I have a 2007 Toyota RAV4 with a bone-standard manual driver seat. It moves back and forth and reclines. Unfortunately, I need/want about an inch more distance away from the steering wheel. (Raising the steering wheel does not help, as my knees touch the panel on either side of the column. Reclining doesn’t help, either.)
Do electric RAV4 seats offer a wider range of adjustment? Maybe also height (which would be helpful)? Can I install a later electric seat in my 2007?
Can I install a later model manual three-adjustment seat in my 2007? You know…also adjusts up and down with a pump lever. That helps in our Honda CRV.
Has anyone ever heard of a kit to retrofit a driver seat to allow it more space back from the wheel? Can I cut another adjustment stop in the rails under the driver’s seat?
I’m willing to go outside this week and pull the seat out to look at my options. It would be great if I could just modify the seat locking system to allow me to have one more notch, but I doubt that will be possible. Honestly, one more inch would make a big difference in my comfort.
BTW, the roof height is fine for my head, so I guess I’ve got that going for me (in best Bill Murray voice).
OK, I have indeed found the Extend My Seat website, so I guess I know it’s possible to install devices to relocate the seat backwards. But it’s almost as expensive as buying a used electric seat.
Just found this older post searching for seat problem & about to pull the driver seat to see about moving it back, however; I discovered that the seat adjuster on the side, unlike any other I’ve had, is designed to be pressed up or down repeadely to raise or lower in small increments. Even though I was wanting to get the seat back, I was able to acomplish the goal of more room, relief & cursing the car every drive for the leg cramps and pain…2 years; By lowering! No need at 6’3 to re-mount; further back; no knee bash etc; although it takes some getting use to driving feeling like a Lowrider; & even Toyota service didn’t help, know or care! This may help someone cause it’s wierd but true & I think from now on I might just be reading the owner’s manual a bit more often
There is a standard forum. A Google search at that forum:
Our 2021 Rav4 has plenty of legroom with the manual seat. I am almost 6’ and have to slide it forward about halfway. It also has the pump raise/lower and can go way down from where I use it. The Rav4 is the top selling vehicle in the US aside from pickup trucks. You should be able to get one from a wrecking yard easily enough I would think.
As long as you’re pulling the seat out to take a look, see how the seat rails themselves are installed. Bolted into holes, or slots? Maybe you can adjust the seat rails backwards to give you the extra room you need.
The RAV4 seats changed significantly in 2013, as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, it looks like a salvaged seat would cost me over $500, unless it’s in very bad shape. Of course, the seat would have to be one that is not manual like my current seat AND I would have to be sure that it would go back far enough.
My 2007 RAV4 seat rails bolt down with four bolts (two bolts for each rail). The Extend My Seat kit replaces the stock rails with ones that extend back a bit further. The stock rails then bolt to the new rails with four bolts.
I was having some back pains and talked with my PT about them. It became clear that I needed to change my driving position in the RAV4 so my knees are lower and I’m not turning my legs to keep my knees from hitting under the dash. So…I pulled the trigger and bought the Extend My Seat brackets for a total of about $310. Just installed them three days ago.
At first, I was a bit confused about the hardware they sent me. According to the instructions, I was supposed to use the original mounting bolts to secure the brackets to the car floor, then use two new black bolts to secure the seat to the brackets in the front and two stainless bolts to secure the seat in the rear. Of course, I received a bag with two short black bolts, four long black bolts, one stainless bolt, and four washers. I live chatted with the manufacturer to ask which bolts I should use and whether I was short a stainless bolt. They said they’d check. That was five days ago…no further response. I ended up using four long black bolts (14mm).
The instructions suggest you may need to cut the carpet a bit. No…you have to cut your carpet A LOT! Fortunately, the carpet in the 2007 is more like molded fiberboard with lint glued to it. The brackets won’t sit on the metal floor and the holes won’t line up if you leave the carpet in place. It ain’t pretty, but it’s acceptable in appearance. Go ahead and take the seat out, as it makes the installation much, much easier.
Final verdict: The seat feels very secure, though I needed to torque the bolts again the day after installation. It gives me about three inches of extra room, so my knees are a good two inches from hitting anything. I was also able to raise the seat a few positions so my knees are much lower. Seat belt works fine. Controls are still easy to reach. Steering wheel needed to be repositioned. Strangely, I did not have to adjust my mirrors…they were fine as they were.
Glad I did it, but I wish there was a cheaper alternative.
Ah, a true SUV, none of that fancy schmancy stuff!
I remember a Tom McCahill road test of a Russian sedan back in the 1960s. He described the interior as “mouse fur”. It also came with several spare fan belts and a complete set of wheels which gave him pause.
Factory trained Toyota tech here. You can install any seat you can fit in there. I would go w/ one that has a manual adjustment vs electric because it would be much simpler to install, and once you get it where you want it you will probably just leave it there. Just be sure to use the correct hardened bolts to attach whatever you put in there, and make sure the seat belt/shoulder harness can be adjusted properly.
Also, be aware that putting yourself closer or farther away MAY affect the airbag operation. Your car has one in the front as well as on the sides. Personally, I hate those things. They’re a cheap way to get past Federally mandated crash tests w/o actually making the driver/passenger area more sturdy.
You will never see them in a race car, which is often crashed at speeds up to 200 MPH, or a dragster that can go from a dead stop to over 330 MPH in a just few seconds and 1,000 feet. A very sturdy driver environment consisting of a roll bar and multi point seat belt/harnesses is required for any race car. All that stuff is very expensive and hard to make pretty. Passenger cars are made to a price point, and race cars are 100% designed to keep the driver alive.