HELP!!! EXTREME BACK PAIN! Seat replacement advice?
 

I'm panicking/depressed. I bought a new fit yesterday at a dealership located about 90 miles away. The quick test drive was okay, not the most comfortable car but it fit my needs and budget best and I worked out a good deal. About five miles into my drive home from the dealership I started experiencing massive back pain. I thought maybe I was tired from the long day wandering around the car lot. Kept driving, the pain got worse. I tried adjusting the seat and steering wheel. I tried rolling up my sweatshirt. Nothing helped.

Today I woke up and the pain was gone. Got in the car and within five minutes it was back. I had to drive 2 hours and by the end of my drive I was in tears from the excruciating back, neck, and shoulder pain. I have NEVER ever in my life experienced back pain. I am young and in shape. I think, no know, the problem is the seat. I am so disappointed and sad about this. I spent this evening driving around my neighborhood adjusting everything and it made no difference. I am now in so much pain I can barely type and wonder if I'll be able to sleep.

I don't believe I can trade-in the car, though considering it has been two days I am going to see if I can work something out with the dealer even if I lose money.

If I can't, and I'm stuck with this car, I want to know if anyone here has advice on replacing the entire driver car seat with a new one.

If you have:
What type of seat did you replace it with and where did you get it
How much was the cost of the seat
Where did you have it installed and what was the cost of installation
Does the new car seat seem to solve the problem for you

I feel it is not only the seat but lack of arm rests and far reach for the wheel, as well as high seating position that all combine to create a problem. However the main source of it is the fact that my lower back is being thrust forward so much that my upper back cannot even touch the car seat let alone my head reach the head rest.

Sigh, I'm really sad about this and miss my old Honda Accord 99 :(:mad:
Thanks in advance :)

I had a similar experience. I have sciatica on my right side which flares up occasionally. My first couple of weeks of Fitting I was ready to give it back.

Main problem was the soft gas pedal. Trying hold foot up was the major cause of pain. The second was the rake of the seat.

I then did the gas pedal spring mod and the washers on the front seat bolts.
I am fine now.

Here is gas pedal mod - https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...rn-spring.html

I do not have a link to the washer thing. What you do is remove the front seat rail covers and the nuts. Lift seat enough to slide on one , two or three washers and then re-assemble. I started with three but found after awhile for me it was most comfortable with just one washer.

If you are in that much pain....I'd have to venture to say the problem is with your back and not the seat. See a doctor.

for me, my AT gives me more back pain vs my MT. it appears to be the sligt difference in the pedal location.

i completely agree with Black3sr regarding the soft gas pedal and the seat angle. even on my MT, i was able to make further improvements by adding a return spring on my gas pedal + a few washers (thanks to Black3er's advice) to tilt back the driver seat. i can go hours in my Fit with absolutely no back pain. :D

definitely recommend adding the return spring for the gas pedal and tilting the seat back just a tad. will probably only cost you $10 total and maybe 30min of your time to do this.

forgot to mention... i also use cruise control as much as possible even while driving down a 35mph surface road and keep my foot off the pedal. these little things help a great deal.

You need to go see your Dr. Sounds like you have a ruptured or herniated disc that is causing the pain...take it from someone who knows. Not sure what was the cause of mine but I first noticed the pain started during my morning commute (This was before I had my Fit). Sitting was really painful. I was active and in good shape but the Back Specialist says that this is common with active people.

The pedal mod could help a small bit along with seat positioning and good posture but they're not the cause of your pain. Also, search the web for some good back stretches and try them out before your next car drive and see if that helps you.

Don't get rid of the Fit and good luck with the back.

How "fat" is your wallet? Had leg and back pain turned out to be sitting on a wallet full of cash and cards was causing the problem.

^^That was exactly my problem that I never noticed until a buddy of mine brought it up. Always carried my wallet in my back pocket and it was making my back hurt during commutes. Switched it to the front and went away. It also helped I started hitting the gym and lost a few pounds lol!

Back pain
 

I picked up my 2007 Fit on April 4 2006, one of the first ones in Canada.

On the drive home my rt. leg cramped so bad I had to stop and walk around the car.
The electric gas pedal was the cause. I had 2 return springs on my Olds because I have a big foot that rested on the gas pedal.
Finding no way to make the gas pedal better, I folded a grey carpet underlay and screwed it to the carpet under the gas pedal.
Still there today and still works.

In the days following my back started hurting. In time I found the lumbar bump was the cause. I filled in the 2 sides to make one smooth back, solved my problem.

I know this doesn't help right now, but the seat bottoms seam to have a "break-in" period that softens them up and will lower your seating position slightly over time. My passenger seat only gets used by my wife on the weekends and the seat bottom on that side is noticably firmer and flatter than the driver's side.

I just installed Clazzio seat covers a little over a month ago and those helped to soften the seats a little also. They have about 1/4" thick memory foam on the back of the covers and the seats feel a little more plush now.

I had a constant pain that started around my should blade and worked its way down into my right elbow a couple of years ago. I finally broke down and went to the chiropractor. After about 4 or 5 visits the pain was completely gone and since then I've been going to the gym and working out and that seems to have taken care of the problem. I sit in an office chair most of the day and apparently sitting all day is NOT good for your back. I also need to mention that I'm 35, so back pain is not just for old people!

Good luck!

i do too. walking, running, just moving around helps greatly. :D

one time my shoulders and neck were so stiff, i decided to swap wheels on my hobby car when i got home. loosened me up real nicely, and my pain was gone. :rotfl:
jokes a side, the little things i noted on my earlier posts are very effective for comfort.

It took me about a year to figure out a comfortable driving position in the Fit, my back never hurt that bad but it just felt awkward. There is one "perfect position" for my driver's seat and for this reason I hate using valet service :rotfl:

I had to put the steering wheel all the way down and telescope it all the way out so I could lean my seat back a little bit and not feel like I was driving a school bus.

The final thing was already mentioned above. If i'm going to be driving for more than 45 minutes or so I take my wallet out. It hurts my back/shoulder. The Fit's seat cushions are hard! Mine took a while to break in but even now it bothers me a bit with my wallet in my pocket. I have a shoulder/back injury myself that flares up sometimes so I have to be careful with all that stuff.

I'm experiencing exactly the same. After short search apparently Honda guys have no clue how to make a comfy car seat, CR-V insight, Accord owner are frustrated as well. The seat is an upholstered brick. The steering wheel is far too front, driver needs than to lean forward with every move. Either I can't pack my legs under stupid parcel shelf hoping I won't crash cos it would break my legs or I can lean forward and develop back problems. It's a shame cos otherwise the car drives nicely.
Few more weeks and I'm gonna exchange it for anything with wheels and MOT.

meh, my '12 MT with the slight adjustment is still comfy. check earlier posts. ive gone 200miles non-stop (400mile round trip with only 2 stops) and no issue with back pain.

6'4 Fit owner with Sciatica, get in contact with your Orthopedist/Osteopathist. It's not the seat.

Have been following this post. Have had my 13 Fit M/T for 3 weeks. First week I had pain in lower back, so have been fooling around with settings. I'm 5'8", short legs. Now have the seat upright as possible, and have it moved back as far as I can and still reach the clutch pedal OK. Have the steering wheel pretty much all the way back at the highest angle. This has helped my arms a lot; before arms were kinda straight out. Just started with this setting and so far so good. If I continue to get back pain (which is much less now than a couple of weeks ago), will try a cushion of some kind.

Lots of answers from this group, I will keep my Fit, bought it for a purpose, it's weight and is towable with auto transmission. I had to make it work, cost wasn't the problem, came from a Mercury marquis, with perfect seats, pedal and quiet. My sciatica was due to belt on pants and bm pressure low on back, besides the wallet
My reading on this site gave me the same answers you have been given in this one post.
Unless you love the Fit for it's payload, fuel economy, ease of towing and footprint get something else.

1/2 inch nut under front of rails, 2 inches of memory foam under seat covers, spring on gas pedal, gel pad on left armrest, improved right armrest, added 1 inch thick board to left foot rest, now it is only my old bones that can't do the long drives not the car, so more pit stops to stretch and walk around car.

I had back pain on the drive home from the dealer.
I found it was caused by the lumbar hump that was not there in all my other cars.


I solved the problem by filling in the seat back to make it one smooth
area from side to side. I used foam carpet underlay to fill in the gap.
Then I used Velcro to keep it in place and added an ObusForme Driver's Seat Cushion to finish it off.

That was 8 years ago and no back problems since.

Ive had 3 back surgeries, several muscle conditions from injuries, all centered around my back and neck.


This Fit has never given me any additional pain, and Ive sat in the car straight for 20-30 hours multiple times (driving between texas and wisconsin, various weather conditions)


Your pain is NOT caused by the car!!

EDIT my bodyweight has also fluttered between 200 and 250 during the time I have owned the car, both from serious gym time, and serious LACK of gym time lol. Never an ounce of trouble with comfort. Never had any passengers ever complain either, from 4'8" to 6'10" people, 100-360 pound people

Just a follow up to earlier post. Noticed that wife's Camry has the head rests lower than Fit. So, tried that out. Little button on the side of the head rest to lower it, and lowered it all the way down. Helps my neck a lot. I think the head rest up all the way up position was forcing my head forward. Also moved the steering wheel toward the dash just a little bit, and those 2 changes have seemed to help. Have been reading all the posts to see what everyone is doing. I hope that ajustments I've made will do the trick. Would still like to look into a seat cushion of some kind for lower back.