Toyota Highlander Seats and head rests

lui4

My toyota highlander is only 6 mos old but the driver seat (leather seat) is getting wrinkly on the edge because it's hard to get in the car being short person I tend to rub my hips/buttocks against the edge of the seat before I can finally sit down. Is there anyway I can cure this wrinkle or remedy it so t hat it doesn't become ugly? The middle part of the leather seat is fiine, only the edge of it looks wrinkly. Please help.

paterd

You know ever since they banned Formaldehyde for tanning hides, leather is just not the same. My sister had a Camry with leather interior and hers lost all the color and got wrinkled where she would rub on the edge when getting in the car. I don't remember how long after she bought the car that it did this, but it wasn't very long. That's why I refuse to pay extra for leather interior, only to have it look like that.
That's also the reason I haven't bought a Highlander yet, cause the cloth interior is so dang ugly and cheap looking!

lvaughnr

Hi everyone,
I have a 02' Sequoia SR5 with lots of upgrades. The rear leather are extremely squeaky and drives me nuts. Does anyone have a similar problem? And, what was the solution?
Thanks,
Vaughn...

mossrocker

You might choose to look into firms that dye and condition leather seats. I have a 92 BMW that I have conditioned and dyed periodically, it seems to help.

jpce

Was wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to compare the comfort level or differences of the liquicell/lumbar leather seats on the '06 Highlander Ltd. offered in the Gulf Coast/States region (option L4, I think) with the leather seat option offered in the Southeast and other areas (option LA or LAAT). Thanks!

treeman

I have had my 06 Highlander Limited for 6 weeks and very dissapointed with the leather seats which are very uncomfortable. Just like sitting on a park bench or milk crate. Very very uncomfortable. My old 94 Ford Explorer leather seats were very nice. Only other seat I tried that was more comfortable than the Ford was Caddy Escalade. Other than the seats this is one fine car. Has anyone had the same experience?

fran08

I have a 2006 Highlander with tan leather and it is already in need of seat cleaning. Does anyone know the best leather seat cleaner?

dondi3

To treeman.....regarding your Highlander seats, I literally feel your pain. The leather clad buckets in our 04' 4Runner are just terrible, especially after a 5 hour drive. Hard, unyielding cushions. I'm curious about whether Toyata uses the same seat design in their Tundras as well. The seats in
my 00' Silverado are far more comfortable (leather captains chairs). Don't think I'd buy another Toyota until this issue was addressed.

illinichas

Has anyone in the Chicago area had leather installed after taking delivery of a Highlander and if so, where did you go and what did it cost? Are you happy with it? Has anyone done this through the dealer and what did it cost and are you happy with it? Thanks

hmcpeak

When I purchased the 2007 Highlander Hybrid I failed to notice that the passenger side seat controls did not have lumbar and seat tilt adjustment like the driver side. This was a big problem!
After a couple hours driving, my wife's (passenger) back started to hurt. It was clear that not having lumbar and seat tilt controls on the passenger side was a mistake. The seat is very uncomfortable for anyone. I called Toyota and they said that the way it is and there is nothing they can do about it.
Does anyone else have this problem and any ideas what can be done about it??
I went to a store that sales car seat cushions and bought $200 worth of lumbar and seat cushions but they are a poor substitute for a good seat design.

myladdie

Shortly after I purchased my 2006 HH Limited, my wife had similar back problems. Then I found, to my disappointment, that the 2 front power seats were not the same, not even close. The passenger seat has very few controls, not even an up and down control. Quite unlike my old GM SUV Limited which had identical full controls on each seat. I complained to the sales manager and pointed out that the window sticker said both front seats were power seats. I found out later that the owners manual is even misleading on this. His response was that both seats do have power and that they don't necessarily have to be the same. "Power is Power." What a jerk. And you can not buy a full power passenger seat from Toyota. So, my wife uses a pillow for height and it helps.

On a good note, my HH does have plenty of zip and (horse)power when I need it. I have had my HH for over a year and have gone thru one upstate NY winter with no problems, other than low MPG in the cold months(6 of them) that everyone is encountering. The vehicle has been very dependable thru 25k miles. So, overall I'm satisfied.

walta

I thought the differences between the driver and passenger seats were pretty clearly stated.

Didn't you, and your wife, test drive the Highlander first?

ronald70

Response to #7 of 10 by treeman July 11, 2006 regarding uncomfortable leather seats on driver's and front passenger's side. Our 2006 Highlander Sport now with 14,000 miles is unbearable to drive on long distance trips due to front seat pressure on our body bottom. This occurs after about a few hundred miles. Tried pillows and an after market seat pad with various vibrators and heat. No sucess in removing the unbearable pressure and driving discomfort with these attempts. Now have asked dealer to step in and help. They sent me to an upholstery shop who suggested adding an inch of foam to the center flat section of the seat to raise me up from the side bolsters on the horizontal surface of the front seat. Have not had this done but will keep you informed if this solves the problem. The seat back and lumbar do no seem to be a problem. In pain on long trips I am aware of the problem and of Toyotas reluctance to help us.

ronald70

Front seats most uncomfortable and unbearable on long trips. Trying thru local Toyota dealer to have a local upholstery shop add foam padding to seat surface, not the back of the seat. Purpose is to raise this center section so side bolster does not push against my body. Pain is unbearable and limits the use of this vehicle. Will let you know soon if this works and details of specifically what was done to remove the seat pressure points causing the butt pain.

alohatofu

I just purchased the stock 08 HL 2WD. I would like to put leather on it. The dealer quoted me around $1,900 for it.

Anyone know where I can get it for less expensive?

Thanks

kenlw

the reason most new leather seats don't hold up well (and one reason why I won't have them) is that they aren't solid leather. They are "bonded" leather which is like McNuggets: pieces-parts; made by pressing together lots of smaller pieces to make one.

Bonded leather is thinner, wrinkles easier and wears thru much faster. It is also more easily damaged by sun (UV). It even has to have a laminated cloth backing sheet just to hold it together.

A telling fact: in 1976, a new $12k car could have leather (not just seating surfaces, the entire seat, and in solid sheets) for $1000. Today, that car that costs 40k and can stil get leather; only in "seating areas", "bonded" leather; but still for around the same $1000.

Simply put, modern cloth seats hold up much better over time. I have put over 200k on numerous cloth-seat cars and all of them look better than 50k leather.

oitbw

I purchased a 2007 FJ Cruiser last October. I had never owned a Toyota prior to this purchase. Within a few months I had terrible back problems. I had never had back problems before and was in great physical shape. We figured out it was my seat causing the problem in my FJ Cruiser. The seat in this vehicle sits too close to the ground causing your knees to be higher than your torso. I quit driving my FJ Cruise and starting driving my old Vehicle and GMC Truck. My back began to heal and the pain went away. After a week of driving the truck I wanted to drive my FJ Cruiser again and my back started killing me. It was obvious there is a problem with this seat. Ergonomically you are sitting in a terrible position in this vehicle. I sold my truck this past Thursday. I want to know how many consumers are not paying attention to what is causing their lower back pain!

startups

Hi everyone!

I'm having a bit of trouble. I got some new custom car seat covers for my 2008 Toyota Highlander and the headrests don't come off easily. I looked online and it seems that the headrests are "active headrests" - so I'm wondering if there is some specific trick to remove them?

if you have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it!

Ben

disneymom3

I have had leather seats before but in my 05 Highlander I decided not to get them. I can not tell you how bad I HATE the cloth seats in this car. I have fussed about it for three years now. Just simple rain drops of water stain the seat. I have to have it detailed often to keep the seats from looking like a coke blew up in it. I complained to the dealer about it just after I got it and they didn't seem to care.

I have had cloth seats before in several cars but I have never had this problem with any of them, until now.

ed36

I'\t'll cost-but it can be done...any good upholstery shop can convert a drivers seat to a passenger seat- major problem is finding a goor drivers seat.upholstery can be altered also...

greghh2006

Love my 2006 HH but after just three weeks ownership the leather seats HURT. Coming from an old CRV the HH LTD was luxery. But now the backs of my thighs ache and it feels as if the side of my right thigh is bruised (high on the rt side). I'm not large (6 feet, 35 waist) but my bottom rides on the bolsters. The bolsters become wider and the seat more narrow towards the back. I bought a pad but it's not the same ride experience which I loved.

I don't like driving the car anymore, it really hurts

Are there softer leather seats available? Suggestions?!

mdhutton

6 feet, 35 waist ?
.
Suggestions ?
.
Eat more red meat, trans and saturated fats, and beer. In about 5-6 more waistline inches, you'll feel more comfortable.

grahampeters

G'day

It may just be a case of fiddling with the adjustments. I had a Mercedes which produced excruciating sciatica until a physiotherapist spent ten minutes with me, adjusting the seat. A lot of it was counter-intuitive. Try searching the net for some pointers. In the UK, the best guidance was from Loughborough University. Try looking for driverergonomics.com for the bigger picture and this link for the specifics on seat adjustment

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/hu/drivingergonomics/downloads/initial%20driv- ing%20position%20and%20posture%20guide.pdf

Cheers

Graham