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Fabric on New 2018 fraying in less than 3 months

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by RobCS, Jun 26, 2018.

  1. RobCS

    RobCS New Member

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    I purchased a Prius 3 with fabric seats in April, 2018. The other day I noticed that the front driver seat side bolster was already fraying, after less than three month. I only have 1700 miles on it. I took it to Toyota and they said they would order a replacement cover for the seat, but only because there were so few miles on the car, so they considered it a "factory defect".

    I have owned Toyotas since 1980. Between my wife and myself we have had 9 Toyotas over that time. None of them had premium or leather seats, and none of them showed this much wear in 5 or 6 years. We recently traded in an 11 year old Sienna with the "velour" seat material and it looked brand-new when we traded it. I would have never bought fabric seats if I had realized how quickly they would wear. Now I will be forced to buy seat covers just to keep the car looking good for awhile.
     
    #1 RobCS, Jun 26, 2018
  2. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    That does seem unusual, so keep us posted please. Oh, and welcome to Prius Chat. (y)
     
    #2 RCO, Jun 27, 2018
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    probably defective, i wouldn't worry about. don't recall many other complaints, if any.
     
    #3 bisco, Jun 27, 2018
  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I've read every Gen 4 post - and nothing about this before. Hopefully it's just an isolated case.
     
    #4 alanclarkeau, Jun 27, 2018
  5. RobCS

    RobCS New Member

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    Well, the local Toyota dealer called it "defective" and replaced it yesterday, under warranty. They also said that they don't often see such issues on the Camrys and such, but that some Toyotas have had similar problems. For example, the bucket portion of the seat on one of the large SUVs suffers from wear, simply because it's so high and people slide off the seat to get out, causing more wear. Personally, I don't see it as "defective" as much as light-weight material in a critical area. The side bolsters on the seat stick out quite a bit, especially for shorter people like me who keep the seat up closer to the steering wheel, and thus, up beyond the door entrance. That causes the side bolster to be rubbed regularly, getting into or out of the car. Thin fabric can't take that kind of wear, even in a few months of use.

    The service rep said that if it does the same thing in the next few month then they will elevate the issue to the Toyota representative, who comes by about once a month to check in issues. However, I am planning on just getting a third party slip cover for the seat to help prevent the wear. It
     
    #5 RobCS, Jun 30, 2018
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  6. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    My 2017 Prius Two has survived since October 2016 without damage like that. My fabric looks the same.
     
    #6 Prodigyplace, Jun 30, 2018
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  7. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Likewise. (y)
     
    #7 RCO, Jul 1, 2018
  8. RobCS

    RobCS New Member

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    Glad to hear that. Maybe mine is a fluke, but I am still going to look for some inexpensive seat covers, at least for the front seat. Unfortunately, most of the one-piece covers out there require that the seat bottom and top are separate, to get the attachment through. The Prius has a one-piece seat cover, making it more difficult to secure a third party cover on top.
     
    #8 RobCS, Jul 1, 2018
  9. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I put some lambskin/sheepskin (same ones as were in my last car) - I've put lambskin for the last 16-17 years, and they're great, warm in winter, breathe well in summer. These are nearly 7 years old, the only reason I didn't bring the ones from the previous car was because they didn't have the hole in the side for AirBags.
    upload_2018-7-2_15-2-59.png upload_2018-7-2_15-3-44.png
     
    #9 alanclarkeau, Jul 2, 2018
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  10. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    Just my two cents but I think the Soft-tec seats on the Prius are too thin. If the fabric was more heavy duty you would not have issues with the seat material.
     
    #10 TinyTim, Jul 2, 2018
  11. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    The US Prius Two & Three have cloth seats instead of the Softex artificial leather. UK gets actual leather though.
     
    #11 Prodigyplace, Jul 2, 2018
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  12. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    Don't forget about the Prius 1 as well. Cloth seats but I am talking about the Soft-tec synthetic leather seats. They look nice but are far too thin to stand the test of time. I inspect the cars on the showroom floor while getting my oil changed.
     
    #12 TinyTim, Jul 2, 2018
  13. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    It's probably because of our thick skins. :ROFLMAO:
     
    #13 RCO, Jul 2, 2018
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  14. Nobby

    Nobby Junior Member

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    I have a the same problem with my UK Gen 4 Business Spec Black material on the drivers seat. This is my 4th Toyota Hybrid and the others were more durable . Any advice?
     
    #14 Nobby, Jun 5, 2020
  15. pianewman

    pianewman Active Member

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    RobCS: If you're still on this forum, it would be nice to have an update on your situation. We have the same seating material on our 2018 Level 2, and haven't seen any signs of unusual wear in 26k miles.

    Thanks.
     
    #15 pianewman, Jun 5, 2020
  16. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

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    One of the best things a person can do for their resale value (as long as they aren't a push-over in negotiation) is to put seat-covers on the seats of a brand-new vehicle. But not just the seats - I also have been using a towel to protect the fabric of my center-consoles on my new vehicles. The driver's seat is the first interior interface a used-car buyer sees, so if it's worn, dealerships know that the car will seem worn to a buyer.

    I actually have my truck's seat covers on the seats (put them on at the dealership the morning I picked it up), and now have a fitted seat-cover over the already-existing seat covers.
     
    #16 Mambo Dave, Jun 5, 2020
  17. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    My Clazzio seat covers are holding up very well. The center console slides and I need to tighten it from the inside. Most people think they are leather seats from the factory. It took me hours of a little blood and a lot of sweat but no tears. I can't imagine installing them again.
     
    #17 TinyTim, Jun 16, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2020
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