Life expectancy of leather sits

I am looking at my driver sit leather and I see it
significantly wrinkled - not cracked yet, but...
The car is 2004 with 48000 miles on it - how long
before I should expect the leather sits to crack?

What is the best way to extend their life expectancy?

BTW - are the sits made from *real* leather? I have
my doubts looking at the map pocket behind the sit,
which looks like just black vinyl with white foam
or cloth undercoating...

 

My leather seats are 18 years old and are like new. YMMV.

dan

 

Cool, how much driving have you done during these 18yr?
How do you take care for your leather?

 

I should have said the car has been garaged it's whole life, and has
68K miles. Usually only has a driver and no passengers. The back seat
is like brand new and the fronts are real nice. I don't think that
there has been anything done to the seats except the original owner had
"perma-plate leatherguard" and "vinyl protectant" applied at the
stealership that had a 5 year warranty.

I think the wear and tear has a lot to do with the owner of the vehicle.

I have not, and do not plan on using any chemicals on the seats whatsoever.

dan

 

Well, you gave very missleading statement then...

Anybody reading your first post here about 18 years
old car could have imagined a car with a normal driving
schedule of 12k-15k miles per year, so it would mean
a car with milleage of 216-270k ->>> Good luck
finding such car with original leather sits in good
condition...

Sits are not geting damage from being in the garage
for years - they get damage from sitting on them
Getting in and out of vehicle, temperature changes,
UV rays and humidity, etc...

What exactly do you mean?

With that rate of driving I would not either...
I got my '04 accord in May '07 with 38k miles - now in November it has 48k.
Probably somewhere next year I will hit 68k and get equal wear with
your 18 years old car

 

If it ain't broke...

dan

 

I am not trying to fix something not broken.
I want to PREVENT premature crack - can you see the difference?

 

'01 Accord w/leather. 194,000 miles. No care taken, no rips or tears.

 

Thanks - much more convincing

 

Au contraire, I beg to differ here, time is certainly a factor in the
service life of leather seats. True, no one's sliding in and out of them
while the car's garaged, but they're aging nonetheless, e.g., drying out
& splitting or cracking, being attacked by whatever air pollution flies
around your neighborhood, dust (dirt) settling on them, etc.

 

This is true, but normal drying and air pollution
does not avoid sits in car normally used - on top
of this leather works, bends, stretch, warps under your
butt while getting in-out the car and when driving...

It is also easily proven by the fact, that if a leather
sit car has damage on the sits from wear it is in most
cases on the driver sit, not on the back or passenger.
Driver sit is the one used the most.

On several sites I have read that leather sits last longer
than cloth sits, but my experience with seeing old cars
is quite opposite to this statement - I see frequently
10 years old cars with cracked/torn leather and very
rearely I see damaged cloth sits. I have 1995 toyota
camry with cloth sits and 240k miles on the odometer.
Sits are little dirty but cloth has no rips or holes.

 

I use Meguiar's leather care products on the leather seats in my Audi
several times a year. Keeps them hydrated. Wrinkles are okay, they
develop over time and, in my opinion, give the seats a nice look.
However, if you don't keep them treated they will crack, which ISN'T
good. So use any quality leather care product.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX (non-leather)
Central NJ USA