BMW 8 Seat Heater Problems: Quick Fix or Costly Repair?

Hey there! I had a somewhat similar issue with my 2020 BMW 7 series diesel last winter. I'm not a car expert by any means, just a regular driver with some basic maintenance knowledge. My heated seat would out of nowhere stop working or not turn on at all, super annoying during cold days! After checking the BMW forums, I took it to my trusted workshop. Turned out the heating mat was defective and needed replacement. The whole thing, including labor, set me back about 390 Euro, but it's been working perfectly since then. Before suggesting anything specific for your case, could you share: Does this happen to both front seats or just one? Have you noticed any warning lights on the dashboard? Did the issue start suddenly or gradually? Hopefully, it's the same straightforward fix as mine. If it helps, the BMW 8 and 7 share quite a few components, including similar seat heating systems.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine also acts up in both seats, and no warning lights on the dash. Just checked my service history (last one at 176972 KM), and the seat heaters haven't had any work done since I got the car. The issue started gradually about a month ago, first with short interruptions, now barely works at all. Sounds pretty similar to what you experienced. Good to know it was just the heating mat in your case. Was hoping it wouldn't need a workshop visit, but seems like I might have to bite the bullet and get it checked out properly. Did your workshop mention how long the repair took?

Hey again! Yeah, your symptoms sound exactly like what I went through with my BMW. The gradual decline is pretty typical for heating mat failures, mine went the same way. Started with those annoying little cutouts and eventually just gave up completely. For the repair time, my workshop had my car for about half a day. The actual work took around 2-3 hours, but they needed some extra time for diagnosis and testing. They had to remove the seat covers to get to the heating mat, which is a bit fiddly but nothing too crazy. The good news is they didn't need any special parts ordering, as they had the heating mats in stock. Just a heads up, since both your seats are acting up, you might be looking at replacing both heating mats. Mine started with just the driver's side, but the passenger side followed a few months later. Wish I'd done both at once to save the second trip! Quick tip before you take it in, make sure the workshop has experience with BMW seat heating systems. Mine said they see this issue quite regularly in our model range, especially once they hit higher mileage like yours. Been about a year since my repair now, and everything's still working perfectly. Let me know how it goes when you get it sorted!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's super helpful, especially about potentially needing both seats fixed. You're right, might as well get them both done at once rather than dealing with two separate repairs. Really appreciate the tip about finding a workshop with BMW experience too. I'll give my regular mechanic a call tomorrow and see if they're familiar with these heating systems. If not, I'll look for a specialist. Better to get it sorted before it gets any worse. The half-day repair time doesn't sound too bad either, was worried it might be a multiple-day job! Thanks again for sharing your experience. It's really helped me understand what I'm dealing with. I'll update the thread once I get it fixed in case anyone else runs into the same problem!