my guess is that there is a malfunctioning computer.

this morning, before starting the car...neither seat back could be tilted forward. both were locked. pushing the side button did nothing.

at my first stop, the post office, i tried to tilt the seatbacks when i arrived. and before i departed. they were locked and would not move.

i then went to my local garage to discuss the situation. after parking, i tried to move the seatbacks again. would not move.

after getting my mechanic, who has worked on my cars for years, i attempted to show him how the seatbacks could not be tilted. i started this display with the front passenger seat. as you might imagine, it worked perfectly.

the driver's seat remained locked, however.

throughout the day, during my rounds, i tried the seats everytime i parked the car. the passenger seat continued to work. the driver's side did not.

at the end of the day, before leaving my office, i tried the driver's side seatback again. worked perfectly.

and did so at my next 3 stops.

i once encountered similar perversity with my e320 cab that all of a sudden began to do nothing the same way twice.

so, i figure that the seatback locking mechanism is probably electro-mechanical and governed by a computer convenience module[as was the case with the e320] which will have to be replaced for routine, predictable operation to be achieved.

will this be a starmark-covered repair?