Driver seat creak/click re-visited
 

I've had my 2011 35d for 5.5 months, 4000 miles. One of the best BMWs I have ever owned. No problems, no issues...EXCEPT the driver seat is driving me nuts!!!

I know this has been an issue on the E70 since 2007. I hate to just drop it off at the dealership without some Ammo. Can someone please post what was done to fix their driver seat noises. Part numbers, service descriptions, etc, etc.

Having proof in hand what other owners had done to remedy the problem, always lessens the dreaded dealership answer "Could not duplicate problem".

Thanks a lot!

What worked for me was being able to recreate the noise. If I could not predictably recreate the noise it was useless as they would come back with no problems found.

My multicontour seat back squeaked horribly and all you had to do was put pressure on the seat back and it happened. They fixed that one on the first try by taking it apart and putting their "anti-squeek tape" on the problem spot.

My X5 had a little over 31K miles and I finally got BMWNA to buy it back due to all of the rattles and noises. I think it helped that the dealer took the dash out 3 times and they never could get the dash level after putting it back together. The dealer had the car for over 6 weeks and even though BMWNA said my car didn't qualify they bought it back as a courtesy.

I'll say that BMWNA was very good to me and I will probably end up with another BMW at some point.

Bump :)

When I had them fix mine (or at least make it better), they had a leather kit that they used. One of the main problem areas is the rubbing of the seat belt assembly against the leather. Move it around and you will hear it squeak. I think I also remember others on here having felt tape placed around certain areas on the plastic shroud around the side of the seat.

What dealer did you take your to?

I have taken my 2011 X5 back to the dealer twice but they have failed to resolve the problem of the driver's seat creaking. They say that the metal seat frame doesn't align properly with some of the other metal components of the seat base so they have ordered a new seat. I have the seats described as "comfort seats" in the UK, they have multi way electric adjustment. I think these are the same as the multi-contour seats I've seen discussed on this forum.

I have the same issue, and the dealer has acknowledged the problem. They ordered a new seat for me, but they are on backorder from Germany. They estimate 4-6 weeks. But they will fix it.

Thanks guys. I am going to call my Service Advisor at the dealership where I bought and service my car.

Appreciate your time!!

New Seat Fitted
 

My dealer has now fitted a new seat and the problem has been resolved http://www.xoutpost.com/images/editor/smilie.gif
I hope if doesn't return!

Congrats, so happy for you and your E70...great news!!.

My car had a Technical Bulletin Service performed on Thursday for my seat. Some "official E70 Driver's seat repair kit". Did nothing, but somewhat, and I use the term somewhat loosely, muffle the creak/click noise.

There are days, in all honestly, I do not even want to drive my car...the seat annoys me that much!! :(

My seat was replaced today and the squeak is now gone :)

Can you please post or PM the parts, or how your dealer got BMW to replace the seat?

It is literally driving me nuts, I dread having to drive sometimes. Luckily straightaways and most freeway driving is creak/click free, but turns, bumpy roads and canyons are HELL.

Thank you SO much!

-Adam

This is the same dealer that I bought my 2011 from. I just showed my service advisor, and the mechanic the squeak and they both agreed that the squeak was loud. The mechanic first tried to fix it, but very quickly decided to order a new seat for me. I really did nothing but show them how bad it was. It took 2-3 weeks for the seat to come in.

Thanks. Sadly my driver seat click/creak/snap is very road and turn dependent. Unless I am driving, and it happens to happen, neither me, nor my Service Advisor can just duplicate it for a shop foreman or technician :(

Where does the click/creak/snap sound like it's coming from? I've had a sound I cannot replicate coming from what I assumed to be the B pillar or rear driver door area. Sounds like a very small piece of plastic cracking or snapping. Does that sound smiliar to your noise?

I think what you are hearing is coming from inside/under the driver seat. Mine sounds like like what you are describing for the most part.

I hear (every time I drive, yet not duplicable manually) a snap/crack/creak. It can be a single crack/snap, or 2-4 snaps/creaks at one time. It drives me crazy!!! If I didn't love everything else about my 2011 35d...I would be trading this thing in right away. The driving enjoyment is for sure GREATLY diminished, as I now "focus" on this noise and keep waiting for it to happen. Sad.

How did you show them the squeak? I cannot seem to manually replicate the sound. Can you, or could you create the sound, so the dealer could hear it? Any help would be SO appreciated. Thank you! :thumbup:

Tuesday 5/24/11

Could not take it anymore. I drove my car back to the dealership, and had the Quality Control Manager drive my car. About 10 miles of driving, and of course...my X5 was bank vault solid, quiet and creak/crack/snap free. I was so pissed and deflated. Then...A-HA!! The seat snapped like 4-5 times. The QC Manager lit up like a XMas tree. He documented that the noise was heard, and that it sounded like snapping, creaking plastic. It was loud, crisp and horrible! But horrible in a good way, because now I have it documented in WRITING, that there is a problem with my driver's seat.

They gave me a 2011 335d loaner (Alpine White with Cinnamon leather). Great little car. Really fun to drive..powerful, quiet and great mpg.

Fingers crossed, they can do something about my seat!!

Congrats! I could easily duplicate mine by lowering the seat all the, and bringing it all the way back. If you push down on the seat bottom, near the back inside corner (bottom of seat, by the armrest), it should squeak.

Thanks for the reply ocnybmw!! Appreciate it!

Picked my car up at 5:45pm tonight, service bay was basically closed when I got there, so not many people for me to talk to and inquire about what was done today. They "said" they found a loose piece of plastic under the seat, and that caused the problem. I told them NO WAY, and showed them so many postings of other E70 owners, and either the seat was replaced or many, many parts. There was NO WAY a loose piece of plastic was causing this creak/crack. They assured me a mechanic, the shop foreman and the Quality Control Manager drove my car (27 miles!!!!!) and the creak/crack/snap is 100% gone.

I wasn't 1 mile from the dealer and what do you know....Snap, crackle, pop!! SO PISSED! A wasted day, 27 miles of what was probably joy riding...and no repair.

I got a hold of my SA, and he is going to call BMW tomorrow and let them know 2 repairs were attempted, and to ask them what they are allowed to do next, in terms of warranty work.

It's amazing, something so small as a seat creak can make you not want your basically new BMW. So frustrating!!

Sorry to hear that. I'm bringing mine back in Tuesday to try again...

Please keep me posted. My SA told me he emailed BMW and also the factory area Rep. No response today. I know BMW (all car makers and distributors) hate these kinds of problems!!

Will do. It took 5 visits to get my tailgate quiet enough to not drive me crazy... I'm amazed by the creaks/cracks in the car given that it's almost a $70k BMW. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing machine...but I'd be lying if I didn't say all these sounds don't make me wonder if I should have gotten the Cayenne.

Well. if it makes you feel any better...the Cayenne for the first couple of years of production, was plaqued with rattles and squeaks (along with very spotty reliability). As the model aged, Porsche really perfected it though, and Porsche still scores much, much higher in Consumer Based automotive reports both in the USA and in Germany than BMW & every other German marque.

But, I think the new Cayenne looks awful. It looks small, squished, wimpy and very feminine to me. I used to think a Cayenne S or GTS, or of course the Cayenne Turbo looked so hot & aggressive. Now the Cayenne looks like a (no offense) girl's car. Porsche ruined the Cayenne. This makes me like my E70 better. Even though the build quality is quite sketchy on the E70...it looks SO, SO much better than the Cayenne and ML!!

The past month or so, I too have been wondering if I should have gotten something else. Both my 2007 and 2008 E70s were pretty dismal. I just love the body style of the E70. When I got my 2011, I just assumed BMW would have "perfected" the E70, as Porsche did with the Cayenne. Sadly, this does not seem the case. I wonder if the new X5 in a year or 1.5 years, will be better??

The past few weeks, I have had to physically prevent myself from driving by our local 2 Land Rover dealers. I know there are many Range Rover haters on our Board, but our 2011 full size Rangie is probably the best car we've ever owned (and we've had so many cars, it's embarassing :)

The build quality, especially the interior of the Range Rover makes the E70 feel like a first or second generation Hyundai. The plastics, woods and leathers in the Range Rover are as good as in the S Class, and much better than what is in the 7 Series.

I think the exterior of the E70 is more aggressive, and for sure more modern, but the interior of the Rangie is just amazing. 6.5 months of ownership and not a rattle, squeak or sound in our 2011 Range Rover (and NOT one single mechanical or electrical issue). My old 2006 & 2008 Range Rovers were not the pillars of reliability, but the interiors and build quality were just top notch. I hate to say it, but the E70 interior feels cost cutted and plastic!

Does anybody have solutions and part numbers for the creaking seat? Mine has the problem and I am out of the factory warranty and on my own. Thank you!

BMW Fremont.

My dealer ordered a new seat frame ti fix my squeaky seat

Seat Creaking Update
 

While having my fuel heater recall performed I elected to have my seat worked on. My wallet is $500 lighter but the plastic around the base of my seat still creaks.

Mine was the trim around the seat. Squirted some armorall around the trim, wiped and I was good to go.

Seat Creak Partial Solution
 

After spending $500 and two trips to the dealership my seat still creaked more than I felt was acceptable. The dealer performed a TSB on the seat frame but paid no attention to how much the lower plastic creak with the slightest amount of movement. Despite taking it back after emailing a video to the service manager it wasn't much better.

My discovery was that a lot of the noise comes from where the switch assemble resides in the seat trim. The trim moves independently of the seat switches resulting in the horrific plastic on plastic sound. I inserted thin double sided trim tape around the switch assembly. Although still not perfect it is MUCH better. Amazing BMW "technicians" couldn't figure this out.

My seat squeaks came back stronger than ever and this time I was determined to fix it after a failed thigh extender. Mine is now 100% fixed!! The trim around the seat, in particular the front piece below the thigh extender was the culprit. I removed it and then applied permanent double sided fabric tape I purchased from the local fabric store. It is kind of gooey and pretty sticky. I applied it to every part that touches another part. Absolutely NO squeaks now. To remove the front trim start by the transmission and pull straight out. Note the front interlocks with side piece with the controls so be careful when you get to that side or you will be buying a new $20 piece of plastic after you break the tabs. :)