LGT L 5MT Driver's seat 'breakdown' at 10,000 miles?

This may be more common on manual transmission, and perhaps even limited (no pun intended) to the leather - but for the past couple thousand miles I've been really annoyed by a popping feeling in the middle lumbar area of my driver's seat - to the point where I'm beginning to think of dumping the car. I spend over an hour and a half a day in that seat durning the week, and every time I clutch or have an acceleration or breaking related fore/aft weight shift I get this little 'pop' feeling behind my mid-lumbar region. I 've been moving my seating position all over the map trying to avoid it but no luck... I think the padding in the area has just compressed enought to make it more pronounced. (I'm 189 lbs - no tank, but not tiny either.) I can sense the same thing in the passenger seat but the padding is still resilient enough so that it isn't noticable unless you are actively trying to feel it. It sure sucks on the drivers side though.

1) Has anybody experienced anything similar?

2) Has anybody who has experienced this, or somthing similar, gotten any favorable resolution through the dealer or SOA?

3) Has anybody who has experienced this, or somthing similar, figured out a fix that a good auto upholstery shop might be able to apply?

Again for emphasis, this will probably have the most bearing cars with manual transmissions in combination with leather.

This may be more common on manual transmission, and perhaps even limited (no pun intended) to the leather - but for the past couple thousand miles I've been really annoyed by a popping feeling in the middle lumbar area of my driver's seat - to the point where I'm beginning to think of dumping the car. I spend over an hour and a half a day in that seat durning the week, and every time I clutch or have an acceleration or breaking related fore/aft weight shift I get this little 'pop' feeling behind my mid-lumbar region. I 've been moving my seating position all over the map trying to avoid it but no luck... I think the padding in the area has just compressed enought to make it more pronounced. (I'm 189 lbs - no tank, but not tiny either.) I can sense the same thing in the passenger seat but the padding is still resilient enough so that it isn't noticable unless you are actively trying to feel it. It sure sucks on the drivers side though.

 

1) Has anybody experienced anything similar?

 

2) Has anybody who has experienced this, or somthing similar, gotten any favorable resolution through the dealer or SOA?

 

3) Has anybody who has experienced this, or somthing similar, figured out a fix that a good auto upholstery shop might be able to apply?

I just started noticing this and I have only about 6K miles on my car. It also depends on how I sit, but I do notice the "popping" feeling in the lumbar area some of the time when accelerating or braking hard. It seems like when it get hot in the car, I experience the problem more - maybe just when I have noticed it. I was planning on talking to the dealer about it when I bring it in for servicing. But unless you "know" the seat, it might be hard to have the tech "feel" the popping.

As for dumping the car for this odd feeling in the seat, I doubt I would go that far. I have had other cars with seats that were just uncomfortable overall and I had to live with it.

This is on an OB 2.5 XT Limited automatic model too.....

-S

FYI, 20k miles on my cloth seats and not a single problem, except for my butt's imprint from all the launches.

Mojo

My '05 LGT has the same issue in the driver seat and in the passenger seat as well. I sense it more in the driver's seat but that is about the only place I sit in the car. I experience it in all the same scenarios you do as well.

I don't consider it a major problem but certainly an annoyance and have not brought it to the attention of the dealer...I've had plenty of other more important issues to bring to them.

I have yet to attempt a fix myself

And finally, I have a father in-law that works for SOA that handles customer complaints with Denver area Subuaru dealers and I will see him tomorrow (Memorial day) and I'm going to have him look at a couple items to see what he thinks, hears, sees, etc....this will be one item. My concern of course is that a different body in the seat will not elicit the same "pop".

But hey, I have a 2000 VW Passat so I'm use to annoying issues way beyond what this Subie has given me.

if this feeling is coming from inside the seat then something isn't right. i get a sound sometimes which is obvious plastic on plastic creaking, but the actual seat feels fine.

I would look into it with the dealer, something sounds fishy.

no issues here, how did you guys set up your lumbar support??

(150 lbs here, 20k miles, not a single problem here with my leather).

Keefe

I read a post somehere that somebody had the lumbar mechanism replaced under warranty due to something similar.

Moved to 'Warranty' section.

And finally, I have a father in-law that works for SOA that handles customer complaints with Denver area Subuaru dealers and I will see him tomorrow (Memorial day) and I'm going to have him look at a couple items to see what he thinks, hears, sees, etc....this will be one item. My concern of course is that a different body in the seat will not elicit the same "pop".

Have you ever asked him about the "phantom" clutch stink?

I have the same problem in my Limited GT 5eat 1500mls (I'm 170lbs), I think I will take it to the dealer and see what they say. But I have a feeling their tech won't feel it and just send me on my way.

John

I have the same problem in my Limited GT 5eat 1500mls (I'm 170lbs), I think I will take it to the dealer and see what they say. But I have a feeling their tech won't feel it and just send me on my way.

 

John

Exactly...the same old dealer response...."we aren't able to reproduce the problem".

If anyone does get a response or a fix, please let us know.

-S

Exactly...the same old dealer response...."we aren't able to reproduce the problem".

 

If anyone does get a response or a fix, please let us know.

Well, I took the Legacy into the dealer yesterday and, no surprise, they were not able to reproduce the problem. I even talked with the tech and pointed out the spot where the popping was coming from. The tech took off the seat liner and poked around, but didn't find anything out of place. The service rep and the tech both went for test drives and didn't feel the popping. Guess I will have to wait until the popping becomes more regular before I take it in again.

Since the cloth seats on the 2.5i seem to have the heating element installed (but no switches), I'm thinking the popping might be caused by the heating element? Does anyone with heated seats know if the heating element heats the lower back lumbar support area, or just the seat bottom?

Well, I took the Legacy into the dealer yesterday and, no surprise, they were not able to reproduce the problem. I even talked with the tech and pointed out the spot where the popping was coming from. The tech took off the seat liner and poked around, but didn't find anything out of place. The service rep and the tech both went for test drives and didn't feel the popping. Guess I will have to wait until the popping becomes more regular before I take it in again.

 

Since the cloth seats on the 2.5i seem to have the heating element installed (but no switches), I'm thinking the popping might be caused by the heating element? Does anyone with heated seats know if the heating element heats the lower back lumbar support area, or just the seat bottom?

The heated seats warm both the lower back and seat bottom, but I still think it has something to do with the lumbar mechanism.

The heated seats warm both the lower back and seat bottom, but I still think it has something to do with the lumbar mechanism.

Hey group, I just discovered this thread, and have exactly the same problem as reported above... very annoying indeed. Has anybody had this repaired successfully? My dealership is trying, but has not succeeded yet...

The first time I reported it to my dealer, they said nothing was broken, but a part was loose. This rectified the problem for about a month, but then it returned. At the next assessment, they said they had to order a new seat back frame, which they did (and replaced two weeks later). Again, the problem was gone, but has since returned.

Thanks in advance!