How to Repair Cracked Leather Seats

Cracked leather seats usually occur because the leather did not receive the proper care necessary to keep the seats looking nice. Typically, heat and moisture can damage the surface of leather seats and cause cracking to occur. The best way to prevent cracks from appearing is to condition the seats twice a year with a leather conditioner. However, once cracks occur, you can fill them in and dye them so that the leather seats appear like new again. This process will take about two to three days to complete.

• 1

  Scrub the leather seat with the soft brush and a solution made up of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Dry the leather with work cloths.

• 2

  Rub the cracked areas with denatured alcohol to prepare the surface for adhesion.

• 3

  Dip the 240-grit sandpaper into the cleaning solution and scrub the cracked areas of the seat. Allow the area to dry.

• 4

  Spray the surface of the cracks with adhesion promoter. This helps the leather filler to stick better to the leather and prevents future cracking. Fill the cracks with leather filler. Allow the filler to dry overnight.

• 5

  Spay the cracked areas with leather prep spray. Wipe the area with a work rag using circular motions. Allow the spray to dry. Sand the area lightly with the 400-grit sandpaper until smooth.

• 6

  Put on the gloves. Work a small amount of leather dye into the cracked areas of the leather using your gloved fingers. Wipe away excess dye with a soft cloth. Allow the dye to dry for 24 hours. The cracked portion of the leather should now look like the rest of the seat.

• 7

  Condition the leather with the leather conditioner. Work the conditioner into the entire seat using circular motions. Take care not to pull too hard or apply too much pressure to the leather or you may reopen the cracks in the seats.