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Honda Accord Seats 2008+

245

Comments

  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Yes, I totally agree, it makes a big difference in the feel of the leather, and lexol really does a great job without making shiny, slick mess. It makes it feel more natural. My leather was also very dry from the factory. I am sure if I had not done anything to it, it would show wear and tear very quickly. It could possibly crack. Looks great now. First time having leather, I will probably never go back to cloth. It is so much easier to clean.
  • musicislifemusicislife Member Posts: 16
    The latest magazine ad about the Honda Accord touts the fact that "It's more spacious and more lumbar-supportive than ever before."
    Given that Honda considers their lumbar support a plus, I'm pretty sure they won't be changing their seats anytime soon.
  • minder11minder11 Member Posts: 10
    I am not so sure....Looks like that ad about the robust lumbar support is more like a warning to potential buyers who may find it obtrusive to be aware....Most people dont discover it until after purchase...

    Also, their lumbar support is only the result of their stupid active head retraint design....No active head restriaint = no football in your back!
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    I also got the Lexol, however, the instruction says to clean the seats first, how do you clean it> Other than the saddle soap that I read lots of pros and cons about, would just lukewarm water and mile soap do the trick?
  • csr67csr67 Member Posts: 58
    If your leather is new, there's no need to clean it. If it's older or soiled, Lexol makes a spray cleaner to use prior to the leather treatment. I've tried lots of different leather products, and Lexol really does work the best. It fully soaks in, and after a quick buffing there's no shiny residue or added slippery feeling to the conditioned seats. Pep Boys should have both the Lexol cleaner and conditioner in spray bottles.
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    I have had my Accord since last december so it needs cleaning. I bought the Lexol conditioner from the dealer for $8.95 which is cheaper than most auto part stores (surprised me!), but they did not have the cleaner. I'll try Pep Boys. Thanks for the response.
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    Go to a horse tack shop. It will have all manner of leather cleaning and conditioning products, including Lexol cleaner and conditioner.
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    Thanks, I'll try that. Just hope that I don't leave the store with a saddle :)
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Yeah, because with 268 horses, the other 267 that don't have a saddle might be jealous. :)
  • bxtwilightbxtwilight Member Posts: 2
    I'm going to hit up the inside of my new car with Lexol this weekend. Besides the seats, what else is leather inside the cabin. For example, the dash looks kind of like a "football" leather but I'm not too sure. Same with the part of the door panels. Can anyone please confirm exactly what is leather inside the cabin.

    Thanks in advance.
  • csr67csr67 Member Posts: 58
    The dash is not leather! It's molded plastic. I would not put anything on the dash other than a damp microfiber cloth to dust it. If you put anything on it such as armorall, you can kiss the nice matte finish goodbye. Put lexol on the entire seat, armrest, door armrest insert and leather steering wheel cover. Some of these parts may be vinyl but Lexol will work fine on those areas too.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    You can try using Armor-All's low-shine finish. It won't create the shiny glare that most armor-all products produce.
  • kw_dakw_da Member Posts: 76
    Hi,

    Thinking about putting seat covers on our new 2008 Accord LX-P for protection. Any body have some? Any recommentions? Thinking about getting them from coverking.com

    Thanks,

    David
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Just make sure they accomodate your seat-mounted side-airbags!
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    In all my cars, I never put any type of cleaner/shiner on the dash. I just wipe it down with very damp cloth. Though I should use some type of protection from the sun, but I try to use a sun shade. Its bad enough from having a new car that all the gases inside the car build up and build a film on the windows and sunroof glass. Its annoying to wipe those down too. I just wiped down the windows a few weeks ago, and now all the windows have a film on them.
  • csr67csr67 Member Posts: 58
    To get rid of that interior film that builds up, try using "Invisible Glass" by Stoner. It cuts right through and leaves the glass very clear. I'm also with you on not putting anything on the dash materials. Once you use any armor all type product, even the low gloss stuff, you'll never have that nice mat finish. I use a lightly dampened microfiber cloth to clean. When parking use a sun shade and you'll be fine without contaminating your dash with crap.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I'll try that, does it work okay on tinted windows? Yes, having the car look new, smell new is key to me, my other leased car look amazing when I traded it, and then guess what.........? Well I came back to find my car traded twice between 2 dealers, and I found it, it was all gummed up with shiny amor with dust on the dash and doors. Also the beautiful silver paint I had taken car of what all gritty to the touch from sitting outside, and this is the dealership that apparently takes an unexperienced employee with a bad hand at buffing out cars. Every car on the lots had SERIOUS swirl mark damage!! I mean every car, luckily, I bet my old lease was next... Just goes to show, that all the hard work can all be undone by some dealer that has no clue how to take car of a car.
  • csr67csr67 Member Posts: 58
    Yes, the invisible glass is safe for tint. Just make sure you use a soft cloth ( I use old t-shirts for all window cleaning) and never use paper.
  • dkalckdkalck Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem and it is driving me nuts. I just bought the car last week. I didn't notice it in the test drives. I am trying a wedge pillow and it seems to help. The seat seems to fit better when I am lifted up about 2 inches.

    Overall, very frustrating.
  • ashwinkumar96ashwinkumar96 Member Posts: 21
    I test drove both the Accord and Camry 09 and found the lumbar support to be a problem in both.( in minimum position). Did anybody feel that in Camry?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    A better place for your question is either here: ashwinkumar96, "Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry" #2784, 13 Oct 2008 9:01 pm or here: 2009 Toyota Camry.
  • rapp1rapp1 Member Posts: 4
    Best results I got was to put layer of cardboard over seat first to neutralize bump and then layer of memory foam over cardboard to end up with a comfortable seat. Haven't tried it yet on long trip, but most promising of anything I tried. I found bottom line is that bump has to be neutralized. And the irony is I do like lumbar support in general, but they sure blew it with this one
  • rapp1rapp1 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the idea. I think I have found a work around for this problem. I jammed a pen behind the headrest which pushes the head rest forward and the lump in the seat down. I haven't tried this on a long trip but I can't believe after all the cushions and things I've tried, the solution may be as easy as this. Thanks for pointing out the connection between the headrest and the lumbar bump
  • dkalckdkalck Member Posts: 2
    Joe -

    How hard was it to fix the driver side based on your description above? I am not close to being a machanic. Do you think it would be best for me to print out what you have here and take it into the shop to adjust? Any other details that you think would be helpful to know? Just looking to get a sense of if this was a pretty easy fix.

    The driver seat has gotten me so frustrated that I have looked at trading the car in a couple times.

    If you have some time to talk offline that would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you in advance!
    Damien
  • timdac11timdac11 Member Posts: 3
    the lumber support on the 8 way power seat was hurting my back. I had a shop remover the leather off the seat and then removed a 12 x 10" hard plastic lumber plate that was killing my back after 15 min. please make sure the the shop also removes all the metal wires and plastic support clip/bar that connect the plastic plate to the form and leather of the seat. YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE .....only cost me $250. The passenger seat of the EX-L seat is without the lumber plate for it is only a 4 way power seat. dont sell the car....just remove the lumber plate and ALL the metal wire/plastic support pieces ( tell the shop to cut and remove any extra pieces use to connect the hard plate from the seats foam. please respond to let us know if this corrects the problem for u too :)
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    If you're ever in an accident, especially a collision from the rear, hopefully the intergrity of the seat structure hasn't been compromised to cause additional injury. I've always liked a prominent lumbar support for my back as it helps suport proper spine alignment and posture. You have voided the warranty (on the seat only) by modifying it as stated and woudn't recommend anyone else doing so.
  • timdac11timdac11 Member Posts: 3
    are you kidding...The plate that makes the lumber support in the drivers seat (8way power) does not come the in the passenger side seat (4 way with out adjustable lumber). How is the passenger seat less safe than the drivers seat. By removing the hard plastic plate with wire/plastic connectors that attach to the inside seats leather ( these are the objects that pokes the driver in the back and inflict pain). the two seats, driver and passenger, now have the same comfort and i did not remove any of the metal that works with the the active head restraint system.

    so you would have rather that I my sell the car ( like others here on this forum had suggested they may have to do), secondary to the painful plate and loss thousands of dollars..right?

    the two seats, driver and passenger are now the same comfort.... lets see what other peoples post will say or do.
  • jazz42jazz42 Member Posts: 1
    I have purchased a 2009 honda accord and the drivers seat is killing my back, I've spent 100:00 dollars on various cushion without success. I've meet several people who have no problems with seats. What is the problem? Anyway I tried to trade my new accord for a new camry and was going to lose a lot of money for a lesser car. Did the modification to the seat help in the long run? I would be interested in doing the same thing. Did you also have problem with this irritating tire noise.
    Thanks Jazz
  • temj12temj12 Member Posts: 450
    I have a 2005 Accord EX-L with 82,000 miles. The driver's seat is uncomfortable if you do much road driving. When you use the manual lumbar, the bulge is really uncomfortable. I had heard before buying this that Honda was not known for comfortable seats. There is not enough padding.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Seats that are comfortable for some, won't be for others. Always "try them on" before buying!
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    I had heard before buying this that Honda was not known for comfortable seats. There is not enough padding.

    On the contrary, the Accord has been praised for it's seats. I have the 03 EX V6 (with leather) and I love the seats. Just the right amount of bolstering, so I don't slide when taking a hard corner. There is plenty of padding, it's just not pillowy soft like a Camry seat. I don't want my car seat to feel like a Lazy-boy. I made a quick trip to Biloxi this morning (300 miles), and I was very comfortable. If you wanted your car to feel like sitting in your living room, you bought the wrong car. Camry or a Buick would more likely suit your taste in seats.
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    We have a 08 LX and the seat kills my back on longer trips. Too much for me in the lumbar area. My wifey is the primary driver and it doesn't bother her, so it is ok. As thegraduate said - try them on before you buy- is good advice. I would have been better off renting one for a week to check it out. Oh well, the wife loves it any way. Personally I prefer to drive our 97 Camry with 160,000 miles on it on the longer drives because it has more comfortable seats (for me). Maybe I'm just getting too old and prefer a Lazy Boy :sick: The Accord is much more fun to drive though. Maybe someone needs to invent a Sleep Number style seat, eh? ;)
  • jam1000jam1000 Member Posts: 182
    I found the seats hard but not unbearably so. However, I did find the lumbar support quite intrusive. I don't know why Honda could not configure it like virtually every other mfr., i.e., give the customer the choice of having little or no support or a lot of support. I suspect if they did that, there would be far fewer complaints.
  • dericficdericfic Member Posts: 1
    I bought the 2009 EXL V6 a month ago (March 2009). I noticed the really uncomforatble seats after a few days. Then it got worse. My back hurts daily. I called Honda on 4/22/09. the representative claimed that I was the first to complain about the seats being uncomforatble. I to0ld him that I couldn't believe it. Then I went to google and of course there were many complaints. Now I'm really mad. Bad design.
  • ingvaringvar Member Posts: 205
    Those should be best seats. Honda are built to last
    You have to try BMW or WV seats. If you try BMW sport seats you will be dumping your accord in 10 secs.
    Lots of honda 2001-2003 year auto trans behind 7/100K miles warranty and people paying 3-4.5K for new one... build to last, huh? :P
  • michael91michael91 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    What did you do about it? Did the seats get any better?. I am having the same problem and am very upset about it. I have owned Honda's since the early 1990s and have not have many problems. What is the modification?

    Thank you,
    Michael
  • cchattcchatt Member Posts: 1
    I had the exact same problem. I purchased a new 09 LX-P and could not make a 70 minute drive to work without having extensive back pain when I arrived at the office.

    With only 500 miles on the car I could not believe Honda would manufacture seats this poorly. After talking with the dealership, they simply pulled another new LX-P in the shop compared the seats, and said, “Well, they are the same on both vehicles, so it’s not a warranty problem.”

    Trust me, from now on I will insist on an hour long test drive before purchasing a car … but I digress.

    Later that night, and after a couple of beers, I got the “I can do this attitude,” I mustered the nerve to open the seats on a brand new car.

    Long story short, there is a convex plastic backing piece that is held by the active head restrain actuators. The convex nature of this piece puts pressure right on your spine and the actuators put the pressure against your back. (If you sit in the drivers seat and pull the headrest towards you, you will feel the back pressure being removed.)

    This convex piece is held in place by two wire “hangers” that connect these to the actuators. For the time being, I removed the lower “hanger.” And since then, I am able to drive the car for hours without any pain. But NOTE: THIS DISABLES THE ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAIN SAFTY FEATURE. I am working with a local fabricator to create a modified “hanger” part that can be replaced on these vehicles which will keep the active head restrain intact and provides comfort for the driver.

    All told, the entire modification process took about 15 minutes.

    In the next couple of weeks I will upload a video on YouTube which describes the process.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    We sold our 2008 Accord since the seat were never right. I took the entire back plate and both wires off. The seat was ok then, but then you notice the back part of the seat where it touches you back is not wide enough and sides hit your sides. I am 5 10, 180 Ibs and felt the seats were too narrow. When I sold it, I put every thing back together the way it was originally.

    Never felt Honda had a good handle on their set design for 2008-current Accords.
  • dbdcdbdc Member Posts: 10
    Help! I have the same problem as you I believe. I purchased my Accord EX-L Coupe in June and after my first 1 hour drive I began to experience back pain. I've since tried every possible power seat position. At first I thought it was the lumbar, but I have the same issue in the passenger side...Lumbar actually makes it worse in the driver side.

    In my case the "bulge" seems to be just above the lumbar "support". Basically, my back bends out right where the seat bulges, so no support above or below that point. The lumbar does something but doesn't help the upper back area.... I end up with about 4 hours of mid back pain for every hour I spend in the car.

    I think it is the head restraint "plate", since when I do a hard stop, I can feel the bulge area specifically press harder into my back. It makes a hard stop seem almost unsafe.

    I went to my dealer who, while not officially acknowledging problems did actually have a shop manager who wants to know how I fix this, since he has a similar problem in this Honda Fit.

    I showed them your post, and they said they would not be able to disable the restraint connection, but did agree (verbally) that that could be the cause of my problem.

    I also contacted two reputable local upholstery shops who said they have been basically inundated with complaints in the last few weeks as more peoples are buying cars again. Unfortunately they also said they could not disconnect a safety device. The suggested fix perhaps involves adding foam around this plate. At any rate we are going to look at it tomorrow.

    If they can't find a good fix I may attempt to do this myself. Can you please explain how to access this part of the seat? Do you only remove the seat back? Did you disconnect the battery? Any advice appreciated.

    Otherwise my only alternative may be to sell a perfectly good car and take a several thousand $ loss. I normally keep cars for around 10 years, and I don't think my spine can survive this punishment for 10 more weeks.
  • personatechpersonatech Member Posts: 105
    This problem goes along with the "head-restraint-against-the-head" problem. I solved both by lowering the head restraint where it very lightly touches the lower base of my skull (not all the way down). I also found that setting the lumbar support to about 50% actually alleviates the problem with the automated safety plate in the seat. Unfortunately, my solution will most probably only be satisfactory for other 250 lb. 6'1" people...
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    I found that lowering the seat 2-3 inches from it's highest setting and tilting it back about 4 notches was what it took to alleviate my back pain. I'm 5'10" and 170lbs. As I drive I reach back and pull the headrest forward every few miles to take the pressure off for a few moments. I think that helped me to get adjusted to it. I usually jack the seat up all the way so I can see everything I'm about to run over. Works great in my old 97 Camry, but much to my surprise it was quite painful in our LX Accord. My wife hasn't had a single problem with the seats, lucky I guess. Anyone ever try fabricating a wedge to fit under the headrest to tilt it forward to relieve the pressure? Might be a easier fix for people that aren't comfortable (no pun intended) with taking their seat covers off to disable the restraint.
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    I didn't quite think the wedge under the headrest thing all the way through. It would take the pressure off the back, but then your neck would hurt from your head being tilted forward. D'oh!
  • dbdcdbdc Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the replies. I've done a lot of playing around with seat height and the head rest as well. Unlike some others, when I tilt the headrest forward, I don't feel anything different. Btw I'm pretty big too, 6' and 270. But I can ride in my Prius all day (and the Odyssey I traded in) with no pain.

    I guess the issue really is how to get Honda do to something about this. I've been told by the dealer and every independent mechanic and garage I've contacted so far that they cannot disable a federally mandated safety device.

    I go to an upholsterer tomorrow morning, coincidentally another Accord owner is coming too,. Apparently they have been receiving several calls a dayabout this problem. Maybe they can address it by moving foam around....but again, I'd like to see the video of how to do this myself, if youtube doesn't remove it for legal reasons...

    This is a real Catch 22. I think that more harm is being done to customer's spines than anything mitigated by the active head restraints. Shame on Honda for covering this up for almost 2 years. I will never even consider a Honda product again.
  • cdn2cdn2 Member Posts: 8
    If there is a solution that actually works well please let me know. I am 6'5 215 and have been using a memory foam pillow...that helps a little on the short trips...but not much on the long trips.
  • dbdcdbdc Member Posts: 10
    I had the lumbar plate taken out for $150 at an upholstery shop. It seems to help some, but its still not quite right. They will put it back in for free for me after I drive it for awhile.

    I may get it put back and try it with this "Sacro Ease" framed cushion I purchased ($120) , which also helps some. I had it bent at Health Back Store (they will custom adjust it for free) to support my UPPER back. That was better, but now I want the lumbar back again. Then maybe my whole back will be actually away from the seat contour. Problem is the "Sacro Ease takes some space and sort of negates the side bolstering. :mad:

    Really getting ridiculous (and expensive). I am going to look at a trade-in on a different vehicle that was on my short list. I would be willing to lose a couple of thousand to have a car I can sit in for 8-10 years.

    Then again, perhaps my back will "adjust".
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    Honda Accord 2008-Up seats will never be right if they hit you in a wrong spot. The bulge in lower back seat that pushes against your back is a constant pain. You will eventually screw up your lower back.

    I am amazed that more people don't HATE this piece of $#%^ seat back design.

    Sell the Accord and buy a Nissan Altima or a Mazda 6. Both have far more comfortable seats.

    Joe
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    What's comfortable for one won't be comfortable for all. I'm 6'5" 195, my grandmother is 5'1" and "regular" sized. She can't get comfortable in the 08 Taurus, but I can.

    Different seats for different shapes.
  • dbdcdbdc Member Posts: 10
    jodar96, you were right. I sold the Accord after 2 months (at a 4K loss). I hope I do not now have permanent back damage. Back hurts most of the time, even in my other car, which I have driven for 5 years comfortable. Wish I had seen your post re: Altima or Mazda 6. I ended up purchasing a Volvo C30, which I had looked at previously, mainly because Volvo does not use the "active" head restraint. These seats seem much better, but its hard to tell because my back is still so messed up from the accord. It seems like it did something do a disk. The pain does not seem to be merely muscular. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy driving again.

    To all prospective new Honda buyers, please drive it for at least one hour before making your decision. Rent one if you have to.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    Your back will be fine once you do not have that constant lower bulge against it. The Accord was my wife's. I talked her into selling her 2000 Lincoln LS ( it did have comfortable seats) to get the Accord. Once we got rid of the Accord, our backs have been fine. We bought a used 2004 RX330 for her.

    You always loose more money when you trade in. Honda is one of the best cars you can sell on your own. You must be patient while trying to sell it on your own. We lost $2K for a 16 month old Accord EX with 9K miles. It sat in third garage Nov-March due to being terrible time of the year to sell a car.

    I am not sure Accord crappy seat has anything to do with their active head restraining system. Everyone these days uses the system. In fact, Volvo pioneered the system and I am sure your C30 has the system.

    Accord seat back design is simply POOR. Honda thinks they got it right, but I feel they are clueless as what a comfortable seat design should feel like.

    My 2001 MB E430 has to have the benchmark for front seat comfort. With its 21 gallon tank, I have done 535 miles w/o stopping in that car. There was no way I could take more than two hours in our 2008 Accord.

    Joe
  • dbdcdbdc Member Posts: 10
    Interestingly, my 5 year old Toyota Prius, while not having what I would call luxurious seats, has never caused any back pain, even on a 10 hour drive. It only has the minimal adjustments, tilt and forward/back. When I drove a 2010 Camry, with full power seats the other day, the seat felt just the same as the Prius, suprise? One initial adjustment and no further thought required. It seems thats how all cars seats used to be. But now the seats are fussier, seems that if you get one of the 8 different (even manual adjustments) wrong you make things worse.

    My benchmark seat was my 200 BMW 328, it had lumbar that went up and down, as well as in and out. I don't see how lumbar can accomodate different height drivers without that feature.

    My     next car will either be a Toyota or Lexus (but most are boring to drive) or something with the up/down lumbar.

    But hopefully, my back can recover, and I can drive my C30 for a few years!
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