Hello, I just got a new 2015 S Plus last week, I love this car but, after driving a few miles my back cramps up and hurts. Lower back and up about 4 inches, not good, it is making my new car experience a real pain. Have any others experienced this problem? I also have a 2013 Prius and the seats in it fit me great. I am hoping my back will adjust to these seats or they will adjust to me. I am 6 ft 2 and weigh 215. I am not small but not a huge guy either. I am trying a small blanket folded up to make it a little softer and raise me up the where the lumber actually fits me. As stock it feels like I my tail in in a hole, slopes to bottom rear. I hope someone has some input that has experienced this issue too?
S Plus Uncomfortable Seat
- Thread starter oneover
- Start date
I have been trying many adjustments, will keep trying. Last night I found if I push myself back in the seat bottom, meaning to take full advantage of the seat curvature it helps some. Maybe with this more structured seat I need to be pushed back. I have a 2013 Prius and that more relaxed seat is far more comfortable for me. Prius seats are the opposite, more like a living room chair, but far more comfortable for me. I know seat comfort is highly subjective. I want this to be comfortable because I really love this car, but being in pain driving it takes the fun out of it for sure.
I have tried every position possible, I contacted a few shops and my problem is fairly common. One shop said they are averaging 2 new cars a month for this problem. They suggested placing towels in various places to isolate my issue. Before I could tell them what kind of car I owned, they guessed a Corolla or Hyundai Elantra, these are their 2 most common new car seat mods. They said usually it's the backrest with a problem for some people. The built in lumbar support is in the wrong place for a lot of people. I experience pain in my back after 10 to 20 minutes driving time, not fun. I will be taking mine in to see what they can do. This is not covered under warranty, if it's in spec for Toyota, too bad for me. It's on my dime. I love this car, its a shame it is a painful experience, very disappointing for a new car experience.
Well, your problem isn't as uncommon as you might think, as you've found out. Not just back, but knees, hips, etc. Often comfort issues aren't apparent in the short time most people test drive cars. I have a herniated disc and I find the seats in the Eco to be very comfortable, if firm, for my back. I have had some discomfort in my bad knee (previously shattered kneecap). It isn't that there isn't enough legroom, its more the angle of my knee from the seat to the floor. Oddly, driving with my shoe off of that leg alleviates it. Not ideal, but I'm headed for a knee replacement anyway.
Sure, I actually look for parts on eBay. When I am bored I browse eBay categories and see what new parts come out for our Corolla and then one day I saw a Buddy Club Racing seat bracket. Granted, it is expensive at $160 per pop but if you want to utilize bucket seats, why not? I don't believe I saved the one for the passenger but the link is for the Driver.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381006868402?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381006868402?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I will be going to a very experienced shop for rebuilding seats on Monday morning. I am also having my wife bring our Prius for an example. I can drive the 2013 Prius for more than 12 hours a day without an issue. I wanted to know a couple things, is the metal seat frame the same in the S as in the other Corolla models? Is it just the form and density of the foam that's different in the S model? I Hope he can replicate the shape of the Prius seat in my Corolla, doing a rough measurement comparing width of these two cars, the backrest and the cushion are both one inch wider in the Prius due to the conforming bolsters in the Corolla S. There is plenty of room in the Corolla to make it one inch wider, by reforming the foam. We shall see what he can do. After staying out of the Corolla for most of this week and driving the Prius I really think it's the backrest causing my issues. It is such a small pocket to squeeze my back into, I am not a narrow framed back guy.
I think you are on to something with the Corolla S seats being different than the base Corolla. I'm 6'2 250 lbs. I have a 2014 Corolla LE and a 2013 Prius. I find the Prius seats slightly more comfortable but not that different to cause discomfort. The seats are pretty much the same except the Prius has more leg room. Did you go to the dealer and try the base Corolla seats?
Yes I drove the Eco Plus and an LE Plus, but in short new car test drives my back pain did not surface. Looking at the LE and Prius seats they look very close to the same in shape. This is why I am bringing the Prius with me to my appointment so the shop can try to duplicate the Prius form in my S Plus. I am not even driving the Corolla now, it causes that much pain, so you can see how important this issue is to me. I really want to drive my new car, keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow.
I am back from the shop, they looked at my seat and sat in it and said, there is hardly any lumbar support. I knew there was a problem but my back hurt so much I could not isolate the exact issue. So they removed the seat and looked inside. There they found a manufacture shortcut, on seats without a manual or electric lumbar support there is a built in bracket that allows lumbar support when you put your weight against the backrest. In the Corolla S this piece is not there, not put it. So that is why there is little to not lumbar support in the S seats. I can't speak for the LE because mine was the one worked on. They added an inch and a half more foam contoured to a proper lumbar support. I drove around that city for 45 minutes and then a 3 hour drive home. At first I thought it was too much support, but then my back started to adjust to the proper support and all was good in my life. I could have driven another 3 hours easily. Prior to the mod my back was cramping up and in bad pain after 20 minutes driving. I was so worried I had purchased a car I could not use because it really hurt my back to drive, but now I feel good again, I am very happy to have it fixed because this is a very fun car to drive. My observations are this, if you are a 20 or 30 something with no prior back issues this car is comfy from the get go, but if you are a seasoned gentleman as myself (63- 6ft 2in,, 215 lbs) and have had back issues you may want to consider adding some lumber support. The klicker was this shop only charged me $50 and they are as their reputation said,, Great! I am a very happy guy now, please feel free to ask any questions, I am full of answers,, 
@oneover Nice! Glad to hear that it was fixed and for such a small price! I work in a chiropractors office and we actually supply out patients with chair lumbar back supports. A majority of our patients use them in the car and love them. So if anyone lives in an area where they do not have a shop that can perform mods like @oneover mentioned you can always pick up one of these and see if it will help. But keep in mind though that it will be visible unlock the above mentioned mod!
http://www.amazon.com/Duro-Med-Rela...212&sr=8-1&keywords=chair+lumbar+back+support
http://www.amazon.com/Duro-Med-Rela...212&sr=8-1&keywords=chair+lumbar+back+support
Hi everybody, at 5.8 and 160 pounds I find the seat of my 2015 Corolla uncomfortable, and have realized that it has no lumbar support at all, flat as it can be and it is not so easy to adjust a small pillow as it has the bucket style as well. After six months of use I know my back it's going to hurt if I remain inside the car for a long period of time.
Everyone has a different body. The lack of lumbar adjustments is very frustrating in this car as my back gets sore after long drives. If my old Focus didn't have so many miles on it, I would use it for longer drives. The seats in that car are absolutely perfect as I have not needed to adjust them since finding the sweet spot over 10 years ago.
I have a 2010 LE and 2012 S. I was driving over 800 miles a week, the the longest stretch being 5.5 hrs. In general the S seat is better for me as it seems thinner and harder, however I cannot stand the back pain in either one. I tried towels for a while but finally found the Aerocore Seat Pad and Lumbar Support at Costco. It works wonderfully and I have no issues with long distance driving. I highly recommend for Corollas.
http://costcocouple.com/aerocore-seat-pad-and-lumbar-support/
http://costcocouple.com/aerocore-seat-pad-and-lumbar-support/
Thank you very much for sharing this information. My car seat has been modified three times already and the results did not work at all, therefore they returned the seat to its original form. All bodies are different, but the seats of my Corolla lack comfortability. I was lucky to find somebody who thought that if the modifications didn't work out well, he could get the seat back as original. Cushions such as the one you suggest, are an excellent option!
I have the same problem like you and I never have this problem with all my previous cars. I think it is not the lacking of the lumbar support alone. The height of the front portion ( where the legs rest) and the back portion of the horizontal part of the seat are too much, tilting almost at 20 degrees at certain parts. It's like 'sinking' on the seat as the part where our ass sit is much lower than other car seats I have come across so far.
with 2010 my seat goes fully back, then the front lumber gets pumped down to a number of clicks, and the back gets about four clicks.
every now and then I now must pump my seat one may be two to keep the same position.
If I wonder but makes no difference the height and weight is not going to be 100% helpful, but the length of your legs and height of your back will add to the way we all sit
one person can have 36 inch legs the other 26 inch legs or back 28 ich or 22 inch and that all makes the diffrence to each of us.. Just thinking it out loud
every now and then I now must pump my seat one may be two to keep the same position.
If I wonder but makes no difference the height and weight is not going to be 100% helpful, but the length of your legs and height of your back will add to the way we all sit
one person can have 36 inch legs the other 26 inch legs or back 28 ich or 22 inch and that all makes the diffrence to each of us.. Just thinking it out loud
I have the same problem with this car. It's the main problem with the Corolla (the others being poor handling and noise from the door tweeters even when the sound system is off). The better choice for comfort would have been either a Chevy Cruze (I'm guessing), Hyundai Elantra, or (I did try this one the TC from Scion.
I've personally never sat in a Japanese sedan nor SUV that's very comfortable, but my standard of comfort is either a Peugeot with Recaro seats as standard or a Ford vehicle (maybe it's only the trucks) with lumbar support. Still, most American cars are between the better European cars' seats and the Japanese cheapo discomfort.
I would just like to ask if anyone has a solution to make these Corolla front seats run back another inch or two.
It might not be that bad if the wheel well did jam one's left leg up too much.
the TC from Scion. I've personally never sat in a Japanese sedan nor SUV that's very comfortable, but my standard of comfort is either a Peugeot with Recaro seats as standard or a Ford vehicle (maybe it's only the trucks) with lumbar support. Still, most American cars are between the better European cars' seats and the Japanese cheapo discomfort.
I would just like to ask if anyone has a solution to make these Corolla front seats run back another inch or two.
It might not be that bad if the wheel well did jam one's left leg up too much.
I have the same problem with this car. It's the main problem with the Corolla (the others being poor handling and noise from the door tweeters even when the sound system is off). The better choice for comfort would have been either a Chevy Cruze (I'm guessing), Hyundai Elantra, or (I did try this one the TC from Scion.I've personally never sat in a Japanese sedan nor SUV that's very comfortable
the TC from Scion.I've personally never sat in a Japanese sedan nor SUV that's very comfortable
Sound from tweeters when system is off : wouldn't that indicate some electrical problem ?
I have found Japanese cars to be comfortable until recently when they started really cutting corners. The Corolla is the best example of that as the Corolla really feels cheap. It feels nothing like a Focus or Mazda 3 interior wise. Of course it is priced nowhere near what the Focus, 3, or Civic costs either. Historically, I have found European cars to be most uncomfortable. Historically, I have found American cars to be the most comfortable until lately when they all decided to become more Euro and German. The Focus SE is very comfortable, but is extremely uncomfortable in Titanium trim with the sporty hard seats. The Fusion follows a similar path with the SE being extremely comfortable while the Titanium takes a while to get used to. Some of you younger guys miss the awesome days of column shifters and bench seating in traditional American cars that felt so much like you were sitting on a couch. There was no side bolstering, but you didn't care because you weren't going to take such a pillowy riding vehicle into hard corners.
I just purchased the 2014 used Carolla S Plus and didn't notice it on the test drive but the bucket seats, near the bottom of the seat on the sides where they curve (attached pic) seem to pinch my sides like its hugging my hips lol. Im on 5'9" 160 lbs with a 34" waist. Its pretty uncomfortable. O can't seem to find a good spot to adjust yet and I noticed it when I drive home but not when I did the test drive I wonder if a few weeks Ill get used to it or it will break in etc. Being used with 34k miles you figure it would be broken in.
I hear ya. am 6'0 150sih and sit different. and the seats on the base do not bother me art all, the Back feel more contoured. I also been in about five others when away and from memory . nothing like you described?
Could the seat be reconditioned, refurbished, replaced, as they do a overhaul on preo-owned I think, Just guessing? If it is stiff I think it would work in in time and 30 plus K would been worked in? Maybe you are favoring that side, and shifting does it feel different?
Could the seat be reconditioned, refurbished, replaced, as they do a overhaul on preo-owned I think, Just guessing? If it is stiff I think it would work in in time and 30 plus K would been worked in? Maybe you are favoring that side, and shifting does it feel different?
5'10 and 175lbs, my S+ seats are incredibly comfortable and fit well, even on the sides.
Huh, you're not too far off from me. 36 waist and I feel pretty comfortable in the seats... granted, mine is a 2015; but I wouldn't reckon that there is a huge difference. Our chairs look exactly alike. How do you have your seat positioned? It did take me a while to position it so that it felt good, and the current positioning is in a way that I have never really used in any other car before. Do you sit high or low? Close or far? Upright or leaning?
Huh, you're not too far off from me. 36 waist and I feel pretty comfortable in the seats... granted, mine is a 2015; but I wouldn't reckon that there is a huge difference. Our chairs look exactly alike. How do you have your seat positioned? It did take me a while to position it so that it felt good, and the current positioning is in a way that I have never really used in any other car before. Do you sit high or low? Close or far? Upright or leaning?
Yeah I know. I have read a MAJORITY of people and reviews talk about how comfortable the seat is. I had a Pontiac G6 for years with cloth seats. The S Plus comes with the hard bolsters on the side like in the pic and they are bothering my hips sides of all things. not my back. The fabric-trimmed seats with sport bolsters and sport fabric inserts - the bolster seem stiff when I sit against it. But people seem to love it. Maybe I need to give it some time. The crazy thing is... I swear i didn't notice any discomfort on the test drive. I might be thinking about it too much too.
I seem to get some relief when Im not snug against them. Again.. hoping it takes time. Ive only had it for a few days...
I seem to get some relief when Im not snug against them. Again.. hoping it takes time. Ive only had it for a few days...
same problem here. im 6'2" and the first month it was so painful to drive the car that i had a piece of board as a back rest. believe me, it is just a matter of your body getting to love the seat. six month have passed and my back is now ok with the seat. just seat as far back and straight up as u can.
I had these same problems then I found out that morphine and hydrocodone takes care of it. Lol.
I need to look into injecting cushion. People say seats r comfortable in my le but for someone with horrific back issues, comfort is a state rarely achieved. I have seat covers which add some cushion also. I am 5 10 and drive with seat as far pushed back (base) not backseat. I don't know how u 6 ft 2 or 3 guys have leg room and not have knee problems I can't drive with my legs cramped up.
I need to look into injecting cushion. People say seats r comfortable in my le but for someone with horrific back issues, comfort is a state rarely achieved. I have seat covers which add some cushion also. I am 5 10 and drive with seat as far pushed back (base) not backseat. I don't know how u 6 ft 2 or 3 guys have leg room and not have knee problems I can't drive with my legs cramped up.