FIX: front seat stuck forward or seatback won't return to upright position

[belfonte]

Maybe this has been posted before, I don't know. But today I loaded the kids for some outdoor fun only to find that my seat was tight up against the steering wheel and wouldn't budge. We had to cancel the fun, and instead, I spent an hour figuring this stupid thing out. Hope to spare someone else the trouble.

The problem is a small plastic piece that's about an inch long, that has a spring loaded lever inside. It's called the "seat position return".

Here's a link to the TBS report that some other guy posted. It's a known issue. There is one for each seat and it moves along the door-side track. The left and right sides specific and not switchable.

What this thing does is to return the seat to normal functioning after you use the shoulder lever to slide the seat forward for getting in and out of the back seat. Without it, the seat will be stuck in that egress mode and slide back and forth without locking in place, and the pull strap will not work to move the seat back to upright position.

(If the plastic piece breaks with the seat fully forward, it may jam in the tracks and prevent the seat from sliding back at all. Several people have had to get their jeep towed.)

This piece breaks when the seat is slid back and forth roughly, because the plastic housing can't withstand the abrupt action on the metal lever inside it.

The reason it's plastic is because the piece was designed to be installed by snapping into place on a small tang it runs on.

In the picture below you can see the bottom half of the lever that the plastic piece holds. If you push up on it, you can work it backwards along the track and out from under the seat. This is for curiosity's sake only, because it would only slide out when the unit isn't broken.

Below is the unit working correctly on the passenger side. Note how it slides freely on the track.

Here is my driver's side unit that is sitting on the track broken.

These units can be ordered, and others have posted the links to them. Also, if your jeep is under warranty, you can try that route.

But, here's an easy, temporary (or permanent) fix. I used a 14mm long sock I got from harbor freight. No other size would work for me. And it had to be red

--- in my case, the plastic unit broke when the seat was all the way forward up against the steering wheel. It wouldn't slide back at all, and I couldn't drive. I took a long 3/8 extension and inserted it between the door-side seat tracks, from the back. In the picture below, you can see the opening where the cap is. I pushed with the extension through that opening until the plastic unit broke free of being jammed in the tracks.

For the temporary fix, you must remove the plastic cap from the end of the top part of the track that slides with the seat. In the picture below I've laid the cap back up against where it would go. These have have several tangs, so be careful not to break. You need to remove this cap, otherwise the 14mm socket won't fit in there, and you need that large of socket to trip the lever.

Ok, once that cap is removed you can slide the socket between the top and bottom tracks. The reason you can't just set the socket anywhere in the lower track is that it will likely end up jamming.

Now, when you slide the seat back, it will trip whatever the heck is up in there that the plastic unit was tripping. Note, you must slide the seat as far back as it will go, and push the seatback to upright position. Now the seat will function like normal.

HOWEVER, the socked will not allow the seat to slide back fully. Use the bar under the seat (NOT THE SHOULDER LEVER) to slide the seat forward and then you can remove the socket. Now the seat will adjust like normal.

NOTE: Whenever you use the shoulder lever on the seatback to scoot the seat forward (to let someone get into or out of the back seat) you will need to use the socket again to release that mechanism, so that the seat will return to adjusting like normal.

It sounds a little complicated but here's the steps...

1. Use lever on seatback shoulder to scoot seat forward to let kids in back.
2. Insert socket into gap between upper and lower tracks, on door side track.
3. Slide seat all the way back until seatback releases
4. Use the bar under the front of the seat to slide seat forward.
5. Remove socket.
6. Use the bar again to slide seat back.

After all this, I'm debating whether I even want to bother replacing that plastic unit. I might just use the socket method. Because, if that plastic thing breaks when the seat is full forward, you literally can't drive. If you do replace the unit, be careful to slide the seat gently. The plastic unit slides independently, and it easily jams and breaks when the seat is handled roughly.

Hope that helps someone!

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[Beth B]

Maybe this has been posted before, I don't know. But today I loaded the kids for some outdoor fun only to find that my seat was tight up against the steering wheel and wouldn't budge. We had to cancel the fun, and instead, I spent an hour figuring this stupid thing out. Hope to spare someone else the trouble.

The problem is a small plastic piece that's about an inch long, that has a spring loaded lever inside. It's called the "seat position return".

Here's a link to the TBS report that some other guy posted. It's a known issue. There is one for each seat and it moves along the door-side track. The left and right sides specific and not switchable.

What this thing does is to return the seat to normal functioning after you use the shoulder lever to slide the seat forward for getting in and out of the back seat. Without it, the seat will be stuck in that egress mode and slide back and forth without locking in place, and the pull strap will not work to move the seat back to upright position.

(If the plastic piece breaks with the seat fully forward, it may jam in the tracks and prevent the seat from sliding back at all. Several people have had to get their jeep towed.)

This piece breaks when the seat is slid back and forth roughly, because the plastic housing can't withstand the abrupt action on the metal lever inside it.

The reason it's plastic is because the piece was designed to be installed by snapping into place on a small tang it runs on.

In the picture below you can see the bottom half of the lever that the plastic piece holds. If you push up on it, you can work it backwards along the track and out from under the seat. This is for curiosity's sake only, because it would only slide out when the unit isn't broken.

Below is the unit working correctly on the passenger side. Note how it slides freely on the track.

Here is my driver's side unit that is sitting on the track broken.

These units can be ordered, and others have posted the links to them. Also, if your jeep is under warranty, you can try that route.

But, here's an easy, temporary (or permanent) fix. I used a 14mm long sock I got from harbor freight. No other size would work for me. And it had to be red

--- in my case, the plastic unit broke when the seat was all the way forward up against the steering wheel. It wouldn't slide back at all, and I couldn't drive. I took a long 3/8 extension and inserted it between the door-side seat tracks, from the back. In the picture below, you can see the opening where the cap is. I pushed with the extension through that opening until the plastic unit broke free of being jammed in the tracks.

For the temporary fix, you must remove the plastic cap from the end of the top part of the track that slides with the seat. In the picture below I've laid the cap back up against where it would go. These have have several tangs, so be careful not to break. You need to remove this cap, otherwise the 14mm socket won't fit in there, and you need that large of socket to trip the lever.

Ok, once that cap is removed you can slide the socket between the top and bottom tracks. The reason you can't just set the socket anywhere in the lower track is that it will likely end up jamming.

Now, when you slide the seat back, it will trip whatever the heck is up in there that the plastic unit was tripping. Note, you must slide the seat as far back as it will go, and push the seatback to upright position. Now the seat will function like normal.

HOWEVER, the socked will not allow the seat to slide back fully. Use the bar under the seat (NOT THE SHOULDER LEVER) to slide the seat forward and then you can remove the socket. Now the seat will adjust like normal.

NOTE: Whenever you use the shoulder lever on the seatback to scoot the seat forward (to let someone get into or out of the back seat) you will need to use the socket again to release that mechanism, so that the seat will return to adjusting like normal.

It sounds a little complicated but here's the steps...

1. Use lever on seatback shoulder to scoot seat forward to let kids in back.
2. Insert socket into gap between upper and lower tracks, on door side track.
3. Slide seat all the way back until seatback releases
4. Use the bar under the front of the seat to slide seat forward.
5. Remove socket.
6. Use the bar again to slide seat back.

After all this, I'm debating whether I even want to bother replacing that plastic unit. I might just use the socket method. Because, if that plastic thing breaks when the seat is full forward, you literally can't drive. If you do replace the unit, be careful to slide the seat gently. The plastic unit slides independently, and it easily jams and breaks when the seat is handled roughly.

Hope that helps someone!

Definitely helps. We had this happen twice, when moving the passenger seat to get in and out of my 2DR. Only instead of getting locked forward, the seat would only go back and not lock into place upright. Thankfully we were able to get it to correct itself, but it was not fun when we thought the seat was broken and we were 800 miles from home.

 

[TheNewGuy]

The TSB makes it sound like this only affects 2 doors built during a certain timeframe in 2019

 

[poncho@home]

Thanks this helped! My passenger seat was unable to slide back yesterday and I just ended up removing said black seat return latch. Aside from the new seat behaviour, any downside leaving it off?

 

[Moblrn]

The TSB makes it sound like this only affects 2 doors built during a certain timeframe in 2019

I had the same thing happen the first week of ownership of the new to me (used) Sport. Took it back to the selling dealership and had to leave if for a month before the repair parts arrived. I'm hoping the fix is long lasting. I will keep this post for reference, just in case.

Mine is a 2019 not sure of the build date, but can look if anyone is interested.

Rod

 

[poncho@home]

So after leaving this plasticky doohickey off for the last few weeks, the only downside was that when using the top handle to move the seat forward, when returning it would not automatically return to the original position, but was able to return to a normal position. All good!

Then this past weekend my brother, who doesn't always have the gentlest touch, used the lever and boom, the seat would not recline back from a partial forward position!

I was able to correct it using a screwdriver to release the position mechanism under the seat, and was able to do that at will, but clearly I need to get this operating correctly with all the parts required.

Have an appt next week at dealer.

So yeah, the doohickey seems important!

 

[poncho@home]

Dealer repaired seat. Re-used original part it was not damaged. They told me if they had to order it was a 3-4 month delay! Thankfully not. Hopefully it won't happen again

 

[BetOnBlack]

I have a 2022 and noticed weird issues with the passenger seat when moving it forward to let someone in the back. It would not go all the way back (leaning back) to where it was. I had to use the pull loop at the base of the seat to get it to go back. It seems like the plastic handle on top of the seat is activating both seat position mechanism and if you don't do it just right, one or the other doesn't engage/disengage. Luckily I haven't been in a spot where I couldn't fix it, but that's also why everyone gets in and out the back on the passenger side. Driver seat doesn't move. passenger shuts their cake hole and deals with it on their side. lol

 

[Kryten]

So I tried the socket trick and it didn’t work. Now not only will the seat not go back but there’s a socket stuck in the seat rail. I was thinking of trading my two door for a four door. I think this seals the deal. Guess I’m going to drop it off at the dealer and order a 4 door when the 2023 orders start.

 

[jjvincent]

Mine broke and I pulled the seat out. I popped off the brown cable and poked it out from under the seat. I pull on it as it'll release the seat back. That was temporary as I ordered the part but that took a week to get. What I actually did was order two for the drivers side and one for the passenger. I replaced the drivers side and now just carry a spare for each seat. It just pops in and out.

Since it was going to be two weeks for the dealer to just see my Jeep and finding out the part is $3.81, it made no sense to take it to there and wait for who knows how long for them to fix it.

 

[CMilligan]

Same here. Never use my back seat, in fact , I took it out when I bought it in 2020. Put it in this past weekend for a trip with friends and now passenger seat is stuck folded forward. Only 13,000 miles on it so I was wondering if it will still be covered under warranty. From what I understand, it is only covered if it is a manufacturer default which from all of these posts, sounds like it is. I'm not mechanically inclined so I will have to take it to the dealership tomorrow. Has anyone had any experience dealing with the dealership for this?

 

[poncho@home]

Mine was taken care of by the dealer, under warranty with about 18000 miles. I haven't dared try it since!

 

[jjvincent]

In all honesty, it's a good design but Jeep literally went with the cheap supplier and it shows. I guess since they don't sell many 2 doors, no reason to make a really good part. Same thing I see with manual transmissions. They never failed yet with the few I see, they now fail. Look inside one and you see why. Made way cheaper than a 30 year old gearbox, thus the failures. Since so few buy manuals, same thing happens.

 

[Kryten]

Has anyone had any luck getting the dealer to fix this problem? Mine has been broken for over 2 months. I've only had it for 4 months and for half that time the seat has been broken. The dealer hasn't been very helpful. I can't get anyone to call me back. I usually have to go to the dealership and sneak up on them to get them to talk to me about it. I literally came in one day and the guy that's handling my case got up and quickly ran to the back when he saw me walking to the door. This issue irritated me so much I ordered a 4 door and now I'm afraid the 4 door will be here before the 2 door is fixed to sell or trade.

 

[entropy]

Has anyone had any luck getting the dealer to fix this problem? Mine has been broken for over 2 months. I've only had it for 4 months and for half that time the seat has been broken. The dealer hasn't been very helpful. I can't get anyone to call me back. I usually have to go to the dealership and sneak up on them to get them to talk to me about it. I literally came in one day and the guy that's handling my case got up and quickly ran to the back when he saw me walking to the door. This issue irritated me so much I ordered a 4 door and now I'm afraid the 4 door will be here before the 2 door is fixed to sell or trade.

This has been an issue since 2018. There is a massive post on this forum about it. It is perplexing to me that this is still a thing on 2022 and Jeep didn't re-design the mechanism.

You can buy the little plastic part that breaks and keep 2 as spare on the Jeep, that's the easiest way to fix it.

My Jeep took about 4~5 different dealers to get it fixed....

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