Seats giving me a back problem

[POWERSTROKE]

Wife did 700 miles in 14-1/2 hours ten days ago with NO pain or discomfort. The problem is not the seat, it's the way you have it adjusted or are trying to sit in it.

 

Trying to Lemon Law a car because you can't or won't adjust the seat properly seems totally wrong. Read your owners manual for help in adjusting your seat.

[Mike Tollin]

First, I know how to adjust a seat. Even the dealer made suggestions and I listened and put them in memory 3 . You don't think over 40 years of driving in various cars with no back issues in any of them I don't know how to adjust a seat?

 

Second... I DID NOT say I was going to Lemon Law the car back. I said I was going to use it as strike one to get them to help me fix the issue.

 

If my Ranger didn't hurt my back, the Focus didn't hurt, the Explorer didn't hurt, the Escape didn't hurt... you don't find this a little unusual? They are all Fords after all.

 

If you had to take medication to drive the car you'd get it. Back pain is the worst and I don't have any previous history of it. I simply want the similar comfort I had in ANY other car, and this is a luxury vehicle.

[Mike Tollin]

So I visited the dealer I bought the Edge form today. I will be heading home soon so they aren't local. I spoke to the Svc manager and the first thing he said was "you have an Edge I assume..." Seems he has had several complaints and works with a local shop to address the issue. He even drew out the most requested foam additions to the back rest. He said it's the only Ford he get's seat complaints on, and believes it isn't as well designed as the other vehicles and isn't isolated to the 1015 Edge, goes back several years.

 

He said call Ford CA and they'd work with me, done it before as they've heard it before.

 

So hopefully the flames will stop about not being able to adjust seats or a radio button in the wrong place since it seems the few on this Forum with the problem, including me, aren't alone and it may actually be a larger population.

 

Other than the seat, I LOVE THIS SUV!

[Frank Drebin]

Wife did 700 miles in 14-1/2 hours ten days ago with NO pain or discomfort. The problem is not the seat, it's the way you have it adjusted or are trying to sit in it.

 

Trying to Lemon Law a car because you can't or won't adjust the seat properly seems totally wrong. Read your owners manual for help in adjusting your seat.

Are u serious?? ?

You supposed we don't know how to adjust a seat or how to sit in...

[Rextang]

For me, any discomfort was only related to applying any additional lumbar whatsoever. It is so low and sharp, it pushes right at my belt line and digs into my spine. It is really odd because I'm not tall. Check that yours is all the way retracted.

Try sitting more upright and calling your posture to attention, allowing your back to follow the contour of the seat such that your shoulders are touching when your hands are resting at roughly 3 & 9. Use the telescoping steering wheel to adjust for reach instead of slouching forward. Use two hands on the wheel to avoid odd back angles. I've got almost 9k back pain free miles behind me and have come to terms with what at first seemed like uncomfortable seats.

[Mike Tollin]

All very good tips, and my problem is similar. Over extended lumbar and little to poor contact above. All confirmed today at dealer.

 

I guess the real point here is that if I rented a car for a week, I'd take it back immediately for an exchange if it bothered me. I see no difference paying $40k for a car. I wouldn't "get use" to the rental nor should I have to buying it. I've never had to adjust to a car seat, the car is suppose to adjust to you which is why it has 10 positions with a lumbar support. If these are poorly located they will fit some people, but not the masses they seek. Search seat problems for other vehicles and you'll have fewer hits than the Edge. If a $15k car can be built for the masses with acceptable seats, so can the Edge.

 

Even if I was only living being on the planet with the problem, it's only a couple of hundred dollars to fix and customer satisfaction should come first, and if not, they should take it back (and by law will have to). Heck, they just paid $10,000 dollars to fix my Ranger under warranty (3 attempts) and didn't tell me to live with it. (I'm not kidding , this is what I traded)

 

I don't plan on returning it, but started a customer Svc inquiry/complaint today, and it seems they may agree.

 

I started this thread as a new owner looking for input for remedies, not to start a war or get flamed. It the car fits you great, but don't tell a person because it's OK for you, everyone else must be stupid.

 

This last line wasn't intended for you, but I'm pretty fed up, and if the show fits.... I guess it must fit all. Oh wait, they make different show sizes don't they? It's not a one size fits all world.

[Mike Tollin]

Damn... "shoe" not "show." Wish I could figure out how to edit a post here...

[lskarha]

Early in the thread I posted information about the 6 different seats. I’d like to know which seats are the most problematic for the various posters as well as how tall they are.

[Frank Drebin]

All very good tips, and my problem is similar. Over extended lumbar and little to poor contact above.

That's exactly my problem!

 

-> Over extended lumbar on the seat

-> too soft!!

Edited August 20, 2015 by Frank Drebin

[akirby]

You can't just buy a car and take it back because you don't like it. Once a car has been sold and titled, it cannot be sold as a new vehicle again.

 

What you should do is get an extended test drive - at least 30 minutes. Some will let you keep it overnight. BEFORE you buy it.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Exactly what persuaded me to buy my first Ford eons ago

Some will let you keep it overnight. BEFORE you buy it.

[Mike Tollin]

Here we go again... I am NOT planning on returning it, I am planning on getting it fixed and it's not that I don't like it...it's that it has an inherent design flaw that the dealers admit goes back several years and told me how they get them fixed by Ford. They should have warned me in advance some people find the seats uncomfortable/painful and offered me a longer test ride. It can actually be considered a safety hazard if you have to sit on towels or pillows, or adjust the seat outside the manuals recommendations because the seat belts may not be in the proper place at impact or you may slide in a collision. Not disclosing this could actually be a liability to them or a "material omission." when I asked about the Chryslers he had and the Durango they were quick to point out some tranny issues, When I drove the Explorer he asked about the sitting position as he said some people find it too low below the windows.

 

And yes, if you don't like a car you CAN potentially take it back, if you properly document it's due to an issue that's potentially repairable. It's called the Lemon law and as posted earlier, already happening with the Focus across the country because people don't like the way it shifts and Ford is choosing not to even attempt to alter them.

 

The Dealer does not take them back and retitle them, Ford does and marks them as Lemons then the dealers get to make a second profit selling it again. Dealer gets to keep the profit. Most states have laws to warn the prospective buyer of it's history, but always in Ford Database which can be accessed by any individual if you have a VIN and shows in CarFax.

 

That's part of the incentive to them to make a proper and safe car and offer customer satisfaction.

 

So let's get it straight, IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE THE CAR AND WANT TO RETURN IT. I WANT IT FIXED and it's really not that subjective given the Svc Mangers are admitting to the number of complaints they are getting and have a process for repair.

 

But that's a different topic.

[akirby]

Lemon Law is for defective cars that can't be fixed. A seat that is uncomfortable to some but perfectly comfortable to others is not a defect.

 

Nobody is getting lemon law because they don't like the way their Focus shifts. There are defective Focus transmissions that have been hard to fix but that's not the same as "I don't like the way it shifts".

 

Ford and/or the dealer may choose to help customers who complain by modifying the seats, but it's not a defect and lemon law is most definitely not applicable.

 

There were even more complaints about the headrests on the 2008-2010 models. They were designed to meet safety standards and were downright uncomfortable for a lot of folks including me because they pushed your head forward too much. Ford didn't fix those, either because they weren't defective. Comfort is subjective.

[WingNut]

It's that it has an inherent design flaw that the dealers admit goes back several years and told me how they get them fixed by Ford. They should have warned me in advance some people find the seats uncomfortable/painful and offered me a longer test ride.

 

You are out of your mind. They should not be required to tell you what other customers feel about the car as a warning to you. Not one single person selling one single item is going to do this and I don't blame them. You want to know what people feel about a car? Go read the forums and reviews online to see what the complaints are. Can you imagine sitting with a dealer and he telling you stupid things like

 

- Some people don't like how the instrument cluster is laid out

- some people don't like the jack that comes with the spare tire

- some people don't like the gas fillup being on the Left

- some people don't like how the windshield wipers work

 

YOU should have done your research and requested a longer test drive. If the car was too new to get good info online, wait until the next model year.

 

Good luck getting it lemon'd for an uncomfortable seat LOL.

[Mike Tollin]

Non of those items have anything to do with physical pain and suffering. And the inability to read "caps" stating I don't plan on Lemon lawing it leaves me in utter disbelief. And with that this forum is not for me and I'll deactivate my account. I'm sure I'll be missed, but thankfully I won't be able to see any more posts.

 

Goddbye.

[akirby]

Non of those items have anything to do with physical pain and suffering. And the inability to read "caps" stating I don't plan on Lemon lawing it leaves me in utter disbelief. And with that this forum is not for me and I'll deactivate my account. I'm sure I'll be missed, but thankfully I won't be able to see any more posts.

 

Goddbye.

 

You said people were getting Focii returned under lemon law because they didn't like the way it shifts. That's simply untrue. On the seats you also said you would "use it as strike 1" to get Ford to fix it, but since uncomfortable seats are NOT a defect in the first place there is no "strike 1" to begin with.

 

Nobody is saying that you should ignore the situation or that you shouldn't try to get Ford or the dealer to help. The part we object to is calling this a "defect" and claiming that Ford is required to do anything about it.

[Kevin Breslin]

I've had my 2015 Edge SEL for 1 month and the seat is giving me tremendous back and especially leg/hip pain. Like another person posted, I'm taking Motrin because of the pain in my lower back and left hip. The seat is absolutely terrible. I seriously regret leasing this car and don't know how I'm going to get through the next 35 months with this. A towel helps but only a little.

 

The seats are so very narrow with such high sides that it seems as though the seats were designed for small and thin people only.

 

Very, very unhappy and wish that I had gone with the Nissan Murano (even though its passenger side impact rating was only 3 star).

Edited February 15, 2016 by Kevin Breslin

[LoftyNotions]

Kevin, if your seat has any lumbar support adjustment, you might try cranking it to the absolute minimum. I don't know if it'll help you, but that solved my back pain problems with my old Murano as well as my Aeron office chairs.

 

Good luck,

 

Larry

[Kevin Breslin]

I've tried tweaking the lumbar without much success. (Larry, thank you for the suggestion).

 

I found that the issue with the pain in the hip/leg/back was due to the narrow and very deep bucket design of the seat. Where unless you have the hips of a child or are very thin, one or both cheeks are forced up on one of the seat edges thus putting stress on your hips which telegraphs up the back and down the leg.

 

I tried to fill in the extra deep bucket with a folded towel and found that IT HELPED GREATLY! While I tried to get used to sitting on a folded towel, it became obvious that the constant adjusting and refolding would be an different type of pain, so I went for a more usable option.

 

I purchased some dense foam, similar to the foam the seat is made of. Cut it (several attempts) down to just the right size then had a vinyl cover made for the cover and have been using it for about a week. So far, it has been a very good fix that doesn't feel too odd to sit on and GREATLY reduces the pain in my hips/leg/back.

 

https://goo.gl/photos/zzi9dcP4XfP9Wp1M8

[akirby]

An upholstery shop should be able to modify the seats for you.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Nice mod, Kevin!

[Edge Driver 1]

I just got a 2016 Ford Edge for my company vehicle. I average 700-1000 miles a week in my car as I cover three states for work. I noticed pain in my lower back after driving several hours continuously in it, and it continued to get worse over two weeks time. I now have debilitating lower left back pain and it wraps around my left leg causing my leg to give out on me when I am walking, not to mention the intense back and leg pain that has been keeping me completely miserable during the day and unable to sleep at night.

 

I have seen the chiropractor twice this week and I am going to get x-rays tomorrow.

 

It was somewhat comforting to see that others are having the same issues with the Edge seat. It is the ONLY thing that has changed in my life so after suffering for almost two weeks, I decided to do an Internet search to find this forum.

 

I went to WalMart and purchased some foam that is designed to go on a mattress. I measured the seat space and the back space because I feel like the curvature in the seat is a problem along with no support in the middle of the bottom of the seat. I also purchased a small foam noodle to put in the back bottom of the seat. I also agree with others that he lumbar support is worthless and in the wrong place. I also purchased a magnetic and massaging seat cover to go over the foam and noodle. I am hoping that combining these things will provide some relief. However, it is absolutely ridiculous that a brand new $36,000 car has such a horrible and debilitating seat.

 

Yesterday, I complained to the Fleet Manager at the Ford Dealership, the Service Manager at the Dealership, and was forwarded along to Ford Customer Service at the 1-800-392-3673 number. I will also be putting my complaint into a letter and mailing it to Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI. Of course, the customer service representative I spoke with said he has never heard of this complaint before. He told me to send my written complaint to Phil Perry's attention, who is the customer relations manager for Ford in Michigan.

 

A little about me: I am a 39 year old female. I am very physically fit. I have been very active my entire life. I grew up a gymnast and dancer (dance team in college) and I also played softball for 10 years. I have always been very active and I have never had any injuries, accidents, or broken bones. I now walk 2 miles each morning, and I also work out with a trainer three times per week incorporating weight training for strength and overall health. I am 5'2" tall and I weigh 118 lbs.

 

A little more background information, I had a Ford Fusion for a year before getting this Edge and that Fusion seat was extremely comfortable and never gave me any problems. I also drove an Escape about 6-7 years ago for several years, and it never gave me any problems either.

 

This has been the worst experience ever, but I am grateful for this forum to shed some light on this very real problem.

[enigma-2]

Automobile seat comfort is probably the biggest complaint commont to all car brands. Honda's have probably the largest following of seat haters, BMW's are known for hard seating as well.

 

One type of seat cushion that will make all the difference is the air filled or gel-filled wheelchair cushion. Designed for people who still have feeling and are pinned to a wheelchair permanently. Expensive, but very confortable.

[akirby]

Firm seats can be the most comfortable (just like firm mattresses) but some people perceive that as uncomfortable if they're used to very soft cushy sofa like seats.

 

With almost any seat design you will find someone who has problems - you can't build a seat that fits everyone - although the 22-way or 30-way multi-contour seats should come close.

[enigma-2]

True enough, but what's clear when reading other forums is that many people have serious problems with the modern seating. Some are forced to seek medical attention for their problems.

 

While my MKX is ok, it's definitely not as comfortable as my Sable was. My wife hates the MKX seats, and truthfully, I find I end up sliding around on them whenever I make a turn. I would say that the seat comfort is the biggest complaint I have with my MKX. On a scale of 1-10, I wouldn't give more than a 3.

 

Edit.

I'm sorry fellows, I meant to type a 6, while I'm not completely crazy over the seats, I'm not dissatisfied. The leather is slippery and mostly flat. They're confortable enough, but no where as confortable as my Mercury Sable was. And I tend to slid around on them when making a turn. But I would still rate then 6 or even 7 for comfort. My Sable were probably 9, pushing 10 for comfort. And they were cloth which meant they were warmer in freezing temps and fairly cool when it was roasting out.

Edited April 23, 2016 by enigma-2