Loose leather at base of seat

[ODC]

Hello everyone, my 2023 Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo is only one month old and I have driven only about 500 km but the 18 way sport seats (full leather interior) unfortunately already have goy some air pockets, see pic. Is this normal?

Extra note: This picture was just taken when I had driven my car.
If I rub it with my hand or I leave the car for a few days these do disappear (for now).

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[MarkR]

I have exactly the same on my car, in particular on the passenger side. This is really mostly used by my kids, so I am very surprised that it appears that the leather has stretched. I am planning to raise this with Porsche as it happened within the first couple of hundred miles. Mine is a MY24 Ct4 with standard interior. I would also be interested to hear if anyone has had any feedback or resolution from Porsche for this type of issue.

 

[Tomato]

Hello everyone, my 2023 Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo is only one month old and I have driven only about 500 km but the 18 way sport seats (full leather interior) unfortunately already have goy some air pockets, see pic. Is this normal?

Extra note: This picture was just taken when I had driven my car.
If I rub it with my hand or I leave the car for a few days these do disappear (for now).

That happens when you do the quarter turn to exit while your butt is still on the seat before getting up. Your butt digs into the seat and the constant friction will stretch the leather making it loose.

I have learned to push myself off slightly before turning to reduce this in my previous cars. I also have standard interior and doesn't have this looseness.

 

[RingoDingo]

This happened to my seats. Porsche won't do anything about it. As @Tomato noted, you have to kind of push yourself off before you start to get out of the car because otherwise the torsion between your arse and the seat as you turn will cause the leather to stretch like that. I'm pissed off, but I've resigned myself that Porsche won't do anything to address it after I've asked 5 times (i.e., every time I have the car in for service) and each time they've said no dice. Apparently also happens on the 992 911s, which have the same seats.

 

[MarkR]

This happened to my seats. Porsche won't do anything about it. As @Tomato noted, you have to kind of push yourself off before you start to get out of the car because otherwise the torsion between your arse and the seat as you turn will cause the leather to stretch like that. I'm pissed off, but I've resigned myself that Porsche won't do anything to address it after I've asked 5 times (i.e., every time I have the car in for service) and each time they've said no dice. Apparently also happens on the 992 911s, which have the same seats.

Sorry to hear that you and @Tomato have the same issue and Porsche don't seem to be interested to help. I have lost count of the cars I have had with leather seats and this had never happened, so I can't think of a reason why the Taycan is different. I find it hard to believe that we have to follow a special process to get in and out. Not really what I would expect of a premium product.

 

[RingoDingo]

Sorry to hear that you and @Tomato have the same issue and Porsche don't seem to be interested to help. I have lost count of the cars I have had with leather seats and this had never happened, so I can't think of a reason why the Taycan is different. I find it hard to believe that we have to follow a special process to get in and out. Not really what I would expect of a premium product.

Thank you. I think it's a design issue on the latest generation of ventilated seats (there's a whole 6-page thread on it on another site if you google "saggy seat bottoms" "Porsche") but of course Porsche has a service bulletin that says, effectively, leather is a natural product and it stretches, and so as a general matter their approach is deny deny deny. While this is true that leather stretches, when you design the seat a certain way, well, it stretches prematurely apparently, and I think they've avoiding having to do a big re-do on the 992/Tacyan. Some people don't care at all about this, whereas I'm probably like you - what i can tolerate at year 8 and 80k miles is different than year 1 and 5k miles.

Here is the technical bulletin... it is decidedly CYA nonsense. I weight 170 pounds and I don't sweat in my car. I should be able to get out of the car without twisting my body and without stretching leather like that at 5k miles.

Technical Bulletin

 

[senwar]

I've booked mine in to check the exact same issue - not really acceptable. I think my passenger seat has been used less than 10 times. CT4 4 months old. Mine aren't ventilated seats

 

[alexsas]

When I looked at a few almost new taycans (10-2500 miles) this was one thing I noticed on many of them, and it was unsettling.
At the same time, my 3 year old Turbo is absolutely fine. These other cars were inferior models, so my theory was that the approach to quality is different dependent on the trim level.

 

[RingoDingo]

When I looked at a few almost new taycans (10-2500 miles) this was one thing I noticed on many of them, and it was unsettling.
At the same time, my 3 year old Turbo is absolutely fine. These other cars were inferior models, so my theory was that the approach to quality is different dependent on the trim level.

I doubt very much that's the case. I think they are all made in the same factories and on the same lines. The quality of the leather... that might be a different story... or maybe the way you get into and out of the car is just different. Or, maybe you got lucky.

 

[alexsas]

I doubt very much that's the case. I think they are all made in the same factories and on the same lines. The quality of the leather... that might be a different story... or maybe the way you get into and out of the car is just different. Or, maybe you got lucky.

it is only a speculation, but I did have a Turbo loaner, and it was as good as my Turbo. Whilst those other base taycans had those leather bubbles... maybe just a coincidence

 

[MarkR]

Thank you. I think it's a design issue on the latest generation of ventilated seats (there's a whole thread on it on another site if you google "saggy leather" Porsche) but of course Porsche has a service bulletin that says, effectively, leather is a natural product and it stretches, and so as a general matter their approach is deny deny deny. While this is true that leather stretches, when you design the seat a certain way, well, it stretches prematurely apparently, and I think they've avoiding having to do a big re-do on the 992/Tacyan. Some people don't care at all about this, whereas I'm probably like you - what i can tolerate at year 8 and 80k miles is different than year 1 and 5k miles.

Indeed, for a new car, this does not seem right. I will pick this up with the service team when it is next in at the dealership. I agree, if the car was older then fair enough. My only hope is that it doesn't get any worse...

 

[MarkR]

I've booked mine in to check the exact same issue - not really acceptable. I think my passenger seat has been used less than 10 times. CT4 4 months old. Mine aren't ventilated seats

Mine is the same age as yours and it does seem that this is an issue for many people. I am quite surprised given that none of my previous cars had this happen, so surely this must be a manufacturing fault. Mine is the base interior, without ventilated seats.

 

[ODC]

Yesterday i did some shopping and on the parking there was a Taycan (sedan) and a newer Macan (not EV). I looked inside both cars and both cars had the same air bubbles. The Taycan on the driver’s side and the Macan in both sides.

I think the quality of the leather and padding isn’t anymore at the same quality like it was 5-10 years ago. Maybe because of all those regulations and standards.
I can say i had it with some other cars in the past (M2 comp and Mini Countryman) but my last Q4 Etron doesn’t had this. The S-line sport seats did feel more padded and harder on the base.
Maybe it’s a compromise to be more comfortable but at the same time air bubbles going to be part of it? Just a speculation.

if it would be a couple off cars then i would say: this isn’t normal and i want a new seat because like some people above said it’s something you would except over a longer time and not something directly in a new car.
But it isn’t just a couple of cars. Like i find it on the internet It’s spreading over different models (Taycan, Macan, 911..) and it’s also not year based. Because it is will almost happen with all year based Taycans, 911, etc.

With this pointed i think it’s going to make it difficult to get a warranty exchange because chances are big that Porsche and the dealership is going to say: it’s normal for leather.

Also, and that’s in my case, is it worth putting effort and time for exchanging the seat if it’s possible that it’s going to happen again? For the same they scratch your whole interior when replacing the part. Then it’s not only air bubbles (eventually what I’m trying to put in my head for deleting my ocd is: you don’t see it when driving the car when it’s on your drivers side) but also scratches on your interior a those you will definitely see more when driving.

 

[matrix]

I had the same issue on mine (black full leather, 18-way, without ventilation). I used a heat gun on medium heat for 3-4 minutes (distance of about 10-15 cm from the leather surface) circulating over the saggy area. The heat shrinks the leather and the bubbles dissappear like magic. Seat looks brand new without any signs of bubbles or being saggy. Several weeks has passed since I did this and it has not come back and seats looks brand new. While at it I also used the heat gun on a side bolster wrinkle (which was not that annoying). Same result and the wrinkle is gone.

 

[ODC]

If uniformity is a concern, do you realise that the rear 2+1 seats don't match the style of the 18 way sports seats? (They're always in the same style as the 8 and 14 easy front seats).
I spec'ed my previous Porsche with crests the on the front headrests only, to be honest I rarely noticed them- maybe the crest on the front armrest would be more worthwhile?

I had the same issue on mine (black full leather, 18-way, without ventilation). I used a heat gun on medium heat for 3-4 minutes (distance of about 10-15 cm from the leather surface) circulating over the saggy area. The heat shrinks the leather and the bubbles dissappear like magic. Seat looks brand new without any signs of bubbles or being saggy. Several weeks has passed since I did this and it has not come back and seats looks brand new. While at it I also used the heat gun on a side bolster wrinkle (which was not that annoying). Same result and the wrinkle is gone.

May i ask which heat gun you are using?

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