VW Tiguan Heated Seats Lawsuit: Woman Sues Over Alleged Second-Degree Burns, Case Heads to Trial

Driving a car with heated seats in winter is often considered one of life’s simple pleasures. For Emily LaPrade, however, the experience allegedly left her with painful injuries. The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan owner has filed a lawsuit against the German automaker, alleging that the SUV’s seat heating function caused second-degree burns.

The lawsuit is now heading to trial after a judge dismissed certain claims but allowed others to proceed.

Incident Details and Allegations

On September 3, 2023, LaPrade was riding as a passenger in the Tiguan she co-owned with her husband. According to the lawsuit, the seat heater was initially set to the highest of three settings for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. LaPrade then lowered the setting to the middle level for another hour.

After returning home, she discovered a blister on her body, which she alleges was caused by the heated seat. LaPrade has been paralyzed below the hips since a 2014 car crash and claims she can only feel “tingling” sensations from her T10 vertebra to her hips.

Warnings in the Owner’s Manual

LaPrade’s lawsuit argued that Volkswagen failed to adequately warn occupants about the potential dangers of the heated seats and did not provide clear instructions for their use. However, the judge dismissed these claims after reviewing the Tiguan’s owner’s manual, which explicitly states that the heated seat function should not be enabled if “the seat is occupied by a person with a limited perception of pain or temperature.”

The manual also includes a separate warning that individuals with reduced sensitivity to pain or temperature could sustain “burns on the back, buttocks, and legs when using the seat heating.” LaPrade and her husband admitted they did not read the owner’s manual.

Defective Design Allegation

The lawsuit further alleges that the heated seat function was defectively designed and operates at excessively high temperatures, resulting in the plaintiff’s second-degree burns. The judge ruled that this claim could proceed to trial after LaPrade’s expert witness testified that the system can overheat.