Leatherette is cracking
 

I have a 2011 Countryman with carbon black leatherette. I just noticed last month that I have 5 small slits/tears/cracks in left side of the seat. (You know, where you constantly squish as you get out of the car.) Of course, I'm out of warranty, so MINI won't fix it. Anyone have luck with at home repair kits, or know someone in the San Francisco Bay Area who can do the repair?

I had the same issue in the same location on my driver's seat but fortunately just before my warranty ran out so MINI replaced the seat cover.

As for repairs, there is a company called Fibrenew (www.fibrenew.com) that does this sort of thing. I've seen some of their work on boat upholstery and while not perfect is certainly very good. Not sure if they are in your area though.

To help keep your leatherette in good shape, use a vinyl protectant. There are many on the market, and perhaps the best known is Armor All. My favorite is 3M Marine Vinyl, Cleaner, Conditioner and Protectant. Costs significantly more than Armor All, but I like the results.

If you end up having to replace the cover as opposed to repairing you might want to make the jump to leather.

Katzkin will replace all 4 seat covers with leather starting at around $1500.

Katzkin is preferred by many car dealers as the aftermarket alternative to factory leather seats.

Armor All shouldn't be used on seats unless you want it on your clothes cuz it doesn't absorb into the vinyl. Same with floor mats cuz it makes them very slippery. Aerospace 303 is a very good (but a bit expensive) option as is the 3M stuff.