Key points
- No federal safety standard applies directly to aftermarket seat covers, and NHTSA does not approve or certify them.
- A cover must not disable or weaken a seat-mounted side airbag.
- Find your side airbags in the owner's manual before fitting anything.
- Children under 13 ride in the back seat, cover or no cover.
- An aftermarket part does not void your warranty by itself, says the FTC.
What NHTSA says about aftermarket seat covers
NHTSA's Office of Chief Counsel took up aftermarket seat covers and seat-mounted side airbags in an interpretation letter to Signature Products Group, dated August 17, 2011. Its answer is short.
There is no Federal motor vehicle safety standard that applies directly to aftermarket seat covers. NHTSA does not approve or certify covers, and its rules do not require seat cover makers to test their covers for side airbag compatibility. The letter also says NHTSA knows of no industry standard for such covers.
That does not leave a cover maker free to do anything. The maker has to keep its covers free of safety-related defects. Manufacturers, distributors, dealers and repair businesses may not install a cover they know would make a seat-mounted side airbag inoperative. And NHTSA encourages owners like you not to disable or reduce the effectiveness of the safety features on your vehicle.
One more line from the letter matters to anyone choosing a cover. NHTSA considers it practicable to design covers that do not affect side airbag deployment. So the question to ask about any cover is how it was designed around the airbag on your seat, not whether an agency has signed off on it, because no agency does.
| Source | What it says | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA interpretation letter, August 17, 2011 | No federal standard applies directly to aftermarket seat covers. Covers must not be installed by businesses that know they would make a side airbag inoperative. | It does not approve, certify or list any cover. |
| NHTSA page on air bags | Air bags work with seat belts. Side-impact air bags inflate even faster than frontal ones. Children under 13 belong in the back seat. | It says nothing about seat covers. |
| FTC page on auto warranties | Your warranty stays in effect if you use aftermarket parts. The maker or dealer must prove an aftermarket part caused damage before denying coverage for it. | It does not promise coverage for a covered part that a defective or wrongly installed part damaged. |
Why the side of the seat has to stay free
NHTSA's page on vehicle air bags describes how fast this happens. An air bag inflates in less than 1/20th of a second. Side-impact air bags inflate even more quickly, because there is less space between you and the object striking the door.
Air bags are supplemental protection. NHTSA says they are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. The page also warns that serious or fatal injuries can occur when someone is too close to an air bag or in direct contact with it as it begins to deploy.
A seat-mounted side airbag deploys from the seat in that fraction of a second. A cover that holds the seat closed where the bag comes out, or a strap pulled across that spot, stands in its way. That is why fitting a cover is more than a matter of looks.
Fitting a cover so the airbag seam stays free
Start with your owner's manual. It shows which seats in your truck carry side airbags and where on the seat they deploy. Read that page before you open the box, and keep it open while you work.
Our seat covers for the Toyota Tacoma are cut for the 2024–2026 Double Cab with a gas engine, in SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited trims. The side airbags, the belts and the seat controls all get their own cutouts in this set. Your job is to line those openings up where they belong.
- If a strap will only reach by crossing the side of the seatback, stop and read the instructions again before you pull it tight.
- If you cannot tell how a cover treats the side airbag on your seat, ask us or the cover maker before you fit it.
- If the airbag warning light comes on after any work on your seats, have the truck looked at by your dealer.
- 1
Find the seats with side airbags in your owner's manual.
- 2
Start with the front seats and fit each cover over its own seat.
- 3
Line up the cover openings with the airbag area, the seat belts and the seat controls.
- 4
Run your hand along the outboard side of the seatback and make sure no fabric, strap or hook crosses the airbag area.
- 5
Fit the rear covers and the armrest cover last.
- 6
Buckle each seat belt and work each seat control once to confirm nothing is blocked.
Bronco and Maverick covers: what fits which seat
Our seat covers for the Ford Bronco fit the 2021–2026 4-Door. They do not fit the Bronco Sport, the 2-Door or seats with MOLLE seatbacks. You choose a Full set or a version with a zippered opening over the rear center cup holders, and every option includes an armrest box cover. Plan 60 to 90 minutes to fit a Full set. Shipping creases relax once the covers are on.
The Bronco seat and backseat cover set adds a TPE mat for the back of the second row. Its split sections let each side of the rear seat move on its own, and the LATCH anchors for child seats stay reachable. Seat belts, armrests and cup holders stay within reach too.
Our seat covers for the Ford Maverick fit the 2022–2026 XL, XLT and LARIAT trims in Black or Gray and white. Instructions and tools come in the box. Cinch the straps under the driver's seat hard: a loose strap lets the cover lift off the cushion.
| Cover | Fits | Not for | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronco seat covers | 2021–2026 Ford Bronco 4-Door | Bronco Sport, 2-Door, MOLLE seatbacks | Seat covers, armrest box cover |
| Bronco seat and backseat cover set | 2021–2026 Ford Bronco 4-Door | Bronco Sport, Raptor, 2-Door | Seat covers, TPE rear seatback mat |
| Maverick seat covers | 2022–2026 Ford Maverick XL, XLT, LARIAT | Trims not listed | Seat covers, instructions, tools |
| Tacoma seat covers | 2024–2026 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, gas | Hybrid, XtraCab | Front and rear covers, armrest cover |
| Maverick rear dog seat cover | 2022–2026 Ford Maverick, rear seat | Not stated | Cover with hard bottom, mesh window, pockets |
Kids and dogs in the back seat
NHTSA's air bag page says children under 13 should sit in the back seat. A seat cover does not change that. If you carry kids, the rear bench is where they ride, and the LATCH anchors need to stay where you can reach them.
Dogs ride in the back too. Our Maverick rear dog seat cover spreads across the rear seat on a hard bottom pad that carries the weight and keeps paws out of the footwell on a sudden stop. The waterproof Oxford cloth reaches the door sides and the headrests, a mesh window lets air through, and pockets hold toys and treats.
Up front, an armrest cover takes the claw marks instead of the console lid. The Bronco console armrest cover is TPE with a tire tread top. The Maverick version comes in padded PU leather or TPE. You will find all of them on our seat covers and armrests shelf.
Seat covers and your warranty
A common worry is that any add-on voids the factory warranty. The Federal Trade Commission's consumer page on auto warranties answers it plainly. Your warranty stays in effect if you use aftermarket or recycled parts. An aftermarket part is one made by a company that did not make your vehicle.
There is a limit. If a defective or incorrectly installed part damages a part the warranty covers, the manufacturer or dealer can deny coverage for that damaged part. They must first prove the aftermarket part caused the damage. So fit covers by the instructions, and keep your repair and maintenance records, as the FTC suggests.
The same care applies to everything else you add to the cab. Our guide to floor mats that stay put covers the driver footwell, where the risk is a mat against the pedals.
Every product named here is part of the Mabett collection.
