06 M35x Broken driver seat - help?

[axefire]

Hi all, hopefully someone can provide some input or help?

The bracket the raises and lowers the back part of my driver seat snapped, and now the seat will not raise at all. In fact, if I push on the back of the drivers’ seat it now lifts up (travel is the same distance as if I were raising and lowering it with the button). I can see that the connection between the bracket that moves up/down broke from the bar under the seat at the back.

Not sure exactly what I can do here - replace the entire seat? Take the seat apart and replace the track and connecting parts?

I saw on another thread I can get entire replacement seats for around $250 - $500, which I would consider but the problem is I cannot find the same color that I have - My seats are Bourbon! I do not see anywhere (not on eBay motors, not in junk yards, nowhere) bourbon seats - I do NOT have the elite warranty, and I now have 66k miles (again it's an 06). I REALLY don't want to pay thousands at the dealer (actually can’t afford this)...

If I do need to replace the entire seat, I need one without the speakers (no Bose speakers built in), but climate control as I think all Ms have cooled and heated seats (I do anyways)...

Anyone have any ideas? Your input is GREATLY appreciated!!!!

PS- no I'm not a fat sh1t! I have no idea how this happened!!! I weigh less than 200lbs! really! ok so a little over weight - maybe 10 - 15 lbs - I digress... … FOCUS MARCO... HELP!?!?

I can provide detailed pics if anyone wants or needs them?

Pics of my M are on Page 3 of "The M-forum members picture thread... Introduce yourself"...

Thanks,
Marco

[axefire]

Wow no replies yet. I must be in a world of sh1t with this seat problem... I really cant afford going to the dealer, this sucks... oh well..

[sunoco]

not exactly sure what you need but it sounds like just the frame under the actual seat, right? why would you need to buy a entire new seat?....


http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/partloc ... atalogid=0


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/06-09-In ... ccessories

I may be way off but check out those links.

[axefire]

Thanks sunoco - very much appreciated -

looking at the pic from eBay, the bar on the back side is actually connected to the seat (or part of) somehow - the arms that raise and lower the back part of the seat broke from this bar which is better seen in the diagram from the infinitiparts.com illistration - That diagram literally looks like my existing assembly lift, broken peices at the top and all...

Looking deeper I may actually be the one missing something here because these 2 links show basically the same thing but the pic from ebay has the bar across the back where the diagram from infinitiparts.com doesn't show the bar, again it looks like mine - snapped - hmm.. need to take a closer look at things.

but again, your reply is greatly appreciated dude...

Be good,
M

[gavnator]

This seems to be a common issue with the M35/45 driver seat. My seat loosened (I also have bourbon interior; love it) under 4 year basic warranty and Infiniti took care of it. They had to replace all the hardware illustrated in sunoco's post. I asked the service associate how it woul have cost me. He said around $900.

[Bryanteg06]

HI
I have an m35x black enterior with the boss system and all that and the exact same thing happened to me. I am going to check for a recall or something but were you able to have this issue fixed and whats the working in the warranty that covers this? i could just sit on a pillow because i refuse to spend much money on this.

Thanks sunoco - very much appreciated -

looking at the pic from eBay, the bar on the back side is actually connected to the seat (or part of) somehow - the arms that raise and lower the back part of the seat broke from this bar which is better seen in the diagram from the infinitiparts.com illistration - That diagram literally looks like my existing assembly lift, broken peices at the top and all...

Looking deeper I may actually be the one missing something here because these 2 links show basically the same thing but the pic from ebay has the bar across the back where the diagram from infinitiparts.com doesn't show the bar, again it looks like mine - snapped - hmm.. need to take a closer look at things.

but again, your reply is greatly appreciated dude...

Be good,
M

[axefire]

I actually made a brace for under the seat to raise it up and stablize it until I can cough up $1000 + to get this fixed.

From what I know, unfortunatley there's no recall for this. I think there shoudl be tho.

If you're still under warantee then bring it to the dealer they'll fix it for free. I unfortunately do not have the extended warantee and I have 70k on my 06 M35x so I'm S.O.L.

[Bryanteg06]

This seems to be a common issue with the M35/45 driver seat. My seat loosened (I also have bourbon interior; love it) under 4 year basic warranty and Infiniti took care of it. They had to replace all the hardware illustrated in sunoco's post. I asked the service associate how it woul have cost me. He said around $900.

HI,

can you tell me the wording in the warranty that covers this i did purchase an extended warranty when i bought the car and i don't mind just takign it to the dealer and letting them tell me but i thought id save myself a trip and looking uninformed. the only thing i see is the replacing power seat motor that could be close to this. Thanks for you help.

[Bryanteg06]

I actually made a brace for under the seat to raise it up and stablize it until I can cough up $1000 + to get this fixed.

From what I know, unfortunatley there's no recall for this. I think there shoudl be tho.

If you're still under warantee then bring it to the dealer they'll fix it for free. I unfortunately do not have the extended warantee and I have 70k on my 06 M35x so I'm S.O.L.

Thanks for your reply,

I actually think thought i coudl possible hammer the arm thats broken back down so that it clips onto the bar but i think once i sit on it again it''ll just break again but what kind of brace did you make? can you take a pic an post it or describe it? I sure plan on writing a number of letters to the company if i have to pay for this out of pocket.

[axefire]

it's made of wood that I had left over when I built shelves in my kitchen lol - seriously - 2 pieces of 1x4, 2 peices of 1x2, white coated, very soft wood.

My seat lifts completely off the track in the back - completely broke. I have the rubber floor matts, so the brace sits between the floor vent and the rubber mat tightly and raises the seat up an inch or 2. It's as wide as the space between the seat brackets that attach to the floor. I made sure it wouldn't damage the bottom of the seat by making it as wide as I could fit it so not all my fat @ss weight (200lbs) is pressing on a 2 inch board. it's now a 4 inch area that takes the weight.

Quite embarrassing actually, I have a beautiful M35x in excellent condition, and then this...

Sure I'll pop some pics when I can...

[Bryanteg06]

it's made of wood that I had left over when I built shelves in my kitchen lol - seriously - 2 pieces of 1x4, 2 peices of 1x2, white coated, very soft wood.

My seat lifts completely off the track in the back - completely broke. I have the rubber floor matts, so the brace sits between the floor vent and the rubber mat tightly and raises the seat up an inch or 2. It's as wide as the space between the seat brackets that attach to the floor. I made sure it wouldn't damage the bottom of the seat by making it as wide as I could fit it so not all my fat @ss weight (200lbs) is pressing on a 2 inch board. it's now a 4 inch area that takes the weight.

Quite embarrassing actually, I have a beautiful M35x in excellent condition, and then this...

Sure I'll pop some pics when I can...

isn't that crazy i only paid 17k for mine but its originally worth upwards of 40k and this shotty workmanship on more than one vehicle. and thanks for posting the pics whenever you can im not 200 and mine is broken so dont feel badly about that i am going to the dealer this week one in any event and see what they can do

[lovemycarM35]

This seat issue is bull man there should be a recall and it's 1200 at the dealer what a rip off these cars should not have that kind of issue

[axefire]

This seat issue is bull man there should be a recall and it's 1200 at the dealer what a rip off these cars should not have that kind of issue

Dude, I couldn't agree more! I'm a HARDCORE Nissan motors lover, and this is the one and only thing I dislike about my M...

[axefire]

This seat issue is bull man there should be a recall and it's 1200 at the dealer what a rip off these cars should not have that kind of issue

BTW I love those rims! where'd you get them? What kind are they? I want them! after I fix my seat...

[cruzad3r]

i'm in for some pix whenever you have a chance. i'm not sure i follow what the hell is wrong with your seat. btw the comment "i'm not fat $h!t cracks me up"

oh, i don't know how to help, i think i might have the same issue as i don't feel much different when i adjust the lumbar setting on my driver seat. anyway, post pic

[axefire]

..."i'm not fat $h!t cracks me up"

HEY NOW! I resemble that comment! I said I WAS a fat sh1t! I'm 5'7" and 200lbs! you can pull my pants down and show a double feature on my @ss!

Basically, if you're sitting in the back seat, you can push on my driver's seat and lift the back of it right off the ground because it's completely broken from the lifter arms (left AND right).

My lumbar support works fine and the front of the seat is connected and I can raise and lower the front part of the seat however.

I'll snap some pics tomorrow and post them tomorrow night...

[Bryanteg06]

i'm in for some pix whenever you have a chance. i'm not sure i follow what the hell is wrong with your seat. btw the comment "i'm not fat $h!t cracks me up"

oh, i don't know how to help, i think i might have the same issue as i don't feel much different when i adjust the lumbar setting on my driver seat. anyway, post pic

in this link you will see that there is a lower bar at the back of the seat " http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/partloc ... atalogid=0 " so there are two arms that raise that bar and one of those arms isn't lifting that bar and the other is broken off therefore the rear end of the bottom of the seat does not lift upwards. i can see over the dashboard well enough but i woudl like it to be a little higher.

[Bryanteg06]

everyone should go to http://www.infinitiusa.com/iapps/contactus and report this issue. there are way too many people that this has happened to.

[axefire]

Spot on Bryanteg06 - you're last 2 posts here are totally spot on - you explained the exact problem. And, I agree we should all go report this ASAP - I'm going there now -

There are now 2 threads about this one on top of the other. we should merge them. Either way after I go file my complaint I'm going to postthe pics of the bracket I made to prop my seat up - standby...

[axefire]

Pathetic I know, but it works!

One top piece is longer than the other, this stops the seat from rocking left/right:


I cut the 2 bottom pieces like a bridge so it doesn't block the air flow from the rear floor vent:




I'm pushing on the back of the seat lifting it up, otherwise you really can't see it:

[lovemycarM35]

thats so getto

[axefire]

thats so getto

Why... Thank you!

Believe me, I aint happy bout it, but had to do something until I can cough up 1.2k to get it fixed...

[Bryanteg06]

thats so getto

Why... Thank you!

Believe me, I aint happy bout it, but had to do something until I can cough up 1.2k to get it fixed...

Hey you do what you have to do and i have three email accounts so i reported the problem three times, you did a good job on that thing but i want a reply from this company because there is no excuse for them trying to screw over these car owners when this is just plain ole last place craftsmanship

[John2]

06 M35x here, and I also have a broken driver's seat. When it was in for service a month or so ago the seat seemed to be moving a little under hard acceleration or braking. I had the dealer look at it, and drew their attention to the TSB regarding the set rails. They basically said I need a new 'seat base', and since it is out of warranty, I would have to pay over $1,000. So I called Infiniti Canada to raise the issue, and was told the same thing - out of warranty - tough luck. I have written them a letter to escalate the issue but haven't heard back yet.

Then last week I heard a big "clunk" from the seat and now it won't raise up from the lowest position. I think it's the same problem described here.

I really like my car, but I can't say I'm impressed with the build quality.

john a

[axefire]

They fixed this issue in newer models but the 06s definitely are prone to this problem. While I'm very unhappy about this it doesn't change my opinion about my car. I still love it, it's still the best car I've ever owned and prolly will own.

but, I did file an issue with the link above the other day. Here's what I got back - basically, a big "Sorry dude, you're S.O.L." -

"
10/26/11

File # xxxxxx


Dear Marco :

Thank you for contacting Infiniti, and allowing us the opportunity to be of assistance. We are sorry to hear about the experience you are having with your vehicle and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

A review of our records indicates that the above-referenced vehicle is not currently involved in any recalls or service campaigns.

In order to look into possible financial assistance, a recent diagnosis by an authorized Infiniti retailer is required. Please contact your local Infiniti retailer and schedule an appointment, as the retailer is in the best position to diagnose and repair your vehicle. Your Infiniti retailer will be more than willing to assist.

File # xxxxxx has been created to document your concern. Once the vehicle has been diagnosed, please contact us at 1-800-662-6200 (Option 6) and reference your file number. Your satisfaction with your vehicle and your Infiniti dealer is very important to us. Thank you for allowing us to be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Infiniti

Consumer Affairs Representative
"

[John2]

Same here. Phoned Infiniti Canada and was told that it was out of warranty. So I wrote a letter to escalate as a safety issue and got a letter back saying pretty much the same thing.

[SteveTheTech]

There are two types of movement in the seats in the 06-07 Ms. The forward/rearward movement is caused by worn out gear teeth. The other and far more dangerous is a breakage in the rear support bar. The causes the seat to sit lower on one side and be able to be lifted up. The seat back will usually rest against the center console This breakage is no joke, and will cause an M to fail a safety inspection in almost any state. The rear motor of the seat is no longer connected to the seat and not adjustable, in the worse cases the left side of the seat frame will break through the leather itself. You can usually see the seat being off center, and sitting on it just doesn't feel right. It is a trip driving a car with a crooked seat.

If this were my problem and it didn't have an extended warranty ( ) I would remove the seat and weld it. However the sparks can destroy the seat care must be taken so this really isn't a diy type thing.

If the driver of this car...who is now sitting lower and to the side of where the seat should be rearends another driver the seat will try to fly forward the seat belts will try to force it backwards and the airbag (if they inflate) will stop any forward movement. The type of force here is enough to cause some serious damage.

To anyone else with an 08-10 or newer M this issue does not exist. This was really the last of the great seat issues of the last decade. The only time I have replaced any seat parts on newer cars is when they have flood or collision damage.

Be safe out there fellas.

[lovemycarM35]

There are two types of movement in the seats in the 06-07 Ms. The forward/rearward movement is caused by worn out gear teeth. The other and far more dangerous is a breakage in the rear support bar. The causes the seat to sit lower on one side and be able to be lifted up. The seat back will usually rest against the center console This breakage is no joke, and will cause an M to fail a safety inspection in almost any state. The rear motor of the seat is no longer connected to the seat and not adjustable, in the worse cases the left side of the seat frame will break through the leather itself. You can usually see the seat being off center, and sitting on it just doesn't feel right. It is a trip driving a car with a crooked seat.

If this were my problem and it didn't have an extended warranty ( ) I would remove the seat and weld it. However the sparks can destroy the seat care must be taken so this really isn't a diy type thing.

If the driver of this car...who is now sitting lower and to the side of where the seat should be rearends another driver the seat will try to fly forward the seat belts will try to force it backwards and the airbag (if they inflate) will stop any forward movement. The type of force here is enough to cause some serious damage.





To anyone else with an 08-10 or newer M this issue does not exist. This was really the last of the great seat issues of the last decade. The only time I have replaced any seat parts on newer cars is when they have flood or collision damage.

Be safe out there fellas.

Can you replace the gear without the hole frame and will the weld just brake at some point

[lovemycarM35]

To SteveTheTech is that gear on the power seat motor? and is it one hole peace

[SteveTheTech]

For the forward/rearward movement there is no part available separately. The reason being the damaged gear is on the rail itself. There is a kit available for one repair...I'll check when I get back into work. I cannot find a part number or description online.