I'm pretty confident it's the actual seat. Back when the car was under warranty, I had the seat heater replaced by the dealer. I'm sure they did not put the seat back in the right way, because since then, the suede isn't tucked below the front lip properly--I always have to retuck it. Plus, if the back of the seat is at its lowest setting, when I sit on it, it conflicts with some plastic piece under the seat and pops. Geez.