I bought leather seats for my 05 Scion TC. I'm 8 months pregnant and am due December 5th. Do you know when it would be safe to have it installed? I heard that the materials they use put off gasses, etc., that could be harmful to the baby. I wish I would have had it installed earlier, but I've just been too busy. Any advice or referrals to links that discuss this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!

 

congrats on the baby!!!

Is it a Boy or a Girl?

My wife is due in May, but i"m not sure on the gases that the seats give off and the safety of the baby. Also, the baby will probably throw up, dribble, etc on the upholstry a little here and there. So make sure you want to put nice expensive seats in your car before a kid trashes them

And when the water pops, that can leave a hell of a mark on the seats

 

Congratulations! I suggest delay the leather seats too....then after you can probably just lay out a towel/some layer of protection under the baby's carseat to protect your leather.

 

Thanks. It's a little girl :D

I've already purchased the leather package. They didn't tell me that I had a time limit as far as when I had to install it. I would think that once a product is bought, it's yours, no matter how long it takes you to pick it up. Worse case scenario is that they should refund my money, right?

 

you never know what a dealership my pull on a customer

 

I really doubt you have anything to worry about, but what you could do is open the packaging around the Leather and spread it out in your garage or basement for a week or so. That way it can "air out" a little before it's installed.

 

I better call the dealership then and let them know I can't get it installed right away. They should be understanding - I hope.

I don't have access to the leather. They order it and I don't ever get to see it or even touch it before it gets put into the car, so I won't be able to let it air out. I guess I can ask them if they would let it air out?

 

Why don't you ask your doctor if it's safe or not?

 

Most car parts are harmful in some way. In California, the dealerships are legally required to let you know that your car will likely give you cancer. The plastics inside the car are just as harmful as the leather, probably more so.

 

Actually you're right RodC. I remember watching a report on a morning news some time ago that the "new car smell" that we always liked from a new car may actually be harmful---particularly the flame retardants on the upholstery/leather and the odors from the plastics. Personally i wasn't notified of this fact when I bought from Honda (gf's car) or Toyota/Scion.

 

I think you should do it now! It will look sooo nice. Leather is really resistant and easy to clean from my experience. I used to cart my baby cousin around in my car (not my tC) all the time and he threw up a few times and spilled drinks, etc, and it wasn't that big of a deal to clean, if cleaned right away, and it was tan leather! I also feel like leather wouldn't take that long to air out. Maybe just keep the windows cracked at night to help?

Anyways, congrats on the baby, I bet you are super excited! I'm like, excited for you! :D

 

Where can I get the "leather" package at? Is only from a stealership if so how much?

 

Here is the info you wanted, about leather. I would first talk to your doctor, of course. But here is also an organization who does test interiors of cars. There are many many toxic gases out there, might want to contact this organization and ask them about the leather. This should help you a lot!

http://www.healthycar.org

UPDATE:
Was looking through their website.. Here's a quote from healthycar.org
"Are cloth seats better than leather seats?
In general, vehicles with leather seats are often associated with higher VOC and chemical levels. We cannot attribute this to the leather seats alone though. It is likely that other features that are associated with upgraded trim packages, such as leather steering wheel, more electronics, different carpets and body trim panels, all contribute to these higher chemical levels in cars with leather seats. In addition, HealthyCar.org testing found that most "leather" seats use vinyl on the sides and back of the seats, instead of leather. It usually cannot be detected by consumers, since the vinyl looks exactly like the leather. Vinyl contains VOCs called phthalates that off-gas significantly and are associated with many health effects. So, overall, cloth seats are likely the healthier choice. For more information about vinyl, visit our
chlorine page" http://www.healthycar.org/chemicals.chlorine.php <-- their chlorine page.

But still maybe contact them, they could definitely help you!

 

You probably weren't notified directly, but all new cars come with a window sticker which contains something similar to the following:

"Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."

 

repost

 

Just air it out in your garage a few days then go ahead with it

 

get it installed and switch cars with a trusty boyrfriend/husband/family member.....problem solved.../thread

 

If you're due on 12/5 your baby is well past its developmental stage as far as birth defects go. Right now, she's just growing bigger but not getting new parts so-to-speak. Theoretically, there could be the possible of toxic injury to her already fully formed organs including damage to the brain but this risk is no greater now than it will be for the next eighteen years or so as the brain grows and develops. If you can wait and that will make you feel a bit better, by all means, do it. Realize that life will never get more simple for you from here out. Mazel tov!!!