Am I still the only one with an irritating scrunchy sound coming from the left bolster of the driver's seat back?
When the temperature is above 0 Celcius the bolster makes a scrunchy squeak every time I lean back, accellerate, or take off from a stop.
It would appear to be the supplemental air bag material rubbing against the foam or upholstery of the seat.
Toyota says this should be under warranty, but it has been too cold out lately to demonstrate to the service dept.
I know that I could fix it by removing the factory seat cover and tweaking the air bag placement somewhat, but this is not as easy as it sounds, potentially dangerous, and if it is under warranty, I'd prefer the "experts" to address the problem.
UPDATE:
This was some sort of record: 232 reads without a single response.
However, my plight is not so unique as I thought. My dealership is finally going to replace my entire driver's seat under warranty. They have apparently replaced a few seats due to defective foam and/or improperly packed air bags in the bolster.
My 2009 XRS does this as well - kind of a scrunchy/squeaking sound when you first drive off. There was a TSB on upgrading the seat bolts to help with this noise - though they likely used those bolts when they replaced the seat.
I agree with your, it might be a function of how the side airbag in the seat is attached/set in place. Since all of the 2nd gen Matrix come with seat mounted airbags standard - be tough to compare this to a seat without the airbag.
I have noticed that it tends to make more noise with me behind the wheel than my significant other. Given that I'm a bit larger than her - makes it more likely that I've pressing further into the seat. Sometimes reclining the seat more, tends to lessen/worsen the noise depending on my position - but for now, I just crank the radio up a little louder to compensate.
Only fix is to either have Toyota replace the seats every so often, or see if there is an aftermarket source for the seat. I'm pretty sure they changed the original vendor for the seat, as the 1st gen seats were way more comfortable than the 2nd gen and they didn't make any noise even with the side airbags.
The squeaking noise is caused by the wire that connected to the seat belt buckle that is rubbing the seat frame, you can press down the wire and noise is gone
The squeaking noise is caused by the wire that connected to the seat belt buckle that is rubbing the seat frame, you can press down the wire and noise is gone
Thanks, but that just sounds too simple! I'm not saying that it didn't work for you, but I don't have squeaking. The scrunchy sound in my seats is not from that source. It is from the upholstery and foam itself.
I just realized that the replacement seat I got from Toyota didn't make the scrunchy noise until I Scotch Guarded it. Perhaps I used to much, but I believe that it affected the foam under the factory seat cover. As a result the seat fabric makes the scruchy sound as it slides over the foam padding.
The original seat scrunched from day one as I had the dealership apply upholstery protection as part of a paint sealant, upholstery guard, and rustproofing package. I saw several cans of Scotch Guard and Liquid Glass (paint glaze/protectant) in the prep area, so there is nothing magical or special about the products dealers use for those purposes.
My next step will be to take the seat to an auto upholstery specialist and see if they can pull up the factory cover and insert a thin layer of cotton between the foam and cover.
Thanks for the information.
When asked, my dealer flat out claimed that there were no TSB's relating to Matrix Seats.
That gives me some ammunition to demand a fix, even though my noise is not entirely from this source. Mine is definitely in the left bolter and caused by the rubbing interface between the top layer of upholstery and the underlying foam.
However, lately I've also been hearing clicking from lower in the seat frame and a metalic pinging when I take corners. The seat fore/aft locking control is also allowing the seat to slide forward one click during sudden braking.
My seat definitely seems to have a range of problems that need fixing!
[QUOTE=FSStrix09;3635904]the fabric and the foam making noise.... very unlikely.
Unlikely, but true. If I squeeze the bolster tightly and prevent the upholstery from sliding on the foam, there is no noise when I move around in the seat or lean back.
However, as soon as I let off on the pressure on the bolster and move around in the seat, I can feel the materials sliding together and the noise resumes.
I believe that too much Scotch Guard did something to the surface of the foam or the upholstery or both. There was no noise prior to Scotch Guarding the seat when I shifted my position in the seat or leaned back. Now it sounds like a bag of monkeys, and the warmer the weather, the louder the noise.
I have appreciated your input on this unique situation despite your current disbelief.
From the LOL included in your post, I will assume that you feel my observations and theories are amusing, and that you are not just resorting to "name calling".
You provided useful information earlier so I will let this incident slide...
My dealer just rebuilt my driver's seat back under warranty...
Apparently there is another unofficial noise issue not published in a TSB relating to Upholstery Noise and Seat Back Support Deficiencies in the Matrix Driver's Seat. Toyota have repaired such seats, but only for customers who were vocal enough and insistant enough that something was wrong with the seats.
They totally took the seat back apart and installed additional spring bars and new upholstery padding. The noise is gone...at least for now.
As an additional benefit, the seat back is much firmer and more supportive. The bolsters now do their job and do not flex as much.
A friend with a similar 2010 Matrix just had the driver's seat snap off from the front of the adjuster rails while he was driving. Both rail bolts tore free at the front of the seat and the entire seat tipped backwards. He needed to drive home with a picnic cooler wedged behind the seat to keep if from tilting back.
This would seem to be a significant safety issue if any other Toyota seats have a similar problem. I'm still getting clarification of the details, so I'm not sure if the bolts that tore free are supposed to be spot welded to the rails or simply fitted in holes.
Take your Toyota to the dealer immediately if you notice any strange noises or looseness in the front seat rails. One or both of the rail bolts may already have torn free. No air bag or seat belt will save you in a crash if the seat breaks free from the floor!
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