Here is probably more than you wanted...
Changing the leather started off pretty bad. I almost gave up and took it to an aupholstery shop... The seatback side release paddle hit me in the face when I tried to pry it off. Don't do that.
I started with the passenger seat. Four bolts, and it comes right out. I did have to go buy a small deep socket set, because of the back bolts. Make sure and disconnect the electronic sensors under the seat. It unplugs pretty easily. Once the seat is out, that plastic cover that runs along the side is tricky to get off. Start by removing the seatback release paddle... And don't pry it off. There is a metal pinch bar holding it in place. Use needle-nose pliers to pull the pinch bar out and the handle comes right off. Once this is off, there is only one screw holding the plastic trim on at the back of the seat. The rest is held on with metal snap fasteners. Just be careful popping them out. They can break. I tried to get under each snap with pliers, but I ended up just giving the piece a quick pull, and it came off. Beleive it or not, that was really the hard part for me. The rest took a while, but I figured it out without much problem.
The seat and backrest need to come apart. There are only two bolts on each side to remove. Don't try to take the covers off without doing this first. It is impossible... and you will break the black disk snaps on each side (Which I had to replace with small nuts, bolts, and washers.). Not a big deal if you break them, but you will need to replace them with something else.
Next, I removed the headrest from the back of the seat. You will need a small nail to push the release button on the side of the headrest post. The posts can be removed from inside the seatback once you separate it from the bottom seat. Just reach your hand up the inside back of the seatback and squeeze the post together. I had to wiggle it some, but it does just pop out. Also remove the top seatback release paddle (on the back of the seat) by popping off the release pull and unscrewing the single screw. When you put your seat back together, make sure the top of this bracket catches the plastic notch, or the bracket will not be secure on your seat back.
Now, just make sure all of the plastic rivets, brackets, and holds are free, and the back just slides off. The leather covers I bought from newtakeoff.com included the padding in the seatback, so it just goes right over the metal frame.
The seat bottom will require one or two pair of pliers as there is a bar that has three hoop hooks through it at the front of the seat. I just pulled them apart and detached the velcro strips without much problem.
Once you finish the passenger seat, the driver seat goes twice as fast, as it is pretty much the exact same. My driver seat is powered, so I had to unhook a few more wires, but it was easy.
The back seat will thank you for all your hard work in the front. It is SO easy to remove. There are only two push releases just under the seat... about 1/3 of the way in on each side. Push them, lift up, and the whole bottom seat comes right out. There are only 3 bolts holding in the seatbacks. Remove them, and the whole back seat is out. Be careful when removing the covers because there is lots of velcro on the back seats, and the foam is easily ripped if you pull too hard. Just take your time and work it off, and it is a snap. Getting the back seat covers back on took a little time to stretch and line up the velcro, but again, the back seat was really the easiest to do.
I would say the total time on this was around 10 hours. With this info, you could probably do it in 6 to 8. I saved $450 to $700 by doing it myself, and it looks completely flawless. Skill level? I'd give it a 7 out of 10, but I am in no way trained or skilled in this area. I am a graphic designer with patience and a tight wallet, and I am very proud to sit in my car now that smells like new leather and say, "I did this by myself."
Hope this helps! If you have any other specifics, feel free to ask. Now, excuse me whilst I go recline in my new leather seats and drive in circles around the neighborhood.
Cooper
