09 GX470 Drivers Seat won't recline

[GXCajun]

I've recently found out that my drivers seat won't recline....well, to be accurate, only the left side of the seat reclines and the right side of the seat stays in place.  My Lexus dealership said "they couldn't fix it" which I thought surprising.  It just stopped working one day.  Not that I recline all the time, but I would like the option when I need to take a cat  nap during a long drive or during the all day in the car work day.

Any suggestions????

[eugene.s]

Hi John,

I am not sure I understand what you are describing, can you post a video?

[GXCajun]

I will try in the morning....but basically the backrest of the drivers seat is supported by two uprights which should move in tandem when you recline.  For some reason, the right side "upright" of the seat stays put while the left side "upright" reclines causing the seatback to twist.

 

Hope that makes sense.  I'm hoping to find someone local to fix it, maybe at an upholstery shop.  I found some DIY info online but haven't looked at it in detail.  

It kinda floored me that the dealer said basically "we can't fix it."

 

[eugene.s]

OK, clear, no need for a video. I would try to move the seat back/to the front as far as possible and check the connectors between various wires underneath the seat. If you can't reach all of them, you may have the seat removed. I assume you've checked all the fuses first and that there are no error codes.

[1990LS400]

I had exactly the same driver seat recline problem on an LS400 in around 2000.  An independent repair shop specializing in Lexus fixed it by replacing a worn horizontal metal shaft at the bottom of the seat back.  I still remember the surprisingly low total cost of the repair - around  $75.

I'm surprised that later Lexus vehicles are still having this problem.

[GXCajun]

I found a youtube video that described that same thing, some type of bar that operates both vertical uprights in the seat back