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Too agressive lumbar support is killing my back!

134K views 193 replies 96 participants last post by  Anonymous1 
#1 ·
I love my new Premium but the seat's lumbar support, even when fully "turned off" is still digging in to my back and giving me back-ache. I normally have zero back issues. It is way more aggressive than any other vehicle I have ever driven. I am not sure why I did not notice during the 20 minutes test drive - probably too excited about everything else.

Has anyone else experienced and successfully manage to alleviate this issue? My choices seem to be
1) live with a sore lower back :-(
2) buy some kind of car cushion (~$50) and hope that helps - someone else recommended this one after removing the lumbar support: Obus Forme Ergonomic Orthopedic Low Back Backrest
3) pay the dealer or a specialist to someone "fix" it, I have no idea if this is even possible, to open up such a complex seat and remove foam or whatever else.
4) ultimately, if nothing works, sell my brand new baby :-((( weep...

Any ideas, any help would be much appreciated,

Thanks

Peter
p.s. is it worth asking SOA?
 
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#2 ·
I picked up my Limited on Tuesday - drove about 400 miles since then. I am also having issues with the seats - they are horrible. The seats are not engineered properly and it seems your back is ONLY supported by the middle cushion - the side "bolsters" aren't even in play. Coming from VW (a choice, no reliability issues) , the Outback seating compared to the VW seats are really poor - I am going to see if I can pay to have them "fixed" somehow when I get my first service - if I can stand it by then. Aside from the bad seats and ripoff HK stereo , the Outback is a great vehicle
 
#3 ·
no ideas to help. On motorcycles, I always have to adjust ergonomics - different bars, risers, seats, pegs, rearsets.... and so on.... with cars, you don't have as many options.

I came from a VW to subaru, and had the opposite experience - the narrow pedal controls and crappy foam on the seats of the golf created severe pain in my left hip/leg (crazy sciatica). The subaru seats are awesome compared to that .

Seat comfort is a personal thing. On the VW, the leather seats used a different base and were more comfy - but weren't an option on my model/year.

have you tried the leather seats? Same issue? or no? (you may not like the idea, but in my mind comfort trumps whatever I believe in materials).
 
#4 ·
I was ready to give the Outback to my wife after two weeks. I swear my shoulders 'float' and don't have any seat to push against because the lumbar is so extended in the Outback. But I wasn't going to give up the Outback that easily and found this on the Forester thread.

2014 Forester, Can you remove the lumbar support - Page 2 - Subaru Forester Owners Forum

This weekend I did the mod. I certainly did not get the results of the Forester owners, but it is now much more manageable.
 
#5 ·
...snip...

This weekend I did the mod. I certainly did not get the results of the Forester owners, but it is now much more manageable.
Thank you so very much - this appear to be a relatively straightforward mod and it sounds like the results are immediate and wonderful for many drivers! However I do have the electrical driver seat of the Premium which will probably make things more complicated. However I see you have the Limited version so maybe not.

I'll fiddle around one of these evenings. Not sure if the Forum postings for the Forrester are for the manual or electrical seat - I assume that Outbacks and Forresters share the same seats.

Peter
 
#8 ·
Don't know if the Gen 5 Outback and 2014 Forester seats are exactly the same or not. The inner springs/mech of the Outback did appear to be the same as the pics posted by the bodhi, but as mentioned, I got "somewhat improved results" while the folks in the Forester thread seemed to get "amazing results".
 
#12 ·
If you have the lumbar in the lowest setting - can you still feel the mechanism when you sit in the seat ? I can and I don't think that is right . In prior vehicles I have owned , setting the lumbar all the way "off" makes the mechanism undetectable. The most comfortable seat for me in the whole car is the front passenger seat
 
#16 ·
I posted the original question and thanks to everyone who helped and contributed to this thread :)

The key to making the "Forrester style" fix work (one referenced in replies) was the fact that you could very easily unzip the back of the seat and access the lumbar support wire and spring to which it is attached. Small hands help here.

The spring is on the right side but best unzip both sides. Even all the way off there is still tension on the wire which pulls the plastic lumbar support in to the back of the seat, You can use your left hand to active the lumbar support button while behind the seat to see what is going on.

So after taking off the black protective tape around the spring, I unhooked the wire and added an extra inch via a small zip tie between the end of the wire (there is a loop) and the spring. I then cut the end off the zip tie and wrapped the tape back, and tested. There is clearly now no tension on the wire and the lumbar support will still come on when activated but not to the same extent.

The whole thing takes about 20 minutes and is much easier than my description makes it sound. Also no cutting of anything needed - all changes are fully reversible.

The proof of the pudding however is in the driving and I'll find out this weekend :)

Peter
P.s. I got an email from SOA after I asked and they said there is nothing a dealer could do to fix it.
 
#18 ·
THIS IS REALLY GREAT NEWS FOR ME - I leased my OB , so being able to try this AND put it back before I turn in (if I don't buy it) and still have the lumbar support operational is the best I could hope for. Thanks for the info and hope this improves your situation as well.
 
#17 ·
There is actually a hook on the left side too (see post #4 ). It's a little more difficult to get to, but it's there. Once I did the mod, the headrest then became the issue. Internet searching again revels I'm in the minority with this issue. For now, I flipped the headrest (it's facing backwards), but others have suggested that the Forester headrest is the ideal solution. With the lumbar modification and the reversed headrest... I'm in heaven. The seat is now perfect. And the wife can still adjust the lumbar support out to her comfort level.
 
#22 ·
I don't think it will break anything . While I had the seat back open , I did operate the lumbar to see if it would operate. The mechanism did "move" but there was no damage. That's just my brief testing - not sure if anyone sees anything different. Hate to do this to a vehicle with less than 500 miles on it but as soon as I get in the seat my back aches - not anymore
 
#24 ·
No , didn't touch the cables -just remover the plastic. If it becomes bothersome (as in , my wife wants to drive the Outback and wants lumbar support) then I will try the mod . Basically my car so will just leave it out completely - can't even use the lumbar at the lowest setting
 
#26 ·
coming from a Volvo the seats in the OB are a big let down. I too did not like the lower setbacks and the odd way they are designed. However, after 2000 miles now I am starting to feel that the lower seat back is starting to 'flatten' out - the 'bump' feel is not as pronounced. I think with time it will wear itself down a bit.

Subaru I wish you would design your seats like a Volvo seat; you would have me for life.
 
#28 ·
Wagon05 - thanks for being a pioneer and actually pulling at that damned piece of plastic. I got inspired and did the same.. I wrapped the ends of the metal that would have been holding the plastic in double-sided velcro, to eliminate any rip risk (though probably very small)

Reeko - give it a shot. This feels even better than stretching out the cable with zip ties :)

Picture of the plastic lumbar support attached. I'll be stowing next to my original Subaru mats. I will add back when I sell the car, hopefully many years from now.

Peter
 

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#29 ·
Glad it worked - was desperate - only have the car 1 week and was regretting every minute of it - hard to enjoy all of the great things in the car when you aren't half way comfortable.. When I opened it up , I realized the seat is just very poorly engineered - will think twice about another Subaru. Seems it should fit a variety of body types - these seats are just not made "deep" enough.
 
#30 ·
Wagon05!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much. I would not have considered opening the seat and removing the lumbar support before having seen your pics.

I've had the car for 2 weeks and have been trying to convince myself (6'3" 220lbs) that I could learn to endure the seats, but the prognosis seemed grim. Took an 80mi trip last night, shifting my body and adjusting the seat constantly to the point where my wife started giving me the eye (thinking I was going to get rid of another car).

The protrusion is extremely pronounced. I'm surprised there have not been more complaints.

I unzipped the seat back at lunch today and was able to remove the plastic piece in under five minutes. I've not taken it out for a long drive yet, but sitting in the newly modified seat is already significantly more comfortable. As has been mentioned, the side bolsters now fit my shoulders better and I'm able to sit further back in the seat getting more thigh support.

For those that are planning on following the Forrester mod instructions before removing the plastic please note that you do NOT need to cut the foam loop, unwrap the wire/cable, or disconnect the eyelet in order to access and remove the plastic bolster. There is enough room to just pop it out of the clips and remove it from the side before zipping the seat back up.

Thanks again, Wagon05!!!

Jason
 
#36 ·
Glad it's working for everyone - definate improvement for me - I will know more when "my back heals". So bad , I have been to the chiropractor twice this week - was worse everytime I sat in the seat - today with the plastic out - not so bad. It can NEVER get better with that thing in the seat - it is incredibly stiff and bulky in the wrong place - at least for a few of us anyway
 
#33 ·
JM and others, do you think there is any risk to the seat material if the lumbar support is turned all the way up by someone unaware of this alteration. I.E. repair man, car wash, wife, etc who try to turn it up? Thanks. I plan on doing this in the near future, but want to ensure I do not damage the material on the seat.

Has anyone removed the plastic and turned the lumbar support all the way up to see what happens with the seat zipped up? Can you feel anything like the metal poking? Thanks
 
#34 ·
Reeko - have you unzipped both sides of the seats to take a look? When you what is going on, it becomes much easier than following this thread... :)

The only parts I could see that might poke (looks unlikely) are the 2 bottom L-shape bends on either side, and I covered those up with double-sided velcro. Pressing the lumbar button pulls a wire which is now disconnected from the spring to which it used to be attached, so nothing gets pulled in to the seat.

> Can you feel anything like the metal poking?
>
No, I just went out and checked.

peter
 
#40 ·
I've posted this before in other threads, it's amazing how easy and inexpensive it can be to modify auto seats. I have a bad back and had problems with a new Mazda a few years ago. The dealership referred me to a local auto upholstery shop who worked with me to shape the seat to fit me. The Mazda has very hard seat bolsters that were causing me to have sciatica. They pulled the leather off the seat, cut the bolsters down and smoothed it out with a thin piece of foam over the top. Slipped the leather cover back on the seat and they were done. Cost me $180, a few years later they did it to another new car I bought and it only cost me $80, because we didn't have to keep tweaking it. They knew just what to do the second time.
It's amazing how people suffer and how easy it can be to fix it.
 
#41 ·
So I removed the plastic part this morning. Took 5 minutes very simple. I drove an hour each way to families houses. I am on the fence and will give it a little longer. I am not sure if it is mental now, but I feel like the back of the chair is too soft now, like there is no spring etc down there. I will give it a little longer before deciding. Too bad there isn't an in between fix, maybe I should try the cable trick?
 
#43 ·
Wagon05,
Thanks for posting this simple 5 minute fix, it's been a thorn in my arse since I got the car. I hated thinking about trading it in, it's the nicest driving car I've had.
This changed everything, I could tell the difference instantly. My back was firm across the entire seat instead of being pushed out in a very awkward position.
Thanks again
 
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