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Back seat design flaw - hatch mode damages seats

4K views 37 replies 21 participants last post by  ReiRey 
#1 ·
When the back seats are put into "hatch" mode, there is a metal bar that the back rest rests on. As you can see in the first picture, it causes indentations just above the child car seat notch. *note: this is not from the car seat, i do not have a baby!*

When you lift the bottom part of the seat up, take off the head rest, you can see in the second picture the black metal bar. When the seat is folded all the way down it perfectly lines up with the damage on the back rest of the seat. You can see it is on both sides of the seat in the third picture, as the blue metal bar is causing the same problem.

I brought it into the dealer during my oil change and all they said was it was a "design flaw" and that they wouldn't do anything to fix it. They then accused me of putting too much weight on top of the seat when in hatch mode. I have used the hatch all of 3 times to carry snowboards, a xmas tree, and random junk.

I would like to get this fixed so it does not continue to get worse, but the dealership just blew me off. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thank you!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8388210658_d3a742870f.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8079/8388211690_f52265e42e.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8388239980_19cf364b19.jpg

 
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#4 ·
That really sucks. The dealer almost deffinately won't do anything about it. Would cardboard, maybe a couple layers spread out the forces enough. Does the leather go back smooth? If not you could try to steam the wrinkle out.
 
#6 ·
I could probably put some sort of cardboard taped around the metal to reduce the pressure points out more evenly. The damage is done now though, they won't smooth out. At least I could prevent it from eventually puncturing the leather though.

frinesi2, i didn't buy a brand new car with all the options to carry around a towel. That may have worked in my high school $500 car, but I like things to be a bit nicer now.
 
#11 ·
Is yours a 2013 or 2012? HB or sedan? My 2012 HB with leather and it doesn't get indents like that and I have my back seats down a LOT since I transport my dogs back there quite frequently. Even with the weight of my dogs pressing on the seat backs, my leather still looks like new. Maybe your seat brackets are indeed flawed.
 
#14 ·
Mine is a May 2011 build...pretty close to yours. I'll check a few others on the lot to see if I can "make " indents like yours..
 
#15 ·
#18 ·
I know. The black metal bar in picture 2 and the blue metal bar in picture 3 are what I'm referring to. There are four of these child seat brackets. As you pointed out, you are not using them and therefore can permanently cover them with a flexible smooth material to mitigate the problem.
 
#19 ·
I think you confused me when you said pull up the carpet, but i think i see what you mean now. Just to place the excess under the carpet and push the other end up on top of the metal bracket. This would probably work, i'll give it a try. I'm sure my wife will want those brackets some day, or at least want to want those brackets.

Thanks!
 
#21 ·
I've see those thin cutting boards at Dollar Stores if that's the material you are going to use.

I may need to do this myself. I rarely lower my seats, but vaguely remember seeing the dents last time I did.
 
#23 ·
They are brackets for a child seat mounting system called "LATCH".
 
#25 ·
I just went out to my car to test this out and the LATCH mounts do the same thing to my seats, but I've never had them down for a long enough time to for them make much of a mark in my seats.

You could remove them since every baby seat I've ever seen has multiple mounting options, like using the seat belt if LATCH is not available. But then the LATCH system is much more convenient and easy to use.
 
#29 ·
I just went out to my car to test this out and the LATCH mounts do the same thing to my seats, but I've never had them down for a long enough time to for them make much of a mark in my seats.

You could remove them since every baby seat I've ever seen has multiple mounting options, like using the seat belt if LATCH is not available. But then the LATCH system is much more convenient and easy to use.
It is not just "convenient" it is a much more efficient and SAFER way of securing the car seat of your child into your car.

If you cut these out and tried to sell your car later down the road I'd walk away the second I noticed.

Those are in your car for a reason. Leave them.
 
#26 ·
To be honest, I had used my seats folded flat for 2 full days of moving in October and no indentations.... I will try to double check why not and get back to you, possibly with pictures if different from yours. I have leather as well. Very strange.
 
#32 ·
2012 (2011 build) SEL hb with leather. Ive only had my seats down a couple times, and once when I bought a tv. Also took a nap in my car with the seats down flat once. I haven't noticed any indents in my leather seats.
 
#33 ·
nseah, thanks for the feedback! I just remembered that I did leave the seats down (nothing in the back of the car, no weight on the seat) for a week. Too lazy to put them back up i guess. Maybe leaving them down for a week caused the indents.

Regardless of whether this caused it or not, it is still a design flaw. I'm going to try the pipe insulation suggestion. I think i have some leftover from when I wrapped my house's pipes.
 
#35 ·
I tried swim noodles and pipe insulation but there was too much friction for them to stay in place permanently. Taping them or zipties didn't seem to help.

So I bought the vinyl cutting board at the Dollar Tree, cut it into pieces big enough, put a strip of Velcro on the ends to hold them over the brackets. I may have made the pieces a little too narrow (3.75" x 7.5") but we'll see. It seems to stay out of the way and serves it's purpose as far as I can see.

The piece with Velcro:


From the back of the seat:


From above:


From below:
 
#37 ·
They don't stick out. I would make the material at least 1" wider then I made it.

This doesn't completely solve the issue. After posting the pics, I left the seats down until now. The dents were still there, just less defined. Which I kind of expected. They did smooth out almost immediately but I only had them down for 2 1/2 hours.
 
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