VW Arteon Seat Heater Failure: Fix Guide & Costs

Having dealt with similar heating repair issues on my 2019 VW Passat, I understand your concern. After some basic troubleshooting, my seat warmer completely stopped working in both seats. With moderate experience in car maintenance, I first checked the fuses, but that wasnt the problem. The workshop diagnosed a defective heating element in the seat heating mat, which is apparently a common issue in these models. The repair involved replacing the complete heating mat assembly. Total cost came to 390€, including parts and labor. The heating system has worked flawlessly since the repair. For more specific guidance on your Arteon: Which seats are affected (driver, passenger, or both)? Are you getting any specific error codes? Did the heating stop working suddenly or gradually? Does the control button light up when pressed? These details would help determine if youre facing the same heater failure I experienced. The repair procedure might be similar since both cars share many components.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Similar to your case, both front seats are affected, and yes, the control buttons still illuminate when pressed. The heater failure occurred gradually over two weeks. The error code reads B138F. I just had the car serviced at 69597km, and everything else is running smoothly. Pretty frustrating to have a temperature control issue pop up right after regular maintenance. Did your technician mention if seat heating issues tend to surface around this mileage? Also wondering if the gradual failure pattern matches what you experienced with your temperature control system.

Thanks for those additional details. Yes, my experience matches yours quite closely, especially the gradual failure pattern. My seat heating also deteriorated over about two weeks before completely stopping. The error code B138F typically indicates a heating element malfunction, just like what happened in my case. My technician mentioned these seat heater issues commonly appear between 60000-80000km, so your timing fits the typical pattern. The fact that your control buttons still light up while the seats dont warm is exactly what I experienced. This usually confirms the temperature control module is still functioning, but the heating element itself has failed. When my heating mat was replaced, the technician showed me the burnt-out sections in the old unit. The heating element had developed several dead spots, causing uneven heating before total failure. The repair solved all temperature control issues, and Ive had no problems since then. For reference, my repair was done about 15000km ago. The new heating elements seem more durable than the originals, at least based on my experience so far.

Thanks again for all this info. Really helpful to know that your repair has held up well after 15000km of use. I called my local shop and they quoted me 410€ for the seat heating repair, which is pretty close to what you paid. They said theyll need to remove the entire seat cushion to access and replace the heating element. Scheduled the work for next week. Its reassuring to hear this is a known issue that occurs around this mileage. At least I know Im not dealing with some unusual malfunction. Will definitely post an update once the automotive repair is complete and let everyone know if the new heating elements perform better than the originals. Quick question though, did you have to do both seats at once, or can you replace just the faulty one? The passenger seat seems slightly worse than the drivers side, but Im wondering if I should just fix both while theyre already working on it.