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Titanium Seats uncomfortable


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Our '17 Edge Titanium has the heated/cooled seats, and the aggressive way the side bolsters come up along the sides is uncomfortable for my wife.

 

I notice them, but would not quite call them uncomfortable.

 

If I press down on the bolsters, I can feel a hard, curved support piece inside them.

 

  1. Is that piece there to add structure to the seat, or is it part of the cooling system?
  2. If it is just structure, does anyone know if it is plastic, or metal? If it is metal, I had considered bending it down and outward to make the seat more comfortable for my wife.

We have several ideas, ranging from trying to adjust ourselves, to having an upholstery shop re-configure the seats, to out-right replacing them.

 

We are open to other ideas as well.

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If you could get your hands on a 2017 service manual, you would be able to see the interior construction.

 

I would seriously doubt that you would be able to bend the steel structure of the seat. Under the FMVSS, seats and seat restraint systems must be able to withstand 8x the standard adult weight. Forget what the exact weight is, but assuming 150 lbs, that means the seat must support a minimum of 1200 lbs.

 

Have you considered adding a seat "topper" to build up the center poration of the seat; to make it more level, minimizing the effects of the side bolsters. I would start by experimenting with pieces of foam to determine both the depth and shape needed.

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That same complaint is shared by my wife and I on our 2017 SEL so it's not just the heated/cooled model. The side bolsters on both upper and lower sections plus the lower back area feel like the foam is too firm and the frame is too close to the seating areas. I've noticed this on other Fords where they toot their own horn about using recycled materials to make the 'green' foam. I would have to say they are the most uncomfortable front seats we've ever experienced. I'm thinking of having an upholstery shop make new seat plugs to flatten the bolsters and provide memory foam for the outer layers. I know some will say they will break in over time but I think the frame feel will be even more noticeable once the foam compresses any more. We love the car but have no desire to take it on an extended trip until we get this improved. I've been driving a 2017 4 Runner rental for 3 weeks now and the seats feel like sitting in a LazyBoy in comparison. Rant over!

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Have you considered adding a seat "topper" to build up the center portion of the seat; to make it more level, minimizing the effects of the side bolsters. I would start by experimenting with pieces of foam to determine both the depth and shape needed.

 

We've considered that...but it would block the heating/cooling. We'd like to retain that if possible.

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We love the car but have no desire to take it on an extended trip until we get this improved. I've been driving a 2017 4 Runner rental for 3 weeks now and the seats feel like sitting in a LazyBoy in comparison. Rant over!

That's about where my wife has landed. Short trips are OK. This will become a problem once the ice melts and I take our Escape to pull the boat to go fishing.

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We've considered that...but it would block the heating/cooling. We'd like to retain that if possible.

Could consider a vented seat cousion, several varieties. Thus on is made from wood:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182IAVEG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GpYMAb0E6RZB6, but there are other designs available.

 

I looked at my service manual and can't tell if the cousion form is metal or plastic. Doesn't matter though, the side bolsters are completely made from molded foam, meaning would not be that difficult to reshape the foam. Only real problem is reshaping the leather cover (held on by velcro).

 

One thing I learned that was surprising was, there are two TED's uses, one for the seat and one for the seatback. Wonder if were possible (practical) to wire in switch to turn off the seat bottom and just heat the seatback? Bottom gets so hot it burns the fellas.

Edited by enigma-2
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This is just a suggestion that I think helped me. Every time you are in the Edge turn the seat heater on. Even if it is not that cold outside just leave it on the lowest setting. Over time, and this may mean a few months, I think the foam softens up from the heat and conforms to your body better. When I first got my car I thought the bolsters were hard. Now they do not seem as hard.

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Edge seats are pretty narrow. I'm on the thinner side 6'3 and 195 and I find them to be slightly narrow compared to the Recaro's in my much smaller B7 S4. I would think the only real solution would be to move up to a larger vehicle like the Explorer. Newer cars keep getting larger dimensions on the exterior and smaller on the interior. My brothers MKX is the same as well, but it seems like there is slightly more cushioning on those seat bolsters.

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Upon further thought I realized the seat bottoms in your Titanium are a different shape from the seat bottoms in my SEL. At the time of purchase I took a test ride in the Titanium and thought the bottom seat bolsters were more intrusive. It was one reason I went with the SEL. I still think the seat heater will soften up the foam over time. However the seat bottom shape may still prove unacceptable. I do not know if it is possible, but if the seat shape is really unacceptable maybe you can put SEL seat bottoms in the Titanium (if not the whole seat). May be the seat heating and cooling mechanism can be repositioned in the new bottom. The foam can be recovered in perforated leather by Katskins. This is not an ideal solution. But if you like the car and want to keep it maybe this proposal can help you.

Comfortable seats are hugely important to owner satisfaction. I have often thought different seat choices beyond the coverings should be a customer selectable option within the same trim line. We are all different shapes. Unfortunately none of the car manufacturers think so.

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An upholstery shop can redo the foam on the existing seat, usually without changing the cover.

Thanks. We'll have them look at both options when we are there.

 

I am concerned about the metal form I can feel under the foam. It's closer to the surface than I expected and it may well come into play.

Edited by Further North
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  • 8 months later...

You sir, are absolutely correct. I have this same issue and it has made me insane. These are seats from hell. I had to buy a 200 cushion just to be able to drive the car. Way less than ideal as it raises me too high. Good tip about the heat. I tend to use that less than usual due to I could never feel it under the cushion. These seats are shamefully designed. The cooling sucks had and does not work even a little bit. I had my little 89 pound niece sit on these and even she noticed that damn bar. I had a six 5 skinny friend sit in them and same thing. I am basically average.

I really got to get to an upholsterer but with about 6 months to go on the lease, kind of too late. I wish I had gotten the SEL. Not great seats, but way better. BUt some features of the T were must have for me. I would have liked to seen a class action suit over these seats. Next week, I open up and tell how I really feel!

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  • 2 weeks later...

well....I agree with everyone...I have a new 2108 Lincoln MKX and dread the thought of driving it on our first multi-day trip in February. the sides of the seat bite into my thighs from back to front because the bottom middle of the seat is so narrow. it actually gets worse on startup because the side bolsters inflate with air slightly (I have the massaging seat feature). my 2013 mkx was a pleasure to drive and sit in

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  • 2 months later...

Just got a 2019 Ford Edge SEL and having the same discomfort with the front seat bolsters being too steep and causing leg discomfort.

I'm 6' 3" and 230 lb so I've got a wide frame.  

I didn't notice the discomfort at the dealer when they had the seat heater on.

I'm thinking I need to find a narrow seat cushion to fit between the bolsters.

Any suggestions welcome.

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I noticed with the 2015+ seats that when using the tilt function of power adjustment it only raises the front part of the seat bottom. unlike previous years where they would tilt the seat bottom as a single piece. The new seat would raise/lower the front half or third of the seat without tilting the full seat bottom which I believe causes uncomfortable feeling. Trying lowering the front part and if required, raise the seat using the back side of the bottom seat adjustment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've noticed on my 2018 MKX that upon startup, the airbags in the bolsters (my vehicle has adjusting and massaging seats that actually is performed by inflating and deflating small airbags in the seat) inflate slightly making them cut into my outer thighs even more.

 

I'm going to ask the dealership if this initial inflation can be deprogrammed....

 

I'll advise

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On 3/7/2018 at 7:26 AM, Burgundy17 said:

Upon further thought I realized the seat bottoms in your Titanium are a different shape from the seat bottoms in my SEL. At the time of purchase I took a test ride in the Titanium and thought the bottom seat bolsters were more intrusive. It was one reason I went with the SEL. I still think the seat heater will soften up the foam over time. However the seat bottom shape may still prove unacceptable. I do not know if it is possible, but if the seat shape is really unacceptable maybe you can put SEL seat bottoms in the Titanium (if not the whole seat). May be the seat heating and cooling mechanism can be repositioned in the new bottom. The foam can be recovered in perforated leather by Katskins. This is not an ideal solution. But if you like the car and want to keep it maybe this proposal can help you.

Comfortable seats are hugely important to owner satisfaction. I have often thought different seat choices beyond the coverings should be a customer selectable option within the same trim line. We are all different shapes. Unfortunately none of the car manufacturers think so.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a 2016 Titanium. The seats are the worst I have ever sat in. A class action suit is in order here. That metal bar, the flat bolsters, the narrow width, the too high sides and truly crap ass "leather" combine to make a seat that is a true EPIC FAIL in every possible way. The cooling never worked at all. I cannot speak to the heat because I had to buy a $2000 cushion just to be able to use the car. I like so much about this car but the seat is the reason I will not keep it. THESE SEATS SUCK HARD!

 

Edited by CapeDave
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On 11/26/2018 at 3:15 PM, mrmagoo said:

well....I agree with everyone...I have a new 2108 Lincoln MKX and dread the thought of driving it on our first multi-day trip in February. the sides of the seat bite into my thighs from back to front because the bottom middle of the seat is so narrow. it actually gets worse on startup because the side bolsters inflate with air slightly (I have the massaging seat feature). my 2013 mkx was a pleasure to drive and sit in

There is just no excuse for this Ford! You used to own Volvo, where the seats are WAY better!

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