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Heated Seats Not Working On 2009 Mazda 5

QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
edited August 2014 in Mazda
Hello,

Just recently bought a new Mazda 5. Took it in to the dealers today because our heated seats are not working. Dealer said Mazda has confirmed to them they are aware there is a problem and are working on solving it. Mazda apparently told dealer that even if they replaced every part to do with the heated seats it would not fix the problem.

Was wondering if anyone else had run into this, and if so if you have found any solutions?

Thanks for your help.

P.S. - Don't know if it matters, but we live in Vancouver, Canada.
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Comments

  • cyclone83cyclone83 Member Posts: 60
    How hot are the seats supposed to get? We test drove a 2009 GT the other day, and we could barely even feel the heated seats when they were on. Maybe this car had the same problem...??
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    I would think it probably does have the same problem. When we first tried our heated seats, one got very hot, the other not so hot. They also heated unevenly in that the passenger seat seemed to get hot around the shoulder area only and the drivers seat got warm in places in the back. Neither seat ever seemed to heat up in the seat (bum) portion. Now they don't do anything.
  • cyclone83cyclone83 Member Posts: 60
    That makes sense, I was wondering why the heck the heated seats were so weak! We're debating the Touring vs. Grand Touring. One of the big pulls for the GT is heated seats, but if they are going to break down and cause a headache, maybe we will save some money and go with the Touring
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    I've never had a car with heated seats, but have ridden in cars with them. Sure is a nice option to have, if they can get them working. I did ask the dealer if this was a problem on all 2009 Mazda 5's with heated seats, and he said apparently not. I'll let you know if and when they get it fixed.

    Anyone else have any experience with this?
  • gambit293gambit293 Member Posts: 406
    Whew! Makes me glad we didn't splurge for the GT. I was interested in the GT mainly for the heated seats.

    We got the touring instead.
  • cyclone83cyclone83 Member Posts: 60
    Did you get this figured out? We just put some money down on a Grand Touring, hopefully this problem is not too common!
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    Nothing figured out yet. Was in at the dealer the other day and they assured me the problem is being worked on.
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Any update? I am having same problem.
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    Sorry, nothing to report yet. I was at the dealer yet again at the start of this week. They assured me that Mazda knows there is a problem and are working on some kind of softwear fix. They assured me it would be fixed before the winter. They said they have 8 or 9 other customers with the same problem.
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Mine are still not working, how about you?
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    No, nothing yet. Truth be told, I'm starting to get pissed off. The dealer has told me a few times that Mazda Canada is working on it, and that it won't take much longer. I have not been constantly calling the dealer, as I want to be reasonable and give them a chance to fix this, but the last time I e-mailed the dealer they said they would get in touch with Mazda Canada and get back to me. That was on September 22nd and I still have not heard back from them. I think my next step is to start dealing directly with Mazda Canada. Love the car, but I really wanted the heated seats. I didn't care when it was summer time, but with winter coming on I wanted those seats to work!
  • jinji15795jinji15795 Member Posts: 1
    Hi - Have you heard anything back about this? I am considering the Grand Touring solely for the heated seats - this is a bit disappoiting coming from mazda... thanks.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    The 2010 are here, but no Grand Touring...
    Coincidence? I think NOT!
    ... and I want one for the leather.
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    I still have not heard anything back on my heated seats. I also really wanted the heated seats and it is one of the reasons we went for the Grand Touring. If I were buying one today I would ask the dealer directly about the problem with the heated seats and see what they say. From what I understand, it is a sporadic problem, in that not all the vehicles have this problem. Maybe you could get it written into a contract that you will only accept the vehicle if the heated seats work. I will be going back to the dealer in early November to get some winter tires installed and if they have no further information for me at that time on the heated seats I think I will try contacting Mazda Canada directly.

    As for no Grand Touring being available in 2010, I am not sure about this. All the websites I've looked at say a Grand Touring is offered. Not sure where you are getting it from that there is no Grand Touring in 2010?
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    OK, maybe I miss-spoke.
    I looked at the dealerships around me, Southern California and they all have a few 2010's, but all none of them Grand Touring. At least none yet.
    I am sure at some point in time GT will show up.
    I suggested that the GT may have the heated seats problem and their production is delayed, because of that.
    It may simply be that Mazda decided to fill the first boat with cheaper models that will sell faster.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    The 2010 are here, but no Grand Touring...
    Coincidence? I think NOT!

    You have funny conspiracy theories ;)

    Mazda is small so it takes time to get all Mazda5 trims off the line, that has been usually the case for the last few years.
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Took mine back to dealer and got a loaner car until the seats are fixed. Dealer called today and said Mazda tech says seats will not come on unless 20 degrees and shuts off at 29. He will put a bag of ice on the thermo and see if it will come on. I will let you know.
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    Yes, please do let me know. I would be very interested in the outcome. I also give your dealership credit for wanting to get to the bottom of this. My dealer just keeps saying it is an issue that Mazda Canada is working on.

    Funny thing is, I was out yesterday and decided to try the heated seat (driver side). I believe it came on. Not sure what is going on, but at least for a while it seemed to be working.

    Again, please let me know what you find out.

    I would also be curious to know where you live. Are you in Canada or the U.S., and if in Canada what province?
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Florida, so I have to wait awhile for cool temp, 90 today
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    talked to dealer, he left car in shop overnight with air on and ran my car a/c to cool the inside and outside, applied ice did not work. He already replaced bottoms and is having backs overnighted and will try again.. He says Mazda rep said nothing about a systemic problem.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I could send a block of ice from California
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Got new back and seats, still not working. Dealer gave me a loaded CX7 to drive until resolution. He is trying to get a factory rep to come in and look at it. :sick:
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    Thanks so much for keeping us posted. My dealer told me, that Mazda Canada told them, that the dealer could replace all my seats and it would not make any difference. They have told me Mazda Canada are supposed to be working on some kind of software fix, but they said all this some time ago. Again, thanks for the update.
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Dealer says it may be two weeks before a Mazda tech comes to them. Let me know if you get any resolution.
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    Dealer says Mazda USA says no software problem, design flaw on the thermostats location. Says rep will bring factory techs with him to try to resolve problem, but may take several weeks to arrange. :mad:
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    This actually makes sense to me. My heated seats are now working - sometimes. When it is cold out and I go out in the car first thing in the morning, the seat seems to work. Does not stay on for very long, but does work. Only works once per day though. If I try the seat again later in the day it does not work. Maybe that is because the car is a little warmer and the thermostat is somehow sensing this???
  • irma2irma2 Member Posts: 13
    How cold is it when the seats work?
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    I was out this morning and it was a cold, rainy morning. Not sure what the temperature was. I was out by myself and my heated seat worked fine. That was in the morning. Later in the day I tried my seat again and it would not work. Then my wife and I went out to dinner this evening. The passenger seat had not been used all day. My wife's heated seat worked but mine did not. The temperature outside was 44 degrees. We had gone out for dinner and left about 11:30 P.M. When we left it was 42 degrees outside and both of our heated seats worked. This just does not make any sense to me.
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    I was at my dealer today (on another matter - had winter tires put on) and am told that Mazda Canada now has a fix for the problem with the heated seats. It is some kind of "sensor pad". Not sure how it works, but I briefly saw the drawing the dealer had on their computer. It looks like some kind of pad that goes underneath the leather seats. I did not get into a lot of detail with them, but they did assure me that this is the fix. My dealer does not yet have the parts in stock and said they should have them within the next three weeks. I'll keep you posted.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I just got my new 2010 GT.
    I expected the seats not to work and... they didn't :)
    Only this morning (I got the car yesterday), the driver seat did work. Quitre well, actually. After a very short drive, they worked again (so the second time). The second driving session took a little longer, like 5 minutes. The seat did not warm the third time, but I have to say it was already warm. I wonder if they do not start if the seat is already worm, as in not "morning" cold.
  • cyclone83cyclone83 Member Posts: 60
    Our heated seats will warm up nice and hot, but then cool back down to a semi-warm temperature. Is that how they are supposed to work? It would be nice if they just stayed hot...

    The car manual says something about them being controlled by a thermostat, but there isn't much detail.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Mine work exactly as you describe. I have to say, that after the initial "hotness" my bottom keeps the seat warm, just the same.
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    My seats are working much as you describe, however, it is very cold right now (temperature has been around freezing for a couple of weeks now). My seats were not working like this when it was not so cold. I am scheduled to take my car in to have the seats fixed this week. I am going to describe to the dealer what has been happening with my seats and see what happens. I'll let you all know the outcome.
  • dona83dona83 Member Posts: 67
    I don't know about you guys but I value my reproductive system. Getting the seats to warm to the touch is good enough for me, unless you like to drive a BMW convertible top down or something... Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, jack frost nipping at your nose. Hey it makes great birth control. :lemon:
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Actualy I could complain about that. It warms close to the hinge, but not towards the front edge. Same with the back. It warms the lower part but nothing higher then the lombar area (not even that).
    So much for French toast.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    image
  • QuickbeamQuickbeam Member Posts: 23
    Well, my heated seats are finally working. I went into the dealer and had the manufactures fix done. This is where they installed some kind of sensor pad. This was a few weeks ago. When I picked the car up the dealership told me they still didn't think the seats were working that well, so they wanted to replace the entire heated seat mechanism. I made the appointment, took the car back in, and now the seats are finally working. They still cut out a little quicker than I like - I would prefer to be able to turn the heat off the seats myself, but all in all they are much, much better and are working fine.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    I read this whole thread, and it amazes me that Mazda has managed to complicate something so simple. Why have a thermostat that determines them getting power or not? That is what the switch is for. It sounds like they have a redundant thermostat somewhere and is totally not needed, and is instead interfering.

    I'm glad they got you fixed. Only took them half a year too!

    Cars are just getting way too complex, and in areas that it's so needless. I think my time in this world (of iPad or Pod or whatever they are, and Smart phones that aren't too bright and all the other endless amounts of techno carp both in and out of our cars) was better suited a generation before me. Then I'd be on my way out and thinking timing was just about right..
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