The seats are a deal killer.
- Thread starter leodoggie
- Start date
Help Support Chevy Bolt EV Forum:
- Status
My 27 year old kid just sat down in our Bolt Premier for the first time and the first thing that came form his mouth was: WHAT'S WITH THE SEAT? He has driven more cars than I care to remember.
And then he pointed at the left bolster edge.
I had to laugh. So it is true, isn't it. There IS something off with the front seats.
Ms. Barra, are you listening?
And then he pointed at the left bolster edge.
I had to laugh. So it is true, isn't it. There IS something off with the front seats.
Ms. Barra, are you listening?
marshallinwa
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2016
- Messages
- 154
flamaest said:
It will probably be a couple of months before the after market will start selling seat cushions and seat covers designed for the Bolt. You might contact some of the after market suppliers to let them know there is a strong interest.
In the meanwhile, I would try one of the cushions tested by one of the other members. And yes, definitely let GM know you are not happy with this design.
JupiterMoon
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2016
- Messages
- 245
People should stop wasting time posting here and directly contact GM if there is indeed an issue with the seats. I mean 17 pages of this stuff??? Really?
JupiterMoon said:
I started this thread to alert people that there is a seat issue, mission accomplished. Perhaps it would be more beneficial if people started to post their solutions for this problem. I am personally looking for a way to make this seat more comfortable, but have not found a suitable cure yet. But when I have found a cushion or a pad or something similar that is relatively inexpensive I will post about it.
CopperRoad
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2017
- Messages
- 17
JupiterMoon said:
It's not wasted time. New people join to voice their opinion. Looking for validation that they're not alone in their thinking that the Bolt front seats have issues (for people of all size, girth, and weight). Through this, consensuses grows.
Also, it's highly likely that Chevy is monitoring this blog. They have a media department that I would think would scour the web for all press, as well as popular forums. But, writing GM is also good.
And on that note, what would be better is if someone simply goes to Chevy's Customer Care and/or Chevy Electric twitter feeds (https://twitter.com/chevycustcare & https://twitter.com/chevyelectric) to add this whole URL thread asking for help.
I went and test drove both the Bolt LT and Premier versions. There's no doubt the seats are in issue.
I test drove the LT version for about 5 miles (15 min) and took the premier version on a longer test drive of 20 miles (45 minutes). I thought the Premier leather seats felt better than the cloth, but both had major issues unless I was perfectly centered in the middle of the seat when driving.
The problem is I'm a fairly hyper person, so I tend to shift around in car seat quite often, so being centered is not conducive to me. The plastic seat frame, especially on the left side, kept rubbing against my thigh. I could even see someone getting a bruised thigh during a road trip.
The bolster's just don't have enough padding. They seem to compress all the way, causing your leg to pretty much rest on top of the plastic seat frame. Not comfortable at all.
I know some think the seats are fine, but do this. As you get into the car and slide in and out of the driver or passenger seat, does your thigh not feel the plastic hard frame during entry and existing? That's what many are experiencing, when not only getting in/out of the seat, but also while driving. This is something I've never experienced in any car.
In fact, my car salesman noticed the same thing and was equally shocked and disappointed how uncomfortable the seat was. He said he never noticed it before because he normally sat in the back seat during the test drives. Sure enough, we felt the back seat and they seemed to have plenty of padding.
Even the front seat backing appears to be thinly padded. Further, why do the seat sides feel like a skeletal structure (even though you can't feel them when driving)? Just feels incredibly cheap.
This has really bummed me out, as I've been waiting for the Bolt EV ever since it was announced, but I'm just not sure if I will be able to pull the trigger unless there's a remedy. Plus, my new work commute will be 170 round trip, 2-3 times a week, so a half decent comfortable seat probably should be important to me.
Btw, I'm 49, 6'2, 175lbs, and 32" waist. My sales guy was definitely more stockier then me and was probably 5"11, 195lbs, and 36" waist? He has a long commute as well, and totally agreed that these seats could make a long commute feel much longer.
If I end up buying the Bolt, it's definitely would be the Premier version, as the cloth seats felt even worse. Even so, as much as this car costs, I'm going to have to pass and hope this gets addressed in the 2018 version. But by then the Model 3 will be very close to production, and I have a 1st day deposit already in place. Not good GM.
Other than the seats, I absolutely love the car. Darn you GM! Why??
I test drove the LT version for about 5 miles (15 min) and took the premier version on a longer test drive of 20 miles (45 minutes). I thought the Premier leather seats felt better than the cloth, but both had major issues unless I was perfectly centered in the middle of the seat when driving.
The problem is I'm a fairly hyper person, so I tend to shift around in car seat quite often, so being centered is not conducive to me. The plastic seat frame, especially on the left side, kept rubbing against my thigh. I could even see someone getting a bruised thigh during a road trip.
The bolster's just don't have enough padding. They seem to compress all the way, causing your leg to pretty much rest on top of the plastic seat frame. Not comfortable at all.
I know some think the seats are fine, but do this. As you get into the car and slide in and out of the driver or passenger seat, does your thigh not feel the plastic hard frame during entry and existing? That's what many are experiencing, when not only getting in/out of the seat, but also while driving. This is something I've never experienced in any car.
In fact, my car salesman noticed the same thing and was equally shocked and disappointed how uncomfortable the seat was. He said he never noticed it before because he normally sat in the back seat during the test drives. Sure enough, we felt the back seat and they seemed to have plenty of padding.
Even the front seat backing appears to be thinly padded. Further, why do the seat sides feel like a skeletal structure (even though you can't feel them when driving)? Just feels incredibly cheap.
This has really bummed me out, as I've been waiting for the Bolt EV ever since it was announced, but I'm just not sure if I will be able to pull the trigger unless there's a remedy. Plus, my new work commute will be 170 round trip, 2-3 times a week, so a half decent comfortable seat probably should be important to me.
Btw, I'm 49, 6'2, 175lbs, and 32" waist. My sales guy was definitely more stockier then me and was probably 5"11, 195lbs, and 36" waist? He has a long commute as well, and totally agreed that these seats could make a long commute feel much longer.
If I end up buying the Bolt, it's definitely would be the Premier version, as the cloth seats felt even worse. Even so, as much as this car costs, I'm going to have to pass and hope this gets addressed in the 2018 version. But by then the Model 3 will be very close to production, and I have a 1st day deposit already in place. Not good GM.
Other than the seats, I absolutely love the car. Darn you GM! Why??
I got a second look at the Bolt seats today at the Providence RI auto show. Had my spouse with me. I first sat in the Bolt two months ago at another auto show.
So the first show I was chatting with the Chevy lady the whole time, and kind of distracted by the conversation. I remember being wowed by the car. This time, no distractions, and aware of all the things I'd read on this forum in the intervening months - not so wowed. In fact, kind not wowed. All the things I've read were true. It's a very narrow car. If there's a category beneath subcompact width-wise, this is it. Two people are really in each other's laps. The seats sucked. My wife and I both noticed the bolsters digging into our thighs, and I'm a pretty narrow, toned distance cyclist. The dash looks expensive, but it's cheap and hard. Our voices echoed around the car.
Amazing what a difference between first exposure and second exposure. It was really glaring when I walked over to the ancient Nissan Leaf parked 50 feet away. Comparative luxury. Yea, I know it's half the range, etc. But it was enough for me to cross the Bolt off my list (spouse said "no way") and wait for the Leaf, the Model 3, or something better.
Not meant to disrespect anybody who loves the car, and/or the seats. Just my individual reaction. Kudos to LG for making a great electric platform. Bummer that GM had to cut so many corners to reach a price point.
So the first show I was chatting with the Chevy lady the whole time, and kind of distracted by the conversation. I remember being wowed by the car. This time, no distractions, and aware of all the things I'd read on this forum in the intervening months - not so wowed. In fact, kind not wowed. All the things I've read were true. It's a very narrow car. If there's a category beneath subcompact width-wise, this is it. Two people are really in each other's laps. The seats sucked. My wife and I both noticed the bolsters digging into our thighs, and I'm a pretty narrow, toned distance cyclist. The dash looks expensive, but it's cheap and hard. Our voices echoed around the car.
Amazing what a difference between first exposure and second exposure. It was really glaring when I walked over to the ancient Nissan Leaf parked 50 feet away. Comparative luxury. Yea, I know it's half the range, etc. But it was enough for me to cross the Bolt off my list (spouse said "no way") and wait for the Leaf, the Model 3, or something better.
Not meant to disrespect anybody who loves the car, and/or the seats. Just my individual reaction. Kudos to LG for making a great electric platform. Bummer that GM had to cut so many corners to reach a price point.
LeftieBiker
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2017
- Messages
- 793
I posted this once earlier, and got called a conspiracy theorist, but I think it's worth considering my wacky theory anyway: I think that GM wanted an EV that would win awards for range and acceleration, but that wouldn't be so successful in sales that they had to build extremely large numbers of them. I think they have a target sales number for ZEV credits, and wanted to limit sales to that without getting bad reviews. So they did two things: designed the front seats for young, smaller people, and wrote the lease offer to limit sales to the relatively affluent young demographic and EV enthusiasts. We'll see if they decide it was a miscalculation or not, by whether or not they improve the seats, or simply deny that there is an issue with them.
oilerlord
Well-known member
LeftieBiker said:
Not such a wacky theory, though to simplify it a bit...the seats, dash, armrests, etc, were merely casualties of cost-cutting. Aside from the battery & electric powertrain, I think there's a lot of cheap in this car that made the Bolt project at an MSRP under $40,000 - possible. EV enthusiasts wanted an affordable, 200 mile car. Here it is.
An athlete with 32" waist and slim butt.mbepic said:
Very good point...CopperRoad said:
Do what? Ask GM for a better seat? This is no Tesla here. All they care about is moving metal and paid invoice. And maybe, just maybe next year.CopperRoad said:
American Corporations are arrogant SOBs. I have Amana fridge with a fatal design error that makes it lose cooling in the fridge segment in about 3 years after it's plugged in because the air return clogs up with ice. I wrote to them. All I got was a "thank you" letter. A fix? Yeah, right.
It's just one example.
We can only wish. Amana never fixed my fridge.phil0909 said:
Also: Dodge never fixed their paint sans primer sloughing off for years on my '94 Caravan that started shooting off of plastic sides day one. Dealer kept receiving the "wrong part" until we gave up. And then the hood paint started coming off in sheets. I will never buy Chrysler product ever again even if it comes 24-ct gold-plated. Same goes for Amana.
Actually, LG was nice. They bought the noisy TV back after 3 attempts for retail (!) with free shipping. That was a big surprise. But again, that's a Korean corp, not U.S. Making a point here, ain't I?
We vote with our feet (and wallets).
iletric said:
Well, I have to say that some consumers simply have very bad luck with products and some have very good luck with products; actually had to have my tires replaced on my 2012 Volt, after 58,000miles and 5yrs of driving.............oh well! I also have the feeling that I'm going to find nothing wrong with those Bolt EV Premier seats............but that is just a gut feeling right now!
BTW, not one person in this thread, has mentioned anything about adjusting the seat..........I'm not saying you didn't adjust the seat the best you could, but I don't believe anyone has even mentioned that.............it would certainly be a logical thing to do.
OK, so we took delivery on our Kinetic Blue LT today.
After all I'd read here I was prepared to sit in the car, drive it around and decide (or be told) that the seats were terrible and unacceptable.
It didn't happen. I'm a pretty bulky guy and the seats seemed fine to me. I did spend some time playing around with the adjustments (I increased the height and recline mostly) to get myself into the driving position I wanted, but that was about it. The upholstery fabric is significantly better than the recycled PET in the LEAF that gets dirty when you look at it through the car window. In fact, we saw an orange Premier at the dealer when we took delivery and wife noted the perforated leather and said THAT would have been the deal breaker as the holes reduce the durability of the leather.
We did a couple hours in the car tonight and I had no problem whatsoever. The seat heaters and steering wheel heaters are great, though I did end up using some cabin heat later in the evening as the outside temp dropped. Even so we got back from our 30+ mile drive with 189 miles on the guess-o-meter, whereas I'd have been looking at one or two bars left in the LEAF for the same trip.
So after one half-day I'm quite pleased...
After all I'd read here I was prepared to sit in the car, drive it around and decide (or be told) that the seats were terrible and unacceptable.
It didn't happen. I'm a pretty bulky guy and the seats seemed fine to me. I did spend some time playing around with the adjustments (I increased the height and recline mostly) to get myself into the driving position I wanted, but that was about it. The upholstery fabric is significantly better than the recycled PET in the LEAF that gets dirty when you look at it through the car window. In fact, we saw an orange Premier at the dealer when we took delivery and wife noted the perforated leather and said THAT would have been the deal breaker as the holes reduce the durability of the leather.
We did a couple hours in the car tonight and I had no problem whatsoever. The seat heaters and steering wheel heaters are great, though I did end up using some cabin heat later in the evening as the outside temp dropped. Even so we got back from our 30+ mile drive with 189 miles on the guess-o-meter, whereas I'd have been looking at one or two bars left in the LEAF for the same trip.
So after one half-day I'm quite pleased...
LeftieBiker
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2017
- Messages
- 793
Good for you, Steve. I don't want to see anyone hate their Bolt's seats - I want to see better seats offered.
No. This comes up regularly and you just don't car design seats from scratch, with new construction techniques, to save money. You choose a seat you already build that doesn't cost much, and make sure the car will accept it. Hopefully it will be found that Cruze seats will fit, with minimal adaptation.
No. This comes up regularly and you just don't car design seats from scratch, with new construction techniques, to save money. You choose a seat you already build that doesn't cost much, and make sure the car will accept it. Hopefully it will be found that Cruze seats will fit, with minimal adaptation.
- Status
