PRP Front & Rear Seat Covers For 5th Gen 4Runner – Install & Review

All New PRP Customizable Front & Rear Seat Covers + Console Covers For 5th Gen (2011+) 4Runner – Install, Review & Overview

You know how dirty the seats in your 4Runner can get. Whether you’re out hitting the trails with your buddies or at the grocery store with your kids, your seats see a lot of wear.

So, what can you do to protect your seats from everyday wear and tear? Enter the PRP custom seat covers for the 2011+, 2-row Toyota 4Runner!

These covers have been crafted to fit well over the factory front seats, rear seats, and center console. They can also be customized with over 60 colors and materials available. If you have cloth seats (or if you need an interior refresh) and want upgraded protection with an OEM look, these are for you.

Find It Online:

• Front Seat Covers: Check Price 
• Rear Bench Seat Cover: Check Price
• Center Console Cover: Check Price

Note: There is a ~4-6+ week lead time as the seats are made to order.

Installation Notes

Installing the PRP seat covers is relatively straightforward. I followed the step-by-step tutorial provided by PRP Seats. However, I will mention a few additional tips that were not included.

I highly recommend doing this installation with a second set of hands. According to PRP Seats, a second set of hands may not be necessary. I found that a helper made the installation much more manageable.

You may need to disconnect the ground from the battery to prevent the SRS light from coming on. Since we decided to remove the two front seats to install the covers, we needed to disconnect the battery. Removing the seats is unnecessary, but it gave us more space to work with and made the installation much easier.

Take your time to review the covers after every installation step. Adjusting them as you go will make this installation come out perfect. For example, I suggest going back and checking the front side of the seat cover to ensure that it lines up correctly and adjusting as needed.

Finally, there is no actual order for installing these covers. PRP started with the front seats, whereas we started with the rear seats. After going through the installation, the rear bench was a lot less challenging to work with. It also allowed us to get the hang of installing these covers before tackling the front seats.

Installation Prep

You can do a few steps before the installation to make it easier. I suggest doing all these steps as preparation to make the process as seamless as possible.

1. Remove Headrests

To remove the headrests, tilt the seat to a 45-degree angle and press the button on the right side. As you’re pressing, slide the headrest up and out.

2. Remove Trim Piece Behind Rear Bench

This part is removed to make installing the bottom seat covers much easier. Start by locating the cargo net anchors in the back of the cargo space. In front of the anchor, you’ll see a plastic cover that you’ll remove with a flathead screwdriver. Then, use a 10mm socket to remove the bolt attached to the trim piece.

Repeat on the other side. From there, the trim piece will easily pop out of its location, and you can put it to the side.

3. Remove Center Cupholder  (Rear Bench)

You’ll only need to remove this to install that center cover. However, getting it out of the way first will help with time during the installation.

Start by removing your rubber cup inserts (if you still have them). Inside the cup holders, you’ll see a small screw in each. Use a Philips head screwdriver to remove them.

4. (Optional) Remove Front Seats

We found it to be helpful to remove the front seats. However, this step is optional as the covers can still be installed without removing the front seats.

If you do this step, start by disconnecting the ground from the battery. Once the battery has been disconnected, remove the plastic covers at each corner of the seats using a pry tool. You’ll see a bolt under each cover; use a 14mm socket to remove the bolts.

Once the bolts have been removed, tilt the seat back and disconnect the connectors from under the seat. Depending on your trim and options, these connectors can vary. I had to disconnect three connectors: yellow, grey, and white because I have heated and powered seats with the airbag.

The yellow connector will have a white tab that you slide backward to disconnect. The grey connector will have a tab to push in to remove. Finally, the white connector will have a small tab towards the back of the connector that you will need to push up.

Once you have completed disconnecting the harnesses, you will notice a small zip tie connecting a few cables. Go ahead and cut that zip tie off. The seat can now be removed; a second set of hands will help here.

Installing PRP Seat Covers

Before starting the installation, I highly suggest identifying and organizing the seat covers. Not only will this help save time, but it’ll also ensure no errors in the installation.

You can also get the seat cover material to loosen a bit by putting them in direct sunlight for 30-60 minutes. If you live in the PNW (where it rains 90% of the year), throw them in your dryer for a few minutes. This will make sliding the covers over the seats much easier.

Tools Used 

• Pry Tool
• 14mm 3/8 short socket
• 10mm 3/8 short socket
• 3/8 ratchet
• 3-inch 3/8 extension
• Mini flathead screwdriver
• Phillips head screwdriver
• Zip ties
• Snippers
• Needle nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers

Rear Bench Installation

Start by removing the seatbelt cover located on the rear passenger seat. To do this, grab your Philips head screwdriver and remove the screw that is in the lower hole. Once removed, pull the cover down towards the bottom of the seatbelt to get it out of your way.

Prepare 60-Split Section

Start by flipping the bottom half of the bench on the 60 section up to give you ample space to install the upper cover. Then, flip the center section forward by lifting the latch on the back side and pushing it down.

Step 1. Install Rear Passenger-Side Upper Cover

Locate the upper cover for the rear passenger seat. The correct cover will have a hole on the left side for the bolt that sticks into the center seat.

Starting from the back, wrap this cover around the seat. Don’t forget to pull the seatbelt over the cover and insert it through the hole.

Next, there are two small holes at the top of the cover. Push them around the corners of the headrest trim piece so that the plastic sits flush overtop the cover. You’ll also see a third hole for the release button on the left corner of the cover. Pull the cover over the button.

Once you have the cover positioned correctly, push the excess flap hanging at the bottom of the seat through to the back of the seat. You’ll need to pull this as tightly as possible. I suggest using a set of pliers to avoid straining your fingers.

Take a quick look at the front of the seat and make any adjustments. Pull the bottom piece tighter if there are any wrinkles or bubbles, and ensure all the holes are lined up. Now, flip the seat down to start working on the back.

Once tight, find the zipper, connect both ends, and zip it closed. Take that zipped-up flap and connect it overtop to the flap you pulled through. If it doesn’t reach correctly, continue using the pliers to gently pull the bottom flap up.

The last step is reinstalling the seatbelt trim piece cover with a Philips head screwdriver.

Step 2. Install Rear Passenger-Side Bottom Cover

Next up is the installation of the bottom cover for the 60-split section. Since both the passenger and center seats have one connected bench, you will use the longer cover.

Start by pulling the release handle to have the bottom bench in a halfway-up position. Start sliding the seat cover onto the bench, making sure that it goes around all four corners of the seats. Don’t forget to thread the bench pull tab through the slot in the inner part of the cover.

Once you’ve pulled your cover over the seat, you can begin to tighten it from the underside. You’ll notice two long strings hanging from both sides of the cover, do not cut these off. Instead, you will need to thread the string through two loops. The loops are located at the top, near the gap in the seat, and on the bottom center of the middle seat.

Start by grabbing the string on the passenger side seat cover and running it down to the bottom loop. Make sure you pull the string to tighten the cover. Once you feel it’s tight enough, run the string through the second loop at the top of the seat cover (in the gap). Then, run it back down to the bottom loop before securing it to the second string on top of the middle seat. You can also use pliers to tie the two strings together tightly.

Make sure that your seat covers are as tight as possible to avoid them shifting over time. Take your time to gently pull the string and adjust the cover to ensure proper installation.

Step 3. Install Center Armrest Cover

You should already have the center cupholder trim piece removed per the pre-installation steps earlier. If not, go back and do that now.

Locate the correct PRP cover for the rear center armrest. If you are installing both the rear and front center covers, this one is the larger of the two. Undo the Velcro strips and find the small rectangular hole. This part will go at the top, where you will feed the pull piece through.

To start the installation, grab the bottom flap and thread it through from the underside of the armrest to the top, pulling as tightly as possible. If you get caught on any side plastic pieces, try your best to move the cover around to make it fit. Once in place, connect all the Velcro pieces, ensuring they all line up.

Next, pull the top part of the cover over the rest of the armrest. Use the little slot to feed the pull piece through and ensure that the three cutouts line up with each bracket hole from the trim piece. At this time, give the Velcro strips one more look to ensure they are even and connected correctly. Don’t forget to turn the armrest cover over to check for any readjustments.

Finally, reinstall the plastic cupholder trim piece. Double-check that the three plastic clips go through the cover to the holes that secure them. Finish up by reinstalling the two screws using a Philips head screwdriver.

Once you have completed the front end of the center armrest, you’ll want to install the rear covers. First, pull down the center armrest and then pull the lever on the back of the center seat to lower the rest of it.

Once lowered you will be installing two pieces of carpet. Start by locating the piece with the longer rectangular cutout. This will install on the bottom of the seat.

Install the carpeted pieces by adhering them to the seat with the Velcro straps. Match the rectangular cutout with the lower left corner. Then, locate the piece that has a square cutout. This piece will go on top of the other cover. Again, use the Velcro to adhere the cover, lining up the square cutout with plastic trim located in the upper right corner.

Step 4. Install Rear Driver-Side Upper Cover

Start by lowering your seat to a 45-degree angle. Next, slide the cover on top of the seat from left to right. Once you have the cover on, go ahead and make sure that all four corners are covered. Then, pull the plastic pieces on top of the seat through the three holes on the cover.

Once you have everything on, start pulling the cover tightly around to the back, including the flap at the bottom. Double-check that the child anchor cutouts align with the actual child anchors. We struggled a bit on the outer side of this seat because of the plastic towards the bottom of the door sill. Do your best to get as much of the seat pulled to the back as possible.

Once everything is pulled back, zip the two sides together and tuck the excess zipper flaps into the covers. Lastly, pull hard on both flaps to connect them at the bottom of the seat.

As always, do your final check and readjust as needed.

Step 5. Install Rear Driver-Side Bottom Cover

Starting from the front of the seat, slip the bottom cover over the top of it, ensuring that it covers all four corners. You’ll see the cutout towards the back of the cover, go ahead and pull the release strap through that hole.

Since this side is much smaller, there is only one loop at the bottom right corner of the seat cover. Take the string and run it down to the loop, then back up, where you will tie it together with the other string end. Remember to pull as tightly as possible on these stings and use the pliers if needed.

As always, do your final check and readjust as needed.

Step 6. Install Rear Headrests

You will have three headrests to install for the rear. The side headrests are side specific as they have lever cutouts on each headrest.

The installation is very straightforward for the side headrests. Slip the cover over the top of the headrest, making sure you pull it over the lever, and then strap the Velcro together. When installing the side headrest covers, I found it easier to slip them on halfway. Then, I pulled the lever through the cutout and pulled the cover over the rest of the headrest.

As for the middle headrest, just pull the cover over the top of the headrest, making sure that the metal spikes go into the cutouts. Then, strap it down with the Velcro pieces.

The hardest part is getting the cover to sit correctly on the headrest. I suggest using the logo as a guide for proper alignment.

Finally, reinstall the headrests onto the seats. Don’t forget that the headrests with the levers are side specific, and the lever will need to be facing the outside of the vehicle.

Step 7. Reinstall Cargo Trim Piece

To reinstall the trim piece, clip it back into place by pushing the plastic cover back onto the carpeted part. Then, reinstall the bolts using a 10mm socket. Finish it up by flipping the cover overtop the bolt.

Front Seat Installation

The front seat installation is the same on both sides.

It’s crucial to note that the upper covers for the front seats are side specific because they have a slot for the airbags. You will know you have the correct cover because the airbags will be facing the outside of the seat.

You’re going to want to start on the backside of the seat. Towards the bottom, you’ll see a carpet skirt held on by a piece of elastic band intertwined within the seat’s springs. Go ahead and unhook the elastic band so that you will have access to the middle of the seat.

Step 1. Install Top Cover

Start by opening up the cover and sliding it over the seat. Once it’s sitting on the seat nicely, begin pushing the access flap through the middle to the back. Like the rear seats, you will have two cutouts at the top of the cover. Push the cover under the plastic piece to get it to sit flush with the headrest insert.

Before moving on to the next step, ensure everything is tucked in, and the cover is sitting correctly on your seat.

Once everything looks good, head to the back of the seat again. Since these covers come with a new piece of carpet to wrap around the bottom of your seat, you will slide the stock carpeted skirt under the cover. At this point, you will pull the three flaps out from the middle of the seat and slide the wires that are connected to the bottom of the seat in between the cutouts. Make sure to pull the flaps tightly and use pliers if needed.

Now that you’ve pulled everything through attach the three flaps you just finished pulling through with the top flap.

Finally, adjust the airbag slot. Take the mesh side of the cover and pull it out. Starting from the top, use your fingers to push the mesh into the slot and over to the other side of the seat. This will allow the front flap to hang directly over the bottom flap, ensuring a seamless look.

Step 2. Install Bottom Cover

Like the upper cover for your front seats, the bottom cover is also side specific. To figure out which cover you need, look at the sides of the cover. One side will have a more extended flap, which is meant to go on the seat’s interior. The other side will be much shorter and is meant to be tucked into the plastic part above the seat controls.

Start by loosely installing the cover around your seat and making sure that you push the excess flap to the back of the seat. Starting from the front center of the cover, push the edge underneath the plastic skirt. Work your way around all the other sides and get them as flush with the seat as possible. We were able to tuck the cover in with our fingers; however, if you are having trouble, you can use a flat or tucking tool to get everything pushed down without hurting the cover.

Next, grab the string closest to the seat control and get it tucked through the plastic side skirt and down to the bottom of the seat. Once the string is pulled through, run it underneath the plastic to the back.

On the opposite side, closest to the center console, grab the string and pull it to the back of the seat. Make sure that you pull both of these strings under the sliders. Once you have both strings in the back, start tightly pulling the flap that came through to the back of the seat. On that flap, you will see three loops. Begin to run both strings through opposite sides of the loops, meeting in the middle.

Before tightening the strings, check the bottom cover to ensure everything is tucked in correctly and sits flush with the plastic piece. When you are ready to tighten the string, grab it with your pliers and tighten it as much as possible. Once everything has been tightened, tie off the string but don’t let it get loose! The excess string can be tied to the side or tucked into the seat.

Your last step on this side will be reattaching the skirt from the upper cover to the underside of the seat. Take the elastic band on the new skirt and attach it to the springs underneath the seat by sliding it through.

You have now finished installing the front seat covers. If you uninstalled your front seats, you will need to reinstall them.

Start by moving the seat back into the 4Runner and reconnecting all the wire harnesses. Once you have finished, grab your new zip tie and tie the cables back together; these should be the yellow and thick black cables.

Begin positioning your seat back in its spot by using the white dowels on the bottom four corners and aligning them with the holes on your 4Runner’s floor. Finish attaching the seats by reinstalling the bolts, torquing them down (27-30ft/lbs.), and clipping the plastic covers back into place. Also, don’t forget to reattach your battery!

Step 3. Install Headrests

Just like the rear headrests, pull the cover over the headrest and tighten it as much as possible. Once you have it in place and the PRP logo is centered on the seat, use the Velcro straps to secure the cover.

Center Console Cover Installation

To install the center console cover, open the center console and slide the cover over the lid. You’ll see toward the top there is a slot where the latches will fit. Make sure it doesn’t cover the latch, and that you can still close it.

Move your way down to the bottom of the console and begin wrapping the cover around the bottom covers. Pull the cover over either side to ensure it clears both sides.

Make final adjustments to the cover and Velcro the straps together once it is set correctly.

Initial Thoughts

I love the PRP custom seat covers! The quality of material that PRP Seats uses is superior to many other options on the market. I also love how they protect the entire seat, not just sections, unlike many other aftermarket covers.

Another part of these seats that I am impressed with is all the attention to detail. PRP wanted these seats to not only look good and do their part to protect your OEM seats, but they also wanted to make them functional. They have cutouts for all baby-seat anchors and, most importantly, allow your airbag to still deploy properly.

I was a little worried about losing the functionality of my heated seats with these thick covers. However, I haven’t had any issues with them. They may take an additional minute to warm up, but they still work perfectly despite having an extra layer.

Off-Roading Durability

We quickly took the 4Runner off-roading with the new seat covers. Let me tell you, they performed flawlessly! We went to Capitol Forest in Olympia, WA, for a day of exploring in the mud.

As you may already know, when you’re spending all day exploring new trails, there’s a lot of getting in and out of your car. This tends to take a toll on the seats over time, with stains, scratches, and possibly rips. With the PRP custom seat covers, I wasn’t worried about any of that. I let the mud sit on the surface of the seats until I got home and was able to wipe it away with a wet microfiber towel. Even with the rain we got, the water came off with a quick wipe.

The material I selected for my seats is a buttery-smooth vinyl that performs great in all conditions.

Final Thoughts

I’ve had my fair share of seat covers in my 4Runner. Every single time, without fail, I end up hating how they move around and get so dirty and gross that I take them off. I know I won’t have these issues with these PRP custom seat covers.

One of the best parts about the PRP custom seat covers is that I don’t need to compromise on my needs. Functionality, durability, and appearance were non-negotiables for me. After searching through all of the options, I wasn’t finding what I needed.

Thankfully PRP checked all three boxes! I also appreciate the attention to detail put into making these covers. They fit like a glove around every nook and cranny of the seats.

The installation was a bit more time-consuming than I thought it would be, but was it absolutely worth it! If your budget allows, I highly suggest that you splurge on the PRP custom seat covers.

PRP YouTube Install Video