Broham

iTrader: (10)

some safety regulation if i read correctly. They just don't have the comofort/bolster like recaro

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

The Recaros fail to meet some US specific airbag regulation. So, everyone else gets them but us. Normally the Recaros are standard and you don't pay any extra for them.

Sawdust

Yeah, everyone keeps saying that, but no one can produce a link to the supposed regulation. I've looked several times and can't find anything. In fact I found this link, read item #5.

I'm more inclined to believe it was a cost cutting thing Mitsubishi did. Maybe Recaro required XXX number of units to meet a minimum order or something and Mitsubishi didn't plan on making enough cars. Or maybe Mitsubishi was really pretending to end with MY2014, but changed their mind and couldn't get a deal done with Recaro in time. Who knows. There are plenty of performance cars being sold in the US that still offer Recaros or similar styled sport seats. The new CTS-V (also a sedan) will still have a Recaro seat option, so it kind blows the regulation excuse out of the water. I'm sure Recaro is more than capable of meeting US regulations.

This.Rant.End()

Broham

iTrader: (10)

how are you guys not having problems with the OCM? i thought it's vin matched and would set light. if it doesn't set light how confident are you the airbags will deploy in accident? I thought you need to swap OCM from oem 2015 seat to the older seat you swap in

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

I don't know why you so vehemently oppose the fact that the airbags are the issue. You argue against it, but have nothing more than opinions of your own with which to counterpoint. If it isn't the airbags, what is it (not what COULD it be, but what is it REALLY)?

#5 from that NHTSA site states "The standard establishes occupant protection performance requirements, but does not mandate particular technologies to meet those requirements. Manufacturers may meet this upgraded rule with various types of innovative head, chest, and pelvis protection systems, such as SABs." In this case, Mitsubishi IS using the side air bags to meet those impact requirements. Since the requirements have become more strict (I'll get to this), the existing bags don't pass the inspection, and therefore the Recaros have been removed. I can confirm to you that this is a US only issue, as our Canadian brothers on the site will attest to still having Recaros as well as the JDM Final Edition having them as well.

So, why would a US only issue be cost related? If low volume was to blame, cutting the US versions only would only exacerbate that issue. And if Recaro was done after 2014, how do other markets still have them (especially with Canada, since they're in the "NAFTA" group of part numbers)? I actually obtained the internal Mistubishi and Recaro part numbers for the seats by model (cloth, leather, half & half) and region (NAFTA, EU, JDM, etc.) - see attached, it even has the price for which Recaro sells the seats to Mitsubishi (they only sell the front seats, not the rear bench). If it was to cut costs, or they failed to reach a minimum quantity, or they shut down production, at the very least, the US and Canada should have had the same result, but they didn't. Canada has Recaros and the US doesn't.

Your points about the Cadillac or other manufacturer models are irrelevant as well, as those seats are of different designs that are part of other vehicles that may deal with the safety regulations in different ways. I don't care how similar of a model seat you can find elsewhere, IT ISN'T THE SAME SEAT.

Finally, I will provide this link: http://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-20...ats-1683662109

In this article, it states, and I quote: "It turns out that DOT has more stringent side airbag regulations in place for 2015 - regulations that the Recaros that have been present in the Evo for seven model years did not pass. Mitsubishi had no choice but to pull the lovely Recaros - the one bright spot in what is otherwise one of the worst, most plasticky and awful interiors in existence."



I don't want to come across as an *******, but frankly you attacked the prevailing understanding of what happened to our Recaros with nothing more than postulation. Please, educate yourself before you insult everyone else's intelligence.

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

I'm going to assume the OCM is the computer module under the passenger seat. In that case, it gets swapped with the weight sensors as that whole bracket comes off. So, you retain your original (4) weight sensors and also that computer. I think there are 8 nuts you have to take off to do the swap, and the whole "H" shaped bracket comes off.

EDIT: I will add that the only SRS system error I got was from the seat belt receptacle issue, and once I fixed that, I had no errors. I didn't even have to get the error cleared, it just went away by itself. So, as far as my car knows, everything is bone stock and it will function as such. The only issue would be if you got old Recaros that had a faulty airbag for some reason (sitting somewhere in a moist warehouse maybe??) or if the airbag had previously deployed and the owner had it restitched/repaired, so there is no airbag in there now, and you just don't know it. I would think that is unlikely as you would notice pieced in stitching, but it is possible I suppose.

Sawdust

I don't see how anything I said could be taken as "vehemently opposed". Dubious perhaps, but that's about it. Opinions or restated assumptions are all anyone has really posted on this matter. That was one of the points I was trying to make.

No misunderstanding here. See my point further below.

Nothing new here. As you say, clearly posted on several other threads.


I never said Recaro was done (I'm sure they are doing fine). I only offered an opinion/guess as to possible reasons why Mitsubishi could not or possibly did not want to offer new, compliant Recaro seats (even as an option) at a higher cost to US consumers during the last year of production.

Congrats on getting that info. Again, I never said it was a Recaro production issue. Simply tried to convey a thought that Mitsu did not present an option to the US consumer.

Actually it is relevant. It shows that Recaro can produce a seat that complies with US regulations. I never meant to imply (clearly failed) that a seven year old seat could still be used. Recaro is a mfg name, not a specific model of seat.

Thanks for the link.

I don't think I attacked anyone or anything and certainly didn't postulate (hence the usage of "I'm inclinded...", " Or maybe...", "Who Knows"). Nothing was stated as fact. I only questioned the "prevailing understanding" since factual links backing that up are rare.

If anything, I think you read wayyy too far into what I wrote and seem to have taken it personally. Do you work for Mitsubishi?

With the absence of documentation as to the true reasons, everyone only has opinions and suppositions. I still maintain that if Mitsubishi wanted to truly end the Evo run properly for US consumers, they would have at least offered an option for people to pay extra for a new, compliant Recaro seat.

No worries here. All good.

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

Fair enough. I have seen way too many people posting on the subject with nothing but what amounts to a "nuh uh, I know better than you" without providing a lick of information. Honestly, that annoys me, and since you had quoted me in this one, I felt I should respond. Perhaps it was uncouth. If you or anyone else can actually prove what the reason was for dropping the Recaros, I'd appreciate it, even if it disproves my supposed theory.

I will also add that no, I do not work for Mitsubishi. But if I did, maybe I could have sourced some JDM Final Edition Recaro seats with that sexy red stitching.

LostSoul Evo

iTrader: (2)

im looking for leather recaros for my 15. can u pm the info for them

Broham

iTrader: (10)

it's too hard to find the leather recaros for sale. Cant get it from dealer without spending 15k. The used ebay cloth is looking great at this point

trevorhoov

Very hard to find, unless you want to fix damaged seats.

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

You nailed it with this statement. I looked for about 5 months and found a complete leather set in great shape, so I jumped on it. Somehow it had no blown airbags.

If you really want it, just wait for someone to sell a set. Post in the WTB section and set an alert on Ebay Mobile. But if you don't care, the cloth seats are WAY easier to find.

LostSoul Evo

iTrader: (2)

I would luv to get there leather ones to match the SSL package I have but I will take any version of recaros. Cloth, leather, or the combo of both that MRs have. If anyone is selling. Hopefully with intact airbags. Please PM me. I do live in Vegas and will pay for shipping.

Broham

iTrader: (10)

Don't get me wrong, I want some nice recaros in there but 2k for seats that are used isn't a joke. That is an fp red dbb or a lot of boltons. i'll need to find a "good price" before i just plunk down 2k on ebay for non leather/non heater seats

MRevolutionX

iTrader: (1)

FWIW, I got my leather (heated) which is in 9/10 shape (airbags intact), front and rear seats for about $1900, plus about $150 for shipping. You should be able to do way better on cloth or if you don't need to replace the rear seat. I could see $1300-1400 shipped. Still expensive, yes, but better than 2 grand.

I'm not trying to say there isn't something better to spend your money on, but for me, I'm glad I made the purchase. It's a huge difference in feel and aesthetics.