General Motors Removing Heated Seats From Crossovers, Pickups Due To Chip Shortage
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It was recently revealed that General Motors is removing heated seats from a variety of crossover and pickup models, with heated steering wheels and ventilated seats also on the chopping block. The new changes are due to the ongoing microchip shortage.
Per a recent report from Automotive News, the feature deletion will go into effect starting next week on November 15th. Meanwhile, some range-topping trim levels may continue to offer heated seats.
The feature reduction is said to affect over a dozen nameplates, including the Chevy Colorado, Chevy Blazer, Chevy Equinox, GMC Canyon, and GMC Terrain. The Chevy Silverado and Chevy Traverse are also affected, with the exception of High Country trim levels, as are GMC Sierra and GMC Acadia models, with the exception of Denali trim levels.
Affected vehicles may also delete ventilated seats and the heated steering wheel. The heated steering wheel feature will be eliminated from several of the same vehicles starting November 22nd.
The changes are expected to remain in place through the 2022 model year. Looking ahead, the inclusion of these features with affected models in the future hinges on the availability of microchip supplies.
Customers affected by these changes will receive some kind of credit compensation, which could range between $150 and $500. It’s also possible that some models may be retrofitted with heated and ventilated seats when parts are available again in the future.
General Motors also indicated that it will reinstate a few features previously eliminated due to the microchip shortage, including digital temperature displays for some pickup models.
Unfortunately for customers, the deletion of heated seats could prove to be a major issue, given the huge popularity of the feature. The deletion of heated seats is the latest General Motors casualty in the ongoing chip shortage, with the automaker forced to cut production from a variety of facilities around the world, although some production has been reinstated as supplies fluctuate. The latest indication is that the chip shortage may last into the 2023 calendar year.
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Seems that soon we will only get 4 wheels a chassis and pedals. Seems it may be time to hold off on purchasing vehicles unless you absolutely need it. In the Northeast, heated seats are a given in almost all vehicles. Maybe they should only eliminate that feature in areas that don’t really need them.
Would be important to make sure the cars and trucks can be retrofitted. Cars and trucks are expensive goods and here in Canada heated seats are more than welcome.
In my case, the heated steering wheel is a Godsend due to some neuropathy in the ol’ paws. VERY welcome on winter mornings even here in the NE Tennessee hills.
What part of Tennessee are you in?
The Tri-Cities area. I’m running a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The heated seats and wheel are very welcome.
Perhaps gm can go back to carburetors on their engines too. Whoever makes these dumb ass decisions should be fired.
There would Not be a shortage if they stop making EV chips only.
… buy a Ford T all black … this is the Trend
Maybe we should wait to buy a new gas powered vehicle until 2023 because general motors priority now seems to be electric which is a good idea in small amounts not overnight most people don’t want electric yet and what is it going to do to the old industry with all the suppliers of parts and equipment Another political blunder if you get my drift
There’s no chip shortage for the electric vehicles that’s what Mary Barra said a few months ago now you know where GM’s head is at
I know there is always a conspiracy theory out there, but the electric vehicles are on a different/newer chip architecture. This difference makes it easier to get chips for new architectures. The real problem is cars manufactures stick with old/reliable chip tech and don’t update when they should. I see the same issues in the aerospace industry. We have to pre-buy extra chips because we know they will be obsolete in 2 years because we are required to use proven architecture.
I think reality is that they just didn’t cancel orders for those chips because they knew they wouldn’t be selling a ton of those either way, and the rich people who buy them are typically insulated from economic downturns.
Just delete the damn trucks, I’ll keep my 2014 GMC Sierra until all this BS is through.
Greedy fools, shove your trucks where the sun don’t shine!
There are taking away the heated seats and steering wheel and raising the prices a bunch of morons at gm I won’t be buying or leasing gm cars anymore
I don’t live in an extreme cold region and don’t need this option but why so many features need it’s own microchip?, can’t they just run certain controls though the main CPU or go “old-school ” and have a relay?.
They’d be better off halting production. As someone who lives through half the year in cold winters, this would 100% be a dealbreaker for me. I’ll drive my current vehicle for as long as I have to if it means I can’t get heated seats in whatever new vehicle I’m shopping for. As far as buyers who aren’t set on a certain make/model, this may be the dealbreaker for them as well…opting for the vehicle WITH heated seats if it comes down to it. Bad move GM.
Production isn’t stopping and there is no end in sight for this issue.
Yes Frank you’re probably right but the public expects a fully loaded truck that they’ve been pushing for a long time and now you’re taking away options that people like and depend on and they give you back $50 for this and $50 for that well that’s not gonna cut it maybe they should sell it to somebody else
People will have to go back to what they did before heated seats and heated steering wheels. They will get along just fine and somehow manage to persevere. These features are luxury features that are not necessary. Seeing all of the complaints about this issue is the perfect example of a “first world problem”. Automakers have spoiled their customers with all of these unnecessary features.
People are asked to go without won’t spend 50k on a vehicle, which is what keeps gm in business.
This is actually a deal breaker. I use heated seats 8 months of the year almost daily. My current lease is up in March. I hope they have this rectified by then or I don’t know what I’ll do.
Why delete such a popular feature, when they could delete some of the useless safety features. or things like the rear media centers. I know of a couple people looking for cars currently, and they said GM is by far the “worst”. Currently, they are marking up their vehicles more than Ford/Ram. There is a lot less inventory, and the vehicles available are either super bare bones, or loaded to the gills.
Because the useless safety features are mandated by Our Better in Washington, that’s why.
Probably because the take rate on those features aren’t enough to move the needle on the crisis.
Don’t worry. For the chump change gm is comping you you can buy some pretty good plug-in slipover heated seats and heated steering wheel covers on Amazon. A nice look for a $50,000 vehicle.
Total deal breaker. Wasn’t there an article a few days ago saying heated seats was one of the most desired features followed by blind spot monitoring? GM needs to realize that this is going to cut into their sales. I will not get a vehicle without heated seats, and no, $500 will not persuade me.
They’re deleting it because they can’t get the parts to include it. They are not removing it by choice.
That is a definite deal breaker. Northern climates need this, especially at the price charged for vehicles now a days. People who don’t care what they drive and migrate to Hyundai, Kia, or any other manufacturers that have it. Very sad state of affairs.
Northern climates do not *need* heated seats. The car still has a heater, right? That has worked perfectly fine for drivers for several decades.
Other companies are not deleting heated seats. This is an avowal of failure on GM’s part if they cannot obtain a simple component that others are readily installing in their vehicles. Don’t tell me there’s only one way to get heated seats. GM could’ve figured this out if they wanted to.
Stupid move GM. For the price of a new vehicle these days it better darn well have heated and cooled seats. Not only are you destroying the options people have come to know and expect on a new vehicle, but you are destroying the resale value of those vehicles down the road. Fortunately I’m not in need of a new vehicle right now but if I was, I might have to look outside the GM family.
You can’t include something you can’t get the parts for.
Instead of getting rid of heated seats, get rid of the stop start feature.
Nobody wants the start stop feature I agree, most of us think it’s so stupid .Us in the north welcome the heated seats more then the heated steering wheel.Maybe GM should of made it in house like the good old days.
I think GM is seriously underestimating the importance of this feature to customers.
Important or not they can’t source the parts. This isn’t just a GM problem. Tesla is shipping cars without USB ports.
I’d gladly buy one of these trucks with reduced features if they’d sell for reduced prices and you could actually get your hands on one. I’ve actively been looking for one in the maritimes for over a year but unless you want a high country, fully loaded elevation, AT4 or Denali then the dealers don’t care to talk to you. When the cheapest pickup you can find starts at 70k for something I’m going to drive on pot holed salt covered roads, it’s personally not worth it to me. You walk in and ask for little more than a work truck and they say come back in a year or two and we’ll talk then.
Exactly, you and lots of other people that need a new truck.. GM knows they will be able to sell these, and some people will step up to the higher trims to get the features, its a win win…
Maybe I can take the heated seats out of my 15 year old GMC and put them in my 2022. Way to go GM.
Well so much for getting a new Silverado next year ! With no heated seats or steering wheel I’m tapping out as those two options are a must for Canadian winters . Fingers crossed that 2023 or 2024 is a better year for microchip inventory .
As someone who lives in the Midwest where winter can get pretty cold I’m imagining myself buying the 2022 Duramax for 75k and not getting heated seats. I simply wouldn’t take it. Heated seats now what’s next?
Well, ventilated seats and heated steering wheels are included too….
If you are buying the Denali or High Country they will still have all the features, its the lower trims being de-contented.
Shoot Tesla recently removed USB-C charger plugs from their cars…
Where did you get this information?
Interesting to see the high profit Escalade is missing from this list.
I guess they can’t afford to anger the one percent.
The deletion of Heated / Cooled seats and Heated steering wheel along with previously deleted wireless phone charging will be a definite deal breaker for many purchasers like myself.
If GM decides to cancel all these options off my 2022 Cadillac XT5 that I ordered back in mid August for $70,000, then I’m definitely going to cancel my order and look elsewhere down the road.
I noticed it said the High Country and Denali were exceptions so my Platinum XT5 Cadillac better be the same!
I’m fine without the wireless phone charging feature, however, not having heated or cooled seats will make my $70,000 SUV worthless down the road when it comes time to trade it in.
Platinum XT5 is excluded from the list for the heated steering wheel but looks like the heated seats in the rear will be taken out.
Thanks Cadillac Sales Lady for the info!
I’ve reached out to Cadillac Canada for an update on my order. They informed me they will talk to my dealership to get the information they require about the build and will get back to me within 72 hours with an update on exactly what… if anything in changes are to be made to my order.
Not sure how they intend to remove the rear seat heaters when it is specially apart of the tri-zone air conditioning control panel?
Are they planning on removing the tri-zone air conditioning option too! You can’t get the rear heated seats unless you order the rear a/c.
Not a problem…I sell these and can have aftermarket installed for $400.
Good morning sales consultant I also used to sell putting aftermarket crap in a car usually fails or are you just concerned on making a sale
How much to add ventilated seats aftermarket wise? Plus who will warranty the aftermarket crap that gets put in? Not GM.
My wife just had her 2017 Equinox 3.6L with only 18,000 miles written off and she has her name on the last 2022 Blazer RS we have coming at the dealership that isn’t already pre-sold. She wanted to order her own in her preferred colour, but she said there is no way in hell she is going to pay $56K (Canadian) for a new vehicle without heated/vented leather and heated steering wheel (while GM gives her a couple hundred dollars credit). I guess she will take the one that is coming.
Bad move GM. GM burned a lot of bridges with suppliers when covid hit and they cancelled their contracts because GM thought car sales was going to plummet. The guessed wrong. And now suppliers have put GM on the back burner. Yes, other manufacturers are seeing some issues, but nowhere near as bad as GM. Time for new leadership at GM.
All the American Automakers are taking it to the chin with these supply issues.
GM is faring the worst with Ford a very close 2nd place in the suffering group.
Now the Japanese brands with their highly intelligent leadership are doing well and gaining market share. When buyers see the better quality in their Toyota or Honda you won’t see them come back to the American brands.
I know it sounds petty, but heated seats are one of those tiny luxuries that make a big impact on customers, especially at the mid-range level. It’s a feature that provides a little comfort, a little joy and you absolutely notice it. I understand it’s a supply issue, but if someone is shopping, say, an Acadia SLT vs. a mid-range Highlander, Grand Cherokee L, etc. and the competition has heated front seats while the Acadia doesn’t, they’re going to scratch the Acadia off their list if they’re in a cold winter climate. It’s that important a feature these days.
This microchip shortage is causing so much uncertainty the car companies like GM trying to do what ever it takes but customers like my self have high expectations when there spending a lot of money for a new vehicles and expect all the goodies but if they can’t deliver then they will move on to other manufacturers and gm will feel the hurt .wanted to buy a new 2022 gmc c u v but now need to rethink my decision I won’t settle for anything less I need my heated seats and steering wheel 150-500 discount won’t cut it for myself ! Another silly decisions! Gm is doing a great job by not trying to sell u a new car
blah blah blah… If there are no chips, there are no chips… This problem hits everyone, not just GM.
You don’t have to settle, just buy the highest trim levels and they will have all the features…
My local Hyundai dealer seems to have plenty of vehicles on his lot and they replenish weekly. Some one is doing something right.
Ummm the Japanese brands are doing quite well actually. Their impact from the chip shortage has been much smaller than GM, Ford and Chrysler.
As mentioned even Kia has been faring well.
I live in upstate NY. I would never buy a vehicle without those items.
So don’t buy one… GM doing fine without you…
Donavan, you sound like you either purchased one of GM’s vehicles with missing features and now feel ripped off, or you are a GM rep trying to insult people who disagree with removing basic features from trucks. The truth is that GM is making bad decisions and including features that most would pass on if given the choice. Of course, if you want to give GM $75K for a fully loaded vehicle be my guest, but most of us are paying high prices for things like LT or LT Trail Boss trims and it is plain stupid to remove things like Heated Seats, especially in cold climates. And I will remind you, as you insult and put down others, that lost revenues are lost revenues, and I can guarantee you that there are more people considering pulling orders, holding off or going to competitors than you might think. And there are many companies that have gone out of business with that “they are doing fine without you” attitude. Sorry you are so sour.
Donavan, Uh, no GM is not doing fine without these customers. Yes, average transaction price is up, but number of sales is down tremendously. Since this was first announced just a couple days ago, our dealership here in Canada has had nearly a dozen customers with factory orders call and say they are cancelling if their vehicles are affected. They will go to other brands. So GM may not feel the immediate affect, but their support network in the form of dealerships are. GM has already lost dealerships over this. One advantage GM had over import dealers was the support of a dealer network (there’s a GM dealership every 50 miles or so compared to imports who mainly have them in cities). Small town dealerships are closing, and the advantage GM had over imports for rural buyers is also disappearing.
And not every brand is being hit like GM. GM panicked when Covid hit and thought car sales would plummet. So they cancelled their short-term chip supply contract. Boy were they wrong. And now the chip companies are putting GM on the back burner, and rightfully so.
Thats a smart switch, to be honest. The Lexus will prove a better vehicle over time. You would never get me to buy any GM vehicle FWD based. I am a big GM fan and investor, but No thanks on the junk.
Donovan, are you Mary’s lover?
Donovan you sound so negative about General Motors why are you even on this site and about the Lexus being so much better maybe in some areas but wait to you have to Buy parts and have it serviced and Toyota trucks they don’t even come close full size
If my new Suburban Premier that I ordered this summer doesn’t come with the heated and cooled seats that I ordered they can keep the damn thing. GM may get this sale if it has all the things I ordered on this vehicle but in the future I’m looking at all the other manufacturers before I get my next vehicle. I’m also sick and tired of waiting on my new premier suburban to come in, now ordered 5 months ago!!
Looks like your Suburban isn’t on this list, but your suburban might have the DFM removed. It looks like the seat feature is being removed from the higher trims of the lower quality vehicles, where most are snot equipped with the option.
GM might as well start referring to the remaining 2022’s as 2023’s!
For the amount of time people are waiting for and the continued delays in production of these vehicles, it will be closer to 2023 before we see them anyways. 🤔