Has anyone else noticed their armrest and nearby surfaces being warm to the touch after an extended drive? I noticed the little coin holder in front of the center armrest feeling warm. Actually, the entire armrest and the surface between the front seats and armrest felt fairly warm to the touch. I'm wondering if that is the drivetrain heat coming through or the warm air being passed from the HVAC unit to the rear seating area. I'm assuming the airduct is located under the armrest area and perhaps the heat is being transferred?

I only noticed this when we were driving for 3 plus hours and had the heater set to 70F automatic front and rear.

 

That sounds a lot like the Warmth and Comfort Package to me. All of your touch surfaces will be heated.

 

I'm don't think I have the warmth and comfort package because I don't see it on my equipment list.

 

Make a careful observation the next time you feel a warm armrest.

Note the climate control settings on the front center stack. Put your hand over the rear center console registers. Is the slightest tiniest bit of air coming out of the rear registers? This warms the front center armrest. Same phenomenon on 166 vehicles. Note that the above description is not related to the existence of rear zone electronic climate controls.

 

Might be heat from the transmission coming through

 

I was thinking the same thing. On my Honda, after driving for a while, the gear selector's rod feels warm. However, I never felt warmth on the center armrest.

 

If your heated seats are on, it warms the center armrest (over the storage compartment).

 

I did not know that. However, during our drive, the heated seats were not on so still not sure where the warmth came from.

 

The warmth is coming from the duct that runs through the center console/armrest to the rear seat face registers.

 

It's part of the warmth and comfort package


If you don't have that package, it may be that your rear heat vents are closed, causing a build up of heat in the ducts, as others have suggested.