nunsa

I have to post this, I owned Toyotas for years, I buy this Taco and my back hurts like hell, for awhile I thought it was old age setting in, then it dawned on me, it must be these seats in this '03 Taco, no matter what position that I put them in my damn back hurts, my '87, '88 and '89 didn't have this problem!
So, does any one elses back hurt from there TACO ?

carose725

i know what you are saying. my 4runner had much better seats. when i switched to my taco i noticed acky back from time to time. i want to get some trans am bucket seats and install. i loved the seats in my 97 ta.

MeinPappa

I've had this exact experience. I was able to take both my Dodges for long rides and be completely comfortable but both of the 'yotas I've owned get uncomfortable after a couple hours. Been looking at some replacement seats, maybe Ricarros. These things just get too uncomfortable after a while. On a vehicle that gets as much of a premium as Toyotas do, there really is no excuse.

Bob_98SR5

is it possible to swap a 3rd gen 4runner seat into a similar year tacoma? If so, i see 4runner seats for sale fairly often on ebay.

maybe you can find a 4runner owner in your area and give it a try. its just a matter of taking off 4 plastic covers and removing 4 bolts (on a 4runner). see my writeup at http://www.4runners.org/articles/sound and navigate to the seat removal part

bob

CynicX

i have a touchy back and my 04 seats dont bother me. Even on long trips. But I definately have sat in alot more comfy seats....

Down2TheC

Lumbar Support

Good lumbar pillow that I use in my office chair though it's designed for the car.

pat161

I agree that the base seats suck, but 4Runner seats may be no better. I also drove Toyotas for years with no issues, but recently my back started hurting after long rides, and for me it was old age, and the crappy base model seats. It never phased me in my Tacoms but in my 2000 4Runner I decided that I needed to do something. My truck came with the base buckets, the same ones that some Tacomas have. Most SR5 4Runners come with the Sport seats, a little more side bolstering and adjustable lumbar, which are a huge upgrade from the base seats. I was able to find a set of power leather seats from a LTD Runner, and find them very comfortable. If you buy 4Runner seats make sure they are the sport buckets and not the base models or else your back will be no better off. And I agree that the lumbar pillow helps, I used one until I got the new seats.

Beartracker

Broke my back several years ago and have problems anyway but my 01 Tacoma seats are not the best feeling I have ever had. Mike

mt_goat

I love the seats in my 93 SR5 ext-cab. They have 3 ways to adjust them. Sorry to hear the Tacos are bad.

Captain_Toyota

I think the seats in the Tacoma are great. If you want to feel some uncomfortable seats, drive a Ford truck. Their seats are as hard as a rock and have no side bolsters.
Ive driven Tacomas and 4Runners with every seat Toyota offers. Id take even a Toyota bench seat over Ford bucket seats. Toyota's seats have somewhat of a squish to them, contrast that to Ford's seats which are rock-hard.
Cap'n

mt_goat

Yeah I had to drive an F150 for a month and I couldn't drive that thing for more than 15 minutes without getting a backache.

Jared Ajlouny

my back never hurts, i think the seat is comfy...im 18 though lol

jon_7248

I had an old '87 4runner and loved the seats. I could drive from Cali to Texas with out much to complain. Now that I am in the Taco, it's a bit different driving from Dallas to San Antonio! I have also noticed that my 4runner seats seemed to make my body feel like it's more "in" in the seat and just on it. Seemed like I was really strapped in. Ofcourse age may have had something to do with that too. But im thinking really hard on swapping seats out soon with 4runner or something.

05TACODOC

The seats in my 88 4Runner SR5 ruled, when I got my 03 TRD Taco I could not believe how cheap Toyota had gone on the seats, they dont compare at all. That was probably one of the biggest reasons I sold the 03 to buy my 05 Taco. Interior comfort in the new Taco is on par with the 'Yotas of old once again.

rngrchad

97 Taco. My lower back begins to hurt after driving 2 to 3 hours. I have no problem tolerating uncomfortable seats, but when it begins to strain my lower back it's just plain ridiculous! I'm 21 for god's sake. I work construction and do lots of flooring. That doesn't hurt my back as bad as the yota! Anyway, my 1985 Chevy bench seat was very uncomfortable but it didn't cause my back to literally ache at the end of a long trip. WTF?
-Chad (another aching back taco owner)

Captain_Toyota

Tell me about it. A few years ago my parents were thinking about buying a 4Runner. I went with my mother when she test drove it and she ended up asking me to drive because it ended up being a 5-speed. My mother CAN drive a stick but she merely chooses not to. Anyways, the instant I sat in the seat I thought to myself, "Yeah baby! Back home in a Toyota!!! "
The seats in that 4Runner were so comfy I could have slept in them.
I also test drove a '99 Tacoma that was just a base model reg cab 4x4 and even that bench seat was comfy.
The seats in my F-150 are getting better. It has 122,500 miles on it, so the foam in the seats is starting to break down a bit. Its livable now but it just cant compare to the plushness of Toyota seats.
I hate driving any of my parents vehicles. They have an '04 Ford F-150 SuperCrew and an '05 Explorer and let me tell you, those seats downright SUCK.
Cap'n

93ToyKid

Well, our 89 Runner has the premium seats, and they ROCK!!!!! I've seen the seats on a taco, and they just aren't nearly as good. Probably because in 89, everything was made in Japan.

EnolaGaia

I have both professional and personal interest in good seating (Senior Human Factors Engineer with a bad back). My '04 Taco seats (Sport Buckets with tilt control and electric lumbar) are the worst seats I've had in a Toyota truck (I've had '85 and '93 pickups, too). Mine have been replaced with Recaros.

There was a thread last winter (here at YotaTech) in which the SR5 buckets from the late '80's / early '90's were generally voted the most comfortable Toyota truck seats of all time.

If you want to research OEM transplant and aftermarket options, check my seat writeups in the Tech Section over at CustomTacos.

... And good luck with the quest for better seating! It won't get any better - if it's hurting, do something about it.

mt_goat

Where is that? Can you give us a link? Thanks

mt_goat

Never mind, I found it pretty easy: http://www.customtacos.com/tech/inde..._v2&id=168&c=6