Originally Posted by
PoliceStateSurvivor
One has nothing to do with the other. Seat controls are made by a different company than the rest of the aircraft.
I know because I happen to work for a company that makes seat controls, so I know what I am talking about.
As to why they are often broken, the answer is probably poor maintenance by the airline.
While there is probably some validity to the maintenance, there is still the mfg's responsbility for a good design.
Primarily the failure mode for seat reclines must be well known; why not design it so if/when it fails, its in the upright position ?
That way the airline doesn't void the seat.