BOLT SEAT ISSUE - no DATA thread

[iletric]

Excellent! Not that I care anymore.

Looking forward to 2018, bringing a plethora of other 200+ mile cars with normal seats and normal suspension. And cruise control on the right side. And so much more.

Can't wait!

 

[devbolt]

Excellent! Not that I care anymore.

Looking forward to 2018, bringing a plethora of other 200+ mile cars with normal seats and normal suspension. And cruise control on the right side. And so much more.

Can't wait!

Kinda sounds like you bought the wrong car, then...

 

[iletric]

Yes and no. I will drive anything electric. My commitment is to get off gas at any cost. With Bolt the cost entails the sucky lease deal for the 1st or 2nd Bolt off the truck in my town in January, and knowing the seat was s***t and all the other creature car comforts I prefer weren't there.

Competition is right around the corner and my Bolt story will in 3 short years end up in my personal car dustbin.

 

[elpwr]

I've had my Bolt for two weeks now - over 900 mikes on it. The seats are a little narrow and firm but comfortable for me. I've had worse seats in other, sometimes much more expensive, cars.

Seat comfort is a personal thing. No seat pleases everyone. Some are OK with Bolt seats. A class action law suit over a personal preference like seat comfort? You're delusional.

 

[Anonymous]

I am tired of GM turning a deaf ear to the seat issue.

May I called the service manager back in May and expressed my issue with the seat. Although he was sympathetic, he said until GM addresses the issue from above their is nothing they can do.

5/25 I posted to Lauren E. with Chevrolet Customer Care who monitors this forum and was assigned a case #8-2985137027 to "document our interactions and would like to put you in touch with a specialty team that will be in the best position to assist you." That led to several calls from Daniell to assist me with "my service issue." I explained this was not a service but a design issue. None-the-less she insisted on a appointment with my dealer in order to create documentation for feedback.

6/23 I took the vehicle in and the service manager along with the general manager and lead shop technician all gathered to listen, observe the issue and get in and out and sit in the vehicle. They too felt what the flaw is. They documented my statement: Customer states the driver seat back lumbar area has little or no support and feels like it has little or no cushion, also the seat bottom bolster area has little or no support and feels like it has little or no cushioning" They kept the car overnight and phoned the next day to say it was ready and wrote: No probleb found. I inspected the seat bottom and seat back. I found no manufacture defects. I sent GM a field product report which is under review. At this time no repairs were made.

I have jumped thru their hoops and here we are almost a month later and crickets. Nothing. One thing for sure GM IS aware of the issue. From their initial response : Rest assured that we have been documenting customer feedback in regards to this complaint" to the dealer documentation : "I sent GM a field product report which is under review." They simply choose to ignore it.

I'm not crazy or super sensitive. On anything over a 30 minute drive I feel the pain these seats cause. I tell as many people as I can I love the car but the seats are awful. Its such a shame the a otherwise wonderful car is tainted with this seat issue and ruins the otherwise terrific driving experience.

I tried to re-tweet the post above but the link is broken.

 

[iletric]

Morty, you can either sit and wait - or - celebrate. If you have the money, take your lumps and get it fixed at your local upholstery shop. It will set you back 700-900 bucks.

Or you can take GM to small claims. You'd have to have MD note of some sort with you as proof, or judge will dismiss it.

Or you can ask GM for a buyback. Leaf 2 is around the corner (January) and it's guaranteed to be a normal car. One-lane self driving too, which I personally look forward to. I may actually buy the damn thing this time.

You can get into Ioniq - 124 miles though, but excellently priced. And it is available in SoCal. I'd lease one of those today if it was here in NorCal. Net cost about 120 bucks, no mile limit. Now that's a great lease.

Those are your options. GM is NOT - repeat - NOT coming to the rescue. Not soon enough for it to be relevant to you, me and all others having problem with these seats.

My seats are no longer an issue. They are padded to the max and all's forgotten. They are still narrow, but fluffy soft with no bolster issues.

 

[Anonymous]

Had the opportunity to try the Bolt, and the concerns expressed here are more than accurate. In some ways I feel sorry for the brave Bolt owners- seeking to do right by environment, being swindled in marketing. My friends whom bought one had no opportunity to test one as none were available.

After years driving Japanese cars, and happily German cars more recently, took me 20 seconds to realize the Bolt seats are back-killing atrocious. Myself, elite athlete frame, felt the lumbar area shredding and stretching in just a 3 km test drive. That sort of thing can cause permanent damage over tens of thousands of kms. They are even worse than the terrible VW Passat seats, and they make my former Acura Civic type seats feel superb- and I used to think them bad. Compared to my performance German car, with proper sport seats, Bolt does not register. Ther concern on the suspension is also warranted. Whats hocks me for Bolt owners is why spend 90,000$ to get injured? Because looking at size vs value, dimension vs cost, comfort vs cost, at 36,000 CAD after rebates it is the equivalent of a 90,000$ sports European car. granted, no gas costs, oil etc. But the injury cost? Years ago lots of Japanese mileage injured my lower lumbar area, and took me, no word of a lie, 3 years to work my back up into no issues. 30 seconds sitting into the Bolt reminded me how dangerous bad posture is. Do not care if A or B seat- they are also narrow- my German with 'wrap mode' seat tightening is nothign like the narrow bolt seats. In the end, bad bad oversight by GM and I steered and made sure anyone I know steered away from a back breaking 36,000$ micro car. Cheaper to buy a second hand Merc and the money saved from medical bills evens it.

 

[alevek]

Wow! You must have gotten a really bad sample. The seats in my Premier are fine for me.

 

[NWseamus]

Just to add (yet another) data point, I test drove a Bolt LT last week. I was aware of the seat controversy thanks to some lurking on this site and paid special attention to this part of the car.

My experience was that I found the drivers seat to be firm but comfortable for my 5' 11 / 178lb frame. This could mean:

- I was too overwhelmed with driving the Bolt to notice a bad seat
- Chevy has made changes to production of the the seat in the car I drove
- The seat was the same as earlier Bolts and my body is just okay with it

I did mention the seat controversy to the salesman and he just shrugged and said they seemed fine to him. He seemed unaware that there was any issue with them. Either he's a good actor or option #2 is true.

 

[GernBlanston]

Drove the Jupiter II a hundred miles yesterday and concentrated on the "problems" with suspension & seats the whole way.
Suspension...? Excellent compromise between absorbing bumps and great feel/handling for a small car packing half a ton of batteries!
Seats...? Firm, supportive, comfortable. I have yet to hear a complaint from a single rider/driver in my car.
The first 4 minutes of my initial test drive told me this.
I'm 5'10", 175 lbs, averaging 40 miles/day, drive an LT, have a Clipper Creek 40 at the house.
To potential buyers:
Be objective about your test drive. Drive for 30 minutes.
If you don't like the car on the test drive, don't buy it. It will not change after you buy it.
This isn't rocket science.
Don't expect sympathy from satisfied Bolt owners because you bought the wrong car and now
want to do nothing but gripe about what an awful car it is. It's not.

 

[Allelectric]

Drove the Jupiter II a hundred miles yesterday and concentrated on the "problems" with suspension & seats the whole way.
Suspension...? Excellent compromise between absorbing bumps and great feel/handling for a small car packing half a ton of batteries!
Seats...? Firm, supportive, comfortable. I have yet to hear a complaint from a single rider/driver in my car.
The first 4 minutes of my initial test drive told me this.
I'm 5'10", 175 lbs, averaging 40 miles/day, drive an LT, have a Clipper Creek 40 at the house.
To potential buyers:
Be objective about your test drive. Drive for 30 minutes.
If you don't like the car on the test drive, don't buy it. It will not change after you buy it.
This isn't rocket science.
Don't expect sympathy from satisfied Bolt owners because you bought the wrong car and now
want to do nothing but gripe about what an awful car it is. It's not.

30 minute test drive, you don't live in Canada do you
Test drives of any length are still virtually impossible here. Not a demonstrator anywhere in the whole Province of British Columbia to my knowledge. It's not rocket science you are right, it's Mission Impossible here.
I like the ride, I hate the seats. The seats however do not make it an awful car they simply spoil what could be a home run for me. Why do you think people who voice negative "opinions" are looking for sympathy. They are just as valid as positive opinions. And please appreciate that not everyone had or still has the ability to test drive a car at all, never mind for 30 mins plus.
My apologies to anyone who read this already on another thread. I'm commenting on the same post that was put on this and the bumpy ride thread.

 

[electricbolt]

I saw the Bolt for the first time yesterday and was very eager to sit in the front seat. For whatever its worth the 5-10 minutes that I sat in the Bolt Premier the seats seemed quite comfortable.

 

[Allelectric]

I saw the Bolt for the first time yesterday and was very eager to sit in the front seat. For whatever its worth the 5-10 minutes that I sat in the Bolt Premier the seats seemed quite comfortable.

If you don't mind sharing, what is your height, build.
Having read just about every post on this and another forum about the seats, and the size of the people commenting on them (those that have shared) I believe that if you fit in the seat it is acceptable or even comfortable for some. However if you do not, it is a nightmare. The seats are so scantily padded that if you don't fit in the narrow base and back plastic shells you have hard, angled areas pushing on your hips,thighs and lower ribs/torso. Pressure points with no padding to dull them down.
If you can, please drive the car for as long as you can. I wish I had had the chance.
All that said, if the seats work for you the car is awesome.

 

[electricbolt]

I am 5'7" and 165lb.
I told the salesman about how people are complaining about the seats on the internet forums and he told me the seats are a problem for people who are about 220lb but he added people with that weight pretty much have problems in any type of seat like an airplane etc.
I have a 2010 VW Golf MK6 Tdi and those seats I find quite comfortable and after sitting in the Bolt for 5-10 minutes they seemed to have the same comfort as the Golf.
Hopefully I can test drive the Bolt to see how it feels after sitting in it longer.

 

[JAL1]

From what I have read, the Bolt seats use thin seat technology similar to that used in new aircraft. Thin seat technology in turns means more seats in a modern aircraft. In the Bolt, thinner seats means a roomier interior despite a small outside footprint. The downside is that this thin seat technology may not be for everyone.

At 5 foot 7, 140 pounds I find the seats are comfortable after seven months of ownership, including long distance travel. I DO note that I wear my wallet and phone in my front pant's pockets, a habit that I adopted to reduce the chance of being pick pocketed while traveling in Europe. I DO note that I do a little wiggle with my legs when I get into the Bolt; this re-positions my legs and relieves any side pressure on my thighs. The Bolt is the only car that I have ever owned that requires this movement.

Other car manufacturers have installed very large seats in their vehicles to accommodate the growing size of the average American. My wife and I are probably in the minority as we find the massive seats in our now decade old luxury SUV uncomfortable on long trips. They are simply too big!

I wonder if Chevy may wish to increase the thickness and size of the Bolt seats just a tad to accommodate a larger percentage of the population -- at a loss of some interior space.

 

[Allelectric]

I am 5'7" and 165lb.
I told the salesman about how people are complaining about the seats on the internet forums and he told me the seats are a problem for people who are about 220lb but he added people with that weight pretty much have problems in any type of seat like an airplane etc.
I have a 2010 VW Golf MK6 Tdi and those seats I find quite comfortable and after sitting in the Bolt for 5-10 minutes they seemed to have the same comfort as the Golf.
Hopefully I can test drive the Bolt to see how it feels after sitting in it longer.

I would love to speak with your salesman. What a load of rubbish he is spouting. I'm 220 lbs and I love the seats in our Kia Soul EV (a similar size vehicle) and I've never had an issue in any car I've owned with the size of the seat, and I've had some small cars, (Nissan Sunny, Renault 5, mini metro, Mk 1 Ford Escort, Triumph TR6, MGB GT, I could go on). I've also flown 10 hours each way to the UK 3 times this year on Air Transat. I was quite comfortable the whole time.
The problem with the seats is that they are simply too narrow and have virtually no padding.

 

[LeftieBiker]

How do you know when a car salescreature is lying or making stuff up? Their lips are moving.


How do you know when they AREN'T? I'll let you know if that ever comes up.

 

[bluebolt]

I like the seats in my Bolt Premier. I find them to be completely comfortable. I'm 5'8" and 160 lbs and have zero complaints about the seating. Actually, as I said, I like it. For better or worse, the seating appears to be an idiosyncratic, individual-specific issue.

 

[GernBlanston]

I like the seats in my Bolt Premier. I find them to be completely comfortable. I'm 5'8" and 160 lbs and have zero complaints about the seating. Actually, as I said, I like it. For better or worse, the seating appears to be an idiosyncratic, individual-specific issue.

+1

And as for 'sales creatures', ours was awesome. No hassles, no BS, no issues.
Knowledgeable, professional, courteous, EV savvy. The guy who gave us our
test drive at dealership #1, not so much, so we went to dealership #2 and
had about as good a car buying experience as could be imagined.

 

[bluebolt]

And as for 'sales creatures', ours was awesome. No hassles, no BS, no issues.
Knowledgeable, professional, courteous, EV savvy. The guy who gave us our
test drive at dealership #1, not so much, so we went to dealership #2 and
had about as good a car buying experience as could be imagined.

It's great that your buying experience was so good! My experience was the opposite. I suffered through a prolonged and miserable sales experience. The Chevy salesman whom the dealership threw at me knew nothing about EVs, lied and/or misrepresented various parameters of the lease (claiming repeatedly, for example, that the disposition fee was zero and the maintenance plan covered four visits -- both of these statements were false), committed a material error into the legal documents which he promised to correct but never did (leaving it for me to fix), refused to arrange for a ten-dollar pickup for me from a nearby subway station (while at the same time bragging to me about how much money he made), more often than not didn't respond to my emailed questions, and generally radiated a comprehensive spectrum from neglect to insult to apathy.

The price at this dealer was better than any other dealer that I went to, which is why I made the purchase, but now I regret doing so. Given my frustration and anger, in retrospect, I would have been happier paying a reasonably higher price for better service elsewhere.

The Bolt is the first American-manufactured car I have ever leased. As an exclusive purchaser of Japanese and German cars up until now, I never thought that I'd buy domestic. But the Bolt converted me. I absolutely love the Bolt. I show it off to all my friends. It is the best car I have ever driven, hands down, including luxury models like BMW and Mercedes. Driving the Bolt is literally a joyful experience.

But words fail me in trying to describe how frustrating, angering, and depressing was the experience of buying the Bolt. I will certainly not lease again from the same dealership. And despite how much I like the car, I will have to think very hard about whether I want to return to GM when the lease is up, simply because I don't want to ever undergo the Chevy buying experience again.