Problem with Driver's Seat

[JohnG]

Got an '07 SR5 with the Liquicell power leather seats. Often, when I make a turn or sometimes even while driving and taking a corner, I feel movement (and hear a "click" sound) down inside the seat. It's just a slight movement and it feels like it's inside the seat (not the rails holding the seat to the floor).

This problem was non-existant for the first month of owning the truck, but it's been rock-steady for the past three months.

I've taken it in twice to the Toyota dealer in Edmond, OK. They can find nothing wrong with it. Bull-hockey!

I called the service manager one day and he tells me there is supposed to me movement like this in these power leather seats. I've never seen, experienced or even heard of a problem like this.

I guess I'm going to have to call Toyota and see what they can do for me.

Anyone experience anything like this with their Runners?

Thanks,

John

 

[drmorbius]

Got an '07 SR5 with the Liquicell power leather seats. Often, when I make a turn or sometimes even while driving and taking a corner, I feel movement (and hear a "click" sound) down inside the seat. It's just a slight movement and it feels like it's inside the seat (not the rails holding the seat to the floor).

This problem was non-existant for the first month of owning the truck, but it's been rock-steady for the past three months.

I've taken it in twice to the Toyota dealer in Edmond, OK. They can find nothing wrong with it. Bull-hockey!

I called the service manager one day and he tells me there is supposed to me movement like this in these power leather seats. I've never seen, experienced or even heard of a problem like this.

I guess I'm going to have to call Toyota and see what they can do for me.

Anyone experience anything like this with their Runners?

Thanks,

John

Go to "Problems & Warranty" section. See "TSBs on 2003 4runner". Read this entire section, I think you will find it most enlightening. This has been going on for quite awhile and the Toyota service departments are definitely aware of this.

 

[JohnG]

Thanks, Larry. I appreciate the reply.

After posting, I did just this and see there is quite a history of problems with 4th-generation 4Runner driver seats.

This is utterly unbelievable.

I just called and left a voicemail message with my local Toyota dealer service manager (who just recently told me that there should be movement with these power seats, and that tightening things up would prevent the power seats from being movable and adjustable. Bullsh*t!!!)

I have never, NEVER, experienced a car seat of any sort that moves and shifts and pops and clicks. Toyota should be ashamed.

I've owned three new Toyota's now over the past 10 years. The seats are the one thing they never seem to get right and they are consistently the single worst part of these trucks. The '99 Tacoma I owned -- probably the most capable and impressive off-road vehicle ever produced, of all time -- featured what I, and many others, regard as the worst set of seats ever offered in a car of the modern era. They were atrocious! They were pathetic! They were a big reason why I got rid of the truck, though it still otherwise ran and looked like new some five years later.

Now, I spend over $32K on a what is supposed to be a class-leading, highly regarded, utility vehicle and I still can't get away from these poor seats. Besides being too small, they're poorly designed and of poor quality.

Funny, but you like everything else about a vehicle and so you think you can "live with" or overlook the seats. You can't. I've learned that the seats may be the most important part of the vehicle, aside from the brakes.

This is going to send me back to American vehicles, despite their many many shortcomings, I'm afraid.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just pissed.

John

 

[JungleJim]

Most of the problems were with the non-powered seats.

The vast majority of owners do not have a problem with their seats.

 

[westwind1124a]

That sucks about your dealer being a jerk. I had the same problem and there were no questions asked. The dealer got me a new seat asap. You may want to try another dealer

 

[toto]

SR5's don't come with leather seats from the factory, even as an option. Sounds like an aftermarket add-on to me, which means the dealer - not Toyota - deserves the blame in this case.