The standard equipment seats in this car cause back pain due to poor design and perhaps poor manufacturing. The bottom seat cushions are harder than a church pew. The ergonomics of the seat are poorly designed. A drive of more than 5 minutes causes butt and back pain.
The Civic is a great vehicle. I have no issues with any other aspect of the car other than the seats. I understand safety is important in the event of a crash but sacrificing driver comfort to such a degree is unacceptable. I am 6"1' tall and thank god most of it is in my legs. The head rests on this vehicle are tilted forward to ensure constant contact with the driver's head to prevent whiplash which results in the worst day to day comfort when driving. I will be trying the turn it backwards solution and if necessary I will be bending the bars to make this comfortable. Other people have been complaining about the firmness of the seat itself but I cant even form an opinion about the seat because the headrest has undone 6 months of physiotherapy in my neck which was being treated for stress and tension. Honda what the actual hell. Fix this. Wonderful car with such a single glaring issue.
These are the worst seats i have ever sat in. passengers also complain and often refuse to carpool with me if its more than a 1 hour drive. i am constantly shifting my body in hopes of comfort. they are hard. i experience numbness in my legs, which isn't good if your on the highway!!! i hope they recall and replace!
I signed the lease papers on Friday afternoon and after just 1 hour of driving my lower back was in spasms. I tried putting a small pillow behind my lower back but this just moved my body too far forward. I talked to my dealer and they told me about a place that will open up the seat and add cushioning to wherever I need it. That's a $100 fix and the dealer refused to absorb the cost
I was test driving a 2013 Civic and after a day had severe back and hip pain. I went to an all Honda dealer to see if the problem was with this car, the year, or the Civic in general. Unfortunately, I fell into the hands of unscrupulous sales people -- they suggested I test drive a 2015 and in fact the seats were better, wider, or the wings were not so invasive. I wanted to take it overnight to be sure it was better -- was told if I signed that day and had any problem they'd put me into an Accord at the same price. I signed. Continued to have problems. Surprise, the Accord they meant had the same seats.
So, for $3000 more they put me into an EX-L, with fully adjustable leather seats. I drove for a day -- better but not perfect. Tried to get out of the deal based on an advertised special -- surprise, my paperwork got sent into corporate by accident and there was no getting out of the deal now, pick your poison. I've been driving the EX-L for 2 months now, have tried several fixes, nothing has worked well for me. I've developed severe muscle pain under the left shoulder blade, which is now apparently pinching a nerve as I have an odd sharp pain down my left arm. Doesn't make much sense to go to the chiropractor if I get back into the car and experience the same problem, so went to the service arm of the dealership today to see what they suggest. They recommend a back pillow that fits between the wings on the back of the chair, will try that and see what happens.
Damn. Had to cancel a trip out of town because of back pain. Know it may never be possible to drive this car any distance without consequences. I'm 60 and am much more affected by stuff like this than I used to be.
- Liz H.,
Columbia, MO, US
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I love Honda automobiles. My wife and I are currently on our sixth Civic and second CRV. The last Civic was a 2007 EX Sedan 4-door (9th generation) which has been my favorite, most comfortable Civic thus far. At 130,000 miles, it was a total loss from an accident in February 2015 in which everyone walked away injury free. I immediately purchased a new 2015 EX-L Sedan 4-door (10th generation).
Within a month of purchasing the new Civic, I began to notice significant lower back/hip pain on my left side. After narrowing down possible causes, I determined the pain to be a result from the driver's seat. After a couple of months of experiencing this pain, I purchased a lumbar support apparatus and felt immediate relief within the first couple of days. I am hopeful that this will be the continuing answer to the pain issues.
I searched the web regarding this issue and found carcomplaints.com. What a helpful tool this website is and should be on everyone's list of research options when purchasing an automobile. The issue with lumbar support on the 10th generation Civic (2012-2015) is expressed many times within this website and would have been helpful in knowing prior to purchasing this Civic.
What is difficult to understand is that my 2007 Civic (9th generation), that had cloth seats, had adjustable lumbar support which I used to its fullest capacity. However, in my new 2015 Civic (10th generation), that has leather, power, heated seats, the lumbar support has been omitted; something I missed in the test drive. Of all the options, technology, and comfort features this automobile contains, it is hard to imagine that this significant feature is missing. I realize that this pain issue would not be a problem for everyone, but that is why there needs to be adjustable lumbar support; to fit the needs of all.
As a Honda lover for so many years, this is one issue that is hard to ignore due to the pain that a person can encounter. A lesson learned in what needs to be on my new car wish list for the future.
Began to have neck, shoulder and back pain within a week of buying the car. No adjustment on the seat or headrest helped. Within a month I was hurting in my hip and down my leg as well. Found many complaints on the internet of people having these same issues, but no reasonable solutions. I'm now having to visit a chiropractor to get relief. I can't find any replacement headrest to fit this car. Love the car, HATE the Seat and Headrest design!
I start getting lower back pain after a few miles of driving along with pain and numbness in back of my right leg. I've had 2 other Hondas and never had a problem. And of course the salesman says he's never heard of any problems with Civic seats The test drive wasn't long enough to know the seats were going to be an issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The standard equipment seats in this car cause back pain due to poor design and perhaps poor manufacturing. The bottom seat cushions are harder than a church pew. The ergonomics of the seat are poorly designed. A drive of more than 5 minutes causes butt and back pain.
- Jon P., Menifee, US