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San Marco



Member Since: 18 Jul 2023
Location: Hesse
Posts: 26
Germany 
90 rear seat folding damage
Dear community,

As a MY24 Defender 90 owner, I felt lucky to have the new rear seats, that fully go flat, if folded.

However, as I tried it, I got severe pressure marks on the leather surface just after a few minutes, that luckily vanished after a day. Nevertheless, I believe there is rather edged metal underneath, where the leather is laying on when folded, and the impact may rise critically, if you put weight on it, what load space normally should be designed for.

In the end, we started our holiday trip with upright rear seats for not damaging the leather, what is somehow not the desired approach.

Has anybody of you also experiences about this?

All the best!
Post #1036641 6th Jun 2024 9:15am
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lightning



Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 3094
United Kingdom 
Is it a sharp edge or just a flat piece of metal? lf it's flat you should be okay. But if it's a sharp piece surely there's something wrong with your build? l've not heard of anyone else with this problem and l am sure you would hear if it happened to anyone.
Post #1036694 6th Jun 2024 4:02pm
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J77



Member Since: 04 Nov 2019
Location: Fife
Posts: 3461
Scotland 
Yes I’ve noticed this on mine, next time I fold them I’m going to try a blanket over the seat base. 24MY 90 D250 HSE, Tasman Blue
Post #1036701 6th Jun 2024 5:40pm
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San Marco



Member Since: 18 Jul 2023
Location: Hesse
Posts: 26
Germany 
Thank you @J77, please let me know, if it works!

Cheers!
Post #1036704 6th Jun 2024 6:03pm
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lightning



Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 3094
United Kingdom 
Yes l was going to suggest a towel, or you could use a piece of high density foam (the kind that's difficult to compress) which would probably be easier to put in place.
Post #1036712 6th Jun 2024 6:45pm
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San Marco



Member Since: 18 Jul 2023
Location: Hesse
Posts: 26
Germany 
Good idea @lightning! Thank you as well!

After all however, a bit disappointing though, that this issue seems to be normal, even more for they removed ISO Fix from passenger side front seat in fear of leather damages Rolling Eyes
Post #1036719 6th Jun 2024 7:33pm
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J77



Member Since: 04 Nov 2019
Location: Fife
Posts: 3461
Scotland 
Do any 110 owners have a similar issue?

It seems they’ve fixed one issue but caused another. 24MY 90 D250 HSE, Tasman Blue
Post #1036732 6th Jun 2024 10:03pm
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WizzardPrang



Member Since: 05 Nov 2020
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 174
England 
No. Rear seats fold completely flat in my 110, once the seat bases have been flipped up. Head restraints have to either be folded forward or removed first. Current vehicle: 2020 Defender 110S
Gone: Defender 90 HT 200Tdi, Discovery Sport, Freelander 2

Insta: wizzardprang
Post #1036734 6th Jun 2024 10:16pm
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DFNDER



Member Since: 02 Oct 2023
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 140
Australia 
No issues with the leather being 'dented', however the factory hd polystyrene underneath has got one bit of damage and I csnt tell where from. It looks like one the latch hoops has been pressed into it, but I can't work out how this could happen, unless the seat is physically removed from its pivot mount, so I suspect it happened at assembly.

2nd row seats fold perfectly flat, love it.
Post #1037004 10th Jun 2024 10:43am
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4B4B



Member Since: 30 Apr 2021
Location: Midlands
Posts: 85
United Kingdom 
Did anyone find a solution to the deep imprints from the ISO fixings pushing into the leather of the rear seats on the 90 folded down?

I was in a dealership earlier today looking at the sizes. I had the rear seats down for 5 mins and when returned to the upright position, it was very clear that there were deep impressions left in the leather which were not fading away in any hurry. I should imagine that too much of this will stretch and put holes in the leather over time.

Looking at the cause, it was where the seats press onto the ISO fixing points.

Has anyone used foam or something similar to spread the pressure? Or are there any other solutions?

Thanks. Disco 4 Owner
Post #1067021 4th May 2025 5:57pm
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F-Typical



Member Since: 05 Sep 2024
Location: Hereford
Posts: 54
United Kingdom 
Re: 90 rear seat folding damage
San Marco wrote:
Dear community,

As a MY24 Defender 90 owner, I felt lucky to have the new rear seats, that fully go flat, if folded.

However, as I tried it, I got severe pressure marks on the leather surface just after a few minutes, that luckily vanished after a day. Nevertheless, I believe there is rather edged metal underneath, where the leather is laying on when folded, and the impact may rise critically, if you put weight on it, what load space normally should be designed for.

In the end, we started our holiday trip with upright rear seats for not damaging the leather, what is somehow not the desired approach.

Has anybody of you also experiences about this?

All the best!


Appears to be due to the isofix brackets.
Post #1067039 4th May 2025 11:08pm
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BrickBox



Member Since: 05 Oct 2021
Location: Wales
Posts: 947
Wales 2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Zermatt Silver
It’s strange the Defender is having issues when they absolutely perfected the design on folding seats in the discovery 3/4 10-20 years ago. 2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS.
Post #1067050 5th May 2025 7:40am
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4B4B



Member Since: 30 Apr 2021
Location: Midlands
Posts: 85
United Kingdom 
I agree. The folding seats are not a patch on the design used in the Discovery 3/4. Having to fold the base forwards to reveal blocks of fragile packing foam, then it seems, when the backs are lowered the Isofix mounts dig into the leather so hard they leave an impression in the leather that looks damaging.

Maybe a piece of thick material such as carpet off-cut or similar will help to spread the pressure over a wider area? Failing that, watching Simon on one of his PowerfulUK videos dismantling the seats on a 90, the extreme option would be to take the crossbar out and cut off the Isofix mounts. But even though I have no intention of putting a childseat in the rear, it’s probably classed as a dangerous modification and would fail an MOT. Swapping in an unmodified crossbar for the MOT is a way around that, but a bit of pain. All just to overcome what looks like a poor design that looks like it damages seats. Maybe most owners of 90’s never fold the seats down, so it is not an issue. Disco 4 Owner
Post #1067059 5th May 2025 9:19am
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