[C-Max ENERGti]

Today I came close to buying the first Lincoln I've ever driven. It was one of the last MKCs, a 2019. A CPO with three years of warranty left, equivalent to a new Ford warranty. It had the engine I wanted, the 2.3T, a perfect maintenance history, and unexpected bonuses like a tow hitch, THX stereo and heated/cooled seats. On a long test drive, it was delightful. I drive an Escape SEL yesterday, and the Lincoln resolved all my gripes with that Ford: the transmission shifted constantly, the car was noisy, and the seat cushion wouldn't tilt, even at the highest trim level. The MKC seemed to steer and handle with much more assurance, too. After a lifetime of ignoring this brand, it felt like a Eureka moment.

One issue emerged, though. The heated seats didn't seem to be working. The saleswoman with me agreed, it was not like her her Ford, or mine. So I came home and did a search on the problem. Numerous forums had this complaint. and the answer seems to be that the "Heated/cooled" seats are neither- they're just VENTILATED. Lacking an electric heating element, these seats only have a fan that blows interior air into the seat and out the perforations. So they can never get hot, like regular heated seats. I've had that in my cars since the 1980s, and I don't want to give that up! Ironically, to get real seat heat in an MKC, you have to give up the heated steering wheel! The two are bundled as the Climate Package. That's included with every car above the lowest trim level, so you give up a lot of other beneficial options and you're limited to the base engine.

It's a danged shame, becauseI loved the car, my wife loved it, and I was on the hook to buy.

Question- was this (not) heated & (not) cooled seat issue resolved in later model years? Are the Corsair's seats any warmer, with a real heater?

Would it be possible to swap out the Climate Package seats for ordinary heated ones?

 

[copbait]

So the Lincoln MKC is a heated and cooled seat, everyone is now going to a heated and ventilated seat.

The way they work in a MKC is the ventilation runs through a Pizio electric circuit. Depending on the polarity it either heats the air or cools the air. The disadvantages the heated or cooled seat takes longer to get hot or cold but still gets very hot.

The Corsair has a heated element like the old school, heated seats, and then a ventilation system. But no piezioelectric system. This means you're heated seats get hotter faster, but you never develop air conditioned seats. Just a fan through the ventilated holes.

To answer your question about whether it can be done, the short answer is yes, but it involves an entire wiring harness swamp. I actually went the other way from just standard heated seats to climate controlled seats. I know longer have my MKC but I loved those climate controlled seats.

If you love the car, go take it for another test drive and drive it longer and these climate seats get very hot

 

[C-Max ENERGti]

I drove it for two half-hour trips, and it never got hot. Sounds like a seat swap would be prohibitively expensive and complex. I'll start looking at Corsairs.

 

[Buckeye]

did the seat get warm? (My girlfriend's Hyundai has seats that get hotter faster and her car is older than my MKC)

 

[MkcYYC]

I have owned a 2015 since new and it takes a while, but the seats get warm to the point that I have to turn Off.
( and cold) And I live in western Canada.

 

[C-Max ENERGti]

I have owned a 2015 since new and it takes a while, but the seats get warm to the point that I have to turn Off.
( and cold) And I live in western Canada.

Maybe those older ones were better. I've given up on Lincoln over this issue, for now at least. If it were summer I might place more value on the air cooling, but it's a cold winter in Colorado! But I'd suggest Lincoln for any used car buyer who doesn't need strong seat heat. The generosity of their CPO warranty and financing shows how much they want to sell you a car - and it's a damn fine car.

 

[daveo]

My 2017 has heat and cool seats. They get VERY warm in about 3 minutes. Will bake your buns!
The steering wheel gets hot pretty fast...just a mater of a minute at most. Very welcome in the winter cold in the Rocky Mtns.

I'm wondering if perhaps a fuse is blown or not installed properly on the one you tried.?.

Not sure about how "cold" the seats get in summer. It takes a couple of minutes to feel them cooling down...but they do get cool.

Are the 19's that much different from my 17?

Dave O.

 

[C-Max ENERGti]

The thing is, the saleslady and I tried four seats in two different 2019 MKCs on the lot. One for five minutes, in which my C-Max would have been roasting, and the other for two half-hour drives. The dash buttons lit up, showing some degree of continuity. Then I came home and googled "heated seats don't work" and found many complaints, mostly from this forum.

I'll be watching Lincoln with more interest in the future, but my wife and I have agreed that we're now shopping for a Mercedes GLK, their smaller CUV from 2014 or so.

 

[Cbtlab]

I have owned 2015 and now 2019 mkc. Both have had to have the heater in the drivers seat replaced under warranty. The 2015 was worked on couple times before they replaced it and the 19 they just replaced. And drove a loaner for a week while the parts came in Don’t give up on the mkc. Best driving snd riding car I have owned and I’m old!!! Lol. I don’t think as pricey as a Mercedes either

 

[daveo]

MB has their share of issues as well. I'd rather have my MKC.
Ask if you can have the seats replaced under the warranty.
Dave O.