replace seats for comfort

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ Jul 30 2007, 01:49 AM) [snapback]487327[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like it would work. You're better with tools than I am. I'd have to pay someone to do it, which I don't mind at all. Please let me know if it works. A half inch isn't much, but I bet it would be a noticabe improvement. Ideally, I'd want to lower the seat by one inch in the front and back. I like sitting with the seat back as straight up as possible since it feels better for my back. If only the back of the seat rails were lowered, the seat back would tilt back too much for me. I know because I had the mod done once in a way that changed the angle. So I asked them to put the seat back.

Good luck!

 

"Yes, the airbag sensor is in the seat. How to get around it? They bought a resistor that simulated the airbag being plugged in. This is apparently something they do a lot, so they knew exactly what to get. I have no airbag warning. "


So, anyone know what the resistance value to simulate the seat airbags are?
Edit
-------------Tried a resistor,1/4 watt 2 ohm, works on my brief trial startup. ----------------
Above has worked for 3 + years.

 

i have this problem with almost all toyota vehicles i always get lower back pain and a bad pain on my side after a long drive. i believe it has to do with the sides of the seats having that contour.

i once had a honda odyssey and those seats were so comfortable, wide and high, and kinda flat

 

Well it looks like this thread has been idle for a while, anyways I just bought a 2011 Prius III and at 6'4" tall I'm very uncomfortable in the car, it does have height adjustment and the seats slide back far enough and unlike the gen 2 Prius my seat is to tall and can't get it low enough to be able to adjust the seat properly and my back and neck are killing me, maybe I am just to big for the car? I'm looked in to changing the seat and or adding a lumbar support but I don't want to compromise my safety or in cure the expense of a new seat just to find out that "Kind of" works. Any tall people having the same problem that can help with any advice would be greatly appreciated. By the way I only have 120 miles on the car...

 

Well, I don't have any of the problems you are speaking of with my '11. btw, didn't get the 'unlike gen2 Prius'. That ride is much worse in terms of seating. anyrate ...

Double check with the dealer to see if they will allow you to do a full refund or exchange at this point. Saying that because Toyota Sunnyvale has a 3 day/250 mile refund, 7 day / 700 mile exchange policy, but most dealers stick you with the car once you drive it home... which doesn't seem like great customer service. Really try to negotiate and let them know you want to be a customer for life. Mistakes happen.

I would advise against replacing the seat. It can be an expensive way to find out the next seat is not for you. And don't ever let any shop modify your stock seat in any way. They cost over $2,500.

If you can get a refund or exchange situation, then a very long test drive or multi-day rental of your next choice would be warranted. I don't know if a Prius v would suit you more, it's all personal.

A Honda Accord sedan is a known sure bet for very tall people, but that's far different. Camry is a little leaner on headroom for me.

 

Are you saying you can't see well because the seat is not low enough?

I'll try to help you out. Just my opinion -

I don't think you'll want to slide the seat all the way back. The steering wheel doesn't telescope quite enough to allow that. Slide it forward a notch, maybe two. This is all guesswork, cause you may have shorter legs and tall sitting height.

Obviously you'll want to be height adjusted all the way down.

If you don't feel like your getting enough leg support, try some different shoes. Avoid driving in running type shoes that have big soles. Shop for shoes that have very low and slender soles / heels. that will help your legs a bit.

It should help to tilt the steering wheel up a little bit. All the way down can make legs feel crowded.

Seatback should be slightly back, not bolt upright or ghetto leaned.

You might just make it, but 6'4" is awfully tall for a 3rd gen. I'm 6'2" even and wouldn't want to be any taller in this ride. But for me, the seat saves it.

One last thing, make sure you're sit well back in the seat. Get base of your spine right up to that seatback. There is some lumbar curve built into the fabric seat.
Good luck!

 

Thank you Cycledrum for the great advice, about the Gen II comment I meant that we have the seat height adjustment unlike the Gen II, in any case I have the seat adjusted all the way down as you advised and find that as you adjust the seat higher the bottom of the seat becomes flatter (angle changes) and takes the pressure of my back. It would be ideal if I could get the front of the seat to angle down/lower that inch or so and believe it would make a world of difference as far as ergonomics go, I may be looking in to modifying the brackets if I am unable to get the dealer to work with me on exchanging the car, Thanks again for you great advice and consideration with my dilemma.

 

I think the seats in Prius are pretty hard and lack adequate adjustment, especially if you have a back problem. If I were in that bracket I would consider an aftermarket seat, say something like an adjustable Recaro bucket (non racing).

The problem with these things is that you need the right bracket to make it fit, but I see one on craiglist from Wedge Engineering
Wedge engineering Recaro seat mount fits Prius
or perhaps Recaro have that covered now?

Another possibility is to jack up the stock Prius seat mount bracket at the front by removing the front mount bolts and inserting washers as packers. Old series Mini (non BMW) drivers used to do this all the time, there were even commercially available brackets to move the seat right back.

You might get a bit more mercy from something like a full shaggy sheep skin cover too, which will be softer and will fill that lower arch a little. You will end up sitting even higher though.

But ultimately, for your own good health I think a replacement seat is the answer

 

Well, if he was to replace the seat, a way to go might be one of the power seats coming in the 2012 Prius Four or Five. The problem is the driver's seat shoud be very expensive as in $3k.

They should drop in and may not be too hard to wire up for the power seat. The harness and connectors might be a little different or quite a bit different. Might want to cop a glance at the connectors under seat in 2012 Prius Four when they arrive. Word is they come in early January, maybe early February.

Maybe a memory foam wedge cushion would help out. Sell them for cheap at places like Bed Bath and Beyond.

It would be better if they had a little round tilt knob at front left of seat bottom. I don't need it but it would help others.

 

There shouldn't be any feasible way to modify brackets on the stock seat. Wouldn't want to have it done anyway because it would almost render the car unsellable or you could not trade it in unless replacing the whole seat which is hugely expensive as in $2,500.

Seat slides on 'J' (or is it U) channel rails with mount feet riveted on that bolt directly into the chassis. Lifter mechanism really doesn't allow for lowering front.

Keep adjusting with what you've got, or trade or maybe replace with a Recaro seat.

 

Thanks again for the advice and good ideas, I ended up going to "The Back store" and buying a lumbar pillow at a cost of $59.00 and it has helped a lot, it is made of a dense memory foam and contours to my back after about five minutes of so, I will give this a try and see if I can make do.
In the next few years there will be a lot more options for cars that get this kind of mileage and would fit a person of my size.

 

I have a 2008 pk6, leather and 150,000 miles. I have suffered through all these years with the uncomfortable seats. Prior to this car I had a 2005 VW New Beetle with sport seats. They were the most comfortable things ever. I may go all the way back to the person that started this thread. The seats are so uncomfortable I have thought, many times, of getting rid of this car. I really can't afford it, but neither can my butt!!!! I don't understand how Toyota puts this kind of seat in the top of the line of their primo hybrid model. Now I am determined to try and keep the car since I don't want to put money up front to get out of it. But the next time I can't sit in the seat without fidgeting all over the place I and get nerve pain on both outer sides of my thighs I will be right back looking at MPG alternatives on autotrader. Uuuuugh!

 

I think I would look at getting seats thats suited me, such as the VW seats you describe even if that meant forgoing side air bags that I dont have anyway, before I traded out of the Prius.

Swap the runners out for VW runners, it just cant be that hard.

 

I fold a towel and place it to fill the seat behind the thigh support part of the seat. I find this gets rid of the sciatic pain.

 

I have a 2004 and a 2009 Prius. The 2004 has cloth seats, the 2009 leather. The 2004 is fine. The 2009 I can drive only about 50 miles before I have excruciating pain in my right thigh. I have been able to make it tolerable by sitting on one of those miracle foam pads for wheelchairs, available at Walgreens, but I am sitting very high, and it's difficult getting into the car without scraping my head. Still, I have seen no better fix. I am thinking of trading it in. Why is the problem in the 09 and not the 04? My wife says she feels the right side of the driver seat is higher, putting pressure on the right leg.

 

Wish there was a solution, lumbar pads and supports have not really helped me.

 

I'm a bit surprised to see this thread has gone for nearly nine years without anyone finding an excellent solution.
Surely there's some money to be made here.

 

it is reasonably well researched, there are 2 options

• replace the seat with a seat made by a third party, Recaro seem like a good option here, indeed Im not aware of anything better than them for reputation etc ..............but its expensive
• or retro-fit a seat from another car, cheaper but would require skills and some innovation with the end product less certain. Ive heard of people fitting Volvo seats, and theres a thread elsewhere on another part of the forum using a Camry seat Prius 2008 Power seat, electric | PriusChat

the former requires money, and for some access to professional fitment
the latter requires observational skills to see the possibilities and tooling abilities to work through the issues

depends I guess, how strong the need is to get that seat replaced

 

Since my comment above, I found this post about someone installing seats from a Lexus CT200.
What did you do to ur Prius today???? | Page 77 | PriusChat

I've been driving my new 2014 Prius for about a week now. I wouldn't say the seat is causing me pain, as some others are experiencing. But I'd definitely pay for an upgrade, rather than do a lot of custom fabrication.

 

There are 3rd party companies that sell seats for almost all cars:

andysautosport where you can specify car year and model

I have a Prius V 2012 and my wife really dislikes the car because of the seats. That's why we just bought her a used Lexus that has awesome seats. GLTA