Katzkins vs OEM leather upgrade

So I reached out to Katzkin and they sent me an estiamte for leather for front and back (plain black) and installation for right under $2700. Heated and cooled seats for front row was going to be an additional $1000.

Called my dealer and they will install factory leather and heated front seats for $2000 out the door. What gives? Seems crazy that an aftermarket leather seat is that much more than OEM.

Just wanted any feedback before I go drop another $2K at my local dealership.

 

I have never heard of a dealer doing upholstery work. That being said I would not trust that to some mechanics. Just sayin.


Prices have gone up everywhere this is a fact, heat and cooled seats up front are very nice indeed too. If I was you I would call some upholstery shops and ask them for a price with you buying the Katzkin, heaters, and fans.

I would be more trustful of people that do upholstery for a living and have done a few rather than a dealer that only does a replacement every once in a while?

 

Don't dealers farm that out to some local business? I had a 2017 SR5 that came with spray on bed liner, and found out later it was a dealer add on that they had a local company do the job. Was strange to me that they did that but I guess in 2017 spray on bed liners were a little harder to come by?

 

Yup that is what I’m thinking^^^ so it won’t be the dealer doing it. Thinking the price quoted might be off a bit plus OP stated just heat with the dealer quote


I can’t believe that OEM leather for a Tundra installed with heat is only 2000 dollars.

 

What the dealer is quoting is not OEM leather. They outsource the job to a leather installer who will most certainly use katzskin or clazzio leather.

 

Ebay! You can find Katzkin kits cheap sometimes there (and new in box). Scored mine for $460 shipped. I spent another $25 on hog rings and pliers from Amazon. Took 2 weekends in the house (you want to remove the seats) and done. Looks great!

 

Thanks for the input

 

Dealers typically farm out the upholstery work to a local shop. I’m curious to know what leather the dealer would use - be it OE or Katzkins, clazzzio Etc. I was under the impression that OE “leather” on 22+ was the softex fake leather stuff except for maybe a 1794 (even that I’m not sure on).

Im very happy with my Katzkin premium kit that I had a loca shop install a couple years ago. I wanted the more durable leather so heated seats instead of heated/cooled. Though, I’d almost be willing to go with the thinner perforated leather for cooled seats looking back at it now. Either way, I’d press the dealer for details on the OE leather kit.

 

This is the quote I recieved earlier. Installation seems really high. Thinking about leather only.. Thoughts on whether or not the additional $900 plus labor is worth it for the heated and cooled option?

 

Install is quite involved so labor being high or low really depends on where you live and what local shops charge. But the quote doesn’t look astronomical to me. Also, depends on where you live whether or not the heated/cooled seats are worth it. But I would say that it is, especially if you get more than one or two seasons.

Edit: just double checked your quote and see it’s from Montabello, CA. I’d definitely spring for the cooled seats.

 

The cooling part this year in Texas has definitely been an addition that I am glad I had put in. and I will probably use the heat when we take a trip up North this Winter to see some snow and cool off!

 

I'm actually in Little Rock, AR, so we have hot summers and can have cold weather as well. I think the quote originated from CA.

Does anyone have any pictures of what the controls look like installed?

 

ya, you don't get real nice leather until you get into the platinum/1794/capstone trim so I doubt they are putting that in

likely aftermarket sub'd out locally

 

Standard Katzkins are actually the same with leather only in the main seat inserts. Headrests, bolsters, and seat backs are vinyl. The premium Katzkin kit is leather on all seating surfaces including seat bolsters but the seat backs and sides are still vinyl. With the price of hides these days it’s how to keep costs below $10k for a kit.

 

Don't be fooled by the katskin install prices, I was going down that road butfound out they will bill you full day of labor when they can bang it out in 2-3 hrs.

Don't believe me just find that one YouTube guy who did video of him bringing his set in, and walking out fully installed in like 2+ hrs. First tundra set that installer ever done as well.

After that I went with clazzios, couldn't deal with $1k for labor for 2-3 hrs of work

 

Clazzios are they way to go imo. Had a set in my Tacoma and beat that thing up. Everyone still asked me if they were oem.
I am really contemplating getting them just to protect my softex

 

Here is the updated estimate with no climate control.. Cuts the labor in half. I don't think $600 is unreasonable to install leather on front and rear row.

 

lol up to you man, i was looking at $1200 installed, with just all red or all black leather katskins for like $650 on ebay, i wanst gonna pay $600 for labor for 2-3hours of work, if you think its a good deal at 2k installed then go for it, im just letting you know it wont take 8+ hours like they say it will take to install them, get err done in 2-3 hrs.

 

So a skilled craftsman who’s good at their job should get paid less cuz they can do it faster than what the book says for an install?? If you can pull all of the seats and trim out of your truck, strum them down and re cover them in 2 hours - more power to you. But I don’t think you can. And I believe people should get paid for their skills. Shops also have overhead - like the building they work in, tools, etc. That’s how your neighbor pays his mortgage and feeds his kids - not by ripping you off, but by charging a fair price and then bustin his butt to get a job done as efficiently and correctly as he can. Then he takes pride him his work. But you wanna pretend like there’s nothing to it - good luck. I’m sure a lot of guys could tackle the job, but I doubt many -if any - weekend warriors can do it in the two hours you claim.

 

I put katzkins in my old tundra. Took about 8-10 hours. I did the rear on Saturday and the fronts on Sunday. It wasn’t hard but it was the 2.5 gen so no clue about the 3rd gen.
I liked the leather better than OEM in my Pro. It’s softer. My wife has the softtex in her 4Runner and it’s nice but still liked the Katzkins more.

 

I imagine the pros who do this in their sleep can bang this out in 2-3 hours literally like this guy shown in this video here who never installed a set before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz_EjKqSRbc, and no there arent any fancy shop tools required, you dont even need air socket impact gun, just the hog ring hook tool where diy kits include them

i dont even know what your arguing about, the katskin inflated install labor rates, or how they all of a sudden went 50% off? Cleary looks like you havent even quoted anything out katskinz vs other leather seat covers, I did find few local dealers who would give you discounts if you ordered through them and not through katskins, but finally landed one shop who would literally said they can do it in 1 afternoon and it will be billed whatever it takes 4 or less hours guaranteed. They were just 2hrs+ away from me and logistics of me dropping off and picking up the truck were gonna be a nightmare. I have no issues paying the man for their skilled trade - I am a blue collar auto tech, but this is not a learned or build up skillset, its litearlly unbolting the seat, remove the covers and reinstall them by hooking into the seat frame, not rocket science, just dont put the left/right seat on incorrect cuz the seams are designed to expand for airbag - is literally the hardest thing about the installs.

Check out all the diy katskin videos, and if first timers can do it in 8 hours, I imagine if your getting paid to do it, your gonna be able to bang it out in about 2-3 hours. I would say majority of the ppl who diy install make major learning aha moments the first 50% of install time and the remainder 50% install reduces times dramatically, the pros have 0 learning time, know all the nuances and dont have muscle fatigue since they do this all day everyday.

 

I called KatSkinz and got an estimate for my 2022 SR5, when I told them I wanted to just purchase the covers without the install, they told me they don’t sell them without the install.

 

Just leaving this here. And the DIY on a 2.5 wasn't bad. Can't speak to the 3rd.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/katzkin-leather-interior-offer.52217/

 

I got a quote for Roadwire installed recently. A base price for just a basic color front and rear seats with install would be $1500 plus tax.

 

Dealership quoted me 1700 for just leather installed and 2000 for leather and heat. Cheaper than going direct through katzkins. I was surprised.

 

I called a local installer in the Charlotte area. Was quoted $1065.00 + tax for the covers (black no heat or cooling) + $595 labor. Total for a basic set just over $1700. I've been looking on eBay and what I've seen is more expensive.

 

That’s a pretty good price. I’d spring for the premium kit as it adds more actual leather pieces to the seating surfaces. Only the center inserts are real leather on the basic kit; the premium kit adds leather to the side bolsters and head rest so only the back of the seat is vinyl.

 

good to know. Planning on doing leather in the next month or so

 

I just ordered the Katzkin leather seats, buckets in the front, bench in the back, and added heated seats for the two front seats, for $2400.90 all-in professionally installed.

 

I was wanting to get the 1794 Saddle Leather for mine later down the road, dealer said it would be done locally, the local would order OEM Leather Kit from Toyota.