If a part for your car was unavailable for 6 months, what would you do?

[MissB]

Replacing this car is not an option.

The backseat is broken (it is a split seat and the part that holds two people is the one that is broken). The part has been on backorder since October.

I've gone back and forth via email with the car manufacturer's customer service and still haven't gotten an eta for the part.

What next step should I take?

[democracyindanger]

1. Try local salvage yards

[MissB]

2. Well, I do have transport two kids

so I'd rather not have to put in a seat that probably has been in an accident. :shrug:

[HereSince1628]

3. As Garp said...then it's pre-crashed

Of course you don't want a seat that is damaged, but many cars are damaged beyond practical repair and still have some good parts.

I think a rear seat might have a good chance of being undamaged.

[MissB]

5. That is a good point.

I suppose if they continue to have a problem getting this part, I could do that.

I'll look into it. Thank you!

[Modem Butterfly]

16. The seats should be fine if there's no visible damage

Unless the seats are electric or heated, you should be fine with pre-crashed seats. After all, they don't do anything but get sat on.

[snooper2]

4. buy an arc welder

and fix it yourself....

[MissB]

6. It broke in just the wrong place

Usually they can fix it without replacing it, but it broke in an odd place.

[jswordy]

7. Or pay somene to weld it for you. No Big Deal.

[flvegan]

8. Duct tape.

Tape the seat in place. Hell, tape the kids in place!

[madrchsod]

9. ebay

ebay motors-parts-rear seats or the name of your of a car-rear seats..500 some entries. call a salvage yard near you and if they don`t have one they should be able to locate one for you..it`s on back order because they don`t have one and will never have one

[wideopen]

10. Junkyard for sure

Unless you have some wierdo car the junkyard will probably have the seat. many car drivers don't even use the back seat so finding one in good shape really shouldn't be a problem. Plus' it will be way cheaper.

[soothsayer]

11. lol! "weirdo car" made me laugh!

[wideopen]

12. Weirdo=

something like merkur, renault,avante. I owned a renault fuego in the 80's and there was a whopping total of 3 of them between all the junkyards within 100 miles.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. My father and I both had Alliances and had a doozy of a time finding

parts. :hi:

[wideopen]

14. I think the

alliance would probably fit the weirdo catagory by anyones definition. btw, was it a good car?

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Well, it died with 175,000 miles on it which wasn't bad for a $5,000

car. :) I liked it, but it was the bare essentials comfortwise. My brother had a LeCar and it was a pretty good little motor too.

[meow2u3]

15. Futile attempt to locate one for you...I tried

I tried to run a search on Ebay Motors, but it turned up 0 seats for your Alliance

[redqueen]

17. Bus?

:shrug:

[MissB]

24. Portland does have a great bus system

But I don't transport my kids when we're just going somewhere close. I need this car for freeway trips, and a broken back seat just doesn't swing it.

[LeighAnn]

18. Move to NYC or the French Quarter

Having a car in those places is more hassle than it's worth, IMO.
Your car-part problem will evaporate.

[all.of.me]

20. i'd go to the junk yard

[DS1]

21. What kind of car is it? A lot of manufacturers make the same car

but under different names. My car, for example, is a Mitsubishi with a suspension knuckle from an Eagle, because when I bought it Mitsu hadn't released that single component for parts sale yet. After pulling my hair out and calling all up and down the East coast for one (or wait three months), one dealer finally clued me in and I gave the part to a skeptical but later convinved body shop manager.

[MissB]

22. It is a Volvo

and from what my mechanic told me, if there was a part available anywhere in the world (new), Volvo would ship it free of charge to his shop.

[DS1]

23. Okay.. Rent a Volvo similar to yours and get full insurance

then just rip your new seat out and take it back :-)

[MissB]

25. LOLOL

It is a '98, so I doubt it'll be available on the rental market.
:D