Superb II - Narrow Seats !

[tecton]

Hi,

 

      Staring to get fed up with pain in right  hip and outer right thigh. Only had this problem since owning the Superb, it is otherwise a great car. Tried seat wedges and cushions, but this does work for me, plus I don't want to loose the heated seat function, or electric adjustment function. Didn't drive for two weeks over the Christmas period and leg / hip fine. Been to see a physio since, and found it is called Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS). so I have been given a few exercises to help ease. Also think foot pedals are set too far to the right, can they be adjusted left?

 

     Are there any other seat bases within the VW range that will fit the same seat frame, where the side bolsters are at a more shallower angle?

 

    Any ideas?

[Danny 57]

There several threads on here about that same problem. One solution I think was to remove the plastic surround or. Something like that, try a search.

[tecton]

Yes tried this. Has not made a difference. Are there any Skoda Technicians out there who can advise.

[ashfan]

Funny you mention this. I've been aware of the narrow seats and the threads here discussing them. I recently (within the last 3 months) started getting some hip pain but I never put it down to the seats. I just put it down to old age (I'm 58)

You've got me thinking

[Shanco]

• Developed pain in my left hip and thigh when driving my Yeti.
• Like yourself I was well fed up with the pain And inconvenience I was experiencing. 
• Problem was cured by changing vehicle to Superb DSG.
• Not for one minute suggesting this is the same as your ITBS but have not any pain since changing to the Superb. 
• Just think that car seats can suit one individual and not the next.
• Best of luck in the search for a solution.

Shanco

Edited 15 March, 2015 by Shanco

[Pesmog]

_{Its not just about the plastic surround on the right side of the seat, its also about the large bit of metal bar that it is mounted on which a/ sits extremely close to drivers right leg sciatic nerve  2/ The bar stops the seat cushion spreading on the right hand side when sat on.  Some of us have bent the bar out by 10-15mm and then re-added the plastic surround which cured the problem.}

Edited 16 March, 2015 by Pesmog

[Chunk11]

That's good to know pesmog as I have the same problem with my drivers seat.

How easy is it to bend back? Is it just a case of undoing a few screws or it is a bit more involved?

[Richf]

I developed a pain in my hip and shooting pains down my leg , made much worse from driving the Superb and not our other two cars , turned out it was/is a back issue and not hip , repositioning the back rest (rake) and ensuring correct posture ie sucking the gut in helped no end

[DGW]

I would strongly recommend considering fitting a CG Lock to the driver's seatbelt for anyone having having back problems when driving. It really helps control posture.

http://www.cg-lock.co.uk

[joeboy1980]

 

• Developed pain in my left hip and thigh when driving my Yeti.
• Like yourself I was well fed up with the pain And inconvenience I was experiencing. 
• Problem was cured by changing vehicle to Superb DSG.
• Not for one minute suggesting this is the same as your ITBS but have not any pain since changing to the Superb. 
• Just think that car seats can suit one individual and not the next.
• Best of luck in the search for a solution.

Shanco

 

Shanco...glad you've had good relief since changing to Superb....but few things I would like to add....

- Superb's seats are different to Yeti's

- The driving posture is very different in a saloon/hatch & a crossover. That makes a huge difference as in a crossover, the amount of hips/knees bending are less than what you experience in saloons or hatch like Superb. This means the posture is completely different between these 2 vehicles.

 

I agree with what you say....each individual is different as their body size/ shape is different to another person. There are lots of other factors too

[joeboy1980]

Yes, agree that seat shape and size matters a lot which could lead to discomfort as our body sizes and shapes are very different. 

 

The driving posture plays a significant role too ie your back angle, cushion angle, lumbar adjust, armrest height and your steering column adjust angle/height too. Each of these could have an effect on poor driving posture which results in 'discomfort'.

 

See through this pdf if you haven't seen before for some tips

http://drivingergonomics.lboro.ac.uk/downloads/vehicle%20ergonomics%20and%20best%20practice%20guide.pdf

[tecton]

Thanks for comments and links, I'll give the ergonomics fact sheet a try. Though my main question still stands. The seats are narrow, and the side bolsters high. Are there any other VW group seat bases with flatter / shallower side bolsters that will fit the Superb?

[Richf]

Don't think the seats are narrow or the bolsters high

[wiilydog]

Skoda don't make the best seats and had a similar problem with seats from my octy and ended up raiding the audi parts bin for some seats off an audi a3, now no longer get sore thighs and can travel for hours in comfort. Guess an audi a6 or passat will be similar to a superb and you try too see if the seat fittings look similar?

[Superb170]

I found the seats on the pre-FL to have very hard side bolsters with very little flexibility in them.  The outers of the FL seats seem to be a lot more flexible/cushioned.  This may because I am comparing an elegance to an L&K and maybe its just me but I do think the seats on the L&K are more supportive and are made from better quality material.

 

BTW the seats on the new model look more comfortable and supportive with the extended thigh support which will be welcome.

[linni]

 

BTW the seats on the new model look more comfortable and supportive with the extended thigh support which will be welcome.

I drove 3 months on pre - FL model before I ordered mine. It had base level seats. Pretty good ones. No complaints.

But the leather seats in my L&K are horrible. Literally pain in the arse.

[peterposh]

The seats have a high side bolster and the whole seat is slightly narrower compared to my mondeo, overall the mondeo seat is a more comfortable item

[Tropheus]

My wife is experiencing a similar problem on our recently acquired 2013 Elegance 1.6 TDi.  After a couple of weeks, she has pain in her right hip and feels she's not sitting evenly on the seat.

 

I removed the side trim where the seat memory switches are.  It's not easy to undo at the rear, but at the front of the trim there is a clip that can easily be undone.  Once that's undone the trim can be moved clean enough (be careful with the very rear of the trim under the rear of the seat as that's no so easy to unclip but doesn't need to be). 

 

Once the trim is pulled back slightly, you'll see a black narrow steel bar just under it.  From what I can see, this bar is merely there to hold the trim in place and is not structural.  I got a large flat blade screwdriver and bent it back about 10 mm as suggested.  I then remounted the trim. 

 

The only downside is that you're left with a slight gap between the bolster and the trim, but you'd want to be looking hard to notice it.  That gap will likely disappear as the bolster now has room to spread a little more.

 

I'll let you know how she gets on.

[Penpusher]

I've not had any problem with the seats. Being 6'1", a bit chubby and the wrong side of 60, I usually notice any discomfort in a seat. I drove from Wales to Lithuania last summer witn a diversion through Dresden on the return journey and was able to get out of the car at the end of each day with no aches or pains.

[thejames]

I suffered with Illio-Tibial Band Friction Syndrome. From running though. I run like a penguin apparently.

Anyway.

Search on Amazon for IT Band. You can get straps that sit just above the knee. There's a pressure pad that stabilises the IT Band and stops it from becoming inflamed. Helped me immensely. I was able to resume running much quicker and now wouldn't run without it. ITBFS sucks.

The suggestions above will hopefully help it from recurring. My suggestion, while not car related, may assist with your recovery.

Good luck.

[createcartel]

As far as I'm aware, most VW/Audi seats will fit - they share the same mounting points.

So you should be able to fit Recaro ergonomic seats from the S4.

I've seen R32 seats in a Superb & mounting dimensions across VAG have been pretty much standardised since the mid 90s.

[tmg]

I would say too that the width of the drivers space is heavily affected by how you sit  in the car.

 

the mk1 superb did not have the drivers armrest in the same place (it was much higher) so there was more width available there. 

 

also the gearbox tunnel/mid side of the drivers wheel well will impact your seating position as well as it can be very easily in an uncomfortable place. 

 

I had to drop the seat to the lowest setting, and push it back quite a bit to get my knee to the rear of the mid section tunnel, which was causing me a bit of discomfort, and had to mess around a little as well to get my right leg comfortable with the door card/arm rest

[Supurbia]

They are too narrow, it was the first thing to strike me when I sat in the pre launch car at my local, the seats ruin the car imo, having had the mark one version which was pretty balanced the mark two seats felt like a directors chair in a warehouse to me, the backs are too low as well imo as it's as if when you look over your shoulder the top of the headrest is at chin level, granted I'm tall but other cars don't give me that perception,

 

Anyway water under as the mark three looks like it's a return to form for the Superb.

[lichfielddriver]

Im ok once in the seat but the edge seems high and hard when gettting in and out unlike my Chevrolet Epica and Mondeo, both had/have very comfy seats

[kevberlin]

tmg stated: "I had to drop the seat to the lowest setting, and push it back quite a bit to get my knee to the rear of the mid section tunnel, which was causing me a bit of discomfort"

I have only one real complaint with my Superb. Namely, the mid section tunnel issue as described above by tmg. Glad to see it is not just me.