Bolt Front Seats Recall Media Campaign

[Boltar]

I basically told them if they are serious about customer service they can send the dealer to my workplace to look at them - why do I have to take time out of my day to have them "look" at them.

Because you bought a Chevy, not a Tesla. It's unreasonable to expect GM to provide housecalls.

Chevy/GM has had no problems in the past going to an owner's house to evaluate and tow a vehicle that is under suspicion (TrailBlazer recall). Of course that's when they're under threat of litigation, they're not known to just do the customer service oriented "right thing" for the customer without being threatened. But I agree in that it's not quite reasonable to expect a non customer service oriented company like GM to make house calls a part of their regular practice. Those of us who live 100 miles from our dealer have learned to be a bit more independent (I drove mine directly from the dealer to the stereo+car upholstery shop in January), don't have time to drive back and forth for some jaded, oblivious service dude to grunt at an unfamiliar car and say there's no problem. Have never had to EVER adjust a new factory seat before. A TSB works fine for those who have the time and live close enough. But what they really need to do is figure out if it only affects a certain range of seats, or if it's all the Bolt 1.0 seats, then they can determine which VIN ranges have the affected seats. Unfortunately, every Bolt I've sat in has had the same embarrassing seats. Not holding my breath for GM to do the right thing, but certainly open to being pleasantly surprised.

 

[cab]

When I test drove one at the Dallas auto show (note: they are not being sold in Texas until the Fall) I casually mentioned to the rep doing the test drive with me about how the seats had been getting some bad press and she immediately piped up with " Oh, I'm well aware of the reports on the seats". We didn't talk further, but it definitely seems to have gotten at least someone's ear (for whatever that's worth).

 

[scbolt]

When I test drove one at the Dallas auto show (note: they are not being sold in Texas until the Fall) I casually mentioned to the rep doing the test drive with me about how the seats had been getting some bad press and she immediately piped up with " Oh, I'm well aware of the reports on the seats". We didn't talk further, but it definitely seems to have gotten at least someone's ear (for whatever that's worth).

Yes, I had the same experience with two of the 4 dealers I did test drives with. They mentioned they have heard about the same complaints from other customers as well. The other two dealers claimed they never heard about it.

 

[gpsman]

Last thursday I came across another Bolt at a DCFC station (lucky for me there were two plugs).

The other car was unoccupied. As I casually looked inside, it had two giant after market seat cushions inside. Both driver and passenger front.

10 minutes later the owners came back.
They said "You've got a great car there."
I said "ditto". Then I said "I take it you find the seats uncomfortable?"
They said "Heaven's yes." They said they went to a medical supply store and got "orthopedic" support cushions, both for bottoms and backs. But otherwise they "loved the car".

This very average sized couple in their 50's were not on any blogs or user groups. I asked because I was hoping to meet some of you reading this in person.

They had no idea of all these online discussions about the seats. They thought it was "just them being overly sensitive".

 

[bobpenn]

I apparently am one of the lucky ones. I've asked all my friends who have been in the car if the seat bothers them. The all agree that my Bolt's seats feel fine (as do I). Assuming that this a manufacturing issue with some models,

 

[iletric]

They were just being polite so as not to spoil your enthusiasm for your new car. You know, in our culture it is not polite to say anything negative about our stuff.

 

[Pigwich]

As someone 5'8" 160 pounds, I find my premier leather seats perfectly comfortable.

I agree. The seats are fine. Plenty of people have sat in them for plenty of hours. I did ALL DAY once and my arse felt fine. In fact, when my back aches, I fire up the seat heater and it MELTS the aches away. If you want a sofa on wheels, you should have bought a Cadillac, because they are AMAZING, I cannot tell a lie.

I second pretty much what everybody is saying - Bring it to the dealer and let them sit in it and compare it to one that feels good to you. If it's truly, quantifiably bad, then I don't see why they WOULDN'T remedy it. If it's not worth your effort to drive to the dealership, then it's probably not really a big deal for you and you should stop whining.

 

[ScooterCT]

I'd love to see two forum members, one who has seats he hates, and one who has seats he loves, to swap Bolts for a day and report on the outcome. Now that would be an interesting experiment.

Is it the butt, or is it the seat? Let's resolve it once and for all.

 

[iletric]

Let's resolve it once and for all.

That will not be feasible and it will not be possible, either. Our bodies are far from copies of one another.

A car seat on the other hand should account for one size fits all, since it is not made to order. GM tried something new (?) here and it did not pan out.

I will never forget when I sat down sideways in the LT for the very first time to pivot in and it was a disaster seat. I asked the dealer the next second, what was wrong with the seat. That is enough proof for me GM SCREWED UP and big. Leather has more cushion, but by far not enough to shape it to comfort level.

My wild guess is GM knows by now there is trouble. I can't wait to sit in 2019 Bolt if they got the message. If not, they're doing the same thing they did with that ignition that if bumped would turn the car off while driving, killing people with no accountability. It would not surprise me, despite being under new management.

Right, Mary?

 

[boltage]

I'd love to see two forum members, one who has seats he hates, and one who has seats he loves, to swap Bolts for a day and report on the outcome. Now that would be an interesting experiment.

Is it the butt, or is it the seat? Let's resolve it once and for all.

There appear to be two different issues:

One issue is a design issue. The seats are on the narrow side, with large firm (sporty) bolsters. Great if you fit between them and like sporty seats (they do hold you in well going around the cloverleaf ramps), but those who are wide enough to be sitting on the bolsters rather than between them will find them less comfortable.

The other issue is the difference in seat foam amount and/or density that some have found by sitting in different cars, possibly due to manufacturing variances at the seat supplier or its foam supplier. It is likely that those on the wider size are most likely to be affected by such differences.

 

[boltage]

A car seat on the other hand should account for one size fits all, since it is not made to order. GM tried something new (?) here and it did not pan out.

It is hard to make a seat that satisfies everyone. It is harder now that there is less of an option to use an aftermarket seat, due to side airbags in the seats.

That said, it is probably a mistake to make the only seat design a sporty seat with large firm bolsters that would be uncomfortable for wider people. Some other companies offer more sporty and less sporty seats (e.g. some BMWs). In many other cars, the only available seats may look sportier than they are, since the side bolsters are soft enough that a wider person will not find them a problem, but do not hold you in as well going around turns. The latter seems to be the default choice for many cars, since many people do not seem to care so much about sporty driving.

 

[SeanNelson]

Let's resolve it once and for all.

That will not be feasible and it will not be possible, either. Our bodies are far from copies of one another.

Of course it's possible. If YOUR Bolt has the "seats from hell" and you swap with another Bolt owner who has the "seats from heaven", then 1 of 2 things will happen:

1) You'll find his seats to be much better. If that's true, then it argues that there is a variation in the seats themselves.

2) You'll find his seats to be just as bad. If that's true, then it argues that the differences we've been hearing about are due to butt variations.

I've already seen suggestions that the seats are different from one Bolt to another. But this experiment would, I think, be very revealing.

 

[iletric]

I say, experiment away...

Meanwhile I'll keep my 900-dollar appt with my upholstery guy, as I have 33 more months to make my Safeway, Costco and beautiful trips all over Marin to partake in.

And I want to make it clear that as far as I'm concerned, GM owes me 9 greenbacks with 2 zeros on them. Come 2020, 200-mile competition will be in full swing, coming at them (GM) from all sides, and those seats will no longer be there or Bolt tanks.

 

[scbolt]

I'd love to see two forum members, one who has seats he hates, and one who has seats he loves, to swap Bolts for a day and report on the outcome. Now that would be an interesting experiment.

Is it the butt, or is it the seat? Let's resolve it once and for all.

Indeed, this experiment could be VERY interesting!

Any volunteers? If my Bolt was here, I would gladly volunteer to take part in this experiment, regardless which side of the fence I fell on!

 

[sgt1372]

I'd love to see two forum members, one who has seats he hates, and one who has seats he loves, to swap Bolts for a day and report on the outcome. Now that would be an interesting experiment.

I wouldn't swap for a day but I'd be interested in just sitting in one that someone else feels is uncomfortable to see if I feel the same about it.

Frankly, I only sat in the Bolt that I leased. Never sat in another. If the seat were uncomfortable to me, I would have mentioned it and asked to try another. Didn't happen that way.

There are probably enough Bolt owners/leasees in SF and LA to have a car meet in each location to test this idea out.

Everyone who's happy w/their seat could park on one side and everyone whose unhappy w/theirs park on the other side and just sit in all the cars that are there -- "good" or "bad" to see what if any variations there are in perceived seat comfort.

I'd suggest that those unhappy w/their seats put a comment sheet on their windshield detailing their complaints to see if others note the same things or not.

If others agree about the seats, the owners could use the comment sheets as "evidence" in voicing their displeasure to Chevy. We won't talk about the possibility that no one will agree w/the owner's seat complaint(s).

Of course, another possibility is that someone who sits in a car who's owner thinks it's comfortable will say that it's not. Such would make the case for the "different butts" vs "defective seats" argument.

Anyone in the SF Bay area interested in doing this?

 

[kumthi]

Fun aside, I would agree with Seat being very uncomfortable. It would be great if GM offers replacement even with some small charge. I not a big butt guy but I find it uncomfortable.

 

[ScooterCT]

Something else I'd offer from my own experience - 50+ years riding and driving cars of every type. I'm a car guy, and I must have sat in 500 different cars over that period. Mine, friends, auto shows, military, etc. Sports cars, trucks, SuVs, military vehicles, aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles.

In those 40 years, and those 500+ vehicles, I NEVER sat in a seat that inflicted PAIN the instant I sat down. I sat in seats that didn't have enough back support. Seats that didn't have side bolsters. Seats that were slippery. Seats of all descriptions. Narrow, 16" airline seats.

Again, the Bolt is the only seat I've encountered in 50 years and hundreds of vehicles that inflicted pain the instant I sat in it. That's quite an ignominious achievement on GM's part. They should put an ignoble trophy in their case for the Bolt seats, right next to the one for the public-funded bankruptcy.

GM should be proud of having designed and crafted the worst seats in automotive history. Really, it's something that took real effort and dedication. Let's give them due credit. Way to go, guys!

 

[iletric]

GM should be proud of having designed and crafted the worst seats in automotive history. Really, it's something that took real effort and dedication. Let's give them due credit. Way to go, guys!

+1

Just lovin' it... Thanks!

 

[devbolt]

My seats are fine. I'm up for a meet and seat to compare with other owners.

I'm in Pacifica and can meet just about anywhere in the Bay Area, just not on the weekends right now.

 

[flamaest]

I wouldn't swap for a day but I'd be interested in just sitting in one that someone else feels is uncomfortable to see if I feel the same about it.

I am willing to try this. I am near South San Jose if someone claims to have seats they LOVE for me to try. My LT seats SUCK.