Car Seat Cover Installation Instructions
All our seat covers are "slip-on covers" designed to go directly over your seats — no need to remove existing upholstery of seat, no need to remove seats from vehicle, no special tools needed. Installation takes generally 20–30 minutes per front seat. Yes, you can install them yourself.
Downloadable Installation Instructions
Printable PDF files. Instructions are general guidelines for seat cover installation. Due to the wide variety of seat styles, actual installation steps may vary.
Front & Middle Row
Installation Instructions
Vehicle Specific
Installation Instructions
Rear Row / Back Seat
Installation Instructions
Anatomy of a Car Seat
Terminology as used in our installation instructions.
Illustrated in Photo
- Headrest – The upper section of a low back seat that adjusts up and down.
- Backrest – The middle section of the seat that supports the back.
- Bolsters – The sides of the Backrest that "hug" you when sitting in the seat.
- Seat Bottom – The cushion part of the seat that you sit on.
- Seat "Break" – The gap where the Backrest and the Seat Bottom come together.
- Leg Extensions – The adjustable portion of the seat bottom that moves in and out behind the knees. Not present on all vehicles; commonly offered as option with sports seats.
- Plastic Molding – The part of the seat bottom beneath the seat cushion. Straps must be pushed in the gap between the cushion and the molding. Tuck covers in between seat bottom and plastic molding to allow for power control access.
- Side Air Bag – The side panel of the seat backrest that faces the outer pillar of the vehicle is where the air bag is housed.
- Flap – Not present on all vehicles. Directly opposite the Seat "Break", flaps must be opened in order to install covers, then returned to their normal position.
- Power Controls – The controls that move the seat direction, commonly located on the Plastic Molding on the bottom section of the seat, on the same side as the door.
Not Shown in Photo
- Armrests – Attached directly to the side of the backrest. Most seats do not have armrests; those that do generally have one per seat on the side opposite the door. Not to be confused with a console, which is independent of the seat and located between the two front seats for storage.
- Seat Belt – The fabric strap designed to keep passengers in place in the event of a sudden stop.
- Seat Belt Buckle – The latch that the seat belt connects to when a passenger is seated, located on the side of the seat opposite the door.
- Seat Belt Guide – Most common on 2-door vehicles, located on the top corner of the backrest on the side next to the door. Directs the seat belt from the pillar to the seat belt buckle. When accessing the back seat by reclining the backrest, the seat belt will stretch.
- Backrest Reclining Lever – Commonly located on the side of the backrest facing the door, top corner of seat, or in Power Controls; allows movement of the backrest for access to the back seat.
- Integrated Seat Belt – Seats with the entire seat belt mechanism built into the seat, with the seat belt coming out of the backrest.
Having Trouble Installing?
?
Solutions to common issues are listed below — also check our resolving common issues videos. If still unable to install, before you take the seat covers off, snap photos with your phone and text them to us at (619) 752-4584 so we can see the issue and diagnose a solution. Refer to the Anatomy of a Car Seat section for definitions of the parts of a seat.
Front & Middle Row Common Installation Issues
General — Front & Middle Row
- Not fitting properly – Can be caused by driver-side seat cover being installed on the passenger side or vice versa. For correct placement, look inside the backrest portion of the cover; along one side there will be velcro, break-away straps, or openings/slots. That side should face outward, away from the other seat and toward the door, so the side airbags can deploy freely. See this video on installing covers on the correct seat.
- Nowhere to connect straps – Your seat covers have straps designed to hook to the underside of your vehicle's seat bottom. If they are on the top, then the cover is upside down.
Backrest Portion — Front & Middle Row
- Headrest holes not lining up – Once the cover is on, you may need to slide it around by tugging on the sides of the backrest portion to line up the headrest post opening with the post holes.
- No holes for headrest posts – Some covers do not come with premade holes. After installing to your satisfaction, locate the headrest holes in the seat and use a sharp instrument to cut a small cross (for sheepskin covers, a small slit), tuck material under the plastic molding, then replace the headrest. Will not void warranty; however, covers altered by the customer become non-returnable, so be careful. See this video on making headrest post openings.
- No slots / cutouts for lever on side of backrest – Once installed to your satisfaction, make a small slit with a razor to accommodate the backrest release lever, then tuck underneath the plastic molding. Will not void warranty; however, altered covers become non-returnable. See the video on making a backrest lever opening.
- No slots / cutouts for seat belt guide – For the guide on the top corner of the backrest that directs the seat belt from the pillar to the buckle: once installed to your satisfaction, make a small slit with a razor to accommodate the guide, then tuck underneath the plastic molding. Will not void warranty; altered covers become non-returnable. See the video on making a seat belt guide opening.
- Armrest does not fit through opening – Openings for armrests can be confused with openings for side airbags. Likely the driver-side cover is installed on the passenger side or vice versa. The side with velcro / break-away straps / slots should face outward toward the door; the opening on the opposite side is for the armrest. See this video on installing covers on the correct seat.
- No slots / cutouts for armrest – Detach the armrest (may involve popping off a plastic cap and unscrewing a bolt, or unscrewing the entire armrest), install the cover, make a small cross cut with a razor for the armrest bolt, then reattach. Will not void warranty; altered covers become non-returnable. See the video on making an armrest opening and this video on removing an armrest from a seat.
Seat Bottom Portion — Front & Middle Row
- Straps too short / straps keep loosening / slippage – The straps must enter the gap between the seat bottom cushion and the plastic molding, with excess material tucked in. Install straps above any rails or electric seat motors — as close as possible to the underside of the seat bottom without looping over these parts. Hook to the springs on the underside, or clip corresponding straps together if not equipped with hooks. Tension as tight as possible. Straps installed under an electric motor will loosen as the seat readjusts. Will not harm seat electronics. See this video on inserting straps between seat bottom and plastic molding.
- No opening to pass straps through to seat bottom – Many vehicles have flaps covering the seat "break" that must be opened. Look for clips or hooks on the underside holding the flaps in place and unhook them. Install the cover, pushing straps through the "break" and securing hooks to the underside, then replace the clips. See this video on opening the back flap.
- Controls on side of seat bottom not accessible – Tuck the seat cover in between the seat cushion and plastic molding. See this video on tucking covers into the plastic molding using a tool.
- Leg extensions of sport seats do not extend – Semi-custom and universal fit covers do not allow for leg extension movement — only custom-made covers. Contact us for options.
Rear Row / Back Seat Common Installation Issues
General — Rear Row / Back Seat
- Not fitting properly – Can be caused by the backrest portion being installed on the seat bottom or vice versa. Lay both pieces side by side: the longer one, with additional curvature in the upper two corners, is the backrest. The shorter piece, with less curvature on the corners, is the seat bottom.
Backrest Portion — Rear Row / Back Seat
- Cover too wide / long – Any extra material should be tucked behind the backrest, like folding a sheet under a mattress when making a bed. See this video on installing the backrest portion of the back seat cover.
- No holes for headrest posts – Back seat covers do not come with premade holes. After installing, locate the headrest holes and cut a small cross (for sheepskin, a small slit), tuck material under the plastic molding, then replace the headrest. Will not void warranty; altered covers become non-returnable. See this video on making headrest post openings.
- Center armrest in backrest does not fold down – Semi-custom and universal fit covers do not allow for center armrest movement — only custom-made covers. Contact us for options.
- Backrest sections do not lay down separately – Semi-custom and universal fit covers allow the entire backrest to fold at once, not each section on its own. Only custom-made covers allow split-bench backrest sections to lay down separately. Contact us for options.
Seat Bottom Portion — Rear Row / Back Seat
- Cover too wide / long – Any extra material should be tucked underneath the seat bottom, like folding a sheet under a mattress. See this video on installing the seat bottom portion of the back seat cover.
- No holes for seat belt buckles – Back seat covers do not come with premade holes. After installing, locate the seat belt buckle position and cut a small cross (for sheepskin, a small slit), then tuck material under the plastic molding. Will not void warranty; altered covers become non-returnable. See this video on making openings for seat belt buckles.
- Cannot remove seat bottom – Varies by vehicle; many seat bottoms just pull up while others require tools. We recommend searching YouTube for a tutorial specific to your vehicle.
- Slippage – Caused by loosely installed straps on the underside of the seat bottom. To resolve, pull the straps as tight as possible to pick up excess slack.
- No slots / cutouts for hinges – Some vehicles have visible hinges on the seat bottom that connect to the backrest. After installing, locate the hinges and cut a small slit, then tuck underneath the seat bottom. Will not void warranty; altered covers become non-returnable. See the video on making openings for seat bottom hinges.