Next-gen REAR seats no longer available for new orders, please post feedback on yours

[darthy001]

Had a long talk with a very nice girl from Tesla Norway today about this, and it got me quite convinced that we arent being told the real deal here.

She had obviously been prepped with a long story here loosely translated from my memory:

We at Tesla have listened to our customers in America. Many customers there complained about seats not folding flat. For that reason we have discontinued the next gen rear seats from a specific date. Blah blah blah much of the same over and over.

Reasons for questioning the info provided:
1. Where are all the customers that are complaining? Normally we see them here on the forum.
2. Why no info?
3. From pictures the folding difference is minimal at best so sound like a stretch.

But mainly the explanation was so rehearsed that they have obviously had sessions prepping for this. Gut-feeling is that there is something going on behind the scenes that she had no info on at all. She even commented that this was all new to them as well so they were scrambling to gather information.

Bottom line I got confirmation that my car had finished production before the cut-off date, but she needed some time to confirm 100% that the car had nextgen backseats. So most likely good news for me personally.

No one will be getting those seats on non-produced cars according to her. So I suggest those not happy about that to contact Tesla asap so that they are aware of the obvious demand for those seats.

edit: @conger your post just confirms my belief that something fishy is going on here. I've seen several owners praising the new rear seats, but noone complaining...

 

[MarcG]

I upgraded to a D from an early p85+. I did luck out and get delivery of Next Gen seats front and back. I sit in the front always --- usually in the drivers seat. I like the front seats enough that I would have paid the upgrade cost for just the front seats, I believe they are that big an improvement. It does leave a bad taste to get less for the same money, but Tesla does change pricing all the time, as long as they offer the option of the back Next Gen seats to everyone who ordered when they were available I don't see an issue. Unfortunately I know first hand how aggravating it is when Tesla removes a previously listed option without a change in price. With my first Tesla the Tech package when I ordered had fog lights which were deemed useless at the time and removed from the package without compensation. Even though I use fog lights less then once a year I was still annoyed, human nature, or at least my nature i guess.
My impressions of the Next Gen back seats:
1) The rear vision which was never great, is more restricted with the Next Gen seats then the old seats in my p85+ due to the higher headrests, but I can't comment on how they compare to the newer performance seats now being placed in cars. For me I always used the backup camera and side mirrors, I have two teenage sons and as they have grown the height of the old headrests was a concern from a safety standpoint. I am happy with the tradeoff given the camera, sensors, and hopefully future auto pilot features. In an ideal world there would be a cutout in the headrests or the middle headrest would be removable as I only have two kids, so the middle seat is usually empty, but overall I am happy with the trade off of headrest safety for visibility.
2) My kids like the comfort of the Next Gen seats better then the old performance seats. With the recent attention I also have spent a few minutes in the back seat which is more time then I spent in 20 months in my P85+, in this short test I like the seats as well. So in my family we all agree that we like the Next Gen seats better from a comfort standpoint.
3) We do fold down the seats frequently, but I must not be very observant. I sold my P85+ several weeks ago without having the cars side by side I probably would not have noticed the difference in the folded position, I think the Next Gen seats have a little more of a bump when folded, but to my eye and for our needs (skis, snowboards) there is no difference.
4) Future wear, I have to think that the bolsters will wear more then a flat seat. The car is probably driven 70% of the time with one or two people. The back seat is used occasionally and the middle seat even less frequently so this isn't a huge issue. Even if it the back middle seat had constant use the comfort, safety, and appearance I would still choose the rear Next Gen seats.
I really like the Next Gen seats both front and rear. I am definitely keeping mine. Are they perfect? No, but overall I am really happy. Will Tesla improve the seats? Almost definitely, this being Tesla they are always tweaking stuff and changing things on a weekly basis. When will they make the change? Everyone knows the answer to that --- Soon. Of course we all know how Tesla defines "soon". Is it worth delaying a purchase to wait for the new and improved new seats? Not for me, but everyone has different priorities, I think the only thing the could sway my opinion of the rear Next Gen seats would be if I was still dealing with baby seats. I remember how much of a pain those could be and if the bolsters made compatibility difficult then maybe I would opt for the performance rear seat.

Wonderful review! Thank you so much for the feedback, this is exactly what I've been waiting for since the beginning of this thread.

 

[hhh]

What a mess.

Who the hell would want mismatched seats in a $100k+ car.

Oh yeah, the seats could not fold flat, we forgot about that, so now you get a half-rolled-back product with differently styled seats and you still have to pay full price! Awesome, right?

 

[andrewket]

Wonderful review! Thank you so much for the feedback, this is exactly what I've been waiting for since the beginning of this thread.

Same here. Thanks. There are two pieces of data I'd like:

1/ Feedback from someone with NG rears who has kids of booster seat age. Car seats will clearly be a problem. Boosters may be ok, at least booster seats with narrow bases.

2/ What the real story is from Tesla. If it's a safety issue or something similar then tell me. Don't allow me make a poor choice.

3/ Ok, I lied- 3 things. If Tesla is going to build yet another new version rear seat without bolsters that matches the front NG seats, tell me. I might decide to wait and accept that seat.

 

[mdevp]

What a mess.

Who the hell would want mismatched seats in a $100k+ car.

Oh yeah, the seats could not fold flat, we forgot about that, so now you get a half-rolled-back product with differently styled seats and you still have to pay full price! Awesome, right?

I have to agree, this will not be good for Tesla's image if they continue with this premise.

 

[maddog1762]

My DS says everyone who ordered next gen seats before yesterday 1-14-2015 will get next gen back seats...... Cool beans!

 

[fviken]

:
No one will be getting those seats on non-produced cars according to her. So I suggest those not happy about that to contact Tesla asap so that they are aware of the obvious demand for those seats.

This is very disturbing if correct. There are lots of people that ordered the NG front and back seats, and if Tesla cannot deliver this then I would be very disappointed. The NG back seats are important for me and was promised to the kids.

 

[gpetti]

Yes, it's built and my DS indicated I would not have next gen seats yet (front or back) however I have also heard that they may not actually know and that is the standard response. Car should be in Vancouver today or tomorrow and I'll ask him to open the door and send me a quick photo or two. I don't like surprises on delivery day - we knew the sex of both of our kids as soon as it was possible!

The problem with ordering a new car is that all the new options keep changing. My previous experience with BMW was somewhat easier as they change once per year. With Tesla, it feels like every 2 weeks you hold-out you could be seeing some significant changes to the vehicle (D announcement, heated wheel, next gen seats, exec seating, etc.). Fortunately the software updates will keep us happy for the most part but man, all these hardware changes are difficult for those of us who want the latest-and-greatest! Maybe time to go on a Forum hiatus for 2-3 years LOL.

Well, it isn't normally this bad (hardware changes). Over the years there have been a few visible ones that I'm aware of (and can recall): folding mirrors, Parking Sensors, Autopilot features. Each one potentially causes a stir but typically affects a relatively small group. I think what is unique now is that we had the first major model change to the P85D and many of us dropped serious coin to upgrade into the latest and greatest technology version. For some reason they released a new feature about 2 weeks after this new model release and made it selective (presumably parts shortages?). Then thanks to the weirdness around the P85D "black hole", cars seemed go into the queue in order, get scrambled around and come out in random order. Whereas in the past the trade-off against missing new technology was getting the car earlier, in the December situation we were able to get a car later than other owners who had and additional feature. The seat fiasco then adds a variety of new build permutations and concerns along with the release of another seat variation, a price lowering (good for those who get it but not for those who didn't and also didn't get their cars until this month).... Crazy. You make a good point about the forum. It is a bit like pandoras box - sometimes better not to know what is going on. On balance I'm glad to have had this support group but it will be good to get back to driving (soon hopefully) and sharing driving experiences (almost always good) rather than unpleasant purchase and delivery experiences.

 

[darthy001]

My DS says everyone who ordered next gen seats before yesterday 1-14-2015 will get next gen back seats...... Cool beans!

That is not what they told me. The woman I spoke to clearly said "in production before date X will get the seats".

This is very disturbing if correct. There are lots of people that ordered the NG front and back seats, and if Tesla cannot deliver this then I would be very disappointed. The NG back seats are important for me and was promised to the kids.

This is indeed what she told me. She was very clear on this date-issue and only reffered to priduction date. No reference to ordering date.

 

[Jamesteruk]

I had the call earlier as well. I took it that if I want NG rear seats, that is fine. Just about giving me the option of changing to normal rear, keeping NG front, or changing to normal front and rear.

She was still recommending NG rear seats, comfier in the back, but I can't transport as much crap from Ikea in it. Fine, guess we use the wife's car for that!

 

[fviken]

I had the call earlier as well. I took it that if I want NG rear seats, that is fine. Just about giving me the option of changing to normal rear, keeping NG front, or changing to normal front and rear.

Thank you for the info, Jamesteruk. What is your VIN? Begun production yet?

 

[yobigd20]

I had the call earlier as well. I took it that if I want NG rear seats, that is fine. Just about giving me the option of changing to normal rear, keeping NG front, or changing to normal front and rear.

She was still recommending NG rear seats, comfier in the back, but I can't transport as much crap from Ikea in it. Fine, guess we use the wife's car for that!

I can't see how a 1cm difference in height would translate to "can't transport as much crap". Ok maybe if you were transported cardboard boxes folded flat you might only fit 199 instead of 200. Seriously though the height different is negligible at best. Nobody that has them is even noticing it until someone points it out. That being said, us early owners know that even the Old Gen seats don't fold flat either but I don't see anyone complaining about that. In fact, I've seen 0 complaints regarding the folding flat for both the new and old gen combined (and I troll these forums a lot). That fact combined with the "rehearsed response" from Tesla that someone got above sort of confirms Tesla's BS and they aren't telling us the real reason. Not cool Tesla, not cool.

 

[REBroker]

I don't believe the only issue here is whether we get the seats or not. The real problem is ongoing shadiness and miscommunication from Tesla that leaves a sour taste regardless. I want a full blown written explanation of what's going on so that I can make the best decision. I don't feel the flatness is the only problem and not being told is frustrating! This is a $130k purchase for God's sake, show us some respect. This is just way too much already, it's not just one thing, but one thing, after another, after another.

 

[Jamesteruk]

I can't see how a 1cm difference in height would translate to "can't transport as much crap".

She kept saying they fold at an "acute" angle. I guess a seat that is not folding to an acute angle isn't really folding at all. I suspect it is either a minimal difference, as shown by the earlier screenshots, which makes no difference; OR there is something else afoot.

@fviken - RN5492076 I guess. P85D, blue, tech, ng seats. Not gone for 21" wheels or air suspension or pano.

 

[tc4542]

As I said in the other thread, no doubt they're changing manufactures mid stream. It has nothing to do with complaints on not folding properly. Nobody even has the rear seats but just a few. And the ones that do I really don't hear complaining. I think the assessment in the other "Recaro" thread is dead on. They got into it with them and now they're bailing, probably to Futura.

Andrew:
FYI, you can use the the Porsche car seat (made by Britax) for the rear NG seats if need be. That's what I do for my Ruf with sport buckets and did with my old '11 TTS Cab. They're made to fit. Here is a link:
Child Seats: Suncoast Porsche Parts & Accessories</title>
<base href="https://www.suncoastparts.com/mm5/">
<title>Suncoast Porsche Parts & Porsche Accessories - Cayenne Accessories & Tequipment, Cayman, Boxster, Panamera, Carrera 997

 

[rns-e]

I had the call earlier as well. I took it that if I want NG rear seats, that is fine. Just about giving me the option of changing to normal rear, keeping NG front, or changing to normal front and rear.

Just had THE CALL - Nice girl told me the tear shedding story about the backseats not folding as much and offering me to opt for the standard backseat. I chose to stay with my first choice and keep the nextgen backseats, which was no problem as they only wanted to give me the chance to change. I asked when the car was going into production and she told me that they are calling the ones whos car is about to go into production.

I think we all can agree that it has nothing to do with the folding and that this is just a textbook example on how not to communicate with your customers. If they keep this up, it will be a case on communication in some business management class in the future

 

[REBroker]

I think we all can agree that it has nothing to do with the folding and that this is just a textbook example on how not to communicate with your customers. If they keep this up, it will be a case on communication in some business management class in the future

+1

I'm quite disappointed that the don't seem to be learning.

 

[Hookmaker]

I don't believe the only issue here is whether we get the seats or not. The real problem is ongoing shadiness and miscommunication from Tesla that leaves a sour taste regardless. I want a full blown written explanation of what's going on so that I can make the best decision. I don't feel the flatness is the only problem and not being told is frustrating! This is a $130k purchase for God's sake, show us some respect. This is just way too much already, it's not just one thing, but one thing, after another, after another.

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!! 130K - That should leave room for SWIFT and EXEMPLARY communication!

 

[rns-e]

Those bolsters in the rear really don't do much and impedes if you have 3 sitting in the back. We all know being the middle guy would suck -- don't even try to refute this.

In this video the middle guy looks like he is having fun and it is the nextgen backseats :biggrin:

 

[matbl]

Isn't there a back seat 1.5 as well? Are they moving back to that one or the original one? Or is the 1.5 EU only?
With 1.5 I'm referring to the non-NG back seat but with higher head rests in the rear (side positions only). I've seen pictures of it from a swedish owner.

Noone?
Link:
Garaget | Tesla Model S P85 (2014)