after only 28K in my 02 the drivers seat bottom is shot.

The foam is falling apart and no longer supportive. The problem stems mainly from the fact GM did not place any burlap over the seat springs and just slapped the foams directly over the metal springs/wires. As a reslt, in short time the wires cut their way through the foam, destroying it.

The leather is still in great shape, it's just flat, unsupportive and looks used up because the foam under it is shot.

I'll be replacing the foam, as well as adding burlap between the foam and springs on both seats. This really gets me. This could of been done right by GM for a dollar or two, max. What a crappy corner for them to cut to save literally a buck. Now it's going to cost me $100 for a new bottom foam. I'm not posting just to gripe - I'll post pictures of my fix as it evolves.

 

Strange, after 42,000 miles my seats are fine.

 

I've only owned the car 2 years and I noticed the seat was shoddy looking when I bought it so perhaps the original owner was a lard ***?

 

Must be it!

 

Vette seats are a weak point...that's why I have Corbeau racing seats in mine Indy

 

 

The seats aren't the only week point. GM could have gone the extra mile and had an overall better interior with real leather and wood/carbon fiber rather than the "tupperware".

 

Anyone tried placing a thin piece of "memory foam" on the seat bottom to increase comfort? The seats sure get hard after a couple hundred miles.

 

GM could have gone the extra mile and charged a bunch more for the car too.

 

I understand that, but honestly what do 2 squares of burlap cost?

 

I actually find the interior very nicely done...it's sporty and fits in well with the contours of the exterior. I never understand why people don't like it. Even quality wise I never had any problems except with the seats. Indy

 

I agree completely. This seat issue is the only thing that I've found to be inexcusable.

 

I don't care for wood or carbon fiber that much either, just saying. I've got 24 k on mine and they are still pretty nice.

 

Yes... there are a number of "head-scratchers" as to why they did not spend a "few" extra dollars here an there - especially by the 2004 run. It has been said many times here that people who buy Corvettes do so primarily for the "hot rod" aspect and that GM had to cut corners elsewhere to keep the car's price down (to the most expensive car in their line up?), but I don't believe that is the whole story - that just sounds like an "excuse" to me. Most of the "major" issues that have been chronic could have been solved for very little money initially and especially by year 8 of production. The C6 (IMO) has a much better material/process used for the dash and door panels - only thing I really like better about the C6 - and they used it there? Other problems like the peeling Targa Tops are a bit harder to diagnose and correct and not a "cheap" fix as more research or QC would be needed.

As far as the seats, mine still looked pretty good after 7 years of DD use, but I was very careful. I went with a VE interior two years ago and had to replace my driver's seat foam as well. The wires were just starting to cut into the seat foam. I went back by adding a 1" thick woven fiberglass padding between the wires and pad which has held up great so far. Cost, about $6.00 and the seats are much firmer and more comfortable than stock.

I will say, considering the vast number of NEW components that went into the C5 (virtually everything), they did an AMAZING job of getting most of the important things right on the first try. The big screw-ups like the EBCM, Oil Pressure Senders, Gas Senders, Differential seal leaks, etc. could have been fixed. Yes we have crappy gas now, but don't tell me that everyone driving on the street is doing so without a functioning gas gauge! My C5 gets great gas mileage, but much of that is negated by the Seafoam/Techron bill every year. I have spent hundreds of dollars on Seafoam over the past several years - I would much rather have spent another $100 on R&D for a better gas monitoring system when I bought the car originally. Someone who is buying a $50,000 car new is not going to whine over an extra few hundred dollars to get it right. I suspect it cost GM a ton in warranty work to fix these problems which should have been solved by year 3 of production. They also could have kept the C5 design a few more years to recoup costs as they did with previous generations.

 

Poor fuel quality is not GM's fault in any way.All car lines are having the exact same issue with fuel gauges.My 2004 Vette has 40,000 miles and the seats look and feel like new.

 

when I did sport skins on my 00 FRC I uses a square of 3/8" closed cell foam over the wires and new set of seat foams. It's 2 years now and the seats are just as firm as the day I did them.

 

I switched to the Caravaggio racing seat this past summer and they're great.

 

anyone buy skins from flea-bay? there is a seller who has S.leather skins for $199. I asked him for a sample and he wanted $12. to ship out just a sample. I guess he figured that would be all the $$ he got from me once I saw the crap he was selling.

I wouldn't mind shelling out $600. for new all leather skins but I can't find anyone to install them for under $400. $1000. for new skins. My wife would take a 9 iron to me. (Tiger joke)

 

I agree that the seats are poor. Mine have 76+ on them now and are starting to look pretty bad (drivers.. passengers is fine) and I want to redo my seats (hopefully) in March/April 2010. As far as the interior goes.. My only complaint is with two areas... The seats and the fit of the radio/heater, etc console plastic. Mine has a 1/4 or 1/2 inch gap in upper right corner that looks crappy. I took it apart to see if I could fix, and apparently it was apart by the previous owner as the tab on one side is gone. I am thinking that may be the cause of the gap in the upper right..

Does anyone have an idea or how to on how to make the bezel fit better round the top /upper sides of it? If someone has done this, I would gladly try same. I figure the only way to try to fix that is when I can afford to get a DD bezel in Lt Oak from Dennis!

 

Man I couldn't agree with you more on this one!
When I redid my seats last year I was flabbergasted at the stupidity of someone in GM putting foam across thin wires and then sitting on it.
I used a piece of a rubber backed carpet runner between the seat cushion and the wires and it had worked out fantastic!

The real truth as to why this was done is probably something like this.
Engineering: Add a piece between seat cushion and wire frame to give durability to seat.

Bean counters: Get that out of there it'll save .25 per seat!

Yep, been there done that with Cost Analysis group.