dingdongman

I have an 05' TSX that has developed a black/blue stripe along the outer edge/seam of the seat. I have tan interior and this "thing" looks awful and is immediately noticable when you open either door.

At first I thought it might be discolored from my blue jeans rubbing along the surface as I enter and exit the vehicle. After more investigation I find it difficult to believe that it would be so defined at the ends of the stripe(See pics) and identical along the sides of both the driver and passenger seats.

Does anyone know what is causing this and what I can do about to make them go away? Thanks!

I included a couple pics of my biggest addiction...expensive and loud home theater systems!!

Ding Dong Man

PWPTSX

i use those cleaning solution name "Awesome", you need to mix it with water, with like 10 parts water and 1 parts of it. i m not sure if it work in your case but for me it works fine.

LoveMyTL-S

I also use Awesome for my household things. You can find it at Dollar stores. It's great for a buck!!

jlukja

I have the same discoloration. I have to believe that its something inside the seams. Mine starts and stops at the ends too perfectly for it to be a stain from something I did.

San-AnT

mine looks exactly like the pic also. i'll have to try the solution method

xizor

looks exactly like mine. i have it only on the driver's side, and it came from having a wet towel on the seat

dingdongman

It cannot be from simply moisture on the seat...it is not on the upper portion of the seat, only the lower material of the sewn joint. I will find out if I have to cut that thing apart and find out where the black is seeping from.

San-AnT

mine is only on the driver seat, left side (as on the picture) and also has a distinct beginning and end. mine is not from a towel. it is not on the upper portion.

scheißterhöffer

Got the exact same thing, only on the driver's seat to my knowledge, I thought it was from cleaning the seats with a colored towel, but now I don't. That's pretty strange.

sm4d

I had the same exact same stain on the driver's side seat of my '04 last summer. It was definitely not caused by clothing. My dealer replaced the seat cover.

vollum

I have the exact same stain...on only the driver's side. I had assumed that it came from wearing blue jeans. Now I'm starting to wonder. I've tried leather cleaner and a household cleaner followed by leather conditioner. The stain seems to have faded a little but it is still there.

jlukja

I posted this in Wash & Wax to see if non-TSX owners have the same stain. Here is the thread: https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/parchment-leather-seat-discoloration-345255/#post4983616

dottie2

Our seats look just like that. It is not a blue jean problem because the passenger seat is very seldom used. It has to be an Acura problem. Dealer told me it would be $75.oo to fix it. That doesn't satisfy me. The car is only a year and half old. I'm not going to give up on this one.

Scottsdale-Pearl

I took my 2004 TSX w/tan interior to the dealer last week for the 25k mile service. While waiting, the service guy came out to see me appologizing about the stains on the side of the drivers seat. The stains look excactly like your pics. He insisted I bring the car back to get the seat cover replaced under warranty.
I just got the car back from the warranty work. The seat looks like new.
This was at Scottsdale Acura.

dizzy1

I have the same thing. It has to be something inside the seat. Both seats have it and seem to just stop at the same distance up the seat. From the pics on here, they all seem to have the bleeding thru up to a few inches from the end. I wouldn't doubt if something is sewn in the seams that is causing this? Sounds like Acura should be looking into this and replacing some seats under warranty?

jlukja

I suspect they used something on the inside to reinforce the seams in the spots where they thought it might be likely for the seam to split. I bet whatever they used is blue and is bleeding through the material and causing this stain.

dingdongman

I would guess that the 75.00 for repair to Dottie's seat would be the labor charge and the dealer would go to bat with the area rep. for warranty coverage.

Dottie, be sure to mention that you would like to speak to the area warranty rep. when he is at the dealership next time. Tell the local service manager that you would like to discuss with the rep. that you have put the dealerships name on the Acura website as being unreasonable, when everyone else is getting thier faulty seat covers repaired at no charge, under warranty.

Tell him you will post their names and phone numbers as well so the other members can give them a call to voice thir displeasure with the dealer and its pratices.

I am sure he, or the rep., will give up the 75.00 song and dance. If he doesn't believe you, give him the link to to the thread and watch his jaw drop. Be sure and do that in front of the dealership General Manager too.!!

Ding Dong!

stixbc

Thanks guys! I thought I was the only one with this seat problem. Gonna ask my service adviser about it and hopefully get my seat replaced under warranty!!

sjonesrones

I'm seeing the *exact* same thing on my 2004 TSX. I also got the same runaround from the dealer about jeans/leather jackets.

I have a theory about what is causing the discoloration. One piece of leather is meant for "high traffic". The other (on the side) isn't rated for high traffic (rather for looks). Acura didn't anticipate the need for a more wear proof material on the side of the seat.

Some folks in the Edmunds forums are seeing the same problems we are. I'd like to get a few more anecdotal examples from customers and then apprach Honda/Acura for some kind of resolution.

San-AnT

i'll take a picture sunday

stixbc

Bad news....they won't cover it under warranty.
It'll cost close to $1000 to replace the seat cover!!!
I wonder if I should go to another Acura dealer.

greendestiny

does this only affect the ebony interior? anyone have quartz interior with this problem?

dingdongman

Stix...ask them to tell you why it isnt covered when it is a factory defect that is causing one spific area of the seat to discolor and make you car look ridiculous looking. That would be similar to them saying that a giant black stripe running down the side of the hood would be acceptable to have happen to a white color painted vehicle. Tell them that if you cut the seam threads open carefully and find a dark colored material under the seam that is bleeding through you will see them in court to resolve the issue. I have to admit that I really lose control when I pay tens of thousands of dollars for a product that a manufacturer wont stand behind when something goes wrong. I would be elevating that determination to the dealership General Manager if I were you. Let us know which dealer it is and maybe we can make a few calls and stir the pot for you. If they have said no m then you have nothing to lose. Just give me someones name and number and next time I am flaming mad about something I will call him.

I would call the Acura toll free number and start bitching up a storm.

Ding Dong

dingdongman

Posted by 26shaun in another thread:

"I've read a thread about this before and someone had actually removed the seat cover themself and found that when the manufacturer produces the seat covers they use a dark colored marker to mark the cut line on the fabric. Eventually the ink bleeds through causing the discoloration of the outer surface. It makes perfect sense because if you look at the discoloration it has a near perfect cut-off point at each end and runs almost the exact same length in the exact some location on both the driver and passenger side seats."

Stix: If this is true then you can tell your dealer to stick it right up their "bahookie" on the way to get a porter to drive your car around to the shop to replace your seatcovers with new ones! HAHAHA

l.wright

i have the same problem, on my british honda accord 2.4, i thought it was just dirt that needed cleaning, now i will see what the dealer says, i will take a copy of these threads, to show them it is a worldwide problem.

dottie2

Stix,
Don't give up. Try another dealer. After my initial visit, and a followup call from Acura which I rated the service poorly, I contacted the dealer again. After a couple of more calls and complaints, they said they would order the seats and fix it under warranty. I had told them about this thread and that it was obviously a manufacturing problem. Hopefully we'll get it done next week.
Dottie

defeasance

I have the same problems. Also thought it was jeans, but then thought the blue should also be located on other places if it was jean. Just took it in today to service dept. Will keep you posted on what they say.

jerzpwr

goodluck.!

defeasance

So my dealer basically told me MY JEANS were @ fault. Wat an A-Hole.
I told him if it was my jean then explain to me why the rest of seat is not colored.
He brushed me off and told me 2 call honda 4 a good faith fix.
In general never going back to Paragon Acura, they are the worst in service.

fintracity

my 04 did exactly the same thing... I almost always wear a dark suit to work - thought this was the cause... not in my 06, yet...

dingdongman

Tell the service manager that you will pay the labor to remove the seat cover and that if during the removal there is a mark on the inside of the vinyl "outer portion" of the seat that is causing the discoloration that you want the labor charge removed and the covers replaced under warranty. If he doesn't agree to that, let me know and I will call him.
DD

defeasance

I just contacted 1800- Toll Free line from Acura to file a complaint on Paragon Acura in Queens NY. I will have Acura of Manhattan inspect it next week and print out this whole post for verification. The lady told me that I have to visit another dealer so they can investigate becuase nothing cab be done until a dealership autherizes there is a problem. what dealerships have you guys gone to that have changed seat cushions so I can tell them.

Thx guys.

stixbc

Good news to report!!
I finally got around to contacting another Acura dealership to see what they could do about it.
I told them how disappointed I was in the other dealership's response even after all the proof I showed. Long story short, they ordered me a new seat cover. I'll update again after they ACTUALLY replace the seat in my car.

San-AnT

i was told it was common on the 04 and 05 parchment tsx's, but not in warranty. advisor told me that this does not mean that they will not issue a service bulletin later. he said if they ever do get one, mine will be replaced in warranty even if it is out of warranty because he is writing a note about it in my service record.

Dr. Evil

So if you manage to get your seat cover replaced, why do you think it will not happen again? Assuming it is a manufacturing issue....

I would love to get mine done as well.

ClutchPerformer

OP is quartz?

dingdongman

i was told it was common on the 04 and 05 parchment tsx's, but not in warranty. advisor told me that this does not mean that they will not issue a service bulletin later. he said if they ever do get one, mine will be replaced in warranty even if it is out of warranty because he is writing a note about it in my service record.

Do you mean that YOUR car is not currently covered by a warranty, but they will replace it anyway? Or do you mean that their official policy is to not cover the problem via warranty under any circumstance?

DD

San-AnT

still under warranty (assuming i am Texas). but not covered under warranty. however, if they ever get a service bulletin or recall (which they wont, not a safety issue), then they will honor the bulletin even if my car is, by then, out of warranty. (47k)

defeasance

The way i see it is if they can fix or change anything before warranty is up thats great. i was suppose to go to another dealer next week but will be away so in 2 weeks i will have another post. Good luk.

dingdongman

San Antonio,

First I would make an appointment to speak to the General Manager of the Service Department and also have the dealership GM be present n the meeting. Explain to them that it only seems reasonable that blue colored ink discoloring your, and many of our, car's seats which was caused by a manufacturing oversight would be, and should be, covered under warranty. If you communicate to the dealer your willingness to pursue the issue to the very end and show them that you do have other options to resolve it, I believe that they will remedy the problem. If you appear as if you mean business and do it calmly and tacfully, They might think it is now easier to give you new seat covers than have this "thorn" in their side each time they come to work.

If you dont get results from the meeting I would then place a call to the Acura hotline and request that they mediate between you and the local dealer to assist in resolving the issue.

If you cant get any results from the above efforts, I would sue them in small claims court for the cost and labor to replace of the seat covers. Let a local judge decide wether or not it should be covered under warranty. Document every person you speak to and the times as you go through this whole process. Names, times, pictures etc go ALONG way in court and other negotiations.

A trump card in your sleeve is usually the threat of you holding a huge picket sign in the median outside of the dealership. If you have the balls to hold that sign I guarantee that you wont even make it out of the car before they order those seat covers for you. Car Dealers cringe at the thought of someone telling others how they have been mistreated and loosing potential business over a simple resolvable issue.

You have nothing to lose by trying every option you have available to you.

Let us know how it goes.

DD