How to deal with design flaw in new car?

[ERD50]

I bought a 2017 Buick Encore ~ 2 years ago. Overall, I like the car well enough (again, my cars are just point A-B for me, I don't get excited about them).

But after a few months, I was getting out of the driver's seat, and caught my shoe, or pants leg on the seat trim around the base of the seat. The trim cracked, and the plastic insert around the seat memory switches popped out and flew to the ground. I recovered the plastic part, and put it aside so it wouldn't go flying again where I might lose it.

I planned to get it repaired under warranty when I brought it in for a 'free' (included) oil change and tire rotation. They replaced it, gave me a loaner for the day or two it took, so fine.

A month later, it happened again. It's raining, and I was able to find the insert on the ground, using my phone as a flashlight.

This is clearly a design flaw. There is an open edge on the seat trim that can catch your leg/shoe/pants. I mentioned that when I called about it, hoping the part had been redesigned. So far, I have not found similar complaints on-line.

How to approach this? I will call the dealer again, or I guess escalate it to a district manager or something. Not sure what they can do. I'm thinking of my own 'fix', maybe riveting a piece from one side to the other so there isn't an open edge to catch. But that seems ridiculous. But it's actually kind of dangerous, I could fall on my face getting tripped up on that seat trim.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

Might help if you took a picture of the trim you are describing. A bit difficult to visualize with words alone.

 

[6miths]

Sounds like the kind of silly design error that happens now and then. Agree, that a picture might help for eliciting suggestions. If it is a gap that is out of sight below the seat it might be something you have to fix yourself. Maybe electrical or duct tape with a piece of cut plastic or something.

 

[MRG]

The only design flaw I've ever dealt with resulted in Ford buying our Escape back after a year. We went through the dispute settlement process outlined in the owner's manual.

 

[Mdlerth]

Alternatively, you could just wear shorts all the time

Agree that photos would be helpful. In their absence, would it be impertinent to suggest home-engineering a fix involving a file and some epoxy?


Unfortunately, I suspect that this problem won't be high on GM's priority list until it garners thousands of similar complaints.

 

[Jerry1]

How bad is it to just leave the trim off? Or, cutting the end off in the best looking but yet safe way?

 

[W2R]

I can't visualize it, and I wonder if it has something to do with how you get out of the car, maybe? Maybe that is the fix that is needed; one way to find out might be to look online and see if it is a common complaint among Encore owners.

I applaud you for wanting to get this taken care of! It could lead to a fall, broken leg, or worse. As we grow older we need to be extremely aware of dangers like that.

 

[ERD50]

It's hard to get a good picture, I tried, just tried again, see if these help (sorry it took a while, had a visitor).

Imagine you sit in driver's seat. Reach down to touch your left calf. The edge of this trim is just to the left of your left calf. As I get out, my right foot pulls right against that gap.


Can't remove the trim, it's integral to the seat. I showed my visitor, he noticed the new piece is cracked, so it does have to be replaced, again.

-ERD50

 

[travelover]

This is a job for silver duct tape it I ever saw it. I think about two laps around the base of the seat will do it.

 

[ERD50]

sorry, there was a dup file, I will try to get the right one in a minute.

So this is like looking back from the brake pedal if that makes sense. You are seeing under the seat as well. The vertical edge ~ 1/3 from the right is what I was pulling on in the other shot.

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

If you do some taping down, I suggest don't use duct tape but use gaffer tape.

Though not as strong as duct tape, gaffer is temporary and can be removed without getting all gummed up like duct tape.

 

[REWahoo]

If there is a solid (steel, plastic) base under the front corner of that trim, why not use a small stainless steel screw as a secure anchor? It would be almost invisible.

 

[ERD50]

If there is a solid (steel, plastic) base under the front corner of that trim, why not use a small stainless steel screw as a secure anchor? It would be almost invisible.

There really isn't anything solid behind it. I'd really have to work up a bracket to go back ~ 4 ~5 inches, and bend around other stuff - possible, but not simple at all.

And if I did that, and I caught my shoe on that edge, I probably would fall flat on my face. As W2R mentions, as I age, I am more and more concerned about falls.

It really needs a filler panel of some sort to eliminate an edge to catch on. Gaffer tape might do it, but that's just too ugly for a new car. I have my limits!

I'm starting to think a visit to the dealer, along with some comments about getting a lawyer involved, as I just informed them that this is unsafe, might be needed if they can't come up with a solution.

-ERD50

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I think a mechanical solution will be best.
If there is a matching trim piece on the opposite side, a strip of wide webbing material (think seatbelt) or two could be screwed to the front of each side and pulled taught to smooth the edge and keep it from pulling aside if that makes sense.

 

[W2R]

One thing you might (or might not!) want to start doing as a temporary fix to address fall prevention, is to get out of the Encore by first swiveling while seated until you are facing left. Put both feet outside while still seated and facing left. Then stand from the seated position, with both your feet already outside.

Or, duct tape...

 

[ERD50]

One thing you might (or might not!) want to start doing as a temporary fix to address fall prevention, is to get out of the Encore by first swiveling while seated until you are facing left. Put both feet outside while still seated and facing left. Then stand from the seated position, with both your feet already outside.

Or, duct tape...

I actually do think that I try to be aware and careful to not catch myself on it, adjusting my position as get out.

But this recent time, I recall I was kind of frustrated at the time, and left the car with something else on my mind, so got out w/o thinking so much. Just to explain that, I had dropped DW off to pick up a carry-out food order we called in, that was supposed to be ready for us in 20 minutes. We got there 20 minutes later, and it was another 15 minutes, and DW hadn't come out with the food yet. I had to keep driving around the lot again to avoid blocking traffic in the lot. And I wanted to get to our destination, and I was hungry. I parked the car, got out in the rain to check on her, and that's when I tripped up on the edge of that trim.

Just seems like a really bad design to me. I'm gonna have to do something if they don't. Strapping, tape, something. I do fear I'll fall.

-ERD50

 

[gauss]

Not sure if the lawyer comment will help you with the dealer. It seems that the manufacturer is responsible for resolving the safety issues -- no the dealer.

It might even be a violation of the dealer-manufacturer agreement to cobble up unauthorized (by the manufacturer) solutions

 

[samclem]

I think a mechanical solution will be best.
If there is a matching trim piece on the opposite side, a strip of wide webbing material (think seatbelt) or two could be screwed to the front of each side and pulled taught to smooth the edge and keep it from pulling aside if that makes sense.

I'd vote for this. It won't look bad, it will do the job, it can be removed if necessary to get under the front part of the seat (or to remove the seat), the nylon webbing won't risk cutting someone like a strip of AL might. I'd secure it with short coarse-threaded screws right into the plastic trim, so it can be removed for access. Heck, you could even make the piece functional, with a pocket for stuff on the front or a hidden pocket (doubled over material, opening in the back) for some emergency cash, etc.
Take a picture and send it to GM's design (or liability/safety) folks and see if they might not send you something for the good idea. Even a free oil change would cover your material costs. And, if there's a Buick Encore owner's group online (there surely is), you could post your suggestion there for lots of karma points.

And you might as well do the passenger side, too, if it is set up with the same type of trim.

 

[RobbieB]

Yes to the webbing and you could pop rivet it which would be very secure.

 

[gauss]

(NHTSA), the main Federal agency that regulates automotive manufacturers has a public site for submission of customer safety concerns.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

Note if you just want to fix this yourself, this may be an interesting job for a 3D printer. Who knows, perhaps someone could put together a side business of selling redesigned trim pieces. Not sure, off hand, what would be involved with trying to match the color however.

 

[GrayHare]

A flap of fabric, or yuck tape, sewed or stuck to the seat then extending toward the door so it overlaps the plastic trim might cause your pants to slide over the trim rather than get caught on it.

 

[ERD50]

Thanks for replies, I gotta run (ahhh - and figure out how to watch the Cubs, I almost forgot!) , so a quick note to say that in those pics, I moved the seat allllll the way back so I could get a better view.

In it's normal position, it's kind of a squeeze to get your legs out between the door frame and that seat edge. They even provide the option to have the seat automatically power back when you turn it off, and it goes back to the memory position when you re-enter, to make exit/entry easier.

But that was not good - I had the seat power back while a back seat passenger was back there, and it was pinning her to her seat! It also almost crushed some groceries I set on the floor back there. And no easy way to stop it. Had to disable that 'feature'.

-ERD50

 

[Breedlove]

Naa , nothing wrong with the car you are probably wearing a pair of old bell bottom pants ant they got caught on it .
Or possibly go to You Tube like a Corvette , they have a demo video how to get out of a corvette correctly . LOL

 

[AZflowers]

A simple fix would be to trim the plastic to 2 inches to the left of the electrical controls, to just before it curves around to the seat front.

 

[easysurfer]

One thing you might (or might not!) want to start doing as a temporary fix to address fall prevention, is to get out of the Encore by first swiveling while seated until you are facing left. Put both feet outside while still seated and facing left. Then stand from the seated position, with both your feet already outside.

Or, duct tape...

Yes, after almost tripping several times, you'd get in the habit of exiting out differently.

I say that from personal experience. Not for getting out of a car seat, but I had put up a new one level shelf above my computer desk. After having clocked myself on the back of the head a few times , my instincts took over and now I automatically bend properly to avoid smacking my head.