XC90 seat side panel broken
 

I have a 2012 XC90, the drivers seat side panel broke (seems common), and now the heated seat has stopped working (might or might not be the same root cause). How difficult are these to replace, or is it advisable to go to a Volvo dealer for this?

Pretty easy to remove.

I removed mine and then beefed the broken split from the back with glass fibre matting and it's much stronger than original.

They new panel is not expensive on ebay.


This video from another guy shows it well

+ YouTube Video

Dealer replaced mine for £111 I recall.
It lasted just over 1 year.
I tried fixing it with glue and some reinforcement inside, but it hasn't worked.
I'm going to try something stronger to reinforce it - probably a metal strip this time.

I think the seat bolsters weaken with age, so when you slide out of the seat more weight rests on the side panel.

Side panel
 

Got a replacement from Volvo was £12-£14 and took about 10 mins to change

How much?????
The part I bought was around £70, and the remainder the fitting.
It was for an Exec so it differs from others, but it shouldn't be 9x the cost.

Sadly the the panel for the Exec with memory electric seats, massage etc is indeed £70+

I replaced mine OK but had to fiddle about repinning a connector as I couldn't be bothered getting into the mess of under seat wiring and connectors.

I try to be more careful siding in and out these days and fingers crossed the new panel has lasted a year or so and seems to be still OK

Cheers

Dave

PS There's a bit more about the job here https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=265160

How are these panels getting broken?

The seat bolsters lose their support over time, so when you slide out of the seat more weight is resting on the plastic side panel.
The answer in my case would be to lift myself out of the seat instead of sliding, and - horror of horrors - lose some weight:eek:

I think that you are correct here.

I repaired mine with the glass fibre matting as soon as I saw a crack starting to appear and as a result you can barely see anything.

If allowed to crack as badly as in the video, it's time for a new panel.

I'm 6' 2" but even longer legs would help too (or a little step on a string)

Saying nothing about the weight thing...

Cheers

Dave