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Anyone else get knee pain when driving?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by raspy, Jul 20, 2016.

  1. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    I found that when I get discomfort / pain from the seat edge, adjusting the seat up/down or forward/back a small distance is all it needs to find the most comfortable position. It may take a couple of days to get the seat just right for you, but well worth the effort. This advice applies to all car seats.
     
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  2. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    I can confirm, raising the seat worked for me re knee and thigh pain, also twisting your butt a little one way or the other does too.
     
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  3. KV55

    KV55 Member

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    A dull pain in the right leg may be linked to an overly tense stance for getting the best mpg, on less technical routes I will use the cruise control for a break. It would be interesting to hear if those who drive without watching the fuel use get any pain?
     
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  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I don't get any pain - I use DRCC probably 80-90% of the time. Only time I had knee pain was when I used PWR MODE, the throttle is too sensitive if you're trying to hypermile - well, sort-of hypermile. In ECO, it's much less sensitive and easier on the knee.
     
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  5. JayLn

    JayLn Active Member

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    Believe me, it's all about seating position. This is my Prius 2015 problem, when I drive it I get back pain, when I drive our NX200t no pain, this is why I bought the 4 touring just for the seat, I know its like 6g more but having to deal with back pain for 2 years from my 2015 Prius I think its well worth spent, but no I promise I will keep this one for 5-10years
     
  6. Ozark

    Ozark New Member

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    I was wrong, it's not the front edge, but the edge of the seat pressing on the side of my butt/thigh/hip. Because I'm much taller and bigger than an average size human this car is made for, my butt doesn't fit in the bucket seat entirely so the outside edges are pressing the hips. With the two pillows on the seat, my hips get above the edges However, the recovery is slow and still not thorough. For Memorial Day I drove my wife's Odyssey to my sister's and back, almost 1,000 miles and 16 hours or more of driving, and the knee actually got better. After the weekend I forgot the pillows (mistakenly thought I'd need them) in the minivan and my knee starts getting numb and hurting again. Same bad, bad feeling with the outside of the knee and middle toe getting numb. So after seeing that the Prius will totally destroy my knee, I make a plywood seat cover that gets all over the seat and makes everything even and that helps a bit, but it's still hurting me on long drives with traffic jams when I can't use cruise control. It's almost like it's not only the narrow seat and its edges, but also the slope/position. I went to see Prius Prime, hoping that the positioning can be corrected with more advanced adjustable seat, but barely any dealership has it ever in the store. They will get a rental model soon, when I'll be able to rent it for a few days and determine for sure whether it will continue hurting my knee, in which case Prius will be gone forever from our family park, or if not, I will upgrade to a plug-in, yay! I sincerely hope for the latter, for there's no better plug-in in the world for under 30k.
     
  7. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    It sounds like the seat bottom cushion is driving your legs nuts. The cushion is probably a bit too narrow, too short and tilted up a bit much which presses into your thighs. The 8 way power seat's tilt knob can adjust the cushion a little flatter (front of cushion down) to take pressure off thighs and make the seat tolerable for you, but not luxurious.
    The seatbacks are really good in this latest Prius, but the bottom cushion in the 8 way is just ok to me. But I'm 6'2", skinny, most would say with long legs and arms.
    I just returned a Prius 3 Touring with the 6-way seat and I wouldn't tolerate driving it. A Four with power seat would be livable but not the comfort I'm really looking for. The new Accord's do it for me, but they are down on tech and fuel economy is bleh. Hopefully the 2018 new Accord gets with the program.

    ** Another thing with Prius (and all Toyota's) ... they ought to get rid of that CRUISE CONTROL LEVER: It is down low and behind the steering wheel. Not conveniently located. The CC buttons ought to be on the FACE of the STEERING WHEEL like in any Honda.
    I driving with hands and 10 and 2 oclock sometimes or just holding at 4 o'clock with right hand sometimes. Reaching low and behind for cruise lever is awkward, plus in the dark, cannot see. Anyone not familiar with Toyota CC lever will probably struggle using it.

    Toyota cruise control lever needs to go bye bye, it kinda stinks. Just put CC buttons on right face of steering wheel. Period.
     
  8. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Here Here!!!

    It's the worst lever I've encountered. It's actually not always in the same place - if you're on a curve, it's in a different spot, and out of view.
     
  9. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    It's the same place on all Toyotas I have driven.
     
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  10. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Yes because maybe they bought ten billion of those cruise control levers, or perhaps they just can't change their way with it.
    I heard the new President of Toyota, Akio is it, wants to make Toyota's more sporty, stylish, drive better, blah, blah. Well, he can start by putting the cruise control buttons in a sensible place: On the right face of the steering wheel, not on some lever down low, behind the wheel where the DRIVER has to fumble around the use it.
     
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  11. raspy

    raspy Senior Member

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    An update. I don't have the same problem ever since I increased my physical activity which has probably strengthened my leg muscles. I'm walking 5 miles a day and cycling 15 miles a day.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  12. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    I know I am way off topic, sorry about that, but I was just watching a Road Trip video about the coming 2018 all new Camry and whadya know ...
    the new 2018 Camry's cruise control buttons are ON THE STEERING WHEEL, right side face. Gone is the old style lever.

    2018 Toyota Camry: Boring no more - Roadshow
     
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