Audi A1 Seat Heater Failure: Fix Costs & Solutions

As someone with some automotive repair experience, I had a similar issue with my 2020 Audi A3. The seat warmer completely failed on both front seats, showing error codes just like yours. The problem turned out to be a defective seat heating mat, which required replacement. The thermal sensor was still working, but the heating element itself was damaged. The workshop diagnosed it using their diagnostic system and confirmed by testing the electrical resistance of the seat heater components. The repair involved removing the seat cushion cover to access and replace the heating mat. Total cost was 390 Euro including parts and labor. They completed the work in about 3 hours. Before suggesting specific solutions for your A1, could you share: Do you get any response when pressing the seat heater buttons? Are both seats affected simultaneously or did they fail at different times? Have you noticed any wet spots or damage to the seat cushions? What error code is showing specifically? This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if it might be a different component causing the problem.

Thanks for the feedback on my heating repair issue. My car has 74349 KM and had its last service three months ago. Both seats stopped working on the same day. The buttons light up but no heat comes through the seat cushion. No visible damage or wet spots on either seat. The temperature control panel shows error code P0652 when scanned with a diagnostic tool. The heating element seems completely dead, with no warmth at all, even on the highest setting. The thermal sensor appears to function since the system recognizes button inputs, but something is clearly wrong with the heating system itself.

Thanks for providing those details. Your symptoms match exactly what I experienced with my A3, especially the complete failure of both seat heaters simultaneously and working indicator lights. The P0652 code typically points to a voltage issue in the seat heating circuit, which aligns with my case of the defective heating mat. Since your mileage is similar to when my issue occurred (I was at 71000 KM), and given that both seats failed simultaneously, I strongly suspect youre facing the same heating mat failure I encountered. The temperature control system is likely fine since its registering button inputs. In my repair, they found the heating elements in the seat warmer mats had burned out, causing an open circuit. The simultaneous failure is actually common because both seats typically get similar use and wear. Based on my experience, youre looking at roughly 350-450 Euro for the repair, depending on parts availability. The good news is the seat heater replacement is a straightforward fix once the correct parts are in hand. My repair shop needed the seats for one full day to complete the work. Make sure the shop tests the wiring harness too, in my case they initially thought it might be just the wiring, but testing confirmed the heating mats themselves were the culprit.

Thanks for the helpful details about your A3 repair experience. Your description of the repair process and costs gives me a good idea of what to expect. Based on my P0652 error code and the symptoms you described, it does sound like Im dealing with the same seat heater failure. Good to know the thermal sensor might still be okay since my temperature control buttons are responding normally. Looking at 350-450 Euro for repairs isnt as bad as I feared. Think Ill book it in next week and make sure they check both the heating mats and wiring harness like you suggested. The full-day repair timeline works well for my schedule. Ill update this thread after the repair to confirm if it was indeed the same heating mat issue you encountered. Seems pretty likely given the matching symptoms and similar mileage when the problem occurred. Thanks again for sharing your firsthand experience with such a similar seat heating system failure. Really helped me understand what Im likely dealing with.