VE Seat Problems

[GoodKarma]

I am having a seat problem with my VE Calais V driver seat. On the right of the cushion a plastic housing with the electric controls has now broken the plastic clips fixing it to the seat twice. The door side bolster of the seat is putting pressure on the plastic housing and pushing it off, breaking the front clip in the process.
It has broken twice in the three months I have had the car. The first time the dealer replaced it under warranty, but said Holden would not replace it again. They said the breaking was due to people sitting on it. It's a fr*akin seat!:bang: I feel that the plastic panel is already under pressure from just being clipped and slipped on. The bolster on the driver's door side has no support under it and has nowhere else to go but down onto the top edge of the plastic panel. Thus stressing the front clip (especially) and causing it to fail. How do they expect you to get in and out of the car without putting weight on this seat swab?:ranting::shooting:
My car goes in for it's 15K km service next week, so we will see what happens. Although when I informed them of the seat panel breaking again when I booked it in, they started to say Holden wouldn't replace it again under warranty. We'll see! Cheers!

 

[davey g-force]

I'd be kickin and screamin until they did replace it. That's what warranty is there for. :bang:

 

[Fekason]

VY Problem as well!

This sounds similar to a common problem on the VY. Surely Holden would not allow a design defect like that continue in production so long. I thought only F**d institutionised design defects.

Look forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

[TehFastyOne]

In reference to warranties - "Statutory rights are your rights by law and cannot be refused, changed or limited by the seller"

Your statutory rights

Which means you are entitled to a warrantable claim in order to repair the product back to merchantable quality or as you bought the product. If the product breaks because of improper manufacturing or a previous warranty job was not done correctly, you have to provide evidence (in this case you have by pointing out that the design is defected and that part of the seat keeps breaking). It is hard to judge these sort of cases where you only evidence is 'How it broke' but since the car is fairly young and the part that is breaking is from sitting in the seat... therefore nothing should break when you sit in it. The fact that it keeps breaking means it is faulty and therefore a warrantable claim.

If Holden refuse to do it for you mate, just recite the guidelines from the ACCC in regards to warranties for goods and services and if they still refuse, make a complaint to the Fair Trading ombudsman.

You'd be surprised how quick people 5hit themselves when a customer goes the distance.

 

[andyman]

dont want to get personal with you, but are you a big fella?, depending on the way you enter and depart from the car will make a huge difference,

with out turning around from the seat, slip one leg out the door, then lift you body out of the seat, instead of sliding off it, seen it before, and thats the most common reason that ive seen them break from - sliding across the bolster which then in turn places stress on that panel

 

[GoodKarma]

That's okay andyman, yes I am a big guy (130 kgs) with short legs and I appreciate your input (truely). I will try the method of exit you suggest and see how I go. My next answer to the weight line of discussion by the dealer will be for him to show me in their advertising or owners manual where there is a load limit for the seat, or why I was sold a car that they thought I would have a problem with. Also I am 54 and have had many cars in my time, including Holdens, and have NEVER had this happen before.

I asked the Service Manager to show me how he would get in and out of my car without putting any load on this bolster. He refused at the time. He didn't even suggest the solution you have!

I still believe that this is a design fault and will pen a letter to Holden if the dealer cannot help me with this under warranty.
IMO - I believe Holden have gone for the "sports seat" LOOK on the cheap. I have had a few racing seats in cars I rallied and raced on "club days". Maybe Holden need to look at how sports seat like Recaro, Momo, Sparko are designed. The side bolsters are supported by steel, not self supporting over plastic panels.
I paid in excess of $52K for this car, is my first new car and I expect a level of build quality.

 

[GoodKarma]

Well, I was pleasantly suprised today when I took my car for the 15000 km service. I was all prepared to have a discussion with the Service Manager about the seat panel clip breaking for the second time in four months.:ranting: They fixed it last time and Holden said they would NOT replace it again under warranty.

I received my car back with the service completed AND the seat panel replaced (for the second time) under warranty, i.e. NO CO$T!:thumbsup: Maybe this is a bigger problem than first thought. I just hope it doesn't happen again, but I'm not holding my breath! I think eventually it will require some re-engineering of the attachment arrangement by Holden, or myself (eventually) to create a permanent solution.

Well done though to the Dealer and Holden. My enjoyment of the car goes on!:dance:

 

[TehFastyOne]

Good to hear mate. Just remember that you do have rights too. If you buy a vehicle, even if it was a budget model, you are entitled to an extensive warranty cover (to its 50,000km or 3 year service limits or whatever the heck it is now).

Since vehicles are considered an expensive depreciation and on average the 2nd biggest expense we make in our lives.

 

[andyman]

good news vqstat, see how you go with it this time, try to use the method of getting in an out like a wrote earlier, its mainly just to keep the weight off the bolster when entering/departing

 

[muzzz89]

good to know this is under warranty. mine broke off about a month ago and im also a bigger bloke so i didnt think they'd cover it.