Premature Driver Seat Wear?

[eddiebx]

Compression is the cause. If you go to the Toyota website and look at the interior pics from the side you can see the wrinkles on the driver's seat too!

Yep, I think that's it. I was inspecting my wife's rear end more closely today after I picked her up from work...turns out even though she steps on the slider to exit, she still slides her rear off the edge of the seat first, women :doh:

Even if you repair it later on your own dime it will come right back unless you use some aftermarket or custom materials.

I have not inspected our SR5 yet but my 10 Corolla with 65K on it shows no wear on the seats. You would think that Toyota would use better quality material on a higher class vehicle.

Do the Trail seats fair any better?

My seats are trail seats if it matters. I think it's mainly the height of the vehicle causing most of the issues here; it's just that much harder to hop out w/o getting your butt caught on the edge of the seats...

One thing you have to keep in mind is while your Corolla did not show any signs of wear, it was also probably a lot easier to put your feet on the ground and standing up before getting out. This probably alleviates a lot of the pressure that is causing this type of wear and tear on the 4runner seats.

 

[cbreze]

Yep, I think that's it. I was inspecting my wife's rear end more closely today after I picked her up from work...turns out even though she steps on the slider to exit, she still slides her rear off the edge of the seat first, women :doh:



My seats are trail seats if it matters. I think it's mainly the height of the vehicle causing most of the issues here; it's just that much harder to hop out w/o getting your butt caught on the edge of the seats...

One thing you have to keep in mind is while your Corolla did not show any signs of wear, it was also probably a lot easier to put your feet on the ground and standing up before getting out. This probably alleviates a lot of the pressure that is causing this type of wear and tear on the 4runner seats.

My Tacoma was lifted and had zero seat wear. It seems seat cushions should be bouncing back when compressed and not showing this kind of wear so prematurely.

 

[eddiebx]

My Tacoma was lifted and had zero seat wear. It seems seat cushions should be bouncing back when compressed and not showing this kind of wear so prematurely.

I missed your earlier post, I guess they just don't make it like they used to!

As far as I can tell, this seems to be a common complaint amongst fabric and leather owners alike, and also not just isolated to earlier models either.

Maybe one of the super exciting changes on the 2014 will be better seats :hiding:

 

[cdcengineer]

Just before our 2011 clocked 10k I noticed wear on the driver's seat. The cloth is wearing differently though. They are black seats and have the smooth outer and hatched interior center strip. It's the center strip that is failing. I hesitated to. mention it to the dealer at 10k as I felt like perhaps it was wear and tear. At 15k I felt like it wasn't normal. My 2001 Tacoma has great looking seats with 150k. The wear in the 4runner appears to be like the hatched pattern is rubbing off.
My wife drives this vehicle mostly, but she's 120 lbs and careful getting in and out. Long story short, dealer is replacing. I was just hesitant to have it done. I don't like the idea of having anyone monkeying on my vehicles unless absolutely necessary. I wasn't sure if the seat would need to be removed, or if the base cover could be unclipped with the seat in place? It looks like it would be easy on the passenger side, but the driver side has the wear and looks like the clips are inaccessible. Dealer won't let me do the repair myself since it's a warranty issue. Anyone know about removing the drivers seat base?

 

[TOY2G]

FWIW.

I have two 10 year old 4runners, one cloth and one leather with about 160 on each. Both have been lifted aprox 3" for years and both have little to no seat wear. So i do not think the lift is the issue, i think Toyota made a small mistake on the seats and it will be interesting to see if they correct it or not. A quick Google search and i came up with about 16 separate people complaining about this wear. I would suspect there are dozens if not hundreds more that have not taken to the internet yet.

I sent an official request (#130528-000189) to the matter this morning, I will update with the response I get from Toyota.

 

[kevy511]

Hello All,

Newbie here with my first post. I mostly lurk but needed to chime in. I had a first gen Highlander and thought it was a great vehicle. When my lease was up at 42 months I turned it in and went with a the Honda ridgeline. Why? the seats. In the seats just lost all of its support and became a pile of mush. To me the seat is one of the most important part of the vehicle (especially when your 215 Lbs. like me) If your riding around in very nice truck with cheap unsupported seats... well you feel like crap. This is my second Toyota. Prior vehicles were honda's (my accord had way much better seats 100,000 + miles) So now I have 5th gen 2010 4r trail with waterproof seats and can see the wrinkles as described in this post. Its not bad yet but I'm starting to think I should jump ship and trade because I just can't see repairing/replacing a seat on a $41,000 vehicle. My plan was to keep this truck for 10 years (and have 5 years payment free). Oh well, thanks for listening..

 

[veloindy]

11k miles, and I'm not any happier. My wife, who could care less about cars / trucks, mentioned the seat the wear. She also said the seats in our 4th Gen were more comfortable.

 

[FlyNavy]

Same issue with my 2010 TE. My Wet Okole seat cover on the driver's side has torn at the seam right where the compression is most pronounced. Bums me out that this has not only affected the seat, but the cover gets trashed as well.

 

[Model T]

These are my theories on factors which cause seat wear.
1. Seat design: (ie: sports seats with bolsters tend to wear faster on
the bolster area vs regular seats. Just look at any old bmw with sports
seats

2. Materials: cheaper materials used vs high quality.
Foams also have different strengths. Just compare a blue
Buffer foam pad vs a yellow one to get an idea
3. Passenger's characteristics ( ie weight)
4. Passengers mode of getting in/out of vehicle:
Sliding in sideways against the side bolsters vs
grabbing steering wheel, leaving left foot planted on
ground/side step and backing up to the seat.
Any one one or more of these factors could be the cause for
premature seat wear.

 

[McFly2003]

Having the same issue in my TE. Approx 32k on the clock. 4rd gen had the same issue

 

[1engineer]

The leather edge/bolster in mine seems like it will wear quickly too.

My 2010 SR5 did not have running boards and I used to "slide out" of my seat. When I traded the vehicle last fall at 32k miles, the edge of the seat cover showed some stretch.

My 2012 TE has running boards, and use those to lift my self up before I get out. So far, my seat cover looks fine.

6'1" and 211 lbs. I don't think my girth is destroying the seat...

The seat material is starting to lighten in comparison to the rest of the seat, and the stitching seems to be wearing. The truck was purchased in September and currently has 4,100 miles on it.

DO seat bolsters wear out, yes, should it be showing wear this quickly... no. If it gets worse though I would expect Toyota to replace the seat cover under the bumper to bumper warranty.

I'm 6'4 and step right in, however the left bolster is significantly worn, wanted to see about replacing the seatpan since aftermarket seats are ridiculously expensive

My truck has 10k miles, and the seat is wearing too fast.

Take a look at this thread posted in the spotted thread, click, and scroll down.

2010 Toyota 4Runner SR5 | St Charles, Missouri | Schroeder Motors

I consider the driver seat too worn for 33k miles. My 4th gen didn't look as bad with 100k miles.

The compression isn't my biggest concern but rather the stitching. That and the discoloration. My concern is also increased because of how quickly this is starting to happen. I think you are right, I think the dealership is the big variable. So hopefully I can get on their good side and just let them know my concern so if it continues at it's current rate it can be replaced before the warranty expires.

While I have never had this specific issue, I have had previous vehicles wear the outside upper bolster became severely worn. I need to talk to them at service about the lumbar support anyways. I know it's supposed to have been addressed by my model year but it feels "loose" thats the only way I can describe it. When pumped up it's fine, and when completely off it's fine, but if you just use a little it doesn't feel stable.

These concerns stated, I still love it, and none of this stuff is any sort of big deal.

Same issue here, we just got a 2013 (about 5k miles)and the seat is (for lack of a better term) frayed a bit and show very noticeable creases. I will post pics this evening if i get a chance.

Mine is showing wear at 30k miles. Dealer says there in nothing that they can do about it as it is normal. I have an 08 silverado with 85k that shows no wear at all. Kinda ironic

here is a pic of my 2013 with about 5k on the clock. the seat looks worn, the threads look stretched, and the fabric look frayed. FYI my wife drives this not me, she is roughly 140lbs.

I don't think a 4 month old truck should look like this after 5k miles.

I 100% agree with you. That is exactly what mine is starting to look like, mine was purchased 9/12 and has 4,200 miles. The discoloration is roughly the same, as is the stretched stiching... the creases are not as bad. While your wife weighs much less she is probably shorter and so she may sit more on that section as she trys to get into the vehicle, I can negotiate over it but my leg still rubs.

I will just keep my fingers crossed that Toyota works with me on this. Like I have said previously, I love this truck but this is the most expensive vehicle we have ever purchased and I expect the quality of the seat to be better.

I hate you guys, I went out to look just now and sure enough I see the wear you're talking about. A little bit less noticeable than what [MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] posted but still there. The strange thing is, it's the passenger seat and not mine.

But here's what confuses me...my wife is in the car 50% less than me, and we both step in and out using the slider. I don't think it's a weight issue either since she's much lighter than me. Maybe it's time for me to tell her to start sitting in the backseat This is on an approximately 6 month old 4runner with the fabric seats.

Having the same issue in my TE. Approx 32k on the clock. 4rd gen had the same issue

All you guys complaining about the seat do me a favor:

Next time you get into the seat and buckle up to drive, reach down and feel the left side seat fabric. Right above the switches. I did and was surprised. I won't write just yet what I found as I don't want to influence your posts but do this and let me know ok?

 

[eddiebx]

All you guys complaining about the seat do me a favor:

Next time you get into the seat and buckle up to drive, reach down and feel the left side seat fabric. Right above the switches. I did and was surprised. I won't write just yet what I found as I don't want to influence your posts but do this and let me know ok?

Nothing seems to happen on mine, the fabric at the spot you mentioned still feels completely smooth when I am sitting in there and driving around; but to clarify...my side shows no wear, it was my passenger side that has the slight creasing.

 

[ArtK]

Rapid seat wear

I only have 10k miles and am experiencing the same problem with my 2012 4Runner cloth seat. I had a 2003 4Runner with cloth seats for years and had no significant signs of wear when I sold it to my son with 100k miles last year. He is now up to 130k with no signs of wear. I also owned several Camrys that had good wear also.
Talking to the dealer, I believe that Toyota either picked a poor fabric compared to earlier model fabrics or they got stuck with a defective fabric delivery. Hopefully Toyota will do the right thing for us long term customers and issue a recall. This is not what I have come to expect of a Toyota product.

 

[crunchcity]

Fabric recall lol.

I find it just as annoying as everyone else complaining but that would suprise me to see an actual recall on it.

In the grand scheme of things that could be wrong with your vehicle, if your signing up on the forum to complain about the seat creases than you'll doing pretty well with the vehicle imo.

I've seen some pics of similar wear on F150's and used Land Cruisers from doing the "butt slide" btw.

I have a little hop motion I do to get over the seat bolster when I get in lol. :beer:

Luckily I don't have passengers often there is already some minor creasing on the passenger side from maybe the 10 times someone was sitting in the passenger seat.

 

[JayceeP]

All you guys complaining about the seat do me a favor:

Next time you get into the seat and buckle up to drive, reach down and feel the left side seat fabric. Right above the switches. I did and was surprised. I won't write just yet what I found as I don't want to influence your posts but do this and let me know ok?

My leather wall (above the buttons) is smooth. Were you trying to point out there is no compressing of the seat wall? That is a good point. I wasn't really too worried about the seat wear- it just appears that it will crease/wear quite easily. Oh well, normal occurance with leather I suppose.

 

[1engineer]

My leather wall (above the buttons) is smooth. Were you trying to point out there is no compressing of the seat wall? That is a good point. I wasn't really too worried about the seat wear- it just appears that it will crease/wear quite easily. Oh well, normal occurance with leather I suppose.

Exactly. I was trying to ascertain why the SR5 I traded in with 66K miles had basically the same fabric marks in the side of the seat as my TE with 11K miles, and that a brand new 4Runner has on the Toyota website lol. Apparently, the side fabric must be easy to discolor by slight abrasion because during actual driving the side fabric is not compressed at all. It is also not "wrinkled" or distended in any way.

 

[M.J]

Did you happen to have something like a bag rolling around on the passenger seat? This happens on most newer cars I've been in with passenger seat weight sensors. My problem is when my dog stands directly on the sensor, it makes the seat think there's a passenger on there.

Basically the chime goes off because all of a suddenly it thinks there's a passenger on the seat while you're driving, and the passenger airbag off light comes on because it thinks it's a really light weight kid on the seat.

If that's not the case then maybe have them inspect/calibrate the passenger seat sensor too while you're there having the seat looked at.

As far as your seat wear and tear goes, do you wear really rough pants? I would imagine a pair of burly jeans wearing the seat fabric down much faster than a pair of spandex SWEET pants

Fixed the last part... Mike

 

[M.J]

Even if you repair it later on your own dime it will come right back unless you use some aftermarket or custom materials.

I have not inspected our SR5 yet but my 10 Corolla with 65K on it shows no wear on the seats. You would think that Toyota would use better quality material on a higher class vehicle.

Do the Trail seats fair any better?

No. I have an '11 Trail with 60,000 and it has been like the other since 5/6,000 miles. I am looking at replacing with leather seats down the road. Soon.

 

[Greg_Canada]

Every one i've looked at on autotrader looked like the cushion on the outer side of the seat was worn / squished.
Seats should not look worn until they have significant miles on them. The seats on my 89 4r are in better shape than the 5th gen's i see on autotrader and they carry my 230lb ass... my 99' seats started wearing at around 200,000 miles... sad to see the 5th gen seats need to be re-upholstered so soon. I'd probably get katzkin replacements if i buy one...

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Every one i've looked at on autotrader looked like the cushion on the outer side of the seat was worn / squished.
Seats should not look worn until they have significant miles on them. The seats on my 89 4r are in better shape than the 5th gen's i see on autotrader and they carry my 230lb ass... my 99' seats started wearing at around 200,000 miles... sad to see the 5th gen seats need to be re-upholstered so soon. I'd probably get katzkin replacements if i buy one...

I think problem is the foam cushion compressing along with the fabric not being very durable. Mines looks like the pictures. Started looking like that at 1000 miles but the deterioration slows down over time. The foam feels much flatter than the right side and the upholstery is very loose Used to bother me a lot but now only when I see other people posting on this forum. Eventually I'll get the seat recushioned and upholstered. Overall I love this baby too much and would not trade it for anything else anyway.