WARNING: I would never want anyone to damage their vehicle, or God forbid get hurt, therefore everything anyone sees me post should NOT be considered safe, approved by Tesla or the NHTSA. All the mods are done at the owner’s risk, and some may even void the warranty. Check with Tesla or an authority if you have doubts, and before attempting any modifications. All my posts are for instructional purposes only.
I reserved my TM3 AWD on March 30th 2016. When I finally was able to order in June 2018, the White Seats were not an option. That option appeared about a week or two after I placed my order, but Tesla warned me that if I changed the order there could be a 1-3 month delay in delivery of my car. Given how long I waited I decided to go with the black seats (standard option), save $1000 and get my car sooner.
Fast forward 12 months later, and I found a way to “get” white seats, while costing me $255.00 USD instead. So in a way I saved $745.00 🙂 NOTE: Page 35 of the Tesla Manual states that seat covers should NOT be used! Do this at your own risk!
I know its not the same as OEM white seats, since the door Alcantara is not white, and neither is the dash, but I honestly like the door in black and I covered my dash with 3M 1080 Carbon Fiber vinyl anyway. I also know these are just “car seat covers” but I must admit, the white feels and looks really good, plus it really pops in the black interior, and this mod has the added bonus of protecting the original seats.
Be forewarned, this is NOT an easy install, you will curse and scream doing it, especially if you install it by yourself like I did. It’s actually a pain to do the very 1st time, and finger cuts are likely to happen too.
Took me about 1.5h to do the front seats and about 1.5h to do the back for a total of 3h. If I had to install another one I could probably do it all in 1,5h or less, knowing what I know now. There are no instruction sheets or manuals whatsoever with the kit I got! The video link the seller posted is very fast and not at all clear about connecting pieces together, especially for the front seats. The driver seat was the most challenging, as there is little room for your hands to work underneath. The middle piece that is zippered up needed to be longer and also come with velcro straps. You will also have problems with the back seat seatbelt connectors they are not coming through the seat cover easily.
I got a bit creative with the back seat metal hooks, as I did not like the method in the seller video where they hook onto the foam itself. Their method was not secure and the foam will rip, I think mine is better as it hooks to the metal rod going around the seat bottom.
The kit comes in White, Black or Red, and the seller can create custom colors but much more costly. It arrives in a large flat cardboard box with 12 pieces in two plastic bags, 3 pieces are attached (back of rear seat) with 2 zippers, and includes the middle head rest and the 2 sides. It weighs in at 11.15lb in total.
SUMMARY:
Link to get a set in preferred color: HERE
Price (as of 9/14/19): $255 USD
Total Pieces: 12
Weight: 11.15lb
Color: White
Material: PU Leather (Polyurethane)
Install Difficulty: 3 out of 5
PHOTOS:
Here is the entire kit laid out to ensure all the pieces are there:
Closeup of the kit Back Seats & Sides:
Closeup of the kit Front Seats:
Placed on ELECTRA before install:
Front Seats BEFORE Install:
Front Seats AFTER Install:
Back Seats BEFORE Install:
https://i.imgur.com/hSGLc4M.jpg
Back Seats AFTER Install:
https://i.imgur.com/rvkcmrZ.jpg
Back Seat Straps and Hooks:
https://i.imgur.com/BBmKfq7.jpg
Front and Back Seats Installed:
https://i.imgur.com/kI0GO4l.jpg