Heated Seats: Are They "Too Hot To Handle?"

DETROIT (WWJ) - Some safety advocates are raising concerns about heated seats in vehicles.

They are very popular options, particularly here in northern climates, but the worry is that some of the seats can get too hot for too long.  USA Today quotes safety activists and burn doctors who say some disabled people have received severe burns from heated seats.

They are asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to order the recall of vehicles that have seats that are excessively hot.  The only heated seats that have been recalled so far are those that are fire hazards.

No comment from the auto industry, but some analysts don't really see this as a major area of concern.

"There isn't a car that I've been able to find that have seat heaters that default on," said Jim Hall of the industry consulting firm 2953 Analytics. 

"You have to turn them on.  If you have a lack of sensitivity there, it seems to me you probably shouldn't be using a seat heater."

Hall said, in general, seat heaters do not put out enough heat to cause severe burns under normal circumstances. 

The safety advocates claim some seats can reach 120 degrees, with an average of 105 degrees.  They are also seeking a requirement that the heated seats have timers, to shut them off after a period of time.

NHTSA executive declined comment, saying they hadn't yet seen a letter written by the safety advocates.