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Old 05-24-2012, 12:19 PM   #1
tornado542
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Default [OFFICIAL TSB ISSUED!!!!] DIY 2012 Impreza seat squeak fix!

EDIT 11/5/12 - OFFICIAL TSB FROM SUBARU! YAY!!!!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=1rJ-...EogzrJQf5TCTUQ

This seems to be a common subaru problem so I took the seat apart and what did I find...

After unzipping the seats, there is a visible spring that prevents the seat back cushion from falling through the seat frame. This spring is attached to the frame by 6 hooks ( 2 at the bottom, 2 at the middle and 2 large ones at the top near the head rest area. It is also secured by 4 O-rings(2 attached to seat cover and 2 attached to wiring inside seat back foam)

The squeak comes from the top 2 hooks that attach the spring to the frame, the subaru insulation (paper LOL) in this area comes off and rubs metal on metal inside the hook loops in the frame. This causes squeak, and it fix it just pull out the spring and insulate the 2 hooks at the top of it with tape or cloth or something. I used duct tape and it worked fine. See below for a diagram i drew up.



Here is the bushing part label!


Last edited by tornado542; 11-15-2012 at 04:43 PM.
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Old 06-19-2012, 03:39 PM   #2
tornado542
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bump for all having this issue!

Can we sticky this plz??
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Old 06-19-2012, 03:56 PM   #3
auskip07
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This is what i like to see people that instead of complaining, solve issues.
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Old 01-17-2016, 05:48 PM   #4
Rumblefish61
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Default Really?

Quote:
Originally Posted by auskip07 View Post
This is what i like to see people that instead of complaining, solve issues.
If people didn't ask any questions or "complain" as you put it, there would be no fix it posts. That's why we come here.
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Old 05-17-2018, 10:48 PM   #5
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ugh. i feel lame but i tried this tonight but with my bad back (and cutting my hand on the sharp edges), i finally gave up. i couldn't really see where all four side hooks were and how to easily unhook them.

i could spy the paper on top which didn't look horrible (that's probably why squeak is intermittent but i'm sure it will get worse).

i wonder what a dealer would charge me to put in the bushings for a 2012 (ie, way out of warranty)?

i usually tackle these things with ease but for some reason i couldn't get the job done (admittedly if my back didn't bother me so much i may have persisted but i must say that i was surprised that i struggled with it)

did i miss something obvious? if its as simple a job as people have suggested, surely the dealer wouldn't charge me more than $50 to do it, right? LOL: i'm sure anything the dealer does starts at $150...
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Old 05-17-2018, 10:57 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nubsub View Post
ugh. i feel lame but i tried this tonight but with my bad back (and cutting my hand on the sharp edges), i finally gave up. i couldn't really see where all four side hooks were and how to easily unhook them.

i could spy the paper on top which didn't look horrible (that's probably why squeak is intermittent but i'm sure it will get worse).

i wonder what a dealer would charge me to put in the bushings for a 2012 (ie, way out of warranty)?

i usually tackle these things with ease but for some reason i couldn't get the job done (admittedly if my back didn't bother me so much i may have persisted but i must say that i was surprised that i struggled with it)

did i miss something obvious? if its as simple a job as people have suggested, surely the dealer wouldn't charge me more than $50 to do it, right? LOL: i'm sure anything the dealer does starts at $150...
It's a TSB, so free.
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Old 06-19-2012, 03:58 PM   #7
tornado542
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For the Reccord...A New 2012 Impreza seat has a backorder lead time of 4 months, and SOA likes to tell dealers that squeaks arnet covered by warranty...

...so do this fix...dont wait for SOA and complain
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Old 07-02-2012, 03:19 PM   #8
Furiousd1983
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Talked to the dealer while I was there this afternoon. Instead of waiting 3-4 months for a seat back. They are just going to give me a loaner and tear into the seat and fix the squeak.
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Old 07-07-2012, 01:10 PM   #9
79letour
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Mastro Subaru just installed a new seatback. When they were done they showed me the old one. Just like tornado said. Top two hooks had worn through the paper. The seatframe has fiber insulation on the middle two points of the seatback, but the top and bottom are just metal on metal separated by paper. The awesome tech over at Mastro actually took the extra time and made little foam rubber pieces to go under all six attatchment points for the spring. The old spring was also bent on one corner it looked like. The seat now feels and sounds right again. For anyone wanting to avoid waiting on a dealer or soa- Tornado has it nailed. Thanks for an excellent thread and for spending the time to show folks the fix for what I'm sure will be a common annoyance. Although I didn't do it myself- thanks anyhow.
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Old 09-21-2012, 10:42 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by 79letour View Post
Mastro Subaru just installed a new seatback. When they were done they showed me the old one. Just like tornado said. Top two hooks had worn through the paper. The seatframe has fiber insulation on the middle two points of the seatback, but the top and bottom are just metal on metal separated by paper. The awesome tech over at Mastro actually took the extra time and made little foam rubber pieces to go under all six attatchment points for the spring. The old spring was also bent on one corner it looked like. The seat now feels and sounds right again. For anyone wanting to avoid waiting on a dealer or soa- Tornado has it nailed. Thanks for an excellent thread and for spending the time to show folks the fix for what I'm sure will be a common annoyance. Although I didn't do it myself- thanks anyhow.
May I inquire which Mastro? They have locations in Tampa and Sanford. I got mine in Sanford and have joined the squeaky seat club, so it would be great to know if they can fix this for me. If Sanford, do you happen to remember which tech worked on it? Thanks!
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Old 07-12-2012, 12:23 PM   #11
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Has anyone bothered doing this to the passenger seat too? I assume they both have the same design issue, right?
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Old 07-12-2012, 12:45 PM   #12
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OK, I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I guess I need some more explanation about this procedure. I just went out to my car (during my lunch hour) to check the seat out. I got into the back seat, and see the two zippers going up the left and right edges of the seat. So I unzipped those, but the zippers end approximately 6 inches (or more) below the top edge of the seat, where the headrest is, and where the hooks are that are causing the squeaking. Also, the bottom edge of that center panel of fabric was still connected along the bottom edge of the seat, so I couldn't raise the fabric panel completely out of the way.

How do you get at the the area of the seat where the top hooks are? I simply couldn't reveal the innards of the seat well enough to gain access to the top hooks.

Sorry for being such a dummy!
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Old 07-12-2012, 01:07 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sgoldste01 View Post
OK, I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I guess I need some more explanation about this procedure. I just went out to my car (during my lunch hour) to check the seat out. I got into the back seat, and see the two zippers going up the left and right edges of the seat. So I unzipped those, but the zippers end approximately 6 inches (or more) below the top edge of the seat, where the headrest is, and where the hooks are that are causing the squeaking. Also, the bottom edge of that center panel of fabric was still connected along the bottom edge of the seat, so I couldn't raise the fabric panel completely out of the way.

How do you get at the the area of the seat where the top hooks are? I simply couldn't reveal the innards of the seat well enough to gain access to the top hooks.

Sorry for being such a dummy!
Like all upholstry everything is a very tight fit so no wrinkles appear in the fabric. It will take some muscle to get of off an on.
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Old 07-12-2012, 01:12 PM   #14
tornado542
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You need to remove the O-rings and bottom and middle hooks, then the whole spring kinda swings around on the top hooks.

From then on out the easiest way to do it is to open both rear doors, lay on your back on the back seat with your head pretty much inside the seat cover that's unzipped and look straight up. You will see the hooks and the loops they are in, and all you need to do is push up and they will pop out. Might take some effort as they are wrapped in paper and it has a tendency to rip and get stuck in the loops. Just wiggle it around and push upwards.

Also, remove the headrest before you do anything as it might affect visibility inside.

If you are doing this without alot of lighting i recommend a flash light in your mouth

Last edited by tornado542; 07-12-2012 at 01:24 PM.
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Old 09-19-2012, 02:07 PM   #15
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Tornado, thanks for the excellent instructions. I noticed that the paper had worn away by the bottom set of hooks as well. The middle set already had some cloth or something wrapped around it, from the factory. Not sure why they didn't do that for all three sets.

This was the first time for me taking apart a car seat. What I had the most trouble figuring out was how to separate the front of the cover from the back. There's a sort of plastic clip thing running the entire width of the seat at the bottom holding it together. I'm not sure if that's typical in all cars or not.

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Old 09-19-2012, 04:28 PM   #16
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8 months later...passenger seat sqeaks! Time to fix that one too!
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Old 09-19-2012, 08:13 PM   #17
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is that the sound i hear when i get out of my car? sound like springs are decompressing?

i thought it was the springs of my car... i was thinking crap did i gain weight or are the subaru impreza 2012 springs just weak.....now i need to know if its because of the seat springs.
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Old 09-19-2012, 08:28 PM   #18
sgoldste01
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It's the seat springs. I only hear it when I get out of my car too. Therefore, I'm not planning to do anything about it. If I heard it while driving, it would certainly drive me nuts (and maybe it will start doing that someday). But for now, I'm leaving well enough alone.
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Old 09-21-2012, 04:01 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sgoldste01 View Post
It's the seat springs. I only hear it when I get out of my car too. Therefore, I'm not planning to do anything about it. If I heard it while driving, it would certainly drive me nuts (and maybe it will start doing that someday). But for now, I'm leaving well enough alone.
true, i hear it and just thought it was my springs but if its just the seat, i think ill leave it alone for the time being....im sure it will either get to me or ill ignore it but thanks for the fix tornado!

i will definitely keep this handy!


so is 79 the only person who got SOA to replace his seat? (is everyone experience front drive and passenger seats or only the rear seats?)....i think 79 was rear seats....i'm having driver seat issues
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Old 09-30-2012, 01:01 AM   #20
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Add me to the list. I noticed the squeak when getting out of the car. Then I drove with no music on & noticed it on any bump. If I just push back in the seat the upper area squeaks away. With music on I really didn't notice it, but now it's all I can hear. Will be calling the dealership Monday. I'm confident they'll take care of me. Always have. No discomfort; the seat is comfortable, just squeaky. I may unzip to look in there myself like the DIY fix, but I'll leave this up to my warranty & have the pros do it.
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:00 PM   #21
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Took it in today & a new seat back is on order.
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Old 10-10-2012, 08:29 PM   #22
DKsiazek
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Has anyone else had problems with the seat heater bunching up under the seat cover? I have had them adjust it 2x now, once replacing the actual cover as it started to fray. I am very close to taking the seat apart and just removing the seat heater.
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Old 10-10-2012, 09:19 PM   #23
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I am very close to taking the seat apart and just removing the seat heater.
Oh, I'm sure you'd miss the heater. Syracuse is cold enough to avoid the idea of removing the heater.
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Old 10-11-2012, 01:09 PM   #24
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I printed the post & diagram from tornado542 & taped it to the dash for the tech to see. Didn't want to bother or confuse the counter girl who checks me in. Talked to my friend who sold me the car & he said the tech was appreciative & it pointed him straight to the problem. Said without it they may not have had the time or support from SOA to fully investigate it under a warranty issue. They're using it & submitting it to SOA to see if they can get a TSB for this issue started. Nice work tornado542!
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Old 10-17-2012, 07:57 PM   #25
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I just had to post this because I thought it to be funny and kind of sad at the same time.

I think I unintentionally found a "fix" for my squeaky seat.

Earlier this evening, I shifted in my seat as I went to exit my car and I heard a popping sound and felt something in the seat back let go. The seat looks and feels the same, but the squeak is completely gone lol.

I wouldn't suggest someone purposely try to break their seat to get rid of the squeak, but whatever works...

Last edited by jr0bb5; 10-17-2012 at 08:31 PM.
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