Seat Foam Worn Out and Hurting Your Back: What Fixes It

If your back hurts after every drive, the problem might not be you. It might be the foam under you.

Why it happened

Seat foam breaks down from years of weight, heat and constant compressing. The driver’s side wears first, usually the bottom cushion and the outer bolster. When the foam sinks, the seat tilts you backward, your hips roll and your lower back loses its support.

How to check

Press the driver’s cushion with your hand, then the passenger’s. If the driver’s side is flatter, softer or sits lower, that’s your answer. Also look at the outer bolster. If it’s flat, the foam is done.

What to do right now

• Adjust seat height and tilt first. Sometimes it buys you some comfort.
• Add a wedge or support cushion to level the seat.
• Add a lumbar cushion if the pain is low in your back.

None of this fixes the foam. It just buys you time.

DIY or shop

Shop. The seat comes out, the cover comes off, and the cushion is rebuilt with new foam. A good shop can make it firmer than factory. Lifted truck or SUV? Climbing in over a high step wears the outer bolster faster, so have the bolster foam rebuilt while the seat is apart. The bottom cushion and the bolsters are separate parts of the job.

What it costs

• Support cushion: $25 to $60
• Foam rebuild at a shop: $150 to $300 per seat

Keep it from happening again

Foam wears with use, but you can slow it. Don’t slide across the bolster, keep a thick wallet out of your back pocket, and don’t let the seat sit in full sun.