Remember this thread? Something's wrong with my car, and I'm told it may be related to my accident.

I went on a trip this weekend to visit family. My driveway's on about a 10-15º incline, and when I sat down, my seat broke - the seat and and the seat back tilted backwards about 30º - as if it were hinged only at the back.

When I got to my in-laws, I got a good look, and what happened is this: There's a metal bar that's used to raise and lower the front of the seat via a screw-type mechanism that rotates the bar like an axle. An arm attached to the bar raises and lowers the seat as the bar twists. the female part of this screw-lift equasion had snapped clean off of the bar allowing the seat to raise independently. There was an articulating arm on each side of the seat undercarriage preventing the seat from leaning back more than 30º. While I had the seat apart, a screw holding one of those arms to the seat crumbled - it snapped in two while I was hand-tightening it.

Now, my brother-in-law happens to have once owned an '01 Mazda 626. He was involved in a more violent rear-end collision than was I, and his seat broke in a similar fashion. He says it's a safety feature meant to minimize whiplash. Additionally, my sister-in-law works for an insurance agency, and says I could file aonther claim with the insurance co. of the person who caused the accident.

Now, I'm a big guy (6'2", 250ish), but I'm not that fat.

Have you seen this type of thing before? Could the seat have been weakened by the accident? If so, do you think I have a case with her ins. co more than four months after the accident occured?

Thanks in advance,

-RBB

YES SIR, it is very possible the seat broke in the accident. I've seen plenty of vehicles of all makes, rearended, with broken driver's seats. It's not very comforting to know, but it's true. I would call the insurance company and the bodyshop and do everything you can to have it covered. It probably partially broke at the moment of impact.

Thanks blu, much appreciated!

-RBB

OK, the dealer says the entire front track is one assemble and must be replaced. Insurance is covering the entire thing - nothing out of pocket for me.

Thanks again ocn!

-RBB

No problemo, RBB.