The seats are a deal killer.

Well, the good thing is that if it's simply some seat cushions compressing more than the designers intended, there's an easy fix for cars already sold. TSB informing dealers to replace the seat cushion foam if customer complains about seats causing pain because of contact with outer thigh.

jmatero said:

So, drove down to Capitol Chevy in San Jose where they have 80+ Bolts sitting on the lot. I sat in 12 different cars and adjusted the seats to the same position. 7 were Premiers, 5 LT's with cloth. 4 Premiums and 2 LT's were comfortable, the rest were terrible... painful actually. There doesn't appear to be a running change in the seat design because there were comfortable seats in older builds and terrible seats in recent builds.

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New and very useful information - thanks for taking the time to check this out and report it!

I have an appointment with my dealer on Saturday and he's agreed to let me sit in other Bolts and, if I find something more comfortable, he will exchange the seat at no cost, since my car is brand-freaking new.

[/quote]
New and very useful information - thanks for taking the time to check this out and report it![/quote]

No worries! It's a great car and I have 2 weeks left on my i3 lease so I'm getting antsy. I find it difficult time believing this is by design. And it would explain the wide range of experiences from people of all shapes and sizes. A 160 pound person with small hips could be in terrible pain if the cushion is collapsing under them while a 230 pound person could find them comfortable if it supports them as designed.

flamaest said:

I have an appointment with my dealer on Saturday and he's agreed to let me sit in other Bolts and, if I find something more comfortable, he will exchange the seat at no cost, since my car is brand-freaking new.

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That's great! However, I'd contact Chevrolet and/or have the dealer report this to HQ. All the dealer is doing is moving (possibly) defective seats from one car to another and GM will not know there was an issue.

jmatero said:

flamaest said:

I have an appointment with my dealer on Saturday and he's agreed to let me sit in other Bolts and, if I find something more comfortable, he will exchange the seat at no cost, since my car is brand-freaking new.

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That's great! However, I'd contact Chevrolet and/or have the dealer report this to HQ. All the dealer is doing is moving (possibly) defective seats from one car to another and GM will not know there was an issue.

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Yup, already have an open case/ticket with Chevrolet from over a month ago and they did not call me back or anything. I will deal with dealership instead since I do not think Chevrolet is going to do anything soon and I hate driving my new car (without a cushion) because of this.

I am actually kind of embarrassed to show this car off because of this. My girlfriend sat in it for two minutes and I immediately saw her face of discomfort.

jmatero said:

Don't know if either are issues with the supplier who makes the foam or the seat frame itself, but it DOES suggest the issue can be rectified by replacing the seat and/or bottom cushion. I'd like to call Chevrolet and provide this feedback if anyone has a contact there.

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Perhaps there are multiple seat suppliers, and there is inconsistency in the amount of padding or the density of the foam between the suppliers.

And did you see my photos elsewhere?
Take photos. Your comfort is subjective.
Photos are objective.

Both below have the heated seats.

gpsman said:

And did you see my photos elsewhere?
Take photos. Your comfort is subjective.
Photos are objective.

Both below have the heated seats.


View attachment 1

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Yes, that is the exact experience I had... some I sunk in, others I didn't. Nervous as heck about committing to a 3-year lease if Chevy isn't going to address this.

flamaest said:

jmatero said:

flamaest said:

I am actually kind of embarrassed to show this car off because of this. My girlfriend sat in it for two minutes and I immediately saw her face of discomfort.

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Yeah, same here. My better half sat in the passenger seat and you could see the immediate shifting back/forth trying to get comfortable followed by a big frown. Meanwhile, the Premiere that's been in the showroom for over a month (and has people all day getting in/out of the drivers seat) is supportive and comfortable.

jmatero said:

So, drove down to Capitol Chevy in San Jose where they have 80+ Bolts sitting on the lot. I sat in 12 different cars and adjusted the seats to the same position. 7 were Premiers, 5 LT's with cloth. 4 Premiums and 2 LT's were comfortable, the rest were terrible... painful actually. There doesn't appear to be a running change in the seat design because there were comfortable seats in older builds and terrible seats in recent builds.

Here's what I did find:
In the cars where the seat was comfortable, the cushion barely or partly compressed. In the uncomfortable seats, the cushion fully compressed to the point where the plastic seat-side pushed into my thigh. In fact, you can feel the difference pressing on the cushion with your hands... it isn't subtle by any means: compresses with little forces vs compresses with lots of force. This suggests either:

• 1. An inconsistency in the density of the cushioning of the seat bottom.
  2. An inconsistency in the seat frame supporting the cushion.
  3. Both

Don't know if either are issues with the supplier who makes the foam or the seat frame itself, but it DOES suggest the issue can be rectified by replacing the seat and/or bottom cushion. I'd like to call Chevrolet and provide this feedback if anyone has a contact there.

For anyone considering the Bolt like me and turning away because of the painful seats, try several other cars on the lot. Also, contact Chevrolet asking whether they warranty such an item should it become painful in the future.

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This empirical information is very interesting because it is one of those rare occasions where everyone is right.
If there are truely such inconsistencies in the seats the people who think the seats are fine and the people who think the seat to be uncomfortable and painful are also correct.
We will have to wait and see if Chevy initiates any corrective actions in this matter.

jmatero said:

So, drove down to Capitol Chevy in San Jose where they have 80+ Bolts sitting on the lot.

[snip]

In the cars where the seat was comfortable, the cushion barely or partly compressed. In the uncomfortable seats, the cushion fully compressed to the point where the plastic seat-side pushed into my thigh.

[snip]

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Got my Bolt from Capitol Chevrolet 10 days ago and fortunately it's apparently one of those w/firm seats where the "cushion barely" compresses. Makes for a firm ride but not uncomfortably so for me.

leodoggie said:

This empirical information is very interesting because it is one of those rare occasions where everyone is right.
If there are truely such inconsistencies in the seats the people who think the seats are fine and the people who think the seat to be uncomfortable and painful are also correct.

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I'd like to point out that even if all seats were identical, people who found them to be uncomfortable or even painful would still be "correct". Comfort is a subjective state, and just because you (for example) are comfortable in the seat does not guarantee that everyone else will be.

Ms. Barra, stop wasting time writing letters to Trump administration, griping about CAFE standards, and instead focus all your attention on your baby Bolt Premier that has front seats that feel like sitting in a narrow, leather-appointed TUB!

Also: hot from the press ...

"The Bolt is our platform that we're going to continue on and have a huge range of vehicles," (Ms.) Barra said during an interview with CNET's Roadshow in Detroit.

She forgot to say, with BETTER SEATS that fit ALL BODY TYPES comfortably.

Update: I went to my dealership which had 6 Bolt LTs in stock, two of which did not have heated seats, and one premier trim. My dealer is a champ, they did not have to do this for me, and yet they are still willing to change my front seats to make me happy. Hats off to these guys.

Report: All the LT seats are just as uncomfortable as my LT. DRAT !! Very slim and having very little padding, so I could feel the seat structure as I sat in each one. Some of the seats even squeak when you move around in them, sheesh.

I noticed the LT seat backs without the heat function were a tiny bit more comfortable in the seat back, but I have heat so an exchange to that seat would not work.

I also tried a premier/leather seat and it was a little more comfortable which I could possibly live with, but still a far cry from the cheapest Nissan leaf/sentra seats.

In short, I added a $11 ebay lumbar pad to my seat back which buffers me from the seat structure so I am good for now, but I still think GM needs to make this right; I just don't believe they will for us 1st gen buyers.

I can't wait to start seeing all the LT buyers from other states start piling into these forms about their thoughts on Bolt seat comfort. Popcorn in hand, here we go....

Lastly, on a separate note, the non leather steering wheel is SUPER cheap plastic. Do not buy the LT trim without the leather wheel. OMG.

flamaest said:

Do not buy the LT trim without the leather wheel. OMG.

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It's more like, do not buy or lease LT, period. Premier only.

Personal opinion:
Picked up my wife's new Bolt Premiere with two-tone leather heated seats on Monday in Northern Virginia. We both find the seats quite comfortable and plenty wide enough. We're both at healthy weights for our age & height.

Have you... ah... checked for loose silverware in your car seats? I'm just not seeing this.

We're a month into our LT with heated seats. I still find the driver's seat OK (not fantastic but my '62 Volvo 544 had worse) wife had some discomfort from the passenger seat which we fixed with a $30 memory-foam pad from Target.

For those of you using some kind of padding or other additions on top of the seat to make them comfortable, I am guessing you are not being able to use the seat heating feature with those, right? Kind of an obvious question, but still wanted to make sure.