Why GM Ditched Heated Seats In The Middle Of Winter

A global shortage of microchips is devastating the auto industry. Carmakers are forced to sell cars without features like heated seats, considered essential in colder climates. General Motors has been directing the supplies it does have to its most profitable vehicles. And there isn’t really a clear end to this in sight.
General Motors had to temporarily drop heated seats as an option on vehicles in response to the chip shortage. But the largest U.S. automaker is not alone. The move is another sign of how automakers are having to respond to a crisis that has been cratering dealer inventory, spiking prices and delaying orders.
While GM does have a proposed remedy in place - a retrofit option will be available for owners later in 2022 - there really is no discernible end of the chip shortage in sight. There has been talk of trying to spur more domestic semiconductor production, but that will take years and billions of dollars to get off the ground.
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Why GM Ditched Heated Seats In The Middle Of Winter

[@capitaldiaz3749]

Rolled back features, but what about rolling back those prices 🥴

[@fauxbro1983]

Come on man...you know that ain't happening

[@imme267]

Some car makes are actually giving credits to customers on the window stickers. Not defending them but they are at least acknowledging that the customer is getting less.

[@capitaldiaz3749]

@@imme267 that’s good to know

[@eseir64]

@@imme267 Certain models of the Mazda CX5 used to include the Bose system but they are not doing that. So for the 22's models, the window sticker shows a "Bose Credit" of $500. Only the higher trims include them

[@SirD1]

hahaha

[@atmartens]

There’s no way I’d over pay for a car in this market that has less features. I understand if leases or car accidents happen but we need to stop supporting these dealerships that are going over MSRP.

[@BL_1954]

I’ve got a coworker that helped his son finance a 2022 Honda Accord for 45k. His son is now stuck with a $650 bill every month for the next 72 months. 😬

[@johniii8147]

Like houses it’s better to wait out the peak if you can

[@juggsauce]

To a certain extent I get it. Salesmen are paid on commission and when the manufacturer is supplying your dealership with only half the inventory. It can be a decision between a market adjustment or lay some people off and pay all the costs that come with that. But inversely, some dealerships are really exploiting the situation.

[@Vostro123]

@@juggsauce totally agree! And I believe major manufacturers are also in this scheme. While the demand is soaring and they can sell cars for crazy higher prices, because there are lots of morons paying that, why they should be interested in producing more.

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

@@johniii8147 If you think it's a certainty that housing prices are going to go down, you better think again. What evidence is there that something like that is going to actually happen? Do you see supply going up or demand going down anytime soon?

[@WilliamNeacy]

My favorite option is no car payment. My 2008 Corolla with 265K miles is killing it.

[@gravestone9831]

Exactly, maybe when I'm 30 I might get a newer car cuz it seem like a lot of ppl money is lost to car payments

[@ricolewis2949]

My ninja

[@b22chris]

Same. We have a 2004 Lexus RX and 2019 4Runner. Both paid for. I want a truck but not going to buy something that’s $10k more than it’s worth and be stuck with a 4 year payment.

[@kendelion]

how much is the average % loan there? Here we can get 0.9% even on a mercedes. Still 0 payment per month is the best! Hope yours reach 1m miles and more!

[@highlymedicated2438]

Stay with the Toyota. Those luxury cars even if you can afford them, have to go to those damn dealerships for literally everything. Maybe it's not for you but sometimes I would like to just drive around the corner to Jiffy Lube and get a 10-minute oil change, air and cabin filter and my tires aired without waiting for 4 hours at a dealership 25 miles away from me and getting charged an arm and a leg

[@BaconCruiser]

Direct to consumer purchasing would be a dream! You can’t even order what you want at a dealer. You just pay to stand in line and when it’s your turn they offer you anything close to your order based on what comes in via their allotment system. Often it’s way off what you want; different suspension, or even a different package level. If you could order direct from the manufacturer to at least get what you want without a 35-40K dealer markup that would awesome.

[@33TridenT33]

In india Ola is is doing direct to customer, but it is one of the biggest scam that is going now. you don't have a physical presence of the manufacture near you when you have an issue. you have to pray to got for the customer care to pick you call from the HQ. you will get damaged goods when direct to customer happens and you will be standing on the road all alone.

[@randomautonomousdronepilot3384]

Are you gonna install that chip yourself or what you Neanderthal 🤣

[@temich1985]

You can at Tesla. There are no Tesla car salesman

[@johniii8147]

I expect soon you will be able to order a car on Amazon with free delivery if you're a prime member.

[@NitchBigga]

@@johniii8147 sounds like communism

[@dwightmitchell1464]

I have definitely been priced out of the market. I went to buy a Honda Ridgeline. They wanted $35,000 for a 2017 with 74,000 miles. That's what they cost new 5 years ago.

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

You could always make your own Ridgeline with an old Honda Odyssey minivan and a sawzall... Problem solved 😂

[@dwightmitchell1464]

@@admiralrustyshackleford119 I don't think I could do as good as they did converting a Pilot.

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

Pilots are crazy pricey too I've seen. The "minivans are lame" stigma still seems to be keeping the Odyssey prices in check for the time being. Couple months ago I found my sister a '13 odyssey with average wear and tear and 140,000 miles for 4500 bucks.

[@evoman44]

Its starting to look like you can get a better deal by buying a salvage car at action like at Copart that is not too badly damaged and getting it fixed.

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

Wow that's beyond insane

[@Usarmymilitary75]

What needs to happen is that the dealerships need to be held responsible by federal law and not allowed to charge the so called “market adjustment” Charging anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 or sticker is crazy.

[@hjer731]

Then should they be allowed to offer discounts and incentives?

[@ctsealteam6]

@@hjer731 a lot of those discounts and incentives are offered by automaker to dealership and thus channeling to buyer. On the other hand “market adjustments” are all dealership decisions. And are you really comparing 500-1000 discount to 5000 to 50000 mark up lol?

[@SicSemperTyrannisx9]

There’s no need to involve the federal government. Just eliminate laws protecting dealers from direct to consumer sales.

[@ex0stasis72]

If new vehicles were a necessity, I might be inclined to agree with you, but I don't know. Car and new cars especially are a luxury, so I don't think it's a problem for dealerships to profiteer on them. Don't get me wrong. I hate dealerships, and there are lots of other problems with the industry.

[@ConnerOfRS]

@@ex0stasis72 The main problem is that for a majority of people in the US we can't walk to work. In many cases we can't even live somewhere close enough to our jobs to bike if we wanted. This means that cars are a necessity, and even though new cars are a luxury, if the supply of new cars dwindles, it means there are less good used cars coming down the pipeline. The people at the bottom end up getting stick with cars they often have to dump thousands into for repairs in order to get to work to survive, and cant afford a 'new' used car or may not even be able to get the financing for one. We have a transportation issue in the US.

[@eugene9723]

if consumers are willing to pay more for cars, then chip "shortage" will continue

[@arsvi123]

Not really, yes they are making more per car but because they're selling less cars they are making less in total

[@ereviewsyt]

@@arsvi123 Lol exactly. If they're selling less, then they're sitting on inventory parts they already paid for. Loss at the end of the day. Chip shortage is not political.

[@kylesmith4572]

@@ereviewsyt Everything is political to the QANON people. They see conspiracy in every shadow.

[@IHateMyAccountName]

I mean, it's that or walk.

[@SubvertTheState]

I drive a 2008 Toyota, no heated seats, 210,000 miles, runs like a champ. Massage seats are nice (if not a hazard as I would probably fall asleep), but $50,000 for a car is never something I would ever consider. My house was $60,000 and I count myself as a very lucky millennial to find one.

[@firepower01]

Still driving my 2005 Saab 9-5 and loving it. With heated seats!

[@imrytebeehyneu]

But has old skool navigation touchscreen.

[@lne9070]

@@imrytebeehyneu That is what a smartphone is for lmao

[@bokhans]

Obviously they where the first to have it standard. SAAB was very much in to good inventions. I grow up in the backseat of a SAAB 92 military green and both me and the car was made in the mid 1950s. RIP SAAB.

[@imrytebeehyneu]

@@bokhans i thought Cadillac was the first. They said it in their video

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

Heated seats in my 2005 Ford 500, and 2008 Mazda CX7 still working just fine... and like magic you pull out the factory stereo and they both have a double dinn sized hole in the dash ready to shove in whatever GPS Bluetooth satellite radio thing your heart desires.

[@OliverHoffmannDesign]

So grateful I bought in summer of 2020... an amazing time because dealer lots were full, incentives were high, and hardly anyone was buying. Heated seats were standard.

[@McLivin410]

I’d rather keep driving and investing in my fully loaded 2001 Toyota Avalon then to have $700 a month car payments and $2,000 a year insurance. No thx

[@grizzlyman329]

Toyota is not cutting any features, I ordered a Highlander, they never asked me I had to cut a feature or two. I received the vehicle in 2 weeks.

[@MohammadIshfaqueJahanRafee]

I envy you. I ordered a Rav4 hybrid and God knows when it'll be available.

[@jamesg7389]

I know a person who just bought a rav 4 and it came in 4 weeks

[@MohammadIshfaqueJahanRafee]

@@jamesg7389 hybrids have longer wait, especially in Canada

[@Kevin-cf8uu]

It's not just the chip shortage... dealerships are pricing their vehicles up drastically (gouging in many cases). People want bigger and more expensive vehicles in general. Covid probably resulted in a lot of deaths in the places these vehicles are made. Shipping costs are much higher. The list goes on. One thing I found interesting was that people want to custom order cars. You can do this with Tesla, Rivian, etc. But in the USA's great "free market" system many states have laws literally PREVENTING manufacturers from selling directly to customers (thus why cannot order a Toyota online). Why you ask? Well dealership owners donate money to politicians to make it that way. If we get rid of the middleman prices will come down. Not all dealerships will die of course but the business model will need to change. Trust me once you buy a vehicle without a dealership it's so much better. They are always simply trying to get more money out of you.

[@Cheapchase]

Preach

[@pjrt_tv]

Ppl don't want bigger cars, ppl feel they need to get a bigger car because everyone else is getting a big car and they fear getting in a crash with a pickup truck while in a Honda fit. This is an arms race that only regulation can stop.

[@majidosei2185]

Thank you. a 2016 Mazda used was like 17k now dealers want all 24k with 90k miles on it. SMH

[@nightlightabcd]

I would think the dealers would up their used cars sales and service side of their operation, which I understand even now, used cars are hot sellers, along with houses!

[@andrewjensen8189]

Lol I was about to comment pretty much the same thing. Its gross how much dealerships are currently price gauging. I understand that they employ alot of people, who have families to feed, so they will do whatever they can to maintain their bottom line. But come on, there should be regulation in place to stop them from doubling the price of their merchandise simply because their supplier is having production issues. At the end of the day though, what is going on right now will be the nail in the coffin for the "legacy" system. People aren't stupid, they know that cars are extremely overpriced right now, and once they realize that it is the dealership system which is to blame, they will seek out alternatives like Tesla which don't operate under the traditional dealership model.

[@Jason.W.]

It’s not a chip shortage. It’s automakers slashed their chip orders prematurely, and home consumer devices picked up and took up the automaker chip cancellations slack. And now the automakers are caught with their pants down. If they didn’t cancel, it’ll be a iPad and TV shortage instead.

[@320ifly]

Exactly

[@Crunch_dGH]

Re: Legacy Death Knell. The "tell" will be when legacies' stalled inventories dictate they stop making ICEs & lack of volume EV capacities force them to unload their caches of (old) chips on the 2ndary mkts. Guess who will vacuum up those chips to control generic components that have long been sw integrated, by design, to enable OTAU? Plus, fabs will be limiting advanced chip sales to the likes of Tesla (others?) leaving legacy made EVs with the dregs & further generations behind.

[@Striker50_]

That awkward moment when Toyota is more American than GM... 💩

[@righteousone1]

And the fact Toyota's quality is light years ahead of the big 3 dumpster fires. How many 20+ year old GMs do we see still on the road?

[@kevinm2025]

Toyota’s are cheaply made

[@JDBass36]

@@kevinm2025 Toyota last for ever!!! I still see 80s Toyota's driving around like nothing in Dominican Republic. American cars will never last that long.

[@imrytebeehyneu]

@@JDBass36 Tell that to Cuba...

[@guilleport]

@@imrytebeehyneu jajaja. No, I don't think so. Those Chevy and Ford are in Cuba because they don't have a choice. Cuban here in Miami and can assure that Toyota is the benchmark WORLDWIDE in reliability in the car industry. 👍

[@gothnate]

Wouldn't need them if people didn't buy a new car every damn year.

[@n.e.g.u.s]

I got my first car in 2020 but didn’t have one within a month because some genius with no license or insurance totaled my ‘01 Lexus. People are such garbage these days.

[@fav843]

Yeah those stupid lefties always talking about the environment but they buy a new Tesla and a new iPhone every year like its cheap candy.

[@righteousone1]

The chip shortage isn't going to get any better until the end of 2023 and that's being really optimistic.

[@willitbreak5825]

An interesting angle of this chip shortage is that legacy automakers, specifically GM and Ford, have communicated via their executives that even as the chip shortage begins to ease, they will purposely throttle production in order to keep inventories low and maintain high margins. I read this in the Bloomberg terminal.

[@righteousone1]

@@willitbreak5825 GM and Ford are giant dumpster fires.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

@@willitbreak5825 That only works for so long. When other manufacturers are starting to mass produce again and are able to get production up to speed, they will take over part of the market share of GM and Ford if those 2 companies did that. And that is not sustainable in the long term.

[@dbzfan4evermj233]

Wtf bruh please tell me ur lying I want a ps5 so bad 😭😭

[@Jacarroll417]

The issue with that theory is that last I heard the automakers use older chip designs. All the new fabs being built are being built with the latest and greatest tech. So these fabs wont really help the automakers. I dont really see any companies willing to build a Fab based on older tech. Part of the reason I guess they use older chips is because they have been proven to be reliable. It takes time and lots of testing to certify a chip , so they are not likely to use newer designs. Chip fabricators are always looking to shrink the manufacturing process as thats how you get more usable chips per wafer. Older designs are based on a larger manufacturing process which means less chips per wafer. Thats going to be the issue.

[@Slowcarfastbeans]

Imagine trying to resell that car later. Seller: FYI there’s no bum warmers. Buyer: Umm…yeah…nah, f that.

[@theMLBfan]

They're going to retrofit them. Did you even watch the video?

[@Slowcarfastbeans]

@@theMLBfan TBH, no lol. I just wanted something to laugh at.

[@jdcjeep47]

I use my heated seats year round, due to lower back issues! I would absolutely pass on a vehicle, if I couldn't get heated seats!

[@klins061]

I’m soooo happy I bought my new 2021 Mazda3 when I did. April 2021. Before the market went bonkers. Got it for a great price, loved the color, very good quality for the cost, heated seats. Literally zero buyers remorse. My most satisfying purchase.

[@potatojz38]

My 2015 mazda3 has 170k and I've literally done only oil changes. I work as a mechanic and the amount of domestic junk I see with less mileage, newer and twice as much are built like absolute trash. Makes me a killing but I feel bad for customers, and then when I see I fellow Mazda driver I know I won't find anything lol such a reliable underrated brand

[@Argedis]

@@potatojz38 Yup my 2014 Mazda 3 has been a dream. I DIY all maintenance and that's all pretty much I've had to do - fluids, spark plugs, filters. Driving it till the wheels fall off

[@bendino9016]

@@potatojz38 my cx 7 would like a word with you lol. reliable? not in its vocabulary

[@jumbomuffin1316]

@@potatojz38 I drive a Ford and I can’t agree more. I just hate this car so much

[@Magg78]

Glad I bought my new car a few months before the great reset, I mean “COVID”.

[@seikocitizenwatches]

I am driving my 17 years old Toyota Sienna with 315K miles on its odometer, I don’t have to think about buying a new vehicle anytime soon because it’s still running flawlessly without any issues down to the shock absorbers, struts, AC, upholstery and paint are all original. I can keep my Toyota vehicle running indefinitely because Toyota parts are easy to find and inexpensive. My previous vehicle was a 1985 Toyota Supra that I had kept for 23 years and was still running great at 300K miles with its original engine, transmission, shock absorbers, struts, upholstery, electric windows etc. can’t speak the same for other brands I’ve owned except the very reliable Lexus brand which I also have. All my college kids are driving reliable, high mileage old Toyota Camry sedans (3), and a 2008 Honda CR-V which is also reliable at 225k miles. We had an American brand that transmission broke at 80K plus many small but annoying issues. Transmission broke again at 170K so we sold it to junkyard and just stick with Toyota, Lexus and Honda and never have to worry about car shortage again and no car payments.

[@Firestorm637]

I was at a dealership were they stated sell more cars on line vs showroom. Typically the on line sale is less expensive vs showroom for same vehicle. You can search the whole country for the best deal and have the car shipped. I live in Hawaii. Many dealerships add a convenience cost of $2000-$3000. So I buy a car in California on line, have it shipped and save a lot. I can wait 4 weeks. That is convenient for me especially not haggling at the dealership. I can stay home and have the car delivered to my front door. NOW that is convenience.

[@goingagainstthegrain]

I was contemplating a new vehicle; until I brought my 2017 Ford Raptor in for an oil change. Now my sensors, on the rear bumper, does not operate the same. I've brought it back to Ford 4 times now. They are trying to convince me nothing is wrong. I, absolutely, know something is wrong. I need to delve into the operations manual and see what the issue is.... I'm starting to believe, they removed a chip from my vehicle.

[@ADHD55]

I drive my 1998 Camry no problem's

[@wileecoyote5749]

Cause it's a Toyota

[@musicessexx]

11:48 I love it when these so-called free market Capitalists start wanting Government intervention when it comes to their own back yard... You guy's wanted cheap labor so you you shipped production globally, and now it's biting you in the ass.

[@akhossain]

GM dealer- “we are reaching out to our existing lease customers six months ahead of lease end to let them know market is not the same. They really need a new car. They need to order now”. In reality, those customers can easily buy their existing lease vehicle at the predetermined price which is way way cheaper or even sale them at higher price right after to off set some of the crazy current price. These dealers will do the same but the money will go to those greedy dealers pocket without any help to their customers.

[@orestmarkheva7325]

Yeah "prices not the same so buy now to only deepen the problem so we can push prices more" we are so clever

[@flyingscotsman32]

YUP

[@mccalejk2]

It's true that they CAN but I'd wager most don't want to. The primary goal of leasing a car, besides a cheaper payment, is so they get a new car every 3 years or so. Them calling and being proactive isn't them trying to convince them not to keep their current car. Your logic here is extremely flawed. They are just helping their customers, with a little "buy your car here" obviously. It's a business after all).

[@akhossain]

@@mccalejk2 so if the lease term is over, customers can just buy the car and sell it elsewhere at a higher price to off set the above MSRP price that those dealerships are charging their customers. You know very well, dealerships will get the lease cars back and sell them at a higher price citing the higher demand. And as I mentioned before they will also cite the same logic of demand and supply to sell cars to the same customers at above MSRP. So profits from both ends! Its not “business after all logic” it’s pure greed!

[@akhossain]

@Joscha Wexler ha ha ha. They are already great!

[@jonise2524]

Still driving my 2003 subaru forester,and going strong,and the fact that you don't see many of these cars on the streets ,feels good about it

[@cjlindallas7749]

I'm too poor to recognize all this as a problem. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Tiger_Woo_dds]

😆 No heated seats?! First World problems

[@celieboo]

Ikr! I've lived in the midwest for 23 years and I have never had heated seats. Soon, dealerships will start charging monthly subscription fees for heated seats and other luxury features.

[@steveg6978]

A warm tushy is worth its weight in chips..:)

[@flyingscotsman32]

Honestly, it’s the one option I care about. You can have the defrost on low with heated seats on and be warm and cozy up here in the Great Lakes, even in the dead of winter

[@luigi55125]

I've been driving a car with no ac and hand crank windows for years lol. Pro tip, if you want a warm seat, throw a blanket in the dryer for a few minutes, take it outside and put it over your seat. Tada

[@MichaelCena08]

I ordered a Tesla from their website in less than 5 minutes with all the configuration I wanted. Compared to previous purchases where I had to sit at a dealership for 5+ hours waiting for them to fill out a bunch of paper work. I am still impressed by OTA updates the car receives making it more entertaining, fun, faster, and smarter. Really makes me wonder why people are still buying other cars.

[@thedarkhero5488]

A carbureted V8 wrapped in a steel body and frame is almost always repairable on the go by the driver. Not to mention the rumble and smell is therapeutic every day. I'll never go electric.

[@byrnc927]

@@thedarkhero5488 I have never met a happy owner of five year old Tesla.

[@noseboop4354]

You probably paid an extra $10,000 to $20,000 for that Tesla compared to a gasoline car with comparable features. I think I'd gladly sacrifice 5 hours to keep an extra $10,000

[@TockaMea]

@@noseboop4354 you'll end up paying for gas and maintenance what you save on a non-tesla. I own 2 v8 cars but a tesla is way too attractive to ignore as my next purchase

[@noseboop4354]

@@TockaMea No wonder you spend so much on gas if you own two V8 muscle cars. Just get a Toyota Corolla and it will sip way less gas.

[@kylerider7125]

I bought a new car about a year ago and was very lucky. It was 34 k and had an 8k factory rebate making it 26k. Now cars of the same kind that are three years old and have 30 to 50 thousand miles are selling for 32 to 34 thousand

[@Firestorm637]

I grew up in the 60’s when everything was an option especially air conditioning, power windows, power brakes. Am radio, am/fm/cassette, etc. no power seats or vent./heated seats. Japanese manufacturers offered fairly loaded cars vs Big 3. Now all the cars have so many options which makes vehicles more costly. I still remember Japanese cars did not offer a/c. It was retrofitted in the USA. It did not work well in my Datsun 240Z.

[@marcguevara162]

My Nova only had a heater… we lived! And god forbid I had to go out early to warm it up! Yikes!! Lol!

[@jimmydoe4232]

My falcon only has a heater, ah, can’t complain about much. I’m a minimalist

[@Striker50_]

That would be nice, but then producers wouldn't milk as many $$ out of the consumers

[@alexanderthemeek]

Isn't this the definition of capitalism "Making today's luxuries tomorrow's necessities"?

[@yolo_burrito]

You also had valve adjustments, timing adjustments, and a condenser would go out and your car wouldn’t run. But man those were the days.

[@H8onG]

Just a heads up, you can always buy heated seats aftermarket. It's just a pad that goes in between the foam and the leather or cloth. Yes you can install them on cloth seats. I install leather seats everyday at work and from time to time add seat heaters. They are cheap and you can find them on eBay ECT. Or you could find a company like katzkin and order them thru them and have them professionally installed. There is options to get around this. Don't miss out on a good car because they do not have them. They can put in just about anything. It's just a power and ground to make themwork. They usually have a relay wired in them to protect them from messing anything up.

[@abelcain945]

For Shammmeee. I love my heated seats and I'm in Florida. It's so soothing to have it during the bad traffic we have around here. I sincerely use it 12 out of 12 months in the year.

[@martyi398]

I own a 2012 SUV with heated leather seats, all maintenance has been performed and currently no issues she runs like a new car, we plan on keeping this vehicle for at least another 5 years, nothing like the smell of a new car although I’m not going to purchase and/or accept a partially built vehicle

[@flyingscotsman32]

Yeah. I bought a lightly used 17, have barely put 15k miles since purchase in late 2018. My dealer calls or messages me monthly to try to buy it off me. But then I’d have to buy something in this insane market and that’s not an option……

[@kenbob1071]

"I'm for small government intervention..." Except for when it benefits me. Then I'm all for it.

[@brittgayle467]

Exactly! The hypocrisy is hilarious.

[@flyingscotsman32]

Corporate welfare. The real American dream

[@joedavenport2477]

He's ok with big government as long as it benefits him. Such a hypocrite! 😤😤😡😡

[@IHateMyAccountName]

2008 bailout anyone?

[@ubernerrd]

Then he complains about the results of a free market. Chips are made in Asia because it's more profitable to do so.

[@205impala]

Honda should be added on this list. I work for the Honda plant of Alabama and the ship issue is killing them. They canceled our night shift production because of the shortage. Oh yeah they merge with some type of agreement with GM about electric cars.

[@sarajuanaict]

Lack of seat heaters=first world problems

[@bmw803]

Exactly. American whiners!!!. Grew up in the 80's where windows, seats, mirrors were by hand. Seat heaters only on high end cars. I'm still around. People are too spoiled.

[@DavidDLee]

The "experience" at the dealership, where they add sometimes $10K market adjustments and worthless "dealer installed packages" or "paint protection" to inflate the price, needs to be out. Switch to Direct to Consumers sales, like Tesla.

[@clarkcant]

You do realize that, throughout this entire video, we are never told *why* there is a chip shortage? "The pandemic" is not an explanation. Pretty astounded at how that omission made it past the editors. Also, nobody has ever made such a big deal about heated seats. What was that about?

[@mph5896]

You are seeing what they want you to see.

[@punkdigerati]

There are plenty of videos covering that topic if you wish to inform yourself.

[@josegutierrez-co7xp]

Back in the 90's American chip manufacturers closed and moved chip plants to Asian countries in order to save money and screw American workers now we are paying the price of corporate greed. Some chip plants are being built in Ohio and Texas but they won't be pushing out chips for many years...

[@cnoyes72]

@@josegutierrez-co7xp That is part of the problem, another part is the use of Just In Time Manufacturing (not having an inventory of parts, only making/shipping as needed). The chip shortage was starting to become noticeable before the pandemic; the pandemic was just the final straw in breaking the system.

[@Charlie-zj3hw]

I think most people want to go back to cars without all these chips and modules..

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

Definitely not

[@righteousone1]

Nope. Just as the vast majority don't want to drive manuals in everyday traffic.

[@jasonthach44]

Charlie, you're out of touch. The year is 2022. I might as well go back to those big ass telephones with a big antenna on it.

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

Meh, everyone is different. I have a 6 mile commute to and from work in the middle of nowhere Iowa. I typically spend less then 15 minutes a day in my vehicle. I just buy cheap stuff I can work on myself, and that suits my needs. On the other hand I know plenty of people who are literally never at home. Always stuck in traffic somewhere, spending most of their day carting their kids from one place to another, etc etc. Those are the folks that "modern" vehicles cater to. The type of people who spend 3 or 4 (or more) hours a day in the vehicle, people who put more miles on in a single month then I do all year. So I can understand their wants for all the amenities and comfort features a fancy new car can offer, since they're basically using the thing as a rolling apartment for most of their day.

[@klins061]

Nope. I definitely don’t.

[@juggsauce]

What a great time to be alive. Buying a car without heated seats being considered a tough decision. God people are so soft now man.

[@Misael8924]

What would I ever do ? my life is Over ! And that's the Plan. To Soften up, make week people dependent on them. Docile to a point they don't fight back. Sheep mentality. CIA program has done wonders to Modern Americans. When the Big Collapse hits, which is closer than many realize ? Many people will die. Majority of the population is not self-sufficient

[@Wanderer25]

My 2012 Audi A6 pushing 200k miles has heated everything. It burns a little oil but I still get 30mpg. A quart of oil is cheaper than these ridiculous car payments.

[@ricnyc2759]

My favorite part is to use my old car and a brand new cell phone with GPS etc.

[@Mo.Jo.]

Feeling real lucky right now owning a fully paid off reliable vehicle that only has 46K miles with all the tech and cold weather creature comforts. Would hate to be a buyer in the current car market.

[@thejquinn]

Not just car market, anything market here in the states. Housing, food, and god forbid, medical..... kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoHGlmedgt1lnpY&t

[@jouss955]

It is a wake-up call to stop building so much waste. Simplify and build thoughtfully.

[@skapunkoialternativeliving6522]

Unconcerned the cost to stay there in the Rocks I don't buy new cars ever.. I have a 1995 Ford Econoline E-350 Econoline van and I'm keeping that van for years to come thank you very much..

[@TracksideViews]

Heated seat that didn’t shut off until it was above 82 degrees sounds miserable

[@CannabisTechLife]

specially if you're wearing a coat like you would going in and out of a car in cold climates.

[@EyeonthePrize247]

I live in New England and I use my heated seats year round whether that’s in the dead of winter or the scorching days of summer.

[@jorgenblomqvist2654]

It was an easy modification to add a switch if you didn't like it.

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

@@EyeonthePrize247 Why use them in the summer??

[@alexanderthemeek]

@@EyeonthePrize247 I once bought a car with heated seats and found out that I hardly need it other than as a prank to annoy my fellow passenger who might be wondering why the seat is so hot

[@1SmokingLizard]

This should be a wake up call for building vehicles with simplicity and reliability in mind. I saw this problem many years ago when more technology was being added in unnecessary ways to auto vehicles.

[@kerosblue5609]

The problem is why would you buy a new car with the same features?

[@triadwarfare]

@@kerosblue5609 to deal with less problems faced with an aging car.

[@kerosblue5609]

@@triadwarfare in theory yes but in practice we would be stuck with the model t with that kind of thinking.

[@1SmokingLizard]

@@kerosblue5609 "Less is More" -Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

[@kerosblue5609]

@@1SmokingLizard everything is relative.

[@1lawnmowerfan362]

Anyone else notice dude cruising at 100mph in snowy weather @ 0:28 😂

[@TheShootersBay]

If you can avoid buying a car wait or get bent over in the showroom.

[@dausas]

In my experience, dealerships will not sell even their most basic of trim lines unless they bolt on tons of other unnecessary accessories (that don’t need chips) like paint protection $, roof rack $, exhaust tip $, and the like. All in order to make up for the fact they don’t have enough cars to sell. So of course we end up paying more. Also screw dealerships. More Americans want to build-to-order to get around having to haggle with the financial manager, not because we don’t mind waiting for our vehicles.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

What I don't get is that you can't haggle on BTO ... . Over here in Europe you can negotiate over the price of any car, Be it one in stock or one that still has to be manufactured.

[@mccalejk2]

They have been doing this long before the pandemic, lol

[@doomnipple9846]

Tesla

[@ernestbywater411]

The exporting of chip manufacturing to Asia was due SOLELY to the companies buying them like GM etc deciding to save a few cents by purchasing from companies in Asia instead of paying to have them made in the USA, so now they're suffering for their earlier choices in suppliers of components. This is NOT a problem created by the USA government, but by the company managers.

[@AnythingMike]

My 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD is 211000 and still going strong 🙌🙌

[@alb12345672]

Watch out for intake buildup on those!

[@AnythingMike]

@@alb12345672 I made a video about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6W4lJearbdoqck

[@alb12345672]

@@AnythingMike very nice! You may need a few treatments. Other than that they are great cars! I have a GS350AWD. Another problem with these cars is the exhaust rots out. In upstate NY the exhaust pipe gets holes in it from the road salt. It has a shell with some kind of insulation in it. That holds moisture and salt.

[@AnythingMike]

@@alb12345672 What kind of treatment?? Also, we do not get a lot of snow over here, so I don't have a undercarriage rust problem.

[@alb12345672]

@@AnythingMike Lucky you don't have to worry about rust! I have to say though, the Lexus holds up very well! The AWD cars are sedan SUV 4x4 alternatives here and they are used in the worst conditions, except for the exhaust they don't rust. Didn't you seafoam in the vid? There is also a special product that you can run thru the intake that is supposed to clean those deposits. CRC GDI intake cleaner.

[@Chad-wb7du]

My 1990 Ford F-250 has all the “luxury” features I will ever need- heat and air conditioning. Especially in the truck market, we have grown soft with all the items that we “need” such as heated seats, slow dampening tailgates, premium leather, cameras, blah, blah, blah.

[@qrion13]

What if auto makers are exaggerating this situation to drive up cost and create demand?

[@wileecoyote5749]

No because fast nickels are better than slow dollars

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

As a mechanic of high end cars I can say the demand is so high its absurd

[@quartytypo]

I would like to see cars equipped with coffee brewers that automatically click on after an accident. This will calm the occupants nerves.

[@reynanregaladonow6426]

Just experienced this when I bought my Lexus. They had 20 cars on the lot, only 10 of which were brand new Lexus'. I really needed a car and had to settle for a Lexus I wasnt interested in. I got a good deal by paying the MSRP with no markup. Would have never thought MSRP was a good deal. Crazy. Either way, im loving my 2022 Lexus ES350 that I didnt overpay for. Good job Lexus for not marking up your cars!

[@matthewp1682]

I remember my parents telling me a while ago, the more tech they put into cars the harder they will be to make and more expensive they will be

[@AutisticMorty]

Prices on electronics are dropping. Decent Samsung smartphone can be bought New for $150. 40" LED TVs are New for $200. These things are not that expensive, and can add huge quality of life over the 200,000+ miles that you own your vehicle.

[@celieboo]

And the more costly the repair.

[@andrerodriguez7603]

The problem is GM and other legacy car makers are using old technology (older chips). That is why they are having problems with the chip shortage. Chip manufacturers can’t supply them with older chips, because they are busy trying to make newer chips. Tesla for example is having less problems with the chip shortage, because they can reprogram their cars to use the newer chips, or what is available. Another reason GM will eventually go bankrupt they can’t do this.

[@mph5896]

@@celieboo Exactly. And shortening the lifespan of vehicles. A vehicle might last 15-20 years in my area. Throw in a couple thousand dollar modules that break in the lifespan, or become obsolete and that car is trash. Or the $8-10k it cost to replace a failed engine in some of the newer stuff.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@andrerodriguez7603 lol…. Tesla doesn’t make a lot of cars compared to other manufacturers like Toyota for example, and Tesla doesn’t have a lot of features/custom configurations that other manufacturers have, tesla has been caught selling cars with missing parts, stop lying lol….

[@AaronVanNoy]

Not all auto makers are having this issue. Tesla has shifted to other chips.

[@HH-le1vi]

Tesla also does all their software in house so they can design software for a larger node size if necessary. The other car companies dont do that. All that stuff is done through contracts and since they use way larger chips it's hard to do much improvement unless they redesign everything technologically in the car to fit it on a single chip that's a smaller node size

[@AaronVanNoy]

@@HH-le1vi Exactly. Too bad OEMs didn’t bother to innovate over the years.

[@BodyDestruction]

Yet CNBS has to show Tesla when they say "all automakers are having to cut features" they just can't pass up an opportunity to discredit Tesla. The only thing Tesla cut was a redundant backup from some China-built cars, no essential or noticeable features like heated seats or start-stop on gas guzzling SUVs, like GM did.

[@jewbaka78]

Tesla is working with a niche market. Comparing an auto giant's sales volume to Tesla is like comparing Giant Eagle to a local market shop. Supply chain fluidity and internal supply management/manufacturing is far more accessible with lower volumes. Although Tesla has gained traction, you will see 50+ chevy's before you see 1 Tesla outside of California.

[@AaronVanNoy]

@@jewbaka78 if that is the lie you need to tell yourself that helps you sleep at night. Over 1 million Tesla cars in a year (currently).

[@johniii8147]

It's now funny to hear that Cadillac was innovative back in it's day

[@neilabernath5862]

My 1961 caddy has power steering, brakes and power windows.

[@wileecoyote5749]

"I got a Lincoln Continental and..a Sunroof Cadillac"

[@ms_cartographer]

I'm an American, and I'd love to do a build-to-order option. I don't mind waiting for a car if it's built exactly how I want it with the color I want.

[@TheOnlySheet]

Too many gadgets in cars... Many have forgotten that the idea of a car is to go from A to B in a relatively short time... irrelevant is how hot/cold your bottom is!! I wonder how much SAVINGS you would have if a car would be build without all the gadgets attached to it... AND it would make a killing right now on the market as it would be MUCH easier to manufacture with less electronics! P.S. Heated Seats essentiel? WTF!!

[@nightsinfinite]

Ok boomer

[@Guzard420]

I agree. Just a basic designed car. Not much to go wrong. I’m never selling my 93’ Toyota Pickup. I’m absolutely not envious of the comforts of modern vehicles. Try keeping that computer car for 30 years.

[@Guzard420]

@@nightsinfinite Ok entitled millennial. Why do you care anyway? It’s not like your generation cares about cars. Do you even get your hands dirty to change the oil?

[@MadmaxMusic93]

Okay old fart

[@arlofs]

My 1991 F-150 doesn’t have many of these microchips and is easy to maintain

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

My 1986 F150, and 1994 F150, both sitting outside asking wtf is a microchip?

[@mph5896]

@@admiralrustyshackleford119 Its that TFI module that craps out that delivers spark for your ignition on your truck. Its tough to find those that are decently built. I'll take an OBD2 vehicle all day long over that old stuff. The computer points you in the direction of where to look for the problem.

[@admiralrustyshackleford119]

@@mph5896 Literally preaching to the choir... Been driving OBS Fords since I bought my first in 2001. Yes the distributor mounted tfi modules will crap out after they take a few thousand heat/cooling cycles. The 93 and newer trucks have the tfi module mounted on a heatsink on the drivers inner fender. I've literally never replaced a remote mounted one, because they just keep working when they're kept cool. I've swapped every older model year efi truck I've owned over the years to the remote setup, and never had to touch those again as well. I agree that obd2 is nice to have, my work cars and winter beaters are always whatever I can get for the cash in my pocket, which basically means a guaranteed check engine light... But when I plug my scan tool in unless it's a random misfire code it's likely gonna be a for sensor that my old truck doesn't even have... For less then the cost of a single good recognizably branded ignition coil for my 2008 Mazda Cx7 (not counting the $25 rockauto chinatech specials that'll crap out in 10 miles) I can buy 8 spark plugs, cap/rotor, and a nice set of msd wires for my truck, and that $50 Accel coil I stuck on the truck 20 years ago is still doing its job.

[@mattardyantoriyadi]

I live in Indonesia, which is a tropical country with zero winter and average coldest temp is around 27-25° celsius and funnily enough, there are several vehicles that sold in here equipped with heated seats and heated steering wheel. We aren't using them at all, but the manufacturer keep adding those up. Like my friend, she drove a hyundai palisade, and she got heated steering and heated seats which she never using it. But then, manufacturers decides to cut essentials features such as cruise control, lane keep and some advanced safety equipment that we actually need for. So it isn't just occurring in the west, it's also occurs in here, southeast asia where manufacturers can't understands what people need and instead giving us thing that are basically useless.

[@thetowerfantasymusic]

Once you heat your seats and steering wheel, your back and hand will produce less heat and when you step outside you will have a higher chance of catching a cold

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

Interesting, so letting your BODY do the warming naturally helps keep colds away?

[@unkleturpis9253]

Sacrifice? Heated seats? Wow, how entitled are we these days?

[@tnotc]

When you're paying this much for a vehicle they damn well better warm my tush.

[@micesserono2966]

Heated seats and heated steerings: sounds very optional, but also like a very basic technology. It all tells a lot about their clients and their management capacity.

[@bmw803]

The more useless options, the more to go wrong.

[@tedtansley1523]

Car free in Michigan since '19. Real glad to live in a place where I'm not dependent on a car to live my life.

[@spl1011]

Manufacturers and dealers will MILK this inventory shortage as MUCH AS POSSIBLE. They are making RECORD PROFITS despite low inventory. The consumer gets screwed AGAIN.

[@arun279]

The idea that these retrofits at dealerships will go smoothly, on time, and without any cost to the buyer seems implausible. Buy products for what they have, not for the promise of future upgrades.

[@jorgenblomqvist2654]

If they still install the heating elements in the car seat. It should be an easy fix to retrofit the control of it.

[@whysskrilm8049]

Heated seats are overrated. I live in one of the coldest cities in the world and rarely bother turning mine on. Just like any other heating/cooling feature, it takes a couple minutes before it's even noticeable, by which point I've either acclimated to the temperature, or the ambient temperature inside the car has risen. It's a nice feature to have, but wouldn't even factor into a purchase for me

[@Guzard420]

Wouldn’t that be cool if they make a car with NO chips? Like a 90’s car. No computer, no unnecessary comforts, no complex add on’s. You know, reliability. That would be cool.

[@frankhoward7645]

Oh my. How are we ever going to get by without heated seats? We have really become a nation of softies and I'm from Minnesota.

[@01jbeals]

It’s hard to think that they’re not trying to squeeze everything they possibly can from consumers … it just seems like either a convenient opportunity to drive up prices in yet another sector … or .. its by intentional design. I understand the supply and demand issue, but I also can’t help but feel that corporations, companies, certain sectors (such as automotive, housing, those at the very top of these markets…) aren’t using the supply issue to their advantage as much as they possibly can especially because their profit margins don’t quite show that they are taking the brunt of it., in fact it shows the complete opposite. Sooner rather than later consumers are going to grab their pitchforks because prices are so disproportionate comparative to income that all of this will come to a head… it is simply unsustainable …

[@mikezerker6925]

Some of the blame should also fall on consumers… I don’t know why demand for new cars still remains high despite the sky rocketing prices… People should refuse to buy, then the manufacturers would be forced to drop prices again. I for one refuse to pay more than $35k for a car and have only owned 1 new car in my life, all others since high school were bought used. I will keep my old cars going until their wheels fall off.

[@user-pn3im5sm7k]

You're right about the corporations, their only focus is profit and nothing else. you're wrong about the consumers. You overestimate consumers, they are extremely obedient and submissive and the companies know that and will keep screwing us over.

[@01jbeals]

@@user-pn3im5sm7k Lol yeah, you’re probably right. Although … you can still provoke the most obedient and submissive, it might just take a bit longer than it has in the past. My biggest fear however is that there is so much perceived “confusion” on who is to blame … I do fear that society would actually attack the scapegoats (immigrants, the poor, homeless, etc..) for the envy stoked by the elites. You know, blaming the people who we all actually have more in common with than we will ever have to the masters of mankind. It’s this kind of blind allegiance that really keeps me up at night. 🤯😵‍💫

[@01jbeals]

@@mikezerker6925 no, the blame is not on the consumers. Consumers *literally* make up 70% of the United States economy. The blame should fall on those at the top. Just listen to their earnings call, they’re actually *bragging* about their profits & how they can continue to “squeeze consumers.” *But I do understand where your thinking is coming from* however I also know that these prices are not set by the “free market” … especially not right now.

[@thejquinn]

Its America, everything is intentional, until politically its not. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoHGlmedgt1lnpY&t

[@lavendersunsets7066]

As long as there's a vent by your feet to put out heat. Do you really need the heated seats?

[@TheBooban]

I think they are over rated also. They make the rest of your body like arms and hands feel colder.

[@imrytebeehyneu]

I thought the same way...🤣😂 It blows on you. So what's the difference?

[@matthewp1682]

A vent for the windscreen is actually the only heat you need in a vehicle

[@krabes8613]

Yes, they work faster, and are more efficient than the vents, in the sense that it isn’t gonna cool you before it heats you

[@lavendersunsets7066]

@@krabes8613 if it's that cold and you warm up your car I think the seat will be warm. Especially with leather.

[@28704joe]

"A sacrifice that a customers would have to make". Americans making sacrifices for not having heated seats. Let that sink in for a while.

[@illuminaughty2929]

Heated seats is a must for leather and leather like seats

[@Poloword310]

Remember when having leather and AC was a luxury? Bring back the crank windows 😂

[@Argedis]

Yup, good HVAC is the only real luxury

[@jradcliffe4968]

A lot of the extra's put on cars are rearly used by some . A car should be made to the customers order , thus saving the customer some money . Go figure !

[@JoeyJoJoShabadoo-TTWNIEH]

"A lot of options on cars nowadays...theres so much stuff in this thing..I almost feel guilty". Thats the most salesman thing ive ever heard, to feel "guilty". Im paying a lot of money and so yes i would like a lot of nice features and options. That guy permeates that car sales experience.

[@timberwolfe1645]

Honestly, the problem is that there's TOO MUCH tech in the cars now. Just a Radio and bluetooth. No need for other things when your phone can be the speakers

[@alevxzx]

We've been using sheepskin seat covers for the past several years and there was no need for heated seats.

[@GrumpyXer]

they are really comfortable

[@ubernerrd]

*Need*? Perhaps not but they are quite nice to have when it's 10 degrees outside.

[@markm2178]

This is such a first world problem. "To get in a vehicle with leather seats in that kinda temperature without heated seats is nuts." Really?

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

Have you gotten into a leather car without heated seats in -10°F? I lived in Alaska for a while. Not only is it extremely uncomfortable, its dangerous. Like sitting on a frozen rock it can really scree up your back. Most cars in Alaska have remote start, which warms up the car before you get in. Mine didn't so I would run out, start the car go back inside and only drive off after 10 minutes.

[@skyak4493]

People really need to rethink that "first world" BS designation. The US in particular has such a large population with negative net worth that they could actually fill many "third world" countries where net worth is ~zero.

[@nickns732]

Yeah idk what these people are smoking. I’ve been driving in minnesota for 20 years and have never had heated seats. I can’t imagine being so entitled to think that I should never have to be cold while living in a northern state.

[@jadenpark7943]

are you from third world

[@Otter-Destruction]

lol i didn't think much about heated seats when i bought my car in Arizona. But then i moved to the Northeast, and omg its the best thing ever.

[@cristianramirez3980]

Can I say, what an excellent job by the people being interviewed!

[@jasonthach44]

Why do people still buy GM?

[@mistermood4164]

Trucks everything else is junk

[@MrGrand2000]

Less options on a GM,less chance of things breaking after a year

[@cjvx7208]

They do sell heated pads you can throw over your seat and plug it in.. car starter's on board would also heat up the cars interior there for bringing the temp of the seats up.

[@mr.grumpygrumpy2035]

Maybe I don't understand the market, but why can't people simply hold on to their old cars for a while? Mine is 10 years old; sure, it's beaten up, scratched etc, doesn't have the latest tech, but it runs and drives ok. Paying above MSRP in the US is just crazy.

[@navajyotichetia8968]

"Microchips have become cheaper to manufacture" Do you call them microcheap's

[@briangode1381]

I once hag a Volkswagen with heated seats my ass got nearly burnt

[@anonymoususer1824]

I'll stick with my 17 year old truck that has 215,000+ miles on it running like a top. No payment baby! Bluetooth, heated seats, 4wd, leather seats, sunroof, cruise control, I changed every bulb inside and out to full led, upgraded to performance pads and rotors and more. Why would I give that up for a payment?????

[@mcdonelldouglas2492]

Some are screaming about repair to save the planet, other are rushing to get new fashionable cars.... crazy world

[@warmstrong5612]

Exactly how many chips do you need for a heated seat? None since it's often controlled by the infotainment system, all you should need is a multi-position switch and some software. Quite often the heating element is built into the seat regardless whether or not that option was picked.

[@Tinjinladakh]

CNBC: GM has killer product to tesla also CNBC: short chip

[@ijuscant]

🤣

[@skyak4493]

The Lyric makes the model X look like a sad econobox -it's even more disturbing when you compare to a model Y that is priced similarly. Tesla still has far more EV capacity, and supercharger network in CA, but their offering looks sad against '22 and '23 models.

[@rashid510]

Meanwhile ive been driving my 2004 pickup with no heater and a hole on the floor through out the winter

[@JustaShrimp372]

I live in Michigan, right by Detroit, and the chip shortage is so bad that there are no cars in the ford dealership across the street from a ford factory