Superb Leather seats

[Trojax01]

Is it me or is the leather used on the Mk3 Superb just rubbish, I have a 2016 L&K with 40,000 on the clock and the front drivers seat is a right mess. The leather is worn and cracked. Both the dealer and Skoda UK are not interested unless I pay £1800 to have the covers replaced.

 

I have a friend with a superb 15 years old and the front drivers seat is ok all but a bit shiny.

 

Terry

[Gizmo]

Mine are 4 years / 60k miles old and are still immaculate. 

[BriskodaJeff]

While I have a bit of minor creasing to the right hand side of the seat pan, there is little to no wear and definitely no cracking.  I give mine a going over with Auto Glym leather cleaner and leather balm twice a year. Mine has done similar mileage to yours.

 

 

[Trojax01]

these are mine

 

[Gizmo]

Do you wear jeans a lot? 
The side bolster looks like it has been rubbing on something hard (jeans seams or the press studs?)

[Trojax01]

LOL yes I do wear jeans but they don't have studs on the backs, I also dont hang my keys on the side of my trousers......

 

Regards Terry

I am currently trying to get hold of a new or newish seat cover

[BriskodaJeff]

Do you slide your way out of the car? There was a thread on here back along where this was the cause. 

 

Check out the car care section of the site. Lots of tips on caring for the seats.

[GAG]

My two year old SEL Superb drivers seat bolster is also "worn". On complaining to the dealer the they were not interested stating it was wear and tear caused by me getting in and out the car and it is not a warranty matter.  I did ask how I was meant to drive the car if I can't get in and out without touching the seat bolster but the dealer declined to comment. I complained to Skoda UK and they said they only go by what the dealer said so they would not cover it under warranty. In other words "you are wasting your time complaining to us". They also stated Skoda only cover the seats for six months or 6,000 miles so it would be well out side the warranty time scale. There's confidence in your product!!

 

I had the same answer when I complained about the rear brake disk corrosion at the first service.

 

This was my first and it will be my last Skoda car. Their after sales warranty is rubbish.

 

I should add that I am the only driver and I don't wear jeans.

Edited 14 October, 2019 by GAG

[Trojax01]

1 minute ago, GAG said:

My two year old SEL Superb drivers seat bolster is also "worn". On complaining to the dealer the they were not interested stating it was wear and tear caused by me getting in and out the car and it is not a warranty matter.  I did ask how I was meant to drive the car if I can't get in and out without touching the seat bolster but the dealer declined to comment. I complained to Skoda UK and they said they only go by what the dealer said so they would not cover it under warranty. In other words "you are wasting your time complaining to us". They also stated Skoda only cover the seats for six months or 6,000 miles so it would be well out side the warranty time scale. There's confidence in your product!!

 

I had the same answer when I complained about the rear brake disk corrosion at the first service.

 

This was my first and it will be my last Skoda car. Their after sales warranty is rubbish.

 

I should add that I am the only driver and I don't wear jeans.

Hi GAG

             Many thanks for the reply this is where I am so at least they are consistant in their disregard for customers. This is my 2nd Superb the first having the emissions issue.

The best I have managed to get out of them is a £300 reduction to the £1800 price for the work, Skoda UK have just gone with what the dealers have said.  What I find interesting is that some  people have had this issue and others have not, given leather is a natural product it would seem the quality can change from seat to seat. So I don't see why its not covered by warranty..

 

Regards Terry 

[cmp1951]

3 hours ago, Gizmo said:

Mine are 4 years / 60k miles old and are still immaculate. 

March 2012 2.0d, 170bhp SEL, 142000 miles and seats are perfect. Only problem for me is the seat position memories have started failing, and for someone with very short legs where the seat has to be moved back for m to get in or out without knee damage it is a pain!

[GAG]

I tried pointing out that the quality of the bolster must be poor if it wears out in two years but neither the dealer or Skoda were interested.

 

Skoda UK offered that I get another dealer to look at it and he agreed that Skoda would not cover it under warranty. He wouldn't comment on how long a bolster should last or why the rest of the seat looked like new if it was wear and tear.

[penguin17]

How have you cleaned/conditioned/protected the seats during their lifetime? 

 

 

 

 

[IJWS15]

Doesn't the dealer do that when they service it?

 

;-))

 

 

Leather does take more looking after.

[Ootohere]

'Dealers' or Dealership employees can say what they like and dismiss as they like,  they are your agent and the Warranty providers first defence.

But they are Sales People of Technicians. 

 

There are 'Warranty Managers' that should deal with Warranty Issues, and if required have a Expert inspect and report.

Or the Customer that thinks there are Manufacturing, Material, Workmanship failings should get their own 'Experts inspection and report', then go from there. 

 

Wear and tear does happen though, and that can be an issue what ever the material, animal, natural or synthetic.

Denim / Cotton can be more hard wearing than leather, or actually you might have different clothes on over 2 years but the same seat in the car, so you are not rubbing through the trousers but you are wearing the seat.

 

Simply Clever.

Buy leather trousers and jackets and cars with cloth seats.

 

 

Edited 15 October, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[Danny 57]

On SII I originally had some wear but I then used one of the seat memory buttons for getting out of the car (it went fully back). When I got back in I pressed the driving position and the seat went forward. No further wear in 7 years.

[GAG]

It was the "Warranty Manager" that checked my car in both instances neither of which said the would get an "Expert" to inspect the bolster.  At least one had the honesty to say that he was having to follow Skoda policy that nothing that can be written off as wear and tear will be covered by warranty.

 

I clean the leather seats with propriety leather conditioning materials.

 

I do not wear denim. I am not a taxi driver, I don't even use the car every day and when I do it is just normal every day use.

 

I have had many vehicles which have had leather seats and none of them showed any signs of "wear and tear" at two years. 

 

I don't understand why are you are trying to defend what is obviously a failing of both Skoda and the material, which I doubt is leather, that they use for the bolsters.

 

I have no doubt that the failure of the leather has been caused by wear, ie the driver's back side brushing over it when entering and exiting the vehicle. What I am complaining about is that the "leather" cover of the bolster should be able to last for more than two years of normal use. The rest of the leather seat seems to manage to last that length of time and my backside is on that for longer than it is on the bolster.

 

If you had a leather settee or armchair in your house I suspect that you would be more than a bit p*ssed off if it was falling apart after two years of normal use.

 

EDIT: Danny 57 Can you point out on the Skoda instructions or sales material where it states that you have to move the seat backwards and forwards when getting into and out of the vehicle to avoid the leather bolster becoming worn. I must have missed that bit.

Edited 15 October, 2019 by GAG

[Danny 57]

It doesn't. It was simply my solution to a problem that worked for me.

[GAG]

This is the bolster on my drivers seat. It appears to me that it has pulled away from the stitching because it has either been pulled to tight when being stitched together or there is too much padding in the bolster but what do I know, I am not a "Warranty Manager"

[GAG]

Danny 57, it shouldn't be a problem and it shouldn't be necessary to do what you do but thanks for your suggestion.

[mandp]

2 hours ago, GAG said:

This is the bolster on my drivers seat. It appears to me that it has pulled away from the stitching because it has either been pulled to tight when being stitched together or there is too much padding in the bolster but what do I know, I am not a "Warranty Manager"

That looks like some sort of `cut` to me...

[pjkw]

1 hour ago, mandp said:

That looks like some sort of `cut` to me...

You can see that there are multiple cuts coming from the stitches, Im guessing the piece missing started that way too

 

Edited 15 October, 2019 by pjkw

[GAG]

Thank you pjkw you are correct. It is not a cut. 

 

The "leather" has puled away from the stitching which has elongated the holes where the stitching thread  gone through the "leather" and this has eventually become the mess that you can see in the picture but according to the "Warranty Managers" this is just normal wear and tear!  I would expect if it was "normal" every car would be like that. As a result of their narrow thinking they will not submit a warranty claim to Skoda and in the words of the second "Warranty Manager" , "it would be knocked back by Skoda and we would end up footing the bill".

 

Skoda have no appeals mechanism or inspectors of their own who could look at it. They rely entirely on what the dealer says so it is a complete waste of time even contacting Skoda.   

[Trojax01]

Hi All many thanks for the replies, as for my seats I use auto Glym on my seats when I clean and feed them. My main issue is it should not happen in the first place and when it does they should address it. I base this on my leather sofa at home and is condition with very little care against my car seat with care. As has already been mentioned the rest of the seat is fine even the parts I sit on for long periods.

 

This whole situation has marred my experience with Skoda and I am unlikely to have another.....and that is a shame..

 

Regards Terry 

Edited 15 October, 2019 by Trojax01

[El Dingo]

I've found that warranty appears to mean different things at different dealers, including what's covered and for how long.  For example, Marshall Group claim that trim issues and associated noises are only covered for three months and yet Camberley Service Centre dealt with the same issues under the standard one year manufacturers warranty.

[GAG]

Which all adds to the reason why I'll never to buy another Skoda.

 

I accept certain items such a tyres and brake pads can wear out during the three year warranty of the vehicle but it is ridiculous that dealers can pick and chose what they will deal with and can decide the timescale that an item is covered by warranty.

 

It is also ridiculous that Skoda have no "appeals" system in place and that they always go along with what the dealer says... as long as its not to fix something under warranty.