Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use?

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Tue 22 Sep 2009 19:50
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - wazza
Modern cars now have safety airbags mounted in the steering wheel. Some models have it on the passenger side and also in the side of the front seats.

For this post i want to know if it dangerous to use seat covers on seats with side airbags fitted in seats.

Watching a program on one of the discovery channels where they buy a write off cars, repair it and then sell it. I think it is called wreck rescue. In one episode they were replacing a side airbag. They had a upholster to come in and stitch up the seat cover on the side. The presenter said that the stitching around the airbag area is weak so that they can break easily when the airbag is deployed. This makes sense.

My friend is a taxi driver and drives a 55reg avensis which has side airbags. Him like some other taxi drivers have an imitiation leather (pvc?) seats covers made and fitted on top of existing seat covers. They are a tight fit. Easy to wipe off stains etc. I asked him if the stitching around the side airbags are weak enough to break if the airbag is deployed? Remember the airbag now has to go through two covers.

Where does he stand regarding insurance etc? If the stitching is strong and there is a side impact then what?

The seat covers bought from halfords/argos etc tend to be of cloth and a loose fit and probably split when the airbag goes bang.

Have any of you had seat covers fitted and considered this?
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Tue 22 Sep 2009 20:20
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - Rattle
I thought modern seat covers are designed to work with seat airbags?
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Tue 22 Sep 2009 20:31
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - Hamsafar
It tells you in the car owner's manuals not to use seat covers, not to stow things there such as bags, not to allow children top ut their arms near there etc...
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Tue 22 Sep 2009 21:36
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - Stuartli
>>Modern cars now have safety airbags mounted in the steering wheel. Some models have it on the passenger side and also in the side of the front seats.>>

My just short of 10 years old VW Bora has the first two measures...:-)

Many seat covers I've seen have provision to cater for seat side air bags.
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Tue 22 Sep 2009 22:01
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - rtj70
I had side airbags in my 99/T Golf GTi and the Passat that followed that in 2000. Some of the criteria used in selecting them.
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Tue 22 Sep 2009 22:07
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - Bromptonaut
Xantia (2000 X) has airbags in seat and handbook warns against using seat covers. Once seat airbags became commonplace it's likely that after market covers were adapted but less likely that OEM was prepared to certify that bang seat would work as designed with all covers.
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Wed 23 Sep 2009 00:54
Seat Covers - Is it dangerous to use? - davecuk
The talk about PVC seat covers set me thinking.....when the airbag goes off the whole seat might puff up to 3 times it's normal size, propelling you vigorously through the roof. If it was a taxi driver I presume the late night customers who have had a few lagers and a curry, would find this very amusing. ;-)

Me....I'd give the driver a extra big tip for the entertainment!
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