather covered under warranty?

[dave405nyc]

Hey guys,

I've noticed that the upper left portion of my drivers seat(I believe they call it the bolster?) has several (very small) cracks in it...Is this something that is covered under warranty, or would I have to pay out of pocket to repair? I will post of a pic later to show.

-Thanks!

[windextor]

Hey guys,

I've noticed that the upper left portion of my drivers seat(I believe they call it the bolster?) has several (very small) cracks in it...Is this something that is covered under warranty, or would I have to pay out of pocket to repair? I will post of a pic later to show.

-Thanks!

if you read your owners manual it says the first 12000 miles for stitching...although considering that it is natural wear and tear i doubt it would be covered

[ny2flb7a4]

I doubt it, but it's worth a try.

[dave405nyc]

That sucks, considering the car is only 2 years old..I would expect it to start ripping maybe after 5 years but not in 2!! I'll give the dealer a shot when I'm in for the 25k service next month. I'll still post a pic of the rips later to show.

-Thanks

[coryliv]

I have cracks on my left side (seat bottom). Not sure what mileage they occurred at but I think it has happened with other B7's. I thought I remembered reading a post a while back about someone who had their seat fixed under warranty. Talk to your dealer and see if they are interesting in repairing under warranty.

[dave405nyc]

I have cracks on my left side (seat bottom). Not sure what mileage they occurred at but I think it has happened with other B7's. I thought I remembered reading a post a while back about someone who had their seat fixed under warranty. Talk to your dealer and see if they are interesting in repairing under warranty.

Did you attempt to have the dealer fix your cracks under warranty? It looks like they can get bigger if I leave it alone.

[Phrost]

Cracks are not rips, and they are normal depending on how you use your seats (I mean how you lean in it and get in/out of the car). I seriously doubt the dealer would cover it, but you could try the next time you're in there I guess

[Siggiepop]

i literally had a cut in my leather on the bolster side and it looked pretty clean cut but i got mine replaced under warranty...its tough but the process was they took a picture of the damage and sent it to someone to judge and depending on how easy going the dealership is they'll fix it for you but i don't know i've only had it happen once so its hard to say. go try. doesn't hurt

[A4 JooN 2.0T]

proper care wouldnt cause this...

[80sGuy]

Well, if it's normal defect from the stitches, I don't see why they wouldn't cover it. Why cover everything else for 4/50 (if driven normally, but your engine fails) when you can't it cover the safest place in the cabin such as the driver/passenger seating area? Unless there's proof of negligence which causes the fault, but normal seam split - I think you need to take the car in and get the seat(s) replace under warranty.

[Glassnpowder98]

I had the same exact thing happen to me. I would treat my seats with leather conditioner every couple of weeks but it still cracked/split on the left bolster. I brought the car into the dealer and they ended up covering it under warrantee. I had about 20K miles on the car at the time. I believe it will mostly come down to dealer discretion as to whether they think you ripped it or if they are nice enough to just replace it for you. For me, the service advisor took a look at it, had the manager come over, and he said, "eh we'll cover that for you."

[bprobbie]

that sucks.. good luck getting it fixed. you can really see cracks in alot of a4 pics lately. looks like the bmw seats hold up a little better, even though the leather isnt as tight.

[dave405nyc]

thanks for all your inputs guys! i did everything in the books, cleaning the leather, conditioning, etc... still cracked =T

i'll bring it to the dealer and let you guys know the outcome!

[redhott06]

mine did this too! and i conditioned my leather frequently. im pretty angry about it since my car is only two years old. i thought i was the only one...its in the same spot too. oh well..recaros anyone?

[Bryan]

yes...my warranty cover that...

[coryliv]

dave405nyc - no i did not have them fixed and now i've got around 32k miles. i guess i could still argue but it would be much harder than when they first appeared.

if anyone cares i actually take really good care of my car. the seats are cleaned regularly with a meguiars leather care product (cleans/treats). my car is for the most part spotless with zero dents or dings and is always clean inside. i have had other cars with leather and never had this problem. when it first occurred i started searching around and found others had the same problem. if i liked my dealer more i might have gone back to have the seat fixed. but they are a big pain in the arse and i try not to go back except for scheduled service. they seem to fight doing anything else.