9 Times Seat Heaters Were Recalled For Being Too Hot

Without a doubt, one of the most beloved automotive technological innovations is the seat heater. For those in areas of the world which suffer from cold conditions seasonally or more frequently, it’s a key piece of luxury equipment which helps to make winter mornings much more bearable. Generally speaking, most heated seats function via the use of a heating coil under the seat cover. When the heated seat is turned on, electricity flows into the coil to heat it up, typically setting it at one of many temperatures in a range which the passenger can select for themselves. Some vehicles even have thermostats built into these systems to prevent overheating.

However, even with a thermostat in place, other problems can arise which make heated seats very dangerous to any and all passengers in a vehicle. Likewise, this makes recalls on heated seats even more important given how dangerous they can potentially be. The recently filed Californian lawsuit from 2018 Mazda6 owner and plaintiff Krystine Dyvad serves as a good example of what can happen when this transcendent technology gets a little too toasty. While these types of recalls are far from the most common, they do still occur and can have frightening consequences if left unrepaired, as evidenced by these 10 notable examples from recent history.

9 Mazda CX-9 (2010)

While Mazda hasn’t quite gotten to the point of issuing a recall of their seat warmers following the aforementioned lawsuit, the manufacturer has had similar troubles in the past. 2010 saw the company recall certain versions of the 2010 model year CX-9 which shipped with heated seats. The issue came from the seat heater control circuit possibly overheating in cold conditions and failing due to insufficient electrical grounding. This could cause burn damage to the seat cushion surface to the point of potentially starting a fire due to overheating, obviously being extremely dangerous and painful for anyone sitting in the seat at the time as a result. Again, while it hasn’t quite happened yet, it seems Mazda is headed for another recall of the same tech due to similar safety concerns.

8 Toyota (2014)

More specifically, the 2014 Toyota heated seat recall (NHTSA Recall No.: 14V-743, specifically) was isolated to a very unique situation. The recall affected only vehicles which saw Deerfield Beach, Florida’s Southeast Toyota Distributors install after-market seat heaters on select vehicles, such as the 2010-2011 Prius, the 2010-2011 Corolla, the 2009-2011 Venza, the 2006-2010 Avalon, and several other specific makes and model years. The issue came from the heating element being damaged as a result of compression of the seat cushion from weight being placed on the seat, such as a bag or person. This damaged element could short as a result, causing burning of the seat cushion and even possibly a fire due to resultant excessive heating.

7 Jeep Grand Cherokee (2006)

Jeep’s 2006 heated seat recall specifically affected 111,000 Grand Cherokee models from the 2003-2004 model years after receiving reports of both overheating and resultant fires in heated seats offered with the vehicles. Specifically, 32 complaints were received as of June 2006, which is when then-parent company DaimlerChryslerAG announced that it would recall the vehicles. While no crashes were reported as a result of the defect, then-spokesman for the parent company, Max Gates, said the automaker did know of a few injuries which occurred as a result of the faulty equipment. The official letter which owners got in the second half of 2006 claimed “certain operating conditions” could cause these issues, but didn’t specify exactly what they were.

6 Jeep Grand Cherokee (2009)

Unfortunately, 2006 was not the only time Jeep had to recall its flagship Grand Cherokee line for heated seat issues. The problem would pop up again in April 2009, which is when the recall was issued on over 100,000 2001-2004 Grand Cherokees. However, this was a particularly unique scenario as the recall specifically requested those vehicles who had the 2006 recall procedure completed, or had their seat heater elements otherwise serviced. Jeep claimed that even these replacement heating elements could overheat, potentially causing a fire or injury. This unique scenario serves to highlight not just how dangerous the technology can be, but also how persistent issues arise, which can be to the point of needing two recalls inside three years to fully fix it.

5 Cadillac CTS (2018)

2018 saw Cadillac join in on the party after a fire started in a 2015 CTS which was remotely started. This led to the heated seat pad turning on automatically due to the cold weather conditions, which led to the pad and vehicle catching fire. The issue was said to be caused by, you guessed it, damaged heating elements which put out an excessive amount of heat as a result. However, the remote start was the final piece of the puzzle to create such a situation. By nature of no one being in the car, damaged heating elements were able to heat quickly enough without supervision to reach the point of starting a fire in affected vehicles. Over 53,000 Cadillac CTS sedans were recalled across the 2014-2016 model years, with the fix being a reprogramming of the body control module in the seat heaters.

4 Bentley Arnage / Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph (1999)

Shockingly, even luxury brands can suffer from faulty equipment recalls when it comes to something as fickle and fragile as heated seats. Even more shocking is the double jeopardy scenario which came about in 1999 thanks to recalls of the Bentley Arnage and its Rolls-Royce branded sibling, the Silver Seraph. Both vehicles were recalled due to issues with thermostat positioning, which could result in the surface of the heated seat reaching an unacceptably high temperature as a result of the thermostat not being able to properly function if misplaced. The manufacturers even emphasized that this could cause damage to any object at all which would be in contact with the seat.

3 Volvo 800 Series (2002)

2002 saw an entire model line of Volvo’s be recalled in the form of various 800 series vehicles, such as the 850, from the 1996 to 1997 model years. Like others on this list, issues with the heated seats in these vehicles arose from compression of the seat which could cause damage to the electrical wiring. This could then lead to a short, which in turn could start a fire that would burn the vehicle to the ground. The fix saw the equipment essentially fully replaced, including a brand new electronic thermostat and a brand-new wiring harness in each heated seat on every affected vehicle. This recall likewise serves to show how cost- and labor-intensive actually fixing issues with recalled heated seats can sometimes be.

2 BMW 5/7 Series (2004)

While not quite as luxurious as the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, it was still relatively shocking to see Bavaria’s own BMW forced to recall nearly 18,000 5- and 7-Series models from the 2003-2004 model years for heated seat issues. Ironically, these issues arose as a result of BMW’s luxury status, which saw it offer heated seats in these vehicles which extended well beyond the bottom seat pad. Likewise, the issue came from excessive contact with a side bolster which had a heating mat inside when entering or exiting the vehicle. This could cause overheating as a result of the wear and tear on the heating mat from this act of entering and exiting the vehicle, and possibly burn an occupant likewise. BMW’s recall further highlights how fickle heated seats can be, even susceptible to damage by the sheer act of entering or exiting a vehicle.

1 Orion VII (2009)

While it’s not something which can be bought from a showroom floor, 2009’s Orion VII bus recall highlights that heated seats can be just as difficult and dangerous outside the mass manufacturing market as they are within it. The issue was specifically isolated to 804 buses which had the “New York custom seat heater” installed in a position that had the potential to cause a short circuit and heat up the wires making up the heated seat circuit itself. This could then start a fire as a result, causing major issues considering the Orion VII’s primary use as a public transit vehicle in metropolitan areas. While the recall was as simple as moving the terminal connection being relocated to another area, it shows how even the way in which heated seats are installed can have a major impact on the damage they can cause.