Passenger seat adjuster switch broken. Again.

[Stranger Dings]

I’ve had an M3P for around 15 months and thanks to COVID, it only has 7,000 miles on the clock.

For the second time in the last few months, the passenger seat adjuster switch has snapped off, making it impossible to position the front passenger seat and needing another visit to the service centre.

Once was annoying, but twice seems to suggest that there is a design issue of some sort. Has anyone else had this issue?

The only thing I can think is that it may be positioned badly and of weak construction. Perhaps it keeps getting knocked as people enter and exit the vehicle leading to it weakening and then breaking?

I’d be interested to know if this issue has affected anyone else.

 

[Tuba2020]

I have the same issue model 3 hardly had passengers and this switch was rarely used. Broken and tesla qoured me 125 to replace. I just need the plastic piece and i can install...not thrilled.. our honda crv has much better quality seat adjuster

 

[Summertime]

Yes mine too is 2-months old and same problem. £100 to fix and the loan car they gave me had the same part broken! I think this is a design fault. Not happy.

 

[Xrayman]

Mine has also been broken. Not many passengers have been in it. Not happy.

 

[beachsideev]

Mine broke too. I bought a cheap Chinese one from eBay and gutted it for the pegs the controls snap onto. I wish you could just buy those.

 

[angelman]

me too. It just kept breaking. They replaced it once under warranty. I got a new M3 and it almost immediately broke. THe weird thing is the drivers side has never broken even though I use that far more. Either my wife has the hands of the incredible hulk.. or there's a design issue

 

[BigNick]

Maybe not a design issue but a materials issue, using a lower grade of plastic than most manufacturers would use for the same part?

 

[Skidmark]

I just got my car used a few weeks ago, and the backrest recline switch came broken. I've just put a paperclip in my center console storage bin to actuate it if I need to.

 

[1965Falcon]

I had one of mine break also, but it was from someone that didn't realize is wasn't a "manual" adjuster and the reefed up on it. I think that is mostly what happens and why it's always on the passenger side... people not familiar with the car. Fix would be to make the switch harder to push on, like buttons or lower profile knobs.

 

[Stranger Dings]

Interesting that more people are reporting this issue now. When I first raised this, there were very few responses and on another thread I was told I was careless and it was a non- issue.

Hopefully more people post their experiences if this is a real thing and Tesla might take note.

 

[beachsideev]

I doubt that. There are a few threads about this issue. You aren't alone.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I had one of mine break also, but it was from someone that didn't realize is wasn't a "manual" adjuster and the reefed up on it. I think that is mostly what happens and why it's always on the passenger side... people not familiar with the car. Fix would be to make the switch harder to push on, like buttons or lower profile knobs.

I bet this is probably the root cause for most of it. Given Tesla sold literally millions of these vehicles, if it really was a huge issue just with regular use, I presume the reported prevalence of this would be a lot more. If you treat it like a manual lever (which is probably what most people are used to), I can totally see it easily break.

 

[beachsideev]

In my case, it was a case of being located in a vulnerable place. Moving the controls further rearward in the seat would have offered more protection.

 

[xallenx1]

Mine broke too. I bought a cheap Chinese one from eBay and gutted it for the pegs the controls snap onto. I wish you could just buy those.

You got a link? I need to fix mine too.

 

[APotatoGod]

I've also had this issue, on the passenger side of my 2018 model 3. I know how it happened though, it was due to being hit by my foot as I got out of the car (as a passenger, of course).

 

[beachsideev]

You got a link? I need to fix mine too.

This is the seller I bought it from:

4-Pins For Tesla Model 3 2017-2020 Front Right Power Seat Switch Control 1098530 884539334009 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4-Pins For Tesla Model 3 2017-2020 Front Right Power Seat Switch Control 1098530 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I don't remember why I chose that one. There are a bunch on ebay for around the same price. They are probably all the same.

 

[afadeev]

Interesting that more people are reporting this issue now. When I first raised this, there were very few responses and on another thread I was told I was careless and it was a non- issue.

I've just noticed this thread just now, yet have had my passenger seat knobs cluster replaced three (3) times since 2018. Once under warranty, and paid for the other two experiences.
The knobs are just flimsy, and the control stalks are wafer thin.
I've had both the stalk and the plastic tabs inside the buttons break over time.

I had one of mine break also, but it was from someone that didn't realize is wasn't a "manual" adjuster and the reefed up on it. I think that is mostly what happens and why it's always on the passenger side... people not familiar with the car.

I assumed guerilla hands at first, as well. Pretty sure that's not the case.
Everyone in the family was properly educated after the first part broke, and the Model 3 doesn't get random passengers.
Yet, we had instances #2 and #3, likely from accidental brushing of bags and gear alongside the seat.

The problem is that the buttons protrude prominently out from the side of the seat, and are in no way protected or guarded by anything.
That, plus the parts are super-flimsy cheap, and the opposite of durable.

It is what it is.

a

 

[stopcrazypp]

I've just noticed this thread just now, yet have had my passenger seat knobs cluster replaced three (3) times since 2018. Once under warranty, and paid for the other two experiences.
The knobs are just flimsy, and the control stalks are wafer thin.
I've had both the stalk and the plastic tabs inside the buttons break over time.



I assumed guerilla hands at first, as well. Pretty sure that's not the case.
Everyone in the family was properly educated after the first part broke, and the Model 3 doesn't get random passengers.
Yet, we had instances #2 and #3, likely from accidental brushing of bags and gear alongside the seat.

The problem is that the buttons protrude prominently out from the side of the seat, and are in no way protected or guarded by anything.
That, plus the parts are super-flimsy cheap, and the opposite of durable.

It is what it is.

a

I guess that explains why some people have this happen and some never. Personally, my passengers never have their bags in the front seat, it's put in the rear seats or the trunk. So I guess without things that can potentially get caught on it, it doesn't break.

For those this is a chronic occurrence, maybe a cover over it would be a good solution, something that can flip open when in use and clip closed when not.

 

[1965Falcon]

I've just noticed this thread just now, yet have had my passenger seat knobs cluster replaced three (3) times since 2018. Once under warranty, and paid for the other two experiences.
The knobs are just flimsy, and the control stalks are wafer thin.
I've had both the stalk and the plastic tabs inside the buttons break over time.



I assumed guerilla hands at first, as well. Pretty sure that's not the case.
Everyone in the family was properly educated after the first part broke, and the Model 3 doesn't get random passengers.
Yet, we had instances #2 and #3, likely from accidental brushing of bags and gear alongside the seat.

The problem is that the buttons protrude prominently out from the side of the seat, and are in no way protected or guarded by anything.
That, plus the parts are super-flimsy cheap, and the opposite of durable.

It is what it is.

a

This seems like a good place for an aftermarket supplier to step in with some replacement low profile knobs. I'll have to look at them closer to see if you can pull them out and replace them easily or if it's more work than that. My son's a 3d design/3d printer guru and maybe I can get him to look at it.

 

[Stranger Dings]

I've just noticed this thread just now, yet have had my passenger seat knobs cluster replaced three (3) times since 2018. Once under warranty, and paid for the other two experiences.
The knobs are just flimsy, and the control stalks are wafer thin.
I've had both the stalk and the plastic tabs inside the buttons break over time.

I’m on my third now and I’m leaving it broken. I’ll get if fixed for one final time when I’m getting rid of the car in 12 months time.