Trading in XL Maverick with under 5k miles

[Synner Syndrome]

I’ve tried to make my seats work and just can’t. I’ve tried almost every thing and the XL seats are extremely uncomfortable. No lumbar support and seat sucks.

This after I did the bed liner and bought a cover

When I post this elsewhere I’m usually met with others telling me their Lariat seats are comfortable. Lariat is not the XL.

So in turn I’m probably going to trade in the Maverick. Never thought I’d be going down this route but I can’t be in pain. I’ve had a Cortizone shot that I had to be given in my hip due to my pain. I’ve had a hip bursitis issue for a while but it was never really inflamed all the time every day until I got the base model. I’ve had to do a whole lot of twisting and turning to get into the car mainly cause I’m on a cushion that’s 2 inches thick so I have to slide my leg underneath it and then bring my foot over and squeeze in and twist and all that. Never thought I’d have to say that but I test her over a Larry odd seat it seemed slightly better even though it’s the exact same foam but I think with the heated seats that could be a help but I don’t know right now it’s just I’m not sure if it’s gonna work. I’ve always wanted a Maverick but the last two months I’ve been hell for me comfort wise. Driving wise I love the handling. I love the way it drives. The speakers suck so I wish those could be upgraded but outside of that. I mean I’m averaging 42 miles a gallon so that should also say something but yeah I can’t drive with pain

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[Scott Asheville]

I don't know this for sure, but I'll wager you can buy some amazing aftermarket seats for less than you'll lose trading the Maverick. I used to own a pair or Recaros that were amazing, and I swapped them for several cars. That was a long time ago, and I'm not sure Recaro is even in business in 2025. But maybe you ought to look around?

Another thought. Take an XLT or Lariat for a test drive. If you love the seats, get those seats swapped into your XL. Any local shop can do that - used seats can be easily purchased from any recycling marketplace - your auto body shops will know how to do that. Based on the number of totalled Mavericks I've seen on MTC, there should be plenty of seats available.

 

[Synner Syndrome]

So I have taken an XLT and a lariat for a test drive. I did actually mention the test drive with the lariat in my original post. I have tried asking them to swap seats into the maverick and they have told me that they can’t. They told me that with the electrical components and mine doesn’t have them that they couldn’t do it and they didn’t want to do it because of some stupid liability crap. They told me that if there was a crash that they could get sued and they didn’t want to do that. I have looked at seat covers in fact I’m sitting on some now that were more than I usually pay and they don’t help. I’ve looked into upholstery. I’ve looked into other car seats getting put in here.

All I keep getting met with this resistance. So my issues that I’m having is the horrible lack of back support/lumbar support and the fact that I can feel a plastic, the hard plastic through the bottom of the seat padding. And when they have the seams I can feel those two. Rather painful

I don't know this for sure, but I'll wager you can buy some amazing aftermarket seats for less than you'll lose trading the Maverick. I used to own a pair or Recaros that were amazing, and I swapped them for several cars. That was a long time ago, and I'm not sure Recaro is even in business in 2025. But maybe you ought to look around?

Another thought. Take an XLT or Lariat for a test drive. If you love the seats, get those seats swapped into your XL. Any local shop can do that - used seats can be easily purchased from any recycling marketplace - your auto body shops will know how to do that. Based on the number of totalled Mavericks I've seen on MTC, there should be plenty of seats available.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

I realized a week into owning my '23 XLT that I under-ordered, and needed to replace ASAP. As soon as the '24 order window opened, I ordered a Lariat with the equipment I wanted. Take the $$$ hit and move on.

HRG

 

[Synner Syndrome]

I would have to say I agree. And it’s not that I don’t like the car. I love the way it handles. I love the way it looks. I love the design in the front. I wish there was a little less plastic but I love everything about it. I wanted to make this work. That’s probably why I kept it for all this time trying many different avenues of trying to make it work. If I was not happy with it and didn’t wanna have anything to do with it I probably would’ve gotten rid of it earlier. But I tried. And I’m not saying I won’t get a higher trim but I just can’t validate driving in pain months or years down the line. I have a lot of injuries from being a bodybuilder and my physical therapist recently told me that base models are horrible for people with back and hip and knee injuries mainly because when you get into the car you have to twist around and things like that whereas the higher versions have that lumbar support and things so that’s kind of why I was saying I might look at the higher trim but you know I’ve been test driving other vehicles around. I’ve test driven the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ridgeline in the Tacoma and a lot of just a lot of different vehicles but I keep coming back to the Maverick because it’s got great gas mileage but I just can’t deal with pain. I think that’s why I’m a glutton I guess

I realized a week into owning my '23 XLT that I under-ordered, and needed to replace ASAP. As soon as the '24 order window opened, I ordered a Lariat with the equipment I wanted. Take the $$$ hit and move on.

HRG

 

[OleFordGuy]

imo NO vehicle is worth keeping and living with any pain it causes you, regardless of mpg or anything else, it meaningless. It sounds like you have made reasonable effort to make your situation better to no avail. Who cares if you have to maybe take a loss at this point, being free of the pain is the only thing to consider. As a thought, maybe try renting different vehicles to try them out or maybe a dealer of a vehicle you might like to consider could rent you one of their loaner vehicles? Wish you the best in resolving the issue quickly.

 

[notfast]

As a thought, maybe try renting different vehicles to try them out

Renting is a good idea, or CarMax and sometimes other dealerships will allow for 24-hour test drives. CarMax's default test drive is 30 minutes solo, so you can drive further than around the block and sit in the car and really get the seat adjusted. Even if you don't buy a car from them, if there is a used one in the configuration that you like, it might be worthwhile to stop by there to test drive the car without any sales pressure.

 

[Ranko Kohime]

I don't know this for sure, but I'll wager you can buy some amazing aftermarket seats for less than you'll lose trading the Maverick. I used to own a pair or Recaros that were amazing, and I swapped them for several cars. That was a long time ago, and I'm not sure Recaro is even in business in 2025. But maybe you ought to look around?

Yep, still very much in business. This has made me think about getting a replacement seat in my '25 XLT.
https://www.recaro-automotive.com/us/

 

[Synner Syndrome]

Yes. So when I first bought the car back in July I took him home and I really didn’t see an issue with it at first. I felt the seat was kind of short but I didn’t really think it was that bad. Within a week I was feeling awful pain on my left leg. And a horrible pain in my back. I continued for another half of a week and then I started getting sciatic pain shooting down the right leg. So I was contacting a doctor and I tried a regular pad that didn’t really work. Then he recommended I try egg carton foam. What I did was I got the 3 inch foam and I put the seat cover on top of it and so I had that there and then I got a two or 3 inch lumbar pillow so I was literally being pushed in the back 2 to 3 inches in the same as the seat the seat was comfortable for a while until it started to get a little compressed but not much. But it was hard to get in and out of the car because I had to slide my leg under the steering wheel and twist my body all around. I started getting hip pain so I contacted the same doctor again and he suggested a different type of seat cushion which is like a wedge I think. Never really bought those because it didn’t look like it would be that comfortable. So I contacted the Ford dealer who I bought the car from and they suggested the brand purple. I bought the largest one which is called the ultimate and when I put it over the seat I thought it was good at first but then I was sliding off the side because it was so long. I took it back treated in for the royal and I’ve been using that since it’s 2 inches thick and at first it was pretty good but I was using the back pillow so I was getting pushed in the back and pushed up so I was essentially being squished. After a while I got the mindset of taking off both the cushions and trying to drive again. I started getting awful pain again so I started to use the cushion but not the back pillow and I started getting excruciating pain in the back. Almost what it felt like was paralyzing. No matter what type of car eye test drove I felt like I was always in pain.

There was one day a couple of days ago, I think if I’m not mistaken it was Monday yeah Monday day that I drove out to Carmax to get my estimate redone by driving out there I was in so much excruciating pain that I was nearly crying. No I’m not a guy fries but I was in so much pain I had pins and needle pain coming in the back

And it’s at that point where I said to myself I can’t take this anymore. I was thinking of trading in the seeds and all that stuff which I did look at earlier if you could look at a previous post where I was looking at doing the bronco sport seats as a swap and they wouldn’t do those because of some liability issue. Then I asked if they could put the Nissan Murano they wouldn’t do that. So I was in so much pain that Monday I said I can’t do this anymore. I’ve got 42 miles to the gallon which I love that again I love the way it drives I love the way handles I love everything about it except I just can’t be in a car that causes pain

 

[dochawk]

the power lumbar adjustments in a couple of my Cadillacs are amazing.

Especially the 2002 DHS I used to have--tap a button on the side of the seat, and it starts vibrating as it moves up and down, a 30 second massage in bumper to bumper traffic!

 

[MavStangVa]

Get a vehicle you can live with. That means you are pain free. I understand your desire to keep it. When I test drove an xlt the seats were fine for me but the pleather Lariat actually made egress and ingress easier for me so I went that route. I hope you find a vehicle you can be comfortable driving. If I recall the Ridgeline seats were great I just had issues with the door shape and ducking my head to get in. Plus it did not get the MPG of a Maverick. I wish you well and let us know what you end up with and how much better you are feeling.

 

[Cherokee]

Physical therapy,
Weight training,
Abdominal work,
Trimming down to a flat stomach and a 4 pac.
I fixed my herniated L4 and L5 this way.
No pain, Good as pre injury.

Op, have you gone down this road ?

 

[Ron Neal]

If you are in that much pain it doesn't matter how good the mileage is. Find a vehicle that is comfortable for you to drive.

 

[Synner Syndrome]

I do believe I’ve mentioned that I’ve seen a physical therapist so yes. I used to be a bodybuilder so the whole weight training thing I’ve already mentioned that by the way, yes. Trimming down to a flat stomach and a 4 pack? Yeah I don’t think that’s gonna be possible overnight.

The thing I have big concerns with is when I get people saying oh well it’s because so-and-so is overweight. Now I’m not huge, but to think that it’s just a weight situation? I’ve had people who are thin hate the seats. I’ve had people who are average weight hate the seats. Should they lose weight? Maybe they should be coming anorexic. also you can’t drop that much weight overnight. If you could that would be awesome but you can’t. Now do I have extra weight? Yes. Am I huge? No. Can I fit through a door without having to go sideways? Yes.

At the end of the day, you’re not gonna lose weight overnight and any pre-injury that you already had you can’t just fix overnight. The point is there’s just not as much padding and the lack of lumbar support is terrible. When I saw my physical therapist we went over some exercises but she legitimately had concerns that all the twisting and turning that I did and not having lumbar support really could hurt my back. Now we’re gonna give it a couple months to see if it heals and goes away. Mind you I do have hip bursitis but it was not always in flames until the car. There’s been a few days at work that I could not stand up and that’s part of my job is to stand up and I had to sit down. It was that bad of pain

But maybe I should go lose weight overnight and get a four pack.

It’s not a one size fits all situation.

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