Interior - Driver Seat Hinge Cover Catches On Clothing
NUMBER: 12-138-12DATE: 08/30/12
APPLICABILITY:
2010MY and Later Legacy & Outback
SUBJECT:
Driver's Seat Hinge Cover Gap Catching Clothing
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this bulletin is to inform you of a procedure for preventing damage to the driver's seat hinge cover. The damage can occur when the gap between the seat cushion and the hinge trim cover becomes temporarily enlarged by the presence of the driver, allowing their clothing to become caught. If the driver tries to exit the vehicle without noticing, the hinge cover may break as their "pinched" clothing gets pulled out. The gap between the cushion and the hinge cover will be reduced by performing the service procedure as listed.
COUNTERMEASURE IN PRODUCTION
The self-adhesive urethane pads were incorporated into production mid-April 2012 starting with the following VINs.
PART INFORMATION
SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION
NOTE:
It is not necessary to remove the seat from the vehicle. It was removed in these photos for illustration purposes only. To remove the hinge cover, first release and turn up the backboard skirt then CAREFULLY release all 3 of the hinge cover claws and Clip # 1 from the back of the cover as shown. The first 3 photos illustrate a power seat while the bottom illustrations on the next page show the hinge cover for a manual seat which is secured by 3 screws and 3 claws. The reclining lever will also need to be removed.
CAREFULLY remove the lift lever trim cap (a) with a small flat-blade screw driver to access the 2 retaining screws.
Next, remove the reclining lever cover by CAREFULLY releasing the claw and sliding it off the lever.
Remove the 2 lift lever screws, the lift lever and the 3rd screw (# 1). Release the top claw (# 2), rear claw # 3), and front claw (# 4) then, remove the hinge cover trim.
After the hinge cover is removed, remove the two J-hooks and release the seat trim from the left front corner of the seat cushion and frame.
Peel the self-adhesive backing and apply the urethane pad (64119AJ00A) while carefully aligning the bolster line and bottom edge as shown.
After attaching the urethane pad, refit the seat trim to its original position making sure that the J-hooks are properly secured to the seat frame as they were prior to disassembly.
Next, re-install the hinge cover and CAREFULLY refit Clip# 1 and the 3 claws into their proper locations. For Manual seats, re-install the hinge cover, reclining lever cover and lift lever, 2 claws, 3 screws and the trim cap.
Replace the backboard skirt into its original position. Finish the repair by confirming all the seat functions operate properly before returning the vehicle to the customer.
WARRANTY / CLAIM INFORMATION
Disclaimer