Dead Heated Seats in CR-Z: What's Behind the Cold Comfort?

Hey there! I actually faced a similar issue with my 2015 Honda Insight Hybrid last winter. The heating mat on the driver's seat completely stopped working at around 230,000 km. Turned out the heating element had burned out, and there was also a wiring harness problem underneath the seat. Got it checked at my garage and it was definitely a serious repair since they had to remove the entire seat to access the heating system. They found that moisture had gotten into the connection points over time, causing corrosion. The whole heating mat assembly needed replacement. From what I've learned, this is a known weak point in several Honda hybrid models from that era. The fix isn't just a simple fuse replacement, it usually requires replacing the entire heating element system. Make sure whoever works on it knows hybrid vehicles, as there are some specific safety procedures they need to follow when working near the high-voltage components. Good luck with the repair.

Thanks for sharing that info! That's super helpful since it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? And has everything been working smoothly since you got it fixed, or have you noticed any other electrical quirks popping up?

Hey again! Great to hear back from you! Yeah, I can definitely update you on how everything turned out. I actually just got the repair done a few weeks ago, the total came to 390 Euro for fixing the faulty heating mat. They had to replace the whole heating element system, just like I suspected. I'm happy to report that since getting it sorted, the seat heating has been working perfectly, no more cold drives! And nope, haven't noticed any other electrical issues popping up since the repair. The mechanic did a really thorough job with the wiring, which I think helped prevent any knock-on problems. I know I mentioned moisture being an issue in these models before, my mechanic actually added some extra protection around the new connections to help prevent the same problem from happening again. So far, so good! Hope this helps with your decision! Let me know if you need any other info about the repair process.

Thanks for all those details! I took your advice and got my car checked out yesterday. You were spot on, it was pretty much the same issue. The mechanic found corroded wiring and a burnt-out heating element. They quoted me a bit higher at 450 Euro, but I went ahead with it since they specialize in hybrids. The repair took about 4 hours, and they even showed me the old damaged parts. Pretty crazy to see how moisture had messed up the connections over time! They also added some waterproofing, just like your mechanic did. Just drove to work this morning and the heated seats are working perfectly, such a relief! Thanks again for sharing your experience. It really helped me avoid getting overcharged or having someone inexperienced work on it. I'll definitely keep an eye out for any moisture issues in the future. Take care!