Coverking Seat Covers

[FONT=&quot] I have been primarily a lurker on these forums and have appreciated all the information and advice others have provided. I decided to pay a little of that back by documenting my efforts in installing a set of Coverking seat covers. I apologize in advance for the length of this posting but I'm hoping this will be of value for a few of you.

First the bullet points:

- I ordered front and rear seat covers from Coverking via Costco.
- I am very pleased with these seat covers. They fit very well and were easy to install.

Pros:
- Shipped in about a week
- Easy installation; probably 2 hours if uninterrupted
- Good fit and obviously designed for the 2010 Prius
- Materials and workmanship seem very good

Cons:
- Bulkiness that made some parts look less than custom
- Thickness of the material interfered with headrests and rear seat center console.

If you're still interested , additional details along with notes and photos of the installation are included below.

Ordering via Costco was a little convoluted. You start at the Costco website which takes you to Coverking site where you enter the ordering options. After that you are sent back to the Costco site to complete the purchasing information.

They quoted 2-3 weeks for delivery but my order was shipped in about a week. There were no shipping charges and the price was $329.99 before taxes. As with a lot of online retailers they emailed order, processing, and shipping information so you know where your order is at.

I chose seat covers for both the front and rear seats. I don't care for leather and wanted protection from spills and stains so I chose wetsuit material. I had also read somewhere that the neoprene makes for an easier installation.

Unfortunately I didn't decided to take photos of the installation until after I had installed the front seat covers.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447542_Qi9yw-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Obviously the headrests needed to be removed first. I installed the seat back covers then the seat bottoms. I don't think it matters but it might have been slightly easier if I had done the bottoms first.

Each seat back cover has an opening for the side air bag. Be sure you install these to the outside of the seat.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447272_YyppD-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Since the neoprene was stretchy it made it easy to install the covers. Take the time to stretch and tuck the material under the seat hardware. It helps add to the custom look.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979453516_SRY2V-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

I moved the seats back and forth as needed to gain access to where straps and material had to go.

Installing the headrest covers
This is straightforward. Fit the cover over the headrest. Stretch the material until the velcro can be mated.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447622_FD9fE-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

For the larger headrests there are little flaps that should be tucked under.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447666_4PDXb-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

This is one of the few places where I was disappointed. With the material and velcro overlapping it ends up looking a bit bulky.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447879_HWBYZ-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Larger Rear Seat Back (Passenger side)
Remove the seat belts from their guides.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979449359_6YiVa-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

There is a long zipper that needs to be unzipped before fitting the cover over the larger seat back.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979448454_zP2Qi-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

The first time I put the seat cover on I wasn't paying attention and didn't account for the center console and center seat belt. Make sure the cover goes behind the center console.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979459909_6GD9p-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Zip the long zipper. Use the cutouts to help you gauge the correct positioning of the seat cover.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979448834_UzWkL-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

You'll need to move the cover flaps from behind the seat back in order to mate the bottom of the seat cover together. Luckily the seat flap is just velcroed in place. It can be folded up and tucked into the seat cover.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979459939_hpzc3-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Here's the completed left side seat.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979449192_xYUAF-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Smaller Rear Seat Back
The smaller, driver side, seat back cover installs in the same basic way as the other side. There is a shorter zipper that doesn't extend the entire length of cover.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979448181_JwEAY-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

This photo shows the seat cover folded up and tucked under the seat cover.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979449529_KaUUP-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Here's the completed seat back covers. Note the material tucked under the hardware and the center console still uncovered.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979449736_CHxdT-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Rear Center Console
Very simple - slip the cover over the console making sure the cup holder cutout is positioned properly. You may have to work this a bit more to make sure the velcro mates properly.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979449965_2L8Hi-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Here's the completed rear seat and center console. Note that the center console isn't sitting flush in the seat. This is due to the thickness of the material. Sitting in the center position does compress the center console and doesn't feel like it's jabbing you in the back. It is a bit irritating that it isn't flush but since I probably won't ever ride there I can live with it.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979450249_5wYb6-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Rear Seat Bench
I probably spent the most time thinking and researching how to install the rear seat bench cover. I suppose the bench cover could be installed without removing the seat. However it could be a long, frustrating experience requiring unnatural body positions and language that would make a sailor blush.

Removing the rear bench seat was actually fairly easy. Searching through the forums gave me some hints but nothing definitive. One posting was misleading in that it said there were bolts that needed to be removed. The only thing to do was to give it a try.

There are two prongs at the front of the bench seat and two hooks at the rear. Apparently the Gen II only has one hook at the rear center of the bench seat. The front prongs are approximately 10 inches in from the side of the seat. If you feel along the floor under the bottom of the seat you'll come to where the floor juts up slightly. The prong is at the top of that protrusion and is held in place by a plastic insert.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979454436_zXt8u-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Grasp one side of the bench seat on either side of the protrusion and give it a sharp tug upwards. I assumed that the worst that could happen was that I'd have to replace the plastic inserts. As it turns out, one did crack but both were still serviceable.

To unlatch the rear hooks, push down slightly and forward at the rear of the bench seat. The seat should easily slide out.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979450861_h5tb7-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

With the bench seat out of the car, drape the seat cover and align the openings.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979451776_VZSCm-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979451461_DDsfT-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Turn the seat over and attach the webbing using the plastic clips. There are 6 webbing attachments. Also attach the side webbing hooks.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979452454_WSjrH-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Don't be afraid to tug and stretch the material to get a smooth fit. That being said don't be overzealous or you might fray the material at the webbing attachment point.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979452632_ij8GK-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Before reinstalling the bench seat, hook the seatbelts up. This helps position and hold the seat belt clips in place.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979452916_9LUTV-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Position the seat with the hooks aligned with their respective catches. I lifted the front of the seat slightly and applied pressure on the back near the hooks. This allowed the hook to slide under and up into the latch.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979451184_GyrMA-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

To engage the front prongs, make sure they are aligned with the plastic clips. Push down forcefully to seat the prongs in the clips.

Replace the headrests and slide in the seat belts and you're all done.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979453175_WQuRg-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

I would guess that if it would have taken me about 5-10 minutes to remove the seat, attach the cover and reinstall the seat if I wasn't documenting the process. Even if I would have broken the plastic clips, it would have been worth it.

Random notes:
A pleasant surprise is that the back of the front seat covers each have a storage pocket.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979453454_2xRVo-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

As I mentioned the thickness of the material causes a bulkiness that affects the head rests. I was only able to seat one of the head rests all the way down because the neoprene was so bulky. Functionally it's not an issue but it is unsightly.

[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979471014_gLisM-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

The openings for the side air bags do gap a little. The only issue is cosmetic. That section of the seat isn't completely smooth and the white interior lining is visible.
[IMGLINK]http://www.artandwendy.com/photos/979447272_YyppD-M.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Except for the minor issues I mentioned above, I am very pleased with these seat covers. I would definitely recommend the Coverking seat covers for their looks, ease of installation, and quality of materials and workmanship.

Thanks for reading,
Art

[/FONT]

 

Sorry for being so late in responding...life happens...

I'm assuming you've resolved this issue. If not, could you explain it again? Is there something in my original instructions that might be made clearer?

Thanks,
Art

 

You're very welcome. I think you'll be happy with the seat covers. It's only been a couple of months but I'm still very pleased with my covers. Keep us updated as to your success in installing them. If possible, post some photos.

Thanks,
Art