Greetings!!!

Despite meticilous care, the driver's side leather seat in my '00 is wearing terribly, and looks like crap. The left side of the seat bottom is all wrinkled and is starting to lose color along the seams. (I have the Medium Parchment interior).

I had the same problem with my '95 E.B. Bronco. Looks like Ford is still using the same "pseudo" leather stuff that doesn't last very long. I actually noticed the leather was starting to wrinkle the day I bought the truck, with 6 miles on it!! The passenger side is not wearing at all, since no one rides in it, consequently, the driver's side looks even worse. I never "slide" off the seat, and have installed nerf bars to help ingress/ergress. I wonder if Ford will replace/repair the seat bottom under warranty? I have only 3000 miles on my truck, and the seat looks like my Bronco did after 60,000 miles!!!!

Anyone have the same problem? I wonder if the dealership will take care of this or consider it to be "normal" wear and tear?

Steve

2000 4X4 Lariat SC SB
5.4
Two tone black/silver
All options except LS differential

MODS so far:

-Westin step bars (powder coated matte black)
-Lund bug shield
-Gentex electrochromatic rear view mirror
-Cabin Air Filtration Kit
-Superchip

MODS to come:

-K&N or AirAid air plenum/filter (can't decide yet which one to get)

-Flowmaster Force II exhaust (series 50 SUV with duals out the rear)

-Mickey Thompson Classic 16" wheels with 305/75 BFG AT KO's

-4.10 gears (still thinking about this one ...anyone have any input?)

-LS diff or locker of some sort once they are available..

 

Try driving like a rural mailman - sitting in the right seat Maybe that'll even out the wear.
I'm sure glad I went with the XLT...
Good luck!
I think you should be asking the dealer to repair the seat.

 

TSS ...

I have a 1998 Lariat with 12k on it.
The grey leather seat on the driver
side looks like crap too. The leather
the goes under the legs has a rippled
look across the entire front. It is
different material then is on the under
butt area. The dealer agreed to replace
it under warranty ... but when this new
seat bottom arrived .. it looked EVEN WORSE.
It has pleats sown right into the seam !!
The dealer tells me that this is the new
style and they CANNOT get me the ones that
came in 1998. The material is even a
different texture then the backs. I guess
I am going to keep pressing the dealer and
FORD to do what is right, and so should you.
As I said my dealer ... after being convinced
by a professional upholster (spelling) agreed to replace under warranty. Now all I have to do .. is find 1998 leather bottoms.
I was happy to buy leather as I don't care for that velour XLT seat.

Let me know how it turns out for you.

Russ

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1998 F-150 Lariat S/C 4x4 5.4L Line-x

 

I'm waiting on the dealer now to replace the bottom seat cover on drivers side. Wear was on the left side near front. I first noticed problem at 5,500mi, right after I had it in for service. They ordered a new cover under warantee. I wonder if I could keep the old one? The new will probably be completely worn out at 20,000mi, where do they get this "leather" ?

______________________________________

'99 Expy 5.4l 4x4 LLS 3.73

 

The best thing to do is to take it back to your dealer. Make them fix it under your Factory warr. or you will get the short end of the stick later down the road. Check out the whole driver side seat real good. Then tell your dealer you want something done!!!!!!....Lariat#1

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1997 Red/Silver F150 Lariat Flareside 3 Dr. SC W/ ORP & Tow Package, Complete Lariat Package Option List ,{APPEARANCE}: AVS Carbon Fiber Headlite Covers, Tail Lite Slots & Door Sill Protectors,Owens Fg. Step Boards, Tinted Windows,Ford 2-Piece Bra,20" Chrome Exhaust Tips,A.R.E Bed Cover Lid,Pendaliner Inner Tail Gate Protector,Zie-Bart Total Paint & Under Coating W/ Sounder Deadener Protection, #1 Ford Truck Plate under glass on Front Bumper, {PERFORMANCE}: 4.6L Auto, 3.55LS, 4-Wheel ABS,Platinum 3 Spark Plugs,K&N Air Filter W/ modified stock air box, Tornado Air Man.,WMS Velocity Tube,Dual Exhaust System,Per. Fiction Carbon Mettalic Disc Brake Pads,Goodyear Wrangler A/TS Tires,55 Watt(replacement) Back-up Lites, Pilot 55 watt Back-up Lites on Hitch under truck,Foglites work W/ Brites On , {STEREO}: Stock In-Dash Cass. W/6 Disc Changer & 4 Stock Speakers, {SECURITY}: Ford Security System W/ Motion Alarm All on same Key Fob, This is LARIAT 1... IN The Great State Of Indiana..........http://hometown.aol.com/terrylariat1...page/auto.html A very Proud Member of ...www.f150online.com

 

Ford's leather (if that is even what it is) is terrible! I had a '94 Mustang GT and used Eagle One Leather Cleaner and Conditioner every couple of months but the seats still looked pretty bad after a couple of years. They use a cheap vinyl on the sides and backs and cheap leather on the seating surfaces. That is why the option says "leather seating surfaces". I believe that the back seat of the Super Cab in the F-150 is all vinyl.

My '98 F-150 has cloth and I love it. I do not know how Ford gets away with charging a premium for this material. Go look at any used Expeditions with leather and the seats look like they are thirty years old.

By the way, good luck fighting Ford for new seats.

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'98 F-150 XLT SuperCab Flareside, Auto, 4.6L, 4X2, 3.55 rear, 6-CD, Moonlight Blue with tan interior, Captains Chairs, Extang Classic Platinum Tonno, Pendaliner bedliner

 

I wish Ford would use the same leather they used in the Lincoln Navigator. The leather, at least in the '98 model, even feels different. It's hard to explain, but it feels thicker and harder.

When I got the '99 Lariat, I was really disappointed in the leather quality because it was so different from the Navigator's seats.

[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited 01-21-2000).]

 

I was really surprised to see this topic, after feeling fortunate that my VIN# says I'm safe from piston slap and I don't have door cracks (yet). But, now that you mention it, my driver seat looks 4 or 5 years old (98 Lariat S/C, 18 months old, 8000 miles). As you can tell, I don't even spent much time driving. I clean, condition and even sit on a towel most of the time to prevent any stray cigarette ashes from burning the "leather". If mine looks old, something must be up.


91 T Bird Super Coupe
94 Red Lightning (wrecked, dealer could never fix it to my liking)
98 Lariat S/C 50th Anniversary Black and Gold

 

I know Ford can make good leather seats.My 1997 SHO seats were in allmost perfect condition, when I traded it in with 90,000 miles.
You would think for a truck that they would use the same leather.I have a friend with the leather seats, and it is not the same material.

Ihope you guys make out allright.

[This message has been edited by Don C (edited 01-26-2000).]

 

Stevetexnmex ....

I have a 98 also with 12k on it. I can't believe how crappy the leather that goes under your legs looks. The dealer ordered new botton leather for me under warranty, but guess what ... the part has been replaced with another type of bottom leather. It is pleated in the seam between the legs and the butt leather. It is a different material then the backs too. Arrgggg ... Dealer said that this is the only bottoms that can be gotten, sense it is the replacement leather.
This sounds like the leather that TSSCS has and I HATE the plated look. I am not sure what I am going to do. I am not a happy camper. I have seen other 97 and 98 Lariats that the leather looks fine in. I am not going to just let it go.... It is not in my nature. I will keep you posted.

Take Care

....... o&^o Share the Road

Russ

 

I also have leather seats in my one month old 2000 lariat 4x4 and I noticed the drivers seat is starting to wrinkle already...I am gonna get back to the dealer quickly...only 7000 miles on mine.

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Y2K F150 4x4 ORP Lariat 5.4L Loaded to the max Oxford white all the way down
K&N filter,tinted glass,DEE-ZEE platnium series black tool box,much much more to come...I will keep y'all updated
edwardmb@earthlink.net
I like cake.

 

I have a 97 f150 lariat 4x4 xcab with 65k on it. The springs are now starting to poke through the seat on the drivers side where the 60/40 split is. Am taking to the dealer tomorrow to see if and what they can do anything about it.

Jessie Leach

 

I was surprised to see all the complaints about the leather seats. Absolutely no problem with my early 97 Lariat. Looks real good. The seat bottom was replaced after only 2 months, because a genius who worked at the dealer sat in it with a screwdriver or something in his pocket and scored the bottom almost through. I had them replace it with a new bottom back then. I dunno, maybe I got super-leather or something!

 

leather suck!! i would never get it again i am a cloth man now same type of problems i had in past same problem with it wearing on the edge, freeze you in the winter and your legs stick to them in the summer. cloth is less th worry about cleans easy and nice and comfomy
p.s. dealer said that wear is normal said that it was from sliding in and out of seat i told him to shove the seat wear the sun didn't shine

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2000 blk xlt f150 sc 4x4 orp pkg 5.4 3.55 ls tow pkg flowmaster muffler air box mod herculiner ,sony 10 disc cd-player A.R.E. cap remote start

 

I have a '98 Lariat, and shortly after I got my truck, the leather started to tear on the driver's seat, and started to rub off on the steering wheel, Ford fixed it for free.