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Premature wear on B pillar cloth

5K views 39 replies 18 participants last post by  Thscott  
#1 ·
I just noticed this wear today. I have 17k miles on the car. I am average build and don't wear anything "unusual" while driving.

The upsetting thing is that I put 100k on my P3 V60 and the interior looked like new when I traded. How can this be so fragile?

Obviously it would be covered under warranty but it would be interesting to hear if I am not alone.

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#2 ·
Might just be different dimensions than your P3 V60 where the abrasions weren't occurring as often [emoji2369]. Our 17 XC90 with 81k miles has the same color and (presumably) material and it's got nothing like that. Granted it's my wife's car and she works in a hospital... so she wears scrubs. Nothing abrasive.

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#4 ·
Oh, I have no doubt that I am brushing up against it when I get in. That said, it should be able to hold up for more than 17k miles; and those are not daily driver miles, I work at home.

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#5 ·
I just noticed this wear today. I have 17k miles on the car. I am average build and don't wear anything "unusual" while driving.

The upsetting thing is that I put 100k on my P3 V60 and the interior looked like new when I traded. How can this be so fragile?

Obviously it would be covered under warranty but it would be interesting to hear if I am not alone.

Image


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Very similar west on my 2018 V90. I consider it a design flaw using this thin, lightweight material on a B pillar where it is subjected to contact by a driver entering and exiting the vehicle. This kind of BS is making us seriously NOT consider replacing my wife’s V70 with another Volvo. The leather on the front left edge of my driver’s seat is also wearing through. The car has 25,000 miles. The last car I had prior to my V90 was a 2007 Toyota Avalon, at 150,000 miles it showed NO wear on the leather or door jambs. The answer from my dealer was, “take it up with the Volvo Corporate office”.

Our next car will probably be a Honda or a Toyota.
 
#6 ·
Very similar west on my 2018 V90. I consider it a design flaw using this thin, lightweight material on a B pillar where it is subjected to contact by a driver entering and exiting the vehicle. This kind of BS is making us seriously NOT consider replacing my wife’s V70 with another Volvo. The leather on the front left edge of my driver’s seat is also wearing through. The car has 25,000 miles. The last car I had prior to my V90 was a 2007 Toyota Avalon, at 150,000 miles it showed NO wear on the leather or door jambs. The answer from my dealer was, “take it up with the Volvo Corporate office”.

Our next car will probably be a Honda or a Toyota.
Similar wear, not west…lol.
 
#7 ·
I just noticed this wear today. I have 17k miles on the car. I am average build and don't wear anything "unusual" while driving.

The upsetting thing is that I put 100k on my P3 V60 and the interior looked like new when I traded. How can this be so fragile?

Obviously it would be covered under warranty but it would be interesting to hear if I am not alone.
That's not a warrantied item, just like worn through seat material would not be warrantied in most cases. Just need to change the way you get in and out of the car.
 
#12 ·
100% same thing that probably happened to my weather stripping that cracked along the same spot. Tech is right, you are rubbing against pillar when entering and exiting vehicle to sit down.


Part is very cheap to replace on your own if the wear bothers you.
 
#13 ·
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#14 ·
FYI: I am not sure the exact year of your vehicle, but here's a guestimate.

2019 S60 B-Pillar Trim Part - Part #31463305

Cost - $88.00

Part #9 in Diagram

31463305 - Volvo Panel. QXXX | Volvo Parts Webstore, Oak Park IL

Thanks, that is the plan. I will replace it and then put something around the bottom edge to protect it. As I said in my original post, I don't expect it to be covered BUT it does seem like a design problem, especially since I am not the only person that has the issue. Don't get me wrong, I love the car, I just expect better design on potential wear areas on a nearly $60k vehicle.
 
#16 ·
It’s sort of odd. I’m 73 years old, and have owned a wide variety of vehicles in the last 55 years. The leather seat in my $60k V90 Inscription is wearing through because I “brush against” it when I get in and out of the car. Same with the ridiculously thin fabric covering the B pillar, it’s worn through because I ”brush against” it when I enter and exit.

My apologies for not being a 98 pound ballerina dressed in a silk gown who can magically float into the driver’s seat of my car. There’s a LOT to love about my Volvo, the quality of some interior materials is not one of them.
 
#17 ·
It’s sort of odd. I’m 73 years old, and have owned a wide variety of vehicles in the last 55 years. The leather seat in my $60k V90 Inscription is wearing through because I “brush against” it when I get in and out of the car. Same with the ridiculously thin fabric covering the B pillar, it’s worn through because I ”brush against” it when I enter and exit.

My apologies for not being a 98 pound ballerina dressed in a silk gown who can magically float into the driver’s seat of my car. There’s a LOT to love about my Volvo, the quality of some interior materials is not one of them.
I'm all for consumer advocacy, but Volvo and other car manufacturers can't make a car to fit every body type. That's why people cross shop brands for a vehicle they like.

I would ask you post a picture of your seat. Maybe it's normal wear maybe it's not.

I put seat covers (custom made) over my S60 seats to prevent the wear of leather. Over time, and if not properly cleaned and conditioned, leather creases, cracks, and begins to fade.

Do you clean and condition your seats?
 
#18 ·
The little bit of irony is that the glove soft leather that Volvo uses on the inscription seats that you pay a premium for also shows wear the quickest - been that way for the 20 years or so that Volvo has offered that product on it's seats. The cheap leather wears better in my experience. As to the B-pillar, that's also been an issue in past models, most notably the P2 XC90, but on that car replacement is a little more involved - removing the seatbelt, etc.
 
#19 ·
Exactly. People talk crap about the fake leather or leatherette, but it typically lasts longer and is more resilient than the fancier ones. If the people think the quality of materials is any better at a lower price point than Volvos, please feel free to provide examples.
 
#25 ·
I am 6'2" right about 200#. I'm all legs 34-36 inseam. No pillar rubbing but I got the sporty contour seats in the R-Design which could make a difference, no bolster wear from sliding in and out yet though! It really is hard to find cars that fit tall people well. I mean I can sit on any seat of course, but 90% of cars the bottom cushion is too short. The extending thigh support is fantastic for me in the Volvo!
 
#26 ·
Never paid much attention to this until this thread. I am about the same as the rest of you guys 6ft 200 lbs. I noticed a light bit of wear in the same spot. I got in and out several times and noticed I do rub that area a bit getting in the car. My seatback is about an inch or so behind the b pillar. So that's prolly why I'm rubbing that area a bit. If I turn my body 90 degrees and sit my butt in first then swing my legs in, I can avoid the rub. But that looks sort of lady like. Won't be doing that in public. 😎 Prolly won't be doing it in the garage either. I suspect pants like jeans/denim would be harder on that area as opposed to slacks. I wear mostly shorts 8 months out of 12 so that might help keep the wear down.
 
#32 ·
If I turn my body 90 degrees and sit my butt in first then swing my legs in, I can avoid the rub. But that looks sort of lady like. Won't be doing that in public. 😎 Prolly won't be doing it in the garage either. I suspect pants like jeans/denim would be harder on that area as opposed to slacks. I wear mostly shorts 8 months out of 12 so that might help keep the wear down.
I actually do get in that way, well some of the time. I got a habit of tapping my shoes together before I swing my legs in, so I don't track more dirt than needed into the car. Not a detailing freak but I do like to keep the car clean. You're gonna make me self conscious about it now...

Totally agree.
OP should really consider losing some weight.
You must be short ha, 200# at 6'2" is actually not that heavy. Most people call me "thin" but I still got my middle age gut, I'm working on it! lol
 
#30 ·
My dad's 2012 S60 had similar leather wear on his driver seat albeit at 60k miles (small spots where the leather was wearing thru minor but they were there. Also was the brown leather and comfort seats. My 2013 P3 RDesign with the sport seats (ofc) had leather that looked close to new at 130,000.. it's all going to vary with body type, clothes, etc.. this has seemed to be a longstanding Volvo issue as noted earlier
 
#31 ·
Unfortunately, people here are EXTRA tall. WTF did I not drink the same water and eat the same food you all got? Damn, I needed some wheaties growing up! None the less, how you enter, sit, and exit the car, all determine wear pattern. We all have various body types.

I'm not plugging anything here, but I bought some custom seat covers out of Greece. Top-Car Athens. They're a leatherette that are form fitting and don't look cheap. Ran me about $300. Held up pretty well and my seats look very good 5.5 years later. I know it may "defeat the purpose some" but just a thought to those who are overly concerned about leather wear.

https://www.topcar-athens.com/category/volvo
 
#37 ·
How does it impact the deployment of the side impact airbags?
 
Prev. Owned 2018 Volvo V90 R-Design T5
#34 ·
I'm 6'7 and my S60 is at 19k miles. That spot is absolutely HAMMERED on my car. Mostly from the seams of my pockets on my jeans - but the odd scrape from my EDC flashlight. I've stopped carrying anything in my front left pocket due to this. The photo doesn't do it justice. Its completely worn through the fabric in spots.
Image
 
#35 ·
I read the whole thread, and it's surprising that the clothes the driver wears never came up. Denim is definitely more abrasive than many other fabrics, but the wear on my "B" pillar began to be severe when I started to wear web fabric belts. There's also accelerated wear on the lower bolster on the leather seat back where I slide in. Unfortunately, khaki shorts and web belts is practically a uniform in the yachting biz.
 
#36 ·
Best suggestion to people is if the wear gets bad enough and annoying, the part is less than $100 to replace on your own.

Unfortunately, as irksome as it may be, Volvo makes cars for "one size fits all" and some of us are taller, shorter, skinnier, and fatter than others! Best anyone can do is be more mindful of how they plop their butts in the seats!