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Creaking seats

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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 08:25 AM
  #1  
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From: Chamblee, GA
Exclamation Creaking seats

i have an 04 rx-8 with a creaking driver seat problem that won't go away!
Dealer had tried to fix it 3 times without a resolution...
first they try to lube it - didn't work and the creak came back in like a few days.
second time they remove the seats and tighten and lube something, well the creaks came back in a few days time.
third time they actually ordered a seat frame and replaced it - and it was fine for about a month or so, but it came back yesterday!

It's one of those sounds you hear when metal is bent/at it's breaking point and it's both embarassing and concerns me. It made those sounds even on the slightest wheel turn

I'm by no mean a heavy person at 165lbs but it shouldn't do that, should it? Have any of you had any problem with squeaking seats??
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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 12:09 PM
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mine does the same, especially when it's cold...i've just grown immune to the sound
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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 12:43 PM
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From: caddyshack
mine creaks too.... but the seat's still firmly attached to the car, and i haven't been thrown off the car yet, so i'm not that worried
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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 03:33 PM
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From: Chamblee, GA
Originally Posted by epitrochoid
mine does the same, especially when it's cold...i've just grown immune to the sound
Mine's been creaking all summer long, may have nothing to do with temperature.
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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 03:57 PM
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This was posted on the UK board a year or more ago. It works, but the seat starts creaking again after a couple/few weeks. Your mileage may vary.

1. Put the seat back as far as it will go
2. Find the plastic piece that is covering the bolt at the front side of the
drivers seat nearest the transmission. Pull it off to remove.
3. Loosen the bolt (14mm socket) holding the seat to the chassis of the car.
4. Wiggle the seat about. (You'll hear it pop back into place)
5. Tighten the bolt and replace the piece of plastic.
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Old Oct 28, 2005 | 04:41 PM
  #6  
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From: Gander, Newfoundland, Canada
Mine creaks too, but it's in the seat back rest and not the frame.
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Old Oct 29, 2005 | 10:36 AM
  #7  
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Dealer replaced my seat track, and I was good for a few weeks. When it came back, they claimed it was the side of the seat rubbing against the console. BS, but I just let it slide. One of these days, I guess I'll have to track it down myself.
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Old Oct 31, 2005 | 02:00 AM
  #8  
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same prblem.. additional to that.. my steering wheel creaks (the airbag/horn cover), constantly.. and is driving me nuts...the rear view mirror creaks.... the centre channel speaker buzzes.. and the rear right suicide door knocks..
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Old Oct 31, 2005 | 07:39 PM
  #9  
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From: Morristown Tennessee
Hmmm. Same problem. Dealer replaced the seat back mechanism- started creaking again shortly after. But now I am waiting for a new plastic cover for the seat mechanism side since they butchered it.
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Old Oct 31, 2005 | 08:42 PM
  #10  
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Geesh - just when life threw me a curve ball, I read this thread and feel good about myself. My car doesnt make a sound other than the cool ones coming from the RAM Air \ REVi and RPMs...sorry for your creaks buys. 20K miles and not a peep.
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Old Nov 1, 2005 | 02:44 PM
  #11  
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From: Chamblee, GA
Oh well, i made another appointment with the service dept for tomorrow - god knows what other thing they are going to replace. It's the only thing that annoys me, well aside from the buzzing sunroof that they could never replicate!
This is pretty much the 5th time i took my car to the dealer for the creaking driver seats issue. Weird thing is, i noticed yesterday that the seat creaks when i accelerate! RX-8s shouldn't have too much torque to creak its own seat!!!
With this many repair, would this be considered a lemon? I know creaks are not much, but what if the problem is more than what it sounds and if somehow the seats would break loose? Hell if they are replacing my 8, i'd ask for a winning blue - which i should've bought in the first place!
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Old Nov 2, 2005 | 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by azure
Oh well, i made another appointment with the service dept for tomorrow - god knows what other thing they are going to replace. It's the only thing that annoys me, well aside from the buzzing sunroof that they could never replicate!
This is pretty much the 5th time i took my car to the dealer for the creaking driver seats issue. Weird thing is, i noticed yesterday that the seat creaks when i accelerate! RX-8s shouldn't have too much torque to creak its own seat!!!
With this many repair, would this be considered a lemon? I know creaks are not much, but what if the problem is more than what it sounds and if somehow the seats would break loose? Hell if they are replacing my 8, i'd ask for a winning blue - which i should've bought in the first place!
I dont think a creaking seat affects the operation or safety of your vehicle. So no lemon law for you.
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Old Nov 2, 2005 | 09:17 AM
  #13  
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From: caddyshack
my seat creaks when turning, i drove with the creaky seat on VIR, the seat didn't detach and slam me into the windshield, i'm not gonna lose any sleep over it
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Old Jan 23, 2006 | 10:07 PM
  #14  
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Anyone ever actually get a permanent fix for this? My car's back in the shop now, and I put this issue back on the list.
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Old Jan 24, 2006 | 01:27 PM
  #15  
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From: RPV
My passenger seat squeaks where the leather meets the plastic backing. Whenever I hear it, I just pull up the leather part towards the driver side, and the noise will go away, but comes right back immediately after I let it go. Besides that, my sunroof, center console, back dash, and other places are also squeaking. The dealer told me Mazda will only cover the squeaking under warranty up to 12 month/12,000 miles. Is that correct? I think that is just rude.....Any help?
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Old Mar 14, 2007 | 01:14 PM
  #17  
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My 06 made noises when making a turn. Coming from the lower part of the seat. Brought it to the dealer. They changed the railing. There are two parts in the lower part of the seat. One is the railing and the other is the seat itself. There was a design change I was informed and now there is some cushioning with the new design where the rail has some rods. Anyway I drove the car and the noise is gone. Hope this helps someone.
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Old Mar 14, 2007 | 01:17 PM
  #18  
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From: Worcester, MA
I brought mine in and they said the railings were fatigued. They changed the railing.
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Old Mar 14, 2007 | 02:16 PM
  #19  
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From: A Whales Vagina
I had the same problem in my old Focus. The dealer said "Stop being such a fat guy, you're just a big ol' fatty fat fat, huh fatty" Then he gave me a candy bar.

No problems with the 8.........yet(still fatty)

Last edited by H8SUVS; Mar 14, 2007 at 02:20 PM.
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Old Mar 14, 2007 | 10:20 PM
  #20  
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i found a fix that last a few months or so. I tried the undo wiggle and retighten which worked for a day or two. Then i tried cutting some rubber washers. i had some rubber matting about 3mm thick which i cut into the shape of square washers and drilled a whole in the middle which i placed between the car and the seat rail, one on the back and one on the front. then tightened up. Problem solved, well almost, it did come back about 3 or 4 months later so i just turned them over retightened and all good again.
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Old Mar 15, 2007 | 09:32 AM
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From: caddyshack
you know, i haven't heard the squeaky seat in my car for a while now... i guess the seat rails are finally 'scrubbed in' and no longer squeaks lmao

Last edited by ZoomZoomH; Mar 15, 2007 at 09:33 AM. Reason: typo ftw
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Old May 26, 2007 | 04:25 PM
  #22  
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From: Coto de Caza, CA
I found the source of my creaking seat.... The lower tube where it is welded to the seat back frame, the weld failed. Everything looks fine from the outside but if you look behind the tube at the frame, I could not get a clear pic of it, you can see the crack in the weld. Now I just need to take it to the dealer.
Attached Thumbnails Creaking seats-seat.jpg  
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 09:58 AM
  #23  
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I tried to get mine fixed on my 2006, and just got the "could not duplicate sound" on the worksheet. Though I too was threatened that any tightening of nuts and bolts wouldn't be covered under the warranty past 12-month/12,000 mi.

They probably couldn't duplicate it since the tech who took it out probably weighed all of 100 lbs. I always get somebody who puts the seat all the way up to the steering wheel.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:03 PM
  #24  
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From: Washington, DC
When mine creaked:
Made up a washer from pliable plastic (like the kind anti-freeze bottles are made from). Removed the rear bolts that hold the seat to the floor plan. Placed the washer between the bolt and the seat bracket - NOT between the seat bracket and the floor. Problem has never returned.
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Old Nov 23, 2007 | 05:53 AM
  #25  
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From: Perth, Australia
Creaking Seat

I had a creaking driver's seat and solved it as follows. By getting someone to rock the seat back firmly sideways, while I got down close to the floor and listened, I located the creak at the rear centre-side anchor bolt. I unbolted it (the bolt is under a plastic cover), inserted a 1 mm thick soft metal washer between the seat and the floor and re-bolted it. No more noise.
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