Question about heated seats
 

I don't have them, but every dealer salesperson I spoke with said they only come with the leather trim. I asked one salesman why this was, and he said you can't have heated cloth seats, because the cloth wouldn't transfer the heat properly. I think he was just BSing me, but I don't know for sure.

So, can you have heated cloth seats? I found some after-market seat heaters online - am wondering if they would be worthwhile, and where I could get them installed.

BTW, I don't have my car yet - I'm just thinking (dreaming) about the future...

Re: Question about heated seats
 

Wendy,

My wife's 1997 Subaru Outback has heated cloth seats with three settings: off, low, and high (ouch). There's no problem with the option, it's just that Toyota limits our package choices. You can have a third party put in heated seats after you get the car.

JeffD

Re: Question about heated seats
 

See, I knew I was being BS'ed. Thanks for the info. I too own a '97 Outback. Great car, but I want better gas mileage.

I just noticed a Freudian slip - there's no such thing as a '97 Camry Hybrid - I'm off to edit my profile...

Re: Question about heated seats
 

I guess I have to say that I am mildy disappointed with my heated seats for two different reasons -

1) There is no High/Low setting just On/Off
2) When you turn them on, they will be on everytime you get in and start the car - unless you push the button to turn them off. All of my other vehicles will default with the heater turned off.

Re: Question about heated seats
 

Hmmm, are you sure about that last bit? If so, I've just been had by Joe Myers Toyota -- one of our local dealers here in Houston -- once again! :angry:

When I ordered my DSM ("old man tan") TCH back in August, I requested leather & heated seats -- but opted out of NAV and sunroof -- as factory options (or what I assumed would be factory options, read below) ... basically, the base "leather" and "convenience" US-based packages.

While most local dealers were giving me the usual "3-6 months" delivery spiel for custom orders, Joe Myers said they could do it w/in a month. "No guarantees, but it shouldn't be a problem" they said. Lo & behold, the car arrived at the shop pretty quickly after a deposit was put down (2-3 weeks)... but when I came to pick up the car, surprise-surprise: no heated seats! :omg:

Apparently the region's distributor (GS Toyota, arghhhhh!) had 'mandated' the dealers to sell only a limited set of models due to supply/demand constraints: either base or mostly-loaded. Stated differently: if a customer wanted leather -- w/ or w/o convenience pkg -- the car automatically came with NAV and sunroof as well. They had to literally show me GS Toyota's internal memo re: this "mandate", as I didn't want to believe this BS at first either!!!

Anyways, Joe Myers apparently decided to circumvent this 'limitation' by requesting a base car allocation from GS Toyota and getting the leather/heated seats installed by a 3rd-party [Toyota approved] installer (yet never telling me about this "non-factory" customization, argh!)... The irony is that my order was the first TCH (vs. regular Camry) needing heated seats as well, and -- per their own surprise upon trying to do the install -- the THC seat assemblies turned out to be quite diff't than the regular Camrys: some certain metal rods made it impossible to do their usual dealer-installed heat coil job: the whole seat could possibly catch on fire!

In other words, their attempt at circumventing GS Toyota's allocation limitations fired back at them... and made me quite miffed for trying to pull a fast one on me as well! Also, I agree with many on this forum: their POI-installed "shar-pei style" leather turned out to be crap...

We ultimately found an "amicable" $$$ resolution in the end and I still bought the car, but I digress:
Has anyone heard otherwise?

Re: Question about heated seats
 

Technically speaking, a 3rd party can do pretty much anything once the parts are available. I am sure at some point, the gear for heated seats will be out there, just not at present.

I had a similar situation with the 3rd party post install on a non-package part (I saw the same memo), for me it was the Nav system. In my case, I chalked it up to miscommunication and an assumption that the TCH was like the standard Camry (I'm beginning to call it the 'but it works in the REGULAR car' syndrome.) Being its the first year for the TCH I am inclined to make allowances for knowledge gaps.

Re: Question about heated seats
 

Jeff,

I can certainly make allowances for knowledge gaps as well... I just wish the dealer had been more upfront on how they were going to fill my order (i.e. "your request for leather/heated seats but no NAV will translate into us installing 3rd-party/dealer installed options"), which would have made me think twice before ordering: the after-market leather is just NOT as good or well installed as the factory one, IMHO). :(

At any rate, many thanks for the "gear for heated seats will be out there, just not at present" comment... I hope this is the case, and not just an issue with the TCH's overall seat assembly which makes it impractical to do such a post-install -- either now or in the future!

Re: Question about heated seats
 

In my experience there has always been someone offering the necessary mods, it becomes a question of cost/benefit. It IS possible that the unique assembly of the Camry will make it so difficult the 3rd party seats will cost so much as to make you scream.

That said, I can't imagine that at some point down the road factory seats should not come available as spare parts, then it is just a matter of installing controls and wiring/power if someone is willing to do it.

Re: Question about heated seats
 

FWIW, I have aftermarket heated seats in my HCHII. The only issue was the passenger airbag sensors which means only half your passenger's bum gets warm.

I'd press the issue on the mysterious seat "rods" that can't be heated. Sounds fishy.

Re: Question about heated seats
 

As I've mentioned in a previous post re: aftermarket leather, my dealer offered heated seats as a $400 option ($250 for driver seat only) for the $1200 leather seats. The heaters work pretty well if you enjoy toasted buns. I suspect it will have to get much colder before I really appreciate this feature. The installers used 3-way rocker switches mounted on the door side of the seat bottoms, rather than the usual position as shown in the owners manual - haven't figured out which way is high or low yet.

I don't know who the manufacturer is, but the leather seats I received are beautiful, and look just like the factory leather in fit as well as texture.

Cheers,