Power Seat Dead? Motor vs Switch Repair Cost Guide

I had the same headache with my 2014 Chevy Malibu. The power seats completely stopped working, throwing similar error codes. Turned out the seat harness had several worn-through wires near where it connects to the seat switch. The root cause was pretty straightforward, the wiring bundle flexes every time the seat moves, and eventually, the insulation wore out. Created a short circuit that was draining the battery when the car sat overnight. Got so bad the battery was heavily discharged one morning. The fix wasn't just replacing the seat switch like some shops suggest. The entire seat harness needed replacement since the wires were damaged in multiple spots. Also had them check the electric seat motor while they were in there, it was fine, just wasn't getting proper power. My advice? Make sure they do a proper diagnostic. A quick visual inspection of the seat wiring near the switch and motor mount points should reveal any obvious wear. Don't let them just throw parts at it without finding the actual problem first.

Thanks for sharing your experience, that does sound exactly like what I'm dealing with. Mine's also draining the battery overnight, so I bet it's the same seat harness issue. I'm going to take it in next week for a proper inspection. Did you remember roughly what the repair costs were for the seat harness replacement? Also wondering if you've had any other electrical issues with the power seats since getting it fixed?

Good news on the power seat situation! Got it fixed last week and wanted to update you. The battery drain turned out to be the main issue, mechanic found the heavily discharged battery was causing the seat adjustment problems. Total bill came to 290 € for diagnosis and repair, which included getting the battery back to proper health. Since the fix, all seat functions are working perfectly, forward/back, height adjustment, everything. No more battery drain issues either. The seat motor and seat switch are both functioning as they should now. Much simpler fix than the full harness replacement I originally needed on my older Malibu. Haven't had a single problem with the power seats since the repair. Pretty relieved it wasn't the more extensive wiring issue I dealt with before. If your symptoms match what I experienced, definitely get that battery checked first before assuming worst-case scenarios with the seat harness.

Just got back from the mechanic and wanted to share an update. Took the car in last Monday and the diagnosis revealed a failing connection in the seat harness, exactly as suspected. The wires near the seat motor were completely worn through, apparently a common weak point in these models. Total repair came to €475, steep, but they had to replace the entire seat harness assembly and clean up some corrosion around the seat switch connections. The electric seat functions are all working perfectly now, full range of motion restored and no more battery drain issues. Best part is they actually showed me the damaged wiring and explained exactly what caused the failure. Much better experience than my previous mechanic who just wanted to replace the whole power seat unit. Going to stick with these guys for future repairs. The automotive seat is working like new again. They even added some extra protection around the new harness to prevent future wear. Really glad I got this sorted before winter, nothing worse than being stuck with an immovable seat in cold weather.