Uncomfortable driver seat?

[Rooster123]

I have a model 3 and I find the seat is too concave in the upper back portion. Super uncomfortable compared to any other car I've driven. This is exacerbated by the fact that the suspension and headrest are both firm and if my head rests against the headrest, it keeps bouncing off the headrest as I go over small bumps.

I bought this:

Back Pad Support Cushion for Car

Our square shaped back support cushion for automobile seats relieves back pain and/or neck pain while driving. Place the back pad lower for lumbar support or higher for mid back thoracic support. The back cushion promotes proper posture by creating a more ergonomic automobile seat. Relieves...

www.buildaposture.com

Placed it at the upper portion of the seat to fill in the part that's concave. Surprisingly, even 1.25" is too thick. So, I used scissors to cut away at the foam insert to make it thinner. I also tapered the bottom, basically turning the rectangular cross section into a triangle, so that the bottom blends with the lower portion of the seat.

So far, it's significantly more comfortable than anything else I've tried but it's clear that it's still too thick and needs to be trimmed even more.

I think even just like a 1/2" patch of extra interior foam at the top portion of the seat would make it dramatically more comfortable. But I don't think I want to attempt this.

 

[Georgesb2]

I have a model 3 and I find the seat is too concave in the upper back portion. Super uncomfortable compared to any other car I've driven. This is exacerbated by the fact that the suspension and headrest are both firm and if my head rests against the headrest, it keeps bouncing off the headrest as I go over small bumps.

I bought this:

Back Pad Support Cushion for Car

Our square shaped back support cushion for automobile seats relieves back pain and/or neck pain while driving. Place the back pad lower for lumbar support or higher for mid back thoracic support. The back cushion promotes proper posture by creating a more ergonomic automobile seat. Relieves...

www.buildaposture.com

Placed it at the upper portion of the seat to fill in the part that's concave. Surprisingly, even 1.25" is too thick. So, I used scissors to cut away at the foam insert to make it thinner. I also tapered the bottom, basically turning the rectangular cross section into a triangle, so that the bottom blends with the lower portion of the seat.

So far, it's significantly more comfortable than anything else I've tried but it's clear that it's still too thick and needs to be trimmed even more.

I think even just like a 1/2" patch of extra interior foam at the top portion of the seat would make it dramatically more comfortable. But I don't think I want to attempt this.

I pulled the back panel off and inserted a narrow piece of foam from the highest point to the lumbar support. It works really well and isn't difficult to do. There are good videos out there on how to pull the headrests and remove the back panel.

 

[Rooster123]

I pulled the back panel off and inserted a narrow piece of foam from the highest point to the lumbar support. It works really well and isn't difficult to do. There are good videos out there on how to pull the headrests and remove the back panel.

I considered this but was hesitant. A few questions:

What type of foam and what size/thickness did you use?

Are you concerned that the seat heaters could melt or burn the foam?

How did you secure the foam so that it doesn't drift down?

 

[Rooster123]

Update: I read somewhere (can't remember where) that the passenger seat, which is more comfortable, is extremely similar to the driver seat with one difference being a relatively thin weight sensor layer and that adding even a thin layer of foam to the driver seat bottom makes the driver seat more comfortable.

I tried this with a 1/2" thick piece of foam and amazingly it makes a gigantic difference in comfort. The backrest is super uncomfortable normally, and just that extra 1/2" lift makes the backrest feel like any other car to me. It's bizarre how a tiny adjustment like that makes such a huge difference.

I'm really thin, so I wonder if my butt is just too small and doesn't lift my back up enough haha.

Now I just need to find some kind of 1/2" thick cushioned layer that will fit the seat bottom without moving around when I get in and out of the car...

 

[Georgesb2]

I considered this but was hesitant. A few questions:

What type of foam and what size/thickness did you use?

Are you concerned that the seat heaters could melt or burn the foam?

How did you secure the foam so that it doesn't drift down?

The foam goes BEHIND the stock foam. The heaters are in front and are integrated into the faux leather. So there's no impact whatsoever. As far as melt, the foam is on the other side of the stock foam. There's no heat there. The foam doesn't need to be secured. It gets compressed between the stock foam and the stock metal and plastic support systems. It's "locked into place".
Once I opened the back, I measured the width and cut an approx 4" x the width of the seat, which I think is close to 9" or so. That piece was for lumbar. It is also approx 3" thick. It's a dense foam.

As for lifting the seat bottom just a bit, similar to the passenger seat. Most people place the added plastic or other material on top of the springs and underneath the stock foam bottom cushion. If you like the passenger seat, then I'd go for 1/8 - 1/4" thick. You must provide a gap for the seat sensor wire to pass through . There are threads someplace on this. I didn't find that approach adequate for me, when I tried it but if you not very big boned it may feel better for you and may be adequate.

 

[Rooster123]

Another update, I finally found a solution that has been working pretty well. I took a 12x12 inch piece of 1/2 inch thick memory foam and added it inside the seat. Picture is below.

This does two things, it makes the upper back portion of the seat slightly less concave, and it pushes your upper back slightly forward away from the headrest.

I'm still not crazy about the comfort of the seat, but it's comfortable enough. This is the only solution I've found that allows me to drive without thinking about seat comfort.

 

[fernie]

Just stopping by here to vent similar issues that you all are having.

I'm feeling all day pain in my butts and legs after driving the car for a 10-30 minutes... Never had issues with car seats before
I traded in from a 2023 Model 3 which had no seat issues, to a 2024 Model Y. I've been looking for solutions as it's affecting my body. Been thru 3 car seat cushions and nothing yet. I'll try the simple purple that somebody posted and see if that helps.

The side bolsters are cutting into the thighs and buttcheeks. I'm 5'10 and 200lbs btw, waist 34-36. My wife who is way smaller than me also really dislikes the passenger seat in the new car.

I feel like based on other peoples input and my previous experience with a 23 M3, it seems I got maybe some defective seat or foam config? I don't know, Something is off for sure as things are not consistent between cars (or even within the SAME car looks like ).

I have an appt with Tesla about a month from now, but I'm afraid they will say "works as designed" :|
I'll be trying the seat cushions first, then start doing any mods to the car seat itself. Not a very handy man (hey, I fixed our leaky toilet the other day due to wax ring! ), might not have the right tools either but... worth a try... better than selling the car and losing even more money after my trade-in...
Just don't want to permanently damage mine or my wife's body though

Thank you all for posting your suggestions!

 

[fiehlsport]

The seats are comically small in the 3/Y. My wife is 5'3" and complains that the seats feel too tight, and she's a small person. I'm tall and skinny, so I fit between the bolsters, but my shoulders are way above the seatback, and my knees have inches of room before they come close to hitting the seat bottom. The lack of thigh support really makes the car feel a lot cheaper than it is - you don't get the cozy feeling when you sink into the seats like you do in other vehicles.

The Highland Model 3 refresh alleviated some of this with larger seats, we just have to wait for this to trickle-down to the Model Y.

There's really nothing you can do on your car other than use the seats and hope they break-in. There have been different generations of seats, they have all felt slightly different to me from a 2018, 2019, a friend's 2020, and now my 2022 MYP. My 2018 M3 had the softest, most compliant seats of the bunch.

 

[fiehlsport]

Another update, I finally found a solution that has been working pretty well. I took a 12x12 inch piece of 1/2 inch thick memory foam and added it inside the seat. Picture is below.

This does two things, it makes the upper back portion of the seat slightly less concave, and it pushes your upper back slightly forward away from the headrest.

I'm still not crazy about the comfort of the seat, but it's comfortable enough. This is the only solution I've found that allows me to drive without thinking about seat comfort.

Great idea - I also removed the lumbar bladder/plastics (the large white piece that snaps onto the metal bars) on mine entirely at one point to flatten out the seatback and it helped my shoulders feel more supported, since my lower back could sink in more. By default, I feel like there is too much lumbar support on these seats - even in the fully retracted position. By removing the lumbar bladders, you get a bit less lumbar, and it was more comfortable for my back.