The only niggle in a great car. For the wife that is. OH sorry PC brigade that I call her the Wife.

 

Not sure if this has gone through already, but I am concerned about the height of my front passenger seat, as it seems very low and Kia don't look to be giving any advice, other than "it could invalidate your warranty if you fit a height lifting kit. Anyone heard similer.

I wouldn't be concerned about the warranty. Modifications only affect the warranty if they are the cause of the fault. Eg if your gearbox blows up then you'll be covered as a seat is nothing to do with it. Don't expect a claim in the seat itself to be authorised though.

However I would be concerned about what happens in an accident! Are these kits properly approved and tested? If do, by whom?
Your insurance company will also want to know. Sounds dramatic but they will use any excuse to avoid a payment if you have modified the car.

 

thanks for the input guys, I have been experimenting with memory foam cushions, but it does seem extreme that you have to revert to a bit of sponge on a £30000 car ??

 

Not sure if this has gone through already, but I am concerned about the height of my front passenger seat, as it seems very low and Kia don't look to be giving any advice, other than "it could invalidate your warranty if you fit a height lifting kit. Anyone heard similer.

What concerns you about the height of the seat? Many forum users have spoke of the lack of height adjustment before. A poor omission in my opinion.

 

Basically, the seat appears to be 40mm too low and because my wife is 5'4" she feels like she sitting in a "hole" We have tried her sitting on a cushion, but is this right for a car of that cost?

 

I had the same problem with the front passenger seat. I purchased some Square Plate Washers M10 50MM X 50MM. And 4 M10 x 1.25 Metric Fine 8.8 Grade High Tensile Yellow Zinc Hex Head Bolts.

 

I'm aware you did this modification in 2017 but can you remember what length of the bolts are needed for this?

 

My thoughts exactly, I was going to buy some 40mm square tube, with holes drilled to correspond with the seat bracket, and just get longer bolts to bolt into the floor pan. I am taking my car to a Kia dealer who is going to "inspect" the seat height, a suggestion made by a very unhelpful Kia Customer Care department (I use the term loosely)

 

Keep us posted on how you get on with the inspection

 

Went to see Westbury Kia at Salisbury and shock horror, the technician said that the seat was "low" I told him intended plan with 40mm tube, but when we investigated the passenger seat has wiring for the seat belt connection and the seat side air bags and looking at the amount of slack in the cabling, lifting the seat 40mm may in fact put a strain on the wiring, so its back to the whoopee cushion.

 

I'm waiting on the delivery of a GT Line so can't appreciate how low the seat is. Fortunately my wife is about 5' 10" so it may not be a problem for her but then again she's been used to sliding down from the passenger seat in a Land Rover Discovery 3 so may still find the Sportage passenger seat very low

 

Its actually not as bad as people make out, especially if she's 5'10". I haven't had anyone who has sat in the passenger seat complain yet.

 

your right it is low my wife bought a cushion!

 

The front passenger seat is low and very uncomfortable on a long journey. I shared the driving with my daughter last year on our holiday in France and thought she was being picky until I had my turn in the passenger seat for a few hours. It's not pleasant. I will be buying a cushion this year.

 

http://oi65.tinypic.com/svmln6.jpg - I have posted a link here as was unable to upload any other way. Edited by: Taxcode

 

What thickness are the washers you used in mm and how many did you use? I see that there's wiring under the seat without a great deal of slack in it

 

My wife is 5'2" and is constantly complaining she can't see over the dash board! I'd love to know if a driver's seat from a RH drive car would be a direct replacement (I have a LH drive car of course!).

 

Hi. They are M10 Galvanised Square Plate Washers 50mm x 50mm x 3mm Thick. And I used 7 of them and there is plenty slack on the wires. And you do not have to remove the seat just slide washers under the seat and replace with new longer bolts.M10 x 1.25 Metric Fine 8.8 Grade High Tensile Yellow Zinc Hex Head Bolts.

 

Thanks - very helpful.

Will source the bits and give it a go

 

Just thinking, now that you've confirmed you've use 7 x 3mm washers, whether this is enough to raise the seat to the right height? Raising it by 21mm (less than 1 inch) doesn't seem much of a difference

 

Hi Its is only 21mm but it did make a lot of difference so the wife said. And you can only get 7 or 8 washer under the seat as the bolts go it at a slight angle.

 

Forgot to mention you will also need 4 spring washers to go on the bolts

 

Its is only 21mm but it did make a lot of difference so the wife said.

.... a little too much information there?

 

Just a thought, but does modifying the car in this way have any impact on the issue of insurance and/or warranty?

It is after all, something of a bodge.

 

If you scroll up I think comments have been posted about this

 

who in the uk supplies front passenger seat riser kits