Front seats wont swivel [ Swivelgate ]

[Magicman]

Does anyone know if this is a new issue just for the T6? Or was there a similar problem with the T5 not having swivelling seats?

 

[TwoDogs]

just T6

 

[Borris]

Anyone looking for a pre-registered T6 from VW Commercials need to check the spec they are looking at 1st question "do the front seats rotate?"

I have just been looking at the VW Commercial UK web site. There are several ex demo T6 Beaches for sale. Most if not all have the comfort seat option. So perhaps this option has caught the dealers out too.

 

[Yorkdubshire]

I have just been looking at the VW Commercial UK web site. There are several ex demo T6 Beaches for sale. Most if not all have the comfort seat option. So perhaps this option has caught the dealers out too.

I hope it is fully explained about the seat fault before purchase!

 

[Rhyddin]

I have just been looking at the VW Commercial UK web site. There are several ex demo T6 Beaches for sale. Most if not all have the comfort seat option. So perhaps this option has caught the dealers out too.

I spotted that too! Definitely must have been a surprise when they turned up.

 

[Hotel California]

I spotted that too! Definitely must have been a surprise when they turned up.

....may i correct that...?
They not turn at all....
In a while the market wil have a overkill on those !

 

[Tommy Gun]

I have just been looking at the VW Commercial UK web site. There are several ex demo T6 Beaches for sale. Most if not all have the comfort seat option. So perhaps this option has caught the dealers out too.

Thanks for that Borris & I think you are absolutely right. Sadly, it suggests that this thread might still have plenty mileage left in it, as these vans are sold on. Hope that's not the case. VW must surely be aware of the handicap attached to these vehicles & the difficulty facing dealers that need to sell them on. Heavily discount, fix or face a rejection soon after the sale. Yorkdubshire & Rhyddin - thanks for your comments too.

Cheers
Tom

 

[Yorkdubshire]

it suggests that this thread might still have plenty mileage left in it

I do hope you are wrong Tommy Gun! But I suspect you are right . I can only hope people do their research and find this thread before falling into this trap! As previously said fingers are firmly crossed for an amicable outcome to all of this for those that have been caught out. Chin up and enjoy your Cali's!!

 

[Borris]

Thanks for that Borris & I think you are absolutely right. Sadly, it suggests that this thread might still have plenty mileage left in it, as these vans are sold on. Hope that's not the case. VW must surely be aware of the handicap attached to these vehicles & the difficulty facing dealers that need to sell them on. Heavily discount, fix or face a rejection soon after the sale. Yorkdubshire & Rhyddin - thanks for your comments too.

Cheers
Tom

If this issue is giving the dealers and VW a big enough headache then I suspect that comfort seats will shortly either disappear from the options list or the comfort seat will be adapted by VW to swivel. The former is my bet.

I don't know if it is feasible to carry out an after market fix on the vehicles that already have non swiveling seats. It may be that those vehicles with comfort seats may have to stay that way. I imagine that to fix this issue would envolve replacing both front seats and seat bases which would obviously prove very expensive.

I certainly agree that a Cali without swivel seats is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot.

 

[Yorkdubshire]

If this issue is giving the dealers and VW a big enough headache then I suspect that comfort seats will shortly either disappear from the options list or the comfort seat will be adapted by VW to swivel. The former is my bet.

I don't know if it is feasible to carry out an after market fix on the vehicles that already have non swiveling seats. It may be that those vehicles with comfort seats may have to stay that way. I imagine that to fix this issue would envolve replacing both front seats and seat bases which would obviously prove very expensive.

I certainly agree that a Cali without swivel seats is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot.

In my short time selling and repairing sweepers from an Italian manufacturer, they required 10% of dealers worldwide to complain about something before they would look into doing anything. The chances of this happening were very slim and we just had to work around any design flaws. I'm not saying VW have the same policy but even if it's similar it could take a while to alter anything.

 

[Raggedroy]

Are the comfort seats actually comfy? Just wondering, could really rub salt in the wounds if they don't swivel and are not even comfy.

 

[Borris]

If anyone one from VW is reading this, please drop the comfort seat option on the Cali and instead offer only two options:
1. The standard swivel seats.
2. Re-designed power operated memory seats with a memory swivel function.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Are the comfort seats actually comfy? Just wondering, could really rub salt in the wounds if they don't swivel and are not even comfy.

Yes they are comfy, but the standard ones are comfy too
They should simply be called "height adjustable seats - non swivelling'
or even better, they shouldn't be in the brochure
The 'comfort' name was probably just a ploy help shift them... bu99ers

 

[calimera]

Those looking to buy BEWARE of the comfort seats = Non swivelling front seats.

On the VW commercial website used vans for sale. There is an Ocean with comfort seats. Can now search for California Ocean.
One actually lists swivelling front seats.

 

[Gavrobb]

Thought I should report back quickly on our solution as promised. We now have swivel seats!! ( a PROPER Cali!). We were very fortunate in that our dealer came through and went above and beyond to sort this for us. The outcome was that we have the non-comfort (swivel) seats from their own Demo Cali. A bit of faff having to return the vehicle for the work (not local) but they had everything lined up for a very quick - 2hour - changeout. I realise that, for those stuck in similar situation, this is not the fix for them, I had hoped that VWCS would step up to the mark and offer a retro fit solution given the number of vans affected but I didnt hear any word on this while we went through the possible solutions with the dealer (they originally offered an after market swivel which we pushed back on - very much a compromise I think on the proper factory swivel design.
Cant recommend our Dealer enough - this and a couple of other issues they really stepped up to resolve.
I'm no expert but we spent a fair bit of time researching this, combined with our local conversion Company who were very clued up on the options - if I can help with any advice at all please feel free to PM me anytime.

 

[Sp0_0k]

Actually most all EU configurators I've seen had a warning on comfort option that they are "non-swivel."

 

[Gavrobb]

"Actually most all EU configurators I've seen had a warning on comfort option that they are "non-swivel."

Yes, SP0 - this one has been discussed at length in this thread, the Configurator does indeed clarify this but, for a variety of reasons, it's not always enough to capture the issue and a lot of people are in the unfortunate position of being caught out by the Comfort Seats option. Indeed the UK catalog does not state the compromise which doesn't help the confusion.

Hopefully this thread will go some way to highlighting the issue for potential buyers.

 

[Stoneybroke]

Actually most all EU configurators I've seen had a warning on comfort option that they are "non-swivel."

We poor Brits don't get the konfigurator...
The options pricelist had no warning - not updated since November 2015.... Poor show VW.

 

[calimera]

Thought I should report back quickly on our solution as promised. We now have swivel seats!! ( a PROPER Cali!). We were very fortunate in that our dealer came through and went above and beyond to sort this for us. The outcome was that we have the non-comfort (swivel) seats from their own Demo Cali. A bit of faff having to return the vehicle for the work (not local) but they had everything lined up for a very quick - 2hour - changeout. I realise that, for those stuck in similar situation, this is not the fix for them, I had hoped that VWCS would step up to the mark and offer a retro fit solution given the number of vans affected but I didnt hear any word on this while we went through the possible solutions with the dealer (they originally offered an after market swivel which we pushed back on - very much a compromise I think on the proper factory swivel design.
Cant recommend our Dealer enough - this and a couple of other issues they really stepped up to resolve.
I'm no expert but we spent a fair bit of time researching this, combined with our local conversion Company who were very clued up on the options - if I can help with any advice at all please feel free to PM me anytime.

Many thanks for the feedback . Good to have a positive outcome .
Enjoy your Cali . Look forward to hearing about your adventures.

 

[snowy55]

So how long before the Cali with the swopped seats turns up, not really a solution for those people!

 

[GrannyJen]

Thought I should report back quickly on our solution as promised. We now have swivel seats!! ( a PROPER Cali!). We were very fortunate in that our dealer came through and went above and beyond to sort this for us. The outcome was that we have the non-comfort (swivel) seats from their own Demo Cali. A bit of faff having to return the vehicle for the work (not local) but they had everything lined up for a very quick - 2hour - changeout. I realise that, for those stuck in similar situation, this is not the fix for them, I had hoped that VWCS would step up to the mark and offer a retro fit solution given the number of vans affected but I didnt hear any word on this while we went through the possible solutions with the dealer (they originally offered an after market swivel which we pushed back on - very much a compromise I think on the proper factory swivel design.
Cant recommend our Dealer enough - this and a couple of other issues they really stepped up to resolve.
I'm no expert but we spent a fair bit of time researching this, combined with our local conversion Company who were very clued up on the options - if I can help with any advice at all please feel free to PM me anytime.

Thank you for coming back on this and I for one am so pleased with this outcome. I felt gutted for you when you first brought it up.

It is good to read that the dealer stepped up to the mark, it might be worth mentioning the name.

 

[calimera]

So how long before the Cali with the swopped seats turns up, not really a solution for those people!

Let's hope that dealer is open & honest about the comfort seats on their Demo Cali Ocean to any potential buyer .

 

[Gavrobb]

Thanks for the positive responses and the great support throughout this 'ordeal' (1st world problems!!)
I dont for one second see the Dealer selling on a demo van in any other way than open and honest, indeed it's very hard to miss this lacking feature when you can physically view the van. Arguably what is catching most of us out is ordering a bespoke van unable to view. I dont see why anybody would buy a van without but maybe I am missing something - in the end it wouldn't surprise me if that particular demo van would be updated with the parts to facilitate the upgrade (I am sure it can be done). In this instance I am certain that the solution was in the interests of turning around my problem in as quick a time as possible (3 weeks) to which I am grateful.

Given how quickly sentiment can turn here I think I will keep names out of it though which is a shame as I would love to see credit go as deserved....

 

[calimera]

Really pleased for you Gavrobb.

It was a hidden problem to both dealers & buyers. VWCS don't seem able to step up & confess their mistake in the brochure .

Feel sorry to the buyers who were victims to this flaw earlier on in this thread. They spent the weekend trying to turn their comfort seats !!!

There is a Demo Cali Ocean on the VW used vans site which lists comfort seats .

 

[Tommy Gun]

Thought I should report back quickly on our solution as promised. We now have swivel seats!! ( a PROPER Cali!)....

Really pleased for you Gav, brilliant outcome. Your dealer sounds superb.
It might not have worked out this way, had I taken the van myself through a different dealer, but your dealer has certainly come through for you, so happy endings all round.

In the past, you've referred to this van as 'MY' van.
Can I safely assume that it's very much 'YOUR' van now?

Look forward to meeting up again soon.
Cheers mate

Tom