Seat (dis)comfort after 5,000 miles

[Zidarich]

For those of you who are having trouble adjusting the lumbar support to be comfortable (which would include myself), I found this video on how four way lumbar support actually works helpful:

If Tesla’s four way lumbar support works like Honda’s in that video, it will do the following:
1. Pressing up will increase the upper half of the lumbar support (not move it up or down)
2. Pressing down will increase the bottom half of the lumbar support.
3. Pressing forward will increase both halves together.
4. Pressing backwards will decrease after pressing any three of the other directions.

So if you were like me in thinking it was In/Out, Up/Down, this may help you understand how to set it better. Three buttons increase the support, one decreases it - it’s just a matter of what half. Getting comfortable in these seats has been my one big gripe with the 3 so far (I’m 5’5” and 160lbs). Discovered this last night and hoping it helps.

 

[m3tx]

Definitely the V2 seats are super uncomfortable to me. This is actually the first seat in any car (besides a race car) that has given me pain, regardless of how I adjust them. The pain I experience is in my right leg from the midpoint of my hamstring up through my lower glute.

I'm 6'4", 200lbs, but I don't think height has much to do with it. I have wide hips - 36-38" waist size in jeans - and I think my right leg must have pressure exerted against it by the side bolster which causes the pain. It becomes noticeable after 20 minutes of driving.

Anyone else experience pain in this area? I'm going to try the V1 seats to see if the pain goes away. I drove an early Model 3 with V1 seats for a couple of weeks earlier this year and don't remember any pain so I'll give it another go.

I am the OP for this post, your description of the pain is exactly same as mine.
I am also 6'4" and a bit bigger than you.

 

[Skelly]

Definitely the V2 seats are super uncomfortable to me. This is actually the first seat in any car (besides a race car) that has given me pain, regardless of how I adjust them. The pain I experience is in my right leg from the midpoint of my hamstring up through my lower glute.

I'm 6'4", 200lbs, but I don't think height has much to do with it. I have wide hips - 36-38" waist size in jeans - and I think my right leg must have pressure exerted against it by the side bolster which causes the pain. It becomes noticeable after 20 minutes of driving.

Anyone else experience pain in this area? I'm going to try the V1 seats to see if the pain goes away. I drove an early Model 3 with V1 seats for a couple of weeks earlier this year and don't remember any pain so I'll give it another go.

I am experiencing pretty much the same issues. 6' 180 with v2 seats. The side bolsters are too firm and high, although that has softened up over the 3500 miles I have driven the car....but I have not figured out a good seat position to get rid the pain in my right thigh/hamstring....definitely the most uncomfortable seat of any car I have owned. Overall the best car, by far the worst seat.

 

[lolder]

You know you can buy after-market cushions.

 

[RayK]

If only my real old Recaro seats were powered. I have a pair of LS seats sitting in my garage that were once in my 1980 RX-7. Covered in black fabric (sorta; some areas have been sun-bleached), they would fit right in with the Model 3. Those were the best fitting seats I've ever sat my butt in. But probably given their age, they aren't what they used to be. What I really miss on the 3 is the adjustable thigh support I had with the Recaros and in my BMW 323i. Otherwise, I don't have any complaints about the front seats. The rear seats still don't have enough seat height for my taste. They are better than the Gen 1 seats however.

 

[spyderdawg]

Are you referring to the white stuff along the side of the seat? Are you sure you don't have a rodent living in your car?
It must be chaffing or rubbing against something if its shredding like that...

I never eat in the car and haven't seen any signs of rodents so doubtful. It must be from entry/exit into the car but I am not sure how else to get in unless I jump in, I am 5'8 165 so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[FINbit]

I am the OP for this post, your description of the pain is exactly same as mine.
I am also 6'4" and a bit bigger than you.

I’m 6’2” 230 lbs and feel the same thing exactly in my model 3, except it is on the left side. Feels like the left side of my butt is sitting on the metal frame of the seat... any more than 20-30 mins and I was limping. It was fine for the first month or so, now it’s terrible, but that may just be that my glutes are suffering from repetitive stress.

I wedged 1/2” plywood between the seat cushion and the “springs“ under the seat and this has helped, but I can still feel it just to a lesser extent.

Looking for a better solution.... a seat cushion would make the seat heater useless and Tesla isn’t much help.... apparently discomfort isn’t a good reason to replace a seat.

They said I could drive to Fremont to talk with someone from the seat factory. They’d sit in a factory seat and then come out and sit in mine and tell me on the spot if it’s defective... well unless that person is 230lbs, my body size and going to drive 40 min a day for a week, that isn’t helpful!!

 

[Hans L]

March '18 delivery M3. Not sure which gen seats I have, but they have been wonderful and comfortable. I've done a few 200 miles trips, combination of freeway and twisty mountain roads with no discomfort at all. 5000 miles to date. I'm 5'11 & 160 lbs. They show no signs of wear at all.

 

[jeniferkey]

I had been uncomfortable (150 lbs, but female, so thighs), so I just worked on my seats over the weekend. I was able to unhook from the back, the cover and then the seat material and pull it and the cushion forward to have access between the cushion and the springs. The seat heater cord limited my access, as did a sensor cord in the center of the seat cushion that I had to work around. I cut my foam into quarters, so I could push each segment under the current cushion and around the center sensor cord and under and around the seat heater cord. I had to adjust how my seat sat this morning, to get comfortable, but I didn't have the left thigh pain like in the past.View attachment 365487