My performance seats have begun to make sort of a groan noise when you shift the back of the seat to the left and right. I first noticed it on the passenger seat today while my wife was with me. The driver's seat is not doing while driving but I can replicate the sound on either seat by grabbing the top of the headrest and moving it left and right. It sounds sort of like leather rubbing against plastic or leather on leather but I'm not sure that's what it is. It sounds like it's coming from the frame near the floorboard. Anyone else had this problem?

 

Leather on leather is likely or, as you say, leather on plastic...but this is perfectly normal with leather trim if the surfaces rub...so, have you tried a slight adjustment of the seat position to eliminate the rubbing? In consolation, I can say that if you had an "extended vinyl" interior (cf the Mercedes "Artico leather" = vinyl) you wouldn't experience this noise, nor the patina of keather wrinkles.
By the way, the colour of your car is stunning!

 

I noticed that my passenger seat (unoccupied) was making a rubbing sound while driving. I determined that the seat was too far back as such, it was making contact and noise with the structure behind. Moved it up slightly, noise gone, perhaps that your issue?

 

I've tried adjusting the seat. It will make the noise from any position. It's also not coming from the area where the leather in the seat back meets the leather on the seat bottom. There is a gap there and the two do not touch. I look at it some more this morning and the sound seems to be coming from where the seat back and seat bottom are hinged together near the console. Same with either seat. Even a minor tug on the seat in that area will create the noise. Sounds like leather but I'm suspecting the hinge or seat mount.

 

Do I see light-colored seats in your SIG picture? If so, see if a small amount of talcum powder rubbed into the mating area helps.

 

I found where it's coming from. It's not the seat cushion or leather cover at all. It's the plastic covered seat frame area between the seat and the console, right where the female side of the seat belt is. If I grab that black plastic shroud around the frame and move it back and forth it makes the noise. I suppose it needs a dab of grease but can't easily get to what's inside that plastic shroud.

 

Any chance of getting a spray lubricant in there (with an extension straw on the nozzle)? Glad you found the source of the noise -ambient temperature is also often a factor in this sort of noise production.

 

I'll probably try spraying it if it gets worse. Hopefully once the cold weather is gone it will quite down a bit.

 

I had this same issue in my 16 R, I got one sided sticky roll of foam/insulation, black colored and honestly the same color as my interior. It comes in rolls and can be used in interior door jams to prevent drafts and secure a seal, this stuff was maybe 1/3 inch wide, I placed this behind the seat below where you can’t visibly see the strips and now when the seat is all the way back the rubbing sound is gone. I just did the top of the seat by the shoulders and that solved it, Maybe $5 the roll was, Home Depot.