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Warning: Seat rail stuck!

13K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Wdhitch  
#1 ·
Took the drivers seat all the way back the other day and it got stuck. Very annoying for a not tall guy like myself. Called stealership and they said its probably change stuck in the rail. They wanted 190 dollars to fix it. I even called smart to see if they would cover it and they said nope. So I had to take the seat apart only to find a freakin penny of all things. BE CAREFUL W/ YOUR CHANGE FALLING OUT OF YOUR POCKETS PEOPLE. Not exactly a quick fix to this one. Learn from me or learn the hard way.
 
#3 ·
That happens to all cars. The right coin in the right place....you're not moving that seat anywhere. When I worked at a Honda DEALERship, we used to get that all the time. The manufacturer (as you found out) won't pay for it so why should the DEALERship eat it?

Sometimes it can be more of a chore than simply removing the seat and even removing the seat isn't so simple. I've seen coins get wedged in there so bad that the only way to fix it is to put a new seat track on, which is even MORE money. Just be glad it was a simple fix that you could do yourself.

Warranty only covers 'defects in materials and workmanship', nothing else. A coin getting stuck in a seat track doesn't fall into this category. :rolleyes:





btw, I take offense to the use of "stealership". I work at a DEALERship, as do many other HARD WORKING, HONEST employees. If you don't like your DEALERship, then buy a car somewhere else. :)
 
#4 · (Edited)
First of all the seat is fine so don't say that I "ain't moving that seat anywhere". Is that what you would say to a customer at the STEALERship to try to dissuade them from fixing it themselves? :rofl: Secondly, if it happens all the time like you say then in my opinion it should be a defect. Lastly, please explain to me how STEALERships charge for more time than the work takes if they are not STEALERships? Oh and please justify the dollar amount for the maintenance on the smart for me.

If you are a girl who has a lot of money and a little of brains then maybe it would be worth going to a dealership. Otherwise its a STEALERship b/c they take advantage of the publics lack of knowledge, which this board will hopefully change; at least a little. Oh, and I'm not going to go back and forth w/ you as if we are in a online fight cuz thats just girly, so I'm done w/ you... and you shouldn't be offended b/c you don't set the rates. You just work real hard for the theft and make him more money. He puts food on your plate so I can understand your loyalty but the place you work so hard for is a big thief. So sorry if your offended but thats my opinion dude. Actually I'm not sorry that your offended. To tell you the truth I could care less.

(and to any girls who are reading this no offense but I was referring to most not all girls. )
 
#7 ·
Called stealership and they said its probably change stuck in the rail. So I had to take the seat apart only to find a freakin penny of all things. BE CAREFUL W/ YOUR CHANGE FALLING OUT OF YOUR POCKETS PEOPLE. Not exactly a quick fix to this one. Learn from me or learn the hard way.

Looks like you got a free diagnosis. You should spend a few more pennies and send them a box of cookies for helping you save $190. Why is it that you telling us to be careful and have knowledge of this (which you got from someone else) is so generous? and the dealership notifying you about all of this so onerous???

It looks like you just have major problem with car dealerships regardless of how you are treated.:whipping:
 
#8 · (Edited)
Not at all, I knew something was stuck down there. What difference does it make to me what it was? I was going to take the thing apart anyways. Come on now....I think you and I both know that anyone w/ half a brain (or at least some mechanical inclination) could tell you that. Now you're just insulting my intelligence by assuming I'm not inclined like the typical customer you take advantage of. Uh-uh, you aren't whipping me.... Listen, I'm not saying STEALERships don't provide a needed service and I'm not attacking any one STEALERship. I'm just saying their rates are ridiculous; its the truth and you know it. STEALERships probably hate this website b/c it provides people w/ the knowledge to work on their own cars. Or maybe they don't even care cuz there are more than enough uninformed and or financially well off people in this world; who knows. Besides, why isn't there a warning about this in the owners' manual? Could it be b/c Smart knows they can get some money from people every time it happens? Hmmmm

Oh and on a side note, I did buy my Smart from a STEALER, but not a Smart STEALER. I got an used Smart w/ 2K miles on it cuz I believe the R in MSRP stands for rip off. This car is overpriced IMHO.
:whip:
 
#9 ·
Besides, why isn't there a warning about this in the owners' manual? Could it be b/c Smart knows they can get some money from people every time it happens? Hmmmm

Oh and on a side note, I did buy my Smart from a STEALER, but not a Smart STEALER. I got an used Smart w/ 2K miles on it cuz I believe the R in MSRP stands for rip off. This car is overpriced IMHO.
:whip:
:worship:WOW you read and memorized the entire Owners Manual!!:yelclap:

Can you relay expect them to put every contingency of little things an owner would do to a car into the manual?
Should they include warnings about not leaving a Dozen eggs behind the seats because they may break and require a carpet change?

You ask to much. With your disrespect of the dealers, I hope you never need one to do major warranty service. Because if they don't make money once in a while they wont be in business to change out that clutch plate when it needs to be replaced. Good luck doing that yourself rather than going to your...
I'm not going to say it:bangwall:
 
#11 · (Edited)
Are you saying that it is a bad thing that I read my owners' manual? Seems like thats the case from your sarcastic kudos. Hm, maybe would be better off if nobody read their manuals. I don't feel like there is any disrespect in pointing out prices which seem too high to me. At a certain point it becomes theft. If you don't like the term that I used in place of dealership, then I wont use it again, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the prices remain too high and that to me thats theft. Oh, and I didn't memorize anything... I just don't recall a warning for that particular dilemma. You don't have to make fun of me; didn't you mommy teach you thats not nice.

Just the way the system is set up. Dealerships get charged such high rent and if they don't rip people off then they go out of business and if people are willing to allow it then rent stays up and on and on and on....I'm done w/ it. :confused:
 
#12 ·
I have been working in the auto industry now for close to 16 years. I have worked at both dealerships as well as private and a family owned shop.

Dealer prices are higher as the overhead is higher. Look at the computer system alone. In order for me to work on a smart vehicle useing the DAS system it cost the dealership around $30,000.00 just to purchase the setup. Now we have the cost to furnish and remodel the place. You think that the dealership did not have to purchase the furniture? Now add the people. You like your car washed and vacuumed at the dealership right, labor is not free. My parts inventory overhead is close to $75,000.00 just so I can have the part in stock when I need to get a guest back on the road. The dealer principal does not see a penny of a return until I sell that part.

People are so fast to bash on a dealership. Last time I checked there are very few businesses that list over their doors "Not for profit". As a matter of fact I would be willing to bet that no one here in this discussion works for a industry that does not perform work for a profit.

Bottom line is if you dont like the dealerships dont go to them, if I didnt like a movie I sure would not pay the $10 bucks to go sit in a theater to watch it.

Just my 2 cents.
 
#13 ·
Bottom line is if you dont like the dealerships dont go to them
Much appreciated and too-often ignored advice. I started using dealerships exclusively after a problem that cost me several hundred bucks back around 1990 at a local independent shop for my Tbird didn't get fixed by their work but the dealership was able to isolate the faulty $35 component relatively quickly. Bad brake computer? No - bad hydraulic switch.

I let my feet do the talking after a bad service experience at a BMW shop (unneeded service even though they had 100% of my records detailing what was done when previously) sent me to a different BMW dealership nearly the same distance away that tackled a difficult problem (rattling) with aplomb.

The unfortunate difficulty for smart owners, however, is that in some parts of this country the "next closest" dealership can be 10 hours away. For those who decided driving an extra couple hours is worth getting to a better dealership: kudos!

I'm happy that Smart Center Portland never left me wanting (so I never had reason to visit the fine folks at smartSEATTLE) and wonder if my new Smart Center will be Orlando, Tampa, or "the guy" who used to work at scOrlando.