New vs Old Rear Seats

[Knightshade]

There is no better way then having feedback from initial production vehicles since the statistics are there to help determine how much a problem each issue is. Work out all the quality issues now before ramping production.

Sure there's a better way- test pre-production cars before moving to retail production.

Because that's a ton cheaper for the company- you find your mistakes before you've built thousands of cars (and potentially have to spend money fixing thousands of cars- not to mention money potentially retooling the mass production process depending on the nature of the change- not to mention the supply chain disruptions for some changes....) and it's better for its customers since it doesn't stick early-production folks with inferior products that might need to be brought in for upgrades too.

Toyota is number one because of their obsession on quality.

Right.

Note they don't use their own customers as their beta testers though- they test this stuff before customers get the vehicles. Pretty rigorously too.

This does mean their development cycles are longer- but it also means they're much more likely to get the mass production version of the car right the first time.

 

[voip-ninja]

Sure there's a better way- test pre-production cars before moving to retail production.

Because that's a ton cheaper for the company- you find your mistakes before you've built thousands of cars (and potentially have to spend money fixing thousands of cars- not to mention money potentially retooling the mass production process depending on the nature of the change- not to mention the supply chain disruptions for some changes....) and it's better for its customers since it doesn't stick early-production folks with inferior products that might need to be brought in for upgrades too.




Right.

Note they don't use their own customers as their beta testers though- they test this stuff before customers get the vehicles. Pretty rigorously too.

This does mean their development cycles are longer- but it also means they're much more likely to get the mass production version of the car right the first time.

The reality is that every manufacturer has teething issues the first year or two that a brand new model is introduced. I do believe that other manufacturers have fewer problems than Tesla but those problems still exist.

I bought a 328i in 2012 when the model had only been on the market a hair under a year. The car had a variety of small problems including things like corroded seat brackets (BMW fixed this with a supplier change), rattles (never fully resolved) and some minor panel alignment issues (I picked black because I knew that the panel gaps would be less glaringly obvious.

Fast forward to 2015 when I took delivery of 340i. This car has been more or less perfect with the only issue being some noisy window seal issues that they resolved for me fairly quickly.

The first year a car is in production, maybe even the first two, is the worst time to buy... because the manufacturer is in the process of resolving owner issues with the early builds and making modifications to parts & assembly.

 

[gilscales]

I think for most the VIN does not matter... Im 18xxx and I have old front and back. My back seat was not connected and it would not attach so the mobile team came out and fixed it. I saw them take the backseat out completely...It was pretty thin... I am going to ask him when he returns to do my headlight if I can get a retrofit or even pay to have that thicker back seat.... I assume no wires in the heated seats right? Since it came out with no wires....

Any word on whether or not Tesla will accommodate us on a rear seat change, I would not mind paying for that thicker rear seat if it was even an option

 

[McFlurri]

Any word on whether or not Tesla will accommodate us on a rear seat change, I would not mind paying for that thicker rear seat if it was even an option

Highly doubtful.

You paid for what you got.

 

[gilscales]

Highly doubtful.

You paid for what you got.

I understand that and can definitely live with the back seat as I do not use it, I was thinking of passenger comfort as everyone who has sat in the back seat has made that comment about the low position and knees in the air with lack of thigh support but when the first gen suspension was deemed to rough by some Tesla offered a retrofit for no charge after they made a change much like they are doing now by changing the rear seat thickness, I was just thinking if Tesla offered to do an upgrade of the rear seat because of known issues I would do that even if there was a fee involved, thats all.

 

[goto10]

Highly doubtful.

You paid for what you got.

Why would you doubt that? With the exception of a handful of "restricted" high voltage and electronic components Tesla will sell you any part on the car. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to buy the new seats, though it's probably more expensive than most people would want to pay.

 

[Timmy T.]

VIN: 1649x
Manufacture Date: 5/18
Delivery Date: 6/8/18
I have the Gen 2 front and back seats

 

[McFlurri]

Why would you doubt that? With the exception of a handful of "restricted" high voltage and electronic components Tesla will sell you any part on the car. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to buy the new seats, though it's probably more expensive than most people would want to pay.

I doubt it because at this stage in the production cycle.. diverting parts from the line to ship out parts is not a good idea.

For example.. i need a new windshield because mine has a manufacturing defect. They had to take the part from the line and ship it to me.

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Sure there's a better way- test pre-production cars before moving to retail production.

Because that's a ton cheaper for the company- you find your mistakes before you've built thousands of cars (and potentially have to spend money fixing thousands of cars- not to mention money potentially retooling the mass production process depending on the nature of the change- not to mention the supply chain disruptions for some changes....) and it's better for its customers since it doesn't stick early-production folks with inferior products that might need to be brought in for upgrades too.

It's less expensive in terms of parts and repair costs for Tesla to get it right the first time. At the same time it's more expensive on the finance side for Tesla to delay production/sales because their valuation and access to less costly capital is predicated on their fast growth.

Ideally they could grow fast and have great quality, but if they had to pick between the two, my guess is they'll go for short term losses from parts and service instead of long term looses on the finance side.

 

[shrspeedblade]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread:

-If you have an earlier back seat, advertise in the classified section for a later one.

-If you have a later back seat but are more interested in laying the back seats down flat, vice versa.

I've been on various car forums for decades and this is completely normal between model years. In a couple years I predict the early seats will be desirable for certain people due to their rarity and difficulty to obtain. Just wait a while for the later seats and they will be readily available for cheap due to crashes- and what better to survive an accident intact but the rear seat!

 

[ZapM3]

I’m 6’3” and can’t sit straight up in the new rear seats. I fit by a fraction of an inch but hit my head when the car hits any meaningful bump. And my height comes more from my legs than my torso so some slightly shorter people may have issues too. All the early YouTube videos showed people taller than I fitting back there, so I thought I’d give an update.

 

[ZapM3]

I will guess a downside is that the seat backs when folded will not be as flat as they were with the original seat bottom design.

Here is a pic of the angle of the folded down seats on a car with the new, taller rear seats.

https://imgur.com/a/PqHdDKh

 

[insaneoctane]

Here is a pic of the angle of the folded down seats on a car with the new, taller rear seats.

https://imgur.com/a/PqHdDKh

Thanks for that photo. The cushions are quite supple so I would imagine a heavier load might compress that to flat?

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

I'm curious if removing the seat bottom allows the back seat backs to lay flat? This is a trick us Volt owners use when loading large items or when sleeping in our cars, the seat bottoms just pull up and the seat back lays perfectly flat afterward.

 

[M3 2018]

Any update on rear seat retrofits? This needs to be addressed for early adopters one might think...the new seats are a lot more comfortable! Even the new front seats have a bit more cushiony softness. The back is a the big ticket item tho, vast improvement.

 

[gene]

Any update on rear seat retrofits? This needs to be addressed for early adopters one might think...the new seats are a lot more comfortable! Even the new front seats have a bit more cushiony softness. The back is a the big ticket item tho, vast improvement.

I have 3 Model 3's in the house. The 3rd one we got a week ago, the first one was from December 2017. For my child who is 12 and a Tesla fanatic, she finds the rear seat about the same. For me, I find the new rear seat a bit more comfortable but I prefer the old seat as the old seat folds much flatter.

The front seats, I at first preferred the newer seats (for about 20 minutes). The bolstering is better but I do not like the way I sink deeply into the seats. I am only 155 pounds and the newer seats feel to me like a 10 years old car where the foam is sinking and the seats already worn out. I much prefer the earlier, more supportive seats. They feel new/firm and provide really good back support for a long drive. I am one who greatly prefers a firm mattress, my wife prefers a soft mattress. I prefer the old seat substantially, my wife prefers the new seat but not by much.

I hope this helps some of you who may be driving yourselves mad about wanting the new seats. New is not better for everyone. Just different. I have done 10 hour drives in the early seat, 2 hour drives in the new seat. Me, I would pay extra for the old style seats any day.

 

[rlb4]

I have 3 Model 3's in the house. The 3rd one we got a week ago, the first one was from December 2017. For my child who is 12 and a Tesla fanatic, she finds the rear seat about the same. For me, I find the new rear seat a bit more comfortable but I prefer the old seat as the old seat folds much flatter.

The front seats, I at first preferred the newer seats (for about 20 minutes). The bolstering is better but I do not like the way I sink deeply into the seats. I am only 155 pounds and the newer seats feel to me like a 10 years old car where the foam is sinking and the seats already worn out. I much prefer the earlier, more supportive seats. They feel new/firm and provide really good back support for a long drive. I am one who greatly prefers a firm mattress, my wife prefers a soft mattress. I prefer the old seat substantially, my wife prefers the new seat but not by much.

I hope this helps some of you who may be driving yourselves mad about wanting the new seats. New is not better for everyone. Just different. I have done 10 hour drives in the early seat, 2 hour drives in the new seat. Me, I would pay extra for the old style seats any day.

Maybe you can swap with someone who has the older seats.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I have 3 Model 3's in the house. The 3rd one we got a week ago, the first one was from December 2017. For my child who is 12 and a Tesla fanatic, she finds the rear seat about the same. For me, I find the new rear seat a bit more comfortable but I prefer the old seat as the old seat folds much flatter.

The front seats, I at first preferred the newer seats (for about 20 minutes). The bolstering is better but I do not like the way I sink deeply into the seats. I am only 155 pounds and the newer seats feel to me like a 10 years old car where the foam is sinking and the seats already worn out. I much prefer the earlier, more supportive seats. They feel new/firm and provide really good back support for a long drive. I am one who greatly prefers a firm mattress, my wife prefers a soft mattress. I prefer the old seat substantially, my wife prefers the new seat but not by much.

I hope this helps some of you who may be driving yourselves mad about wanting the new seats. New is not better for everyone. Just different. I have done 10 hour drives in the early seat, 2 hour drives in the new seat. Me, I would pay extra for the old style seats any day.

Why did you need 3 model 3's?

 

[RayK]

Check his .sig.

 

[gambit48]

I agree. Just swap. Advertise that it's great for car camping or transporting long items.