I just had my drivers seat heater repaired... a big mistake, I should of just let it go. The dealer replaced the seat cover and the heater works great, but now the front corners of the seat bottom are not taunt and feel like there is no longer any foam under it. I did a search and found a thread with someone having the same issue but there was nothing said how the problem was fixed.

I showed the service manager and he said that is the way the seat covers come and nothing they can do... IMO that's bullsh*t. After going around in circles he reluctantly ordered another cover.

My question is, has anyone had the same problem and what was the corrective action? My guess is they screwed up the foam on the seat cushion when they took off the old seat cover or didn't secure the new cover tight enough when the put the new cover on.

I am getting very tired and fed up with Chrysler. I've had my share of problems with my car and it has been a continues fight to get things fixed correctly. DC should of marketed, sold and serviced the Crossfire as a MB. Chrysler sucks and is IMO still a third rate car company and always will be...

 

Recently had both seats, backs & bottoms replaced under warranty. The seats where delivered as separate units from the factory, basically install/plug & play. The new seats are actually better than the original seats, IMHO. I have read other threads where different approaches or methods were taken to correct the "heated seats" issue, guess it depends on how good your Dealer/Service is. The issue you are experiencing was the reason the Service Manager decided to just order new seats, he stated that he was not going to have his Tech removing and replacing seat covers. The least your dealer could have done was send the job out to a "professional upholstery" shop.

 

CrossfireLTD

Thanks for the reply.

Did they give you a reason as to why the new seat covers didn't fit properly?

What pisses me off is that I show them an obvious defect and all they do is dance around the issue making all kind of excuses, and then they have the ***** to tell me they do their best but I am never satisfied. I guess expecting things to be fixed properly isn't the norm in this day and age.

I'm just going to tell them to hold off on replacing the seat cover and request a meeting with the district maintenance rep or whatever they are called.

Oh, and to top it off the new seat cover is a shade or two lighter than the original.

 

How do you think they are better?

 

ben... i am having my driver seat replaced (upper & lower). i always ask to see the parts before service... b/c normally they are incorrect and it then requires 2 trips to the dealer.

the leather cover is one part and the foam cushion is another (2 separate ordered parts). my dealer had to order a total of 4 parts to complete the seat repair. the heating pad is attached to the underside of the leather cover (i believe).

basically what i am trying to say is... your dealer should have replaced the foam as well.

 

Andrew, you are correct. The heating pad is attached to the underside of the seat cover.

After seeing the botched results by the dealer, I agree with you, the entire seat bottom should be change as a complete unit.

Now, showing my lack of knowledge of upholstery techniques... why do you say the cushion should of been changed too? Shouldn't a replacement cover fit just as snug if installed properly or is it as I suspect, some of the foam was damaged and hence the ill fitting corners?

Did your dealer decide on his own to change out your seats as a complete unit instead of just the seat cover or was it as your insistence?

When I went out last night to take some pictures of the seat, I felt around and noticed it is definitely not installed correctly. Now all I have to do is to try and convince the dealer that just replacing the seat cover will fix the issue.

BTW, the photo does not show a real good image of how the center section sticks forward and both corners are indented, but it caught my eye as soon as I opened the door and first saw it. Why in the h*ll can't they just admit the problem and fix it? I do have a critical eye, but I can't be that much of a perfectionist. On second thought maybe I am...

I tried to stitch two photos together to show the difference but there is some overlap and blending of the colors. To me it is very obvious of the bad fit and difference in color and texture...

 

the dealer stated, this is the way it is to be completed (foam/leather combo). could be at the dealers discretion... i'm not sure.

i would ask for new foam to be used and redone to oem quality standards. the original foam may even be damaged when disassembled. i would call a local upholstery shop to gain some insight.

regardless... i would be pissed as well.


i indeed see the area you are referring to below:



one thing i will do... is protect the door frame from dealer damage. it seems many are having the door jamb scratched by the lower metal seat brackets during re-install of the seat.

 

This is another issue the Service Mgr. and I discussed, if there is a difference in color...what will happen? He stated to me that your car was purchased with two-tone interior, not three-tone. Also before repairing the seats the Tech had to wait about 16 day's for STAR to contact him and tell him what is to be replaced. During this period the Service Director said the hell with it, totally replace all the seats with new ones! He said that he will deal with the Warranty Dept. and will get paid one way or another, his concern was that I left there happy. You paid good money for your XF settle for nothing less than "TOTAL SATISFACTION". The Dealership that I use has been in business for more than 45 years.

 

CrossfireLTD, consider yourself lucky, very lucky.

I just got back from a meeting with the district manager for my area. The result... the ill fitting seat "is an acceptable repair".
I asked him who was the next person up the ladder for a dissatisfied customer complaint and was told, "there is no one higher".

After calling the Chrysler 1-800 customer service number to try and find who I can elevated the issue to, I was told, "no one, the decision of the district manager is final". Good luck folks when you can't get a proper repair on your vehicle and you can't tell me the district manager isn't in bed with the dealerships.

I wonder if the Crossfire being a financial bust for Chrysler has anything to do with it?

 

That's acceptable as a repair, makes no sense at all. There's got to be someone else you can talk to. Try taking it to another dealer and tell them "the seat is coming apart" and see if they will the replace the "seat cover" under warranty. Don't let them know that another dealer did the damage fixing the heater, worth a try.

 

I though about taking it to another dealer, but it's too obvious it's a new seat cover and not properly installed. I made an appointment with an upholstery shop to get it fixed right. They are charging me $95.00.

The joy of owning the Crossfire has just been extinguished. I've had just about every problem that has been observed on the Crossfire, from a transmission swap to changing out the rear end and everything in between. I've tried to keep a positive outlook, but this crappy seat cover replacement is the last straw. It will always be on my mind as to what they'll pull with the next warranty issue.

The Crossfire is my first and last Chrysler product. I'm done with them. As I said before, Chrysler is a third rate car company and always will be... they can't even admitt they stopped production on the blasted car, what a rip. Does " EDSEL " ring any bells???