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Leather : Manufacturer's or Dealer's confusion

I m thinking of Buying a Toyota Camry : I was told that LE model does not come with leather from the manufacturer.

But the dealer says that they have LE models with leather. And that they have done the leather themselves with the exact same leather Manufacturer uses.

  1. Is there anything bad with these leather work ( Will it be less in quality compared to that of the manufacturer )
  2. Will I end up with paying more price for it, since the seats were once made with fabric, and then done again with leather.
  3. Since this leather work is done by the dealer, how will I calculate the right price ( Invoice and MSRP ). Both Edmunds and msn only shows prices for the manufacturer models.
  4. In general is it advised to stick with the options that came directly from the manufacturer.

Thanks a lot for reading

Reply to
Norris Watkins
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According to Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. web site, the SE and XLE have leather available, the standard and LE do not.

Hard to say what the quality will be. Maybe great, maybe terrible. The manufacturer's warranty will not cover non-Toyota accessories and options so you will be at the mercy of the dealer if a problem develops. Also, another dealer will not be able to cover any material or workmanship problems with the leather.

Compare prices from the factory and from the dealer.

Check the premium for leather in the SE or XLE models and apply the same premium to yours.

Absolutely! Getting warranty coverage for non-genuine accessories is a big hassle, especially because there is no easy way to predict the quality of the accessories beforehand.

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Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply
Reply to
Ray O

Interesting. That explains why the original owner had the dealer install "Classic Soft Leather" trim. Dealer counter parts person told me the aftermarket leather can be better quality than original. This brand was good quality in 1994 and they're still in business today, so you might inquire about having that installed. Yes, you do pay a premium for the installation, but done correctly it is indistinguishable from factory leather - includes door panel trim (however does not include steering wheel). Recommended for leather, which they generally don't tell you - take care of it. Check leatherique.com. to protect from deterioration, especially from prolonged exposure to sun.

Reply to
nospampls2002

We had afterfactory leather in a 1993 Nissan Altima and it was fine. I wouldn't be afraid to do it.

Reply to
D.D. Palmer

Thanks everybody who responded: ( Special Thanks to Ray for the detailed reply earlier ) I came across a friend who has had a Camry with dealer's leather. He says quality wise he is perfectly satisfied. But the question is, if I m paying more for it, because the dealer is doing it. Will it cost less if I get it done outside ?

Reply to
Norris Watkins

Or you can get same equipped SE with leather for less.

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Reply to
cks

If you get a Toyota from SouthEast Toyota (the distributor, not the dealer), the leather is the same as the manufacturer.

Reply to
Beans

doing

The dealer does not install leather. Trust me. The dealer has it done at a local shop. Same applies to window tinting.

I don't know if you can get it done for less, even though the dealer marks up the cost and makes a profit on it (the dealer may get a quantity discount that you cannot get). But if you could find out who does the work for the dealer, then you could certainly ask.

If the regional distributor installs the leather (as opposed to the manufacturer or dealer), then that may, or may not, be different. They "may" have enough volume to do it in house, or they may farm it out.

Reply to
Mark A

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