Right knee pain... anyone else?

Hi guys and gals.

Ever since I bought the truck, my right knee hurts when driving. I have a 45 minute drive to and from work and after about 5 minutes of driving, it really starts bothering me. I've tried moving the seat forward and back, changing floor mats, changed my leg positions, etc. but I still have knee pain. I have absolutely no pain when walking, running, being active, etc., or sitting in a desk chair. It literally only happens when driving.

Does anyone else experience knee pain while driving your 2nd gen? I have a 2005 sr5 model (non-trd seats). The next thing I'm thinking is that maybe it's the seats?!?!

I really like my truck, but I can't keep driving with this knee pain!

Any advice?

Thanks!

- Gary

 

It may very well be the seats if that's the only place you experience pain. You can possibly try swapping in TRD seats to see if that helps as they should be fairly easy to find used, or maybe raising the seat height with spacers if you're too tall for the stock height.

 

I was looking into maybe adding some spacers to the rear seat bolts to raise it up about 3/4 ". I'm about 5'11"... I guess I figured that was a normal height???

 

Same height as me, although I have the TRD seats. Still, it might be worth trying spacers. If they don't work, you're not out very much money.

 

You experiencing knee pain too??

 

Same pain and I'm 22, I'm thinking about spacing up the seat just to try something.

 

Yeah 27 here. I've been expecting to start getting random aches and pains here and there, but I don't think this is really part of it...

Are you going to add a few washers from Home Depot, or order the seat spacer thing (don't remember what website offers this, but I've seen it somewhere)?

 

I have them too.. But at 6'7"' I have them in any car that I drive for a long period of time.

 

I'm 6' and no pain. You got prior knee injuries? Use a folded blanket and make adjustments under your leg to see if that helps at least before you invest in new seats.

 

I had knee pains after driving my first gen, but in the second gen my knee feels fine.

 

Huh. I used to have that problem with my Cherokee and that was one reason I bought my second gen Tacoma - its like Toyota designed the cockpit for my ergonomics. No pain since I got the Taco.

 

I've been fighting pain in my right knee for the past couple months too but it never occurred to me that it could be the truck. Leaning the kneecap on the center console and not realizing it perhaps?

Still no pain quite like the 1st gen (ol' highfloor) or the cramped feeling in my legs in my Honda.

I still think it's more from being on my feet 11+ hours every day.

 

I've had it before in other vehicles, and it boils down to ergonomics. I think the culprit may be the thigh support in the seat, and that will vary from person to person. You might try a thin cushion under your right leg to support your knee better. I have a feeling using spacers in the rear will make it worse because then the seat will be tipped forward. If anything, it probably needs to tilt back. I raised my seat and changed a bunch of things with my truck because I spend long hours in the saddle. It's not bad now.

I haven't found the ergonomics in this truck very good, and there is little provision for adjustment of anything. I wonder sometimes if the auto engineers all wear size 10 shoes regardless? It makes about the same sense.

 

I don't have a second gen but when I first got my truck about a year ago my knee would hurt whenever I wore boots. Since then the pain has gone away. Not sure how or why. I'm 6'1"

 

I had some when I first bought my truck, particularly on long trips. I noticed it only happened when I rested my knee on the centre console.

I haven't had the issue in a long time now... this thread reminded me of it. I think it's something that I just got used to, so it no longer hurts.

 

I tend to get aches on extended driving trips, I have only done 2.5 hrs in my Tacoma, and no aches But I have the thigh extenders on my seats, so perhaps they are doing their job?
I started taking Glucosamine a little over a year ago, I think it helps your joints if you stick with it. I buy it at Costco, very reasonable price FYI.

 

Never thought of using glucosamine. May have to keep that in mind if it gets worse.

I started a daily regimen on an exercise bike and that's loosened it up a lot.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I'm glad to hear it's not just some weird quark about me, though I wish you guys didn't have knee pain either!

I'm thinking I might try putting a towel under the seat and seeing if that helps.

I went to the Toyota dealership last weekend to try sitting in an 07+ TRD to see what the difference between the seats are. The TRD seats definitely are more firm. Since I didn't test drive any of the Tacomas, I wasn't able to see if they actually made a difference in my case. Maybe I'll go back today and see if I can test drive a newer one?!?!?

What are thigh extenders? Is this something you bought that attaches to the seat, or is this the normal configuration for your truck??

Thanks again guys!

 

i have a ’07 trd off road. and never had had my knee hurt. not even after 5.5/6h of pretty much none stop driving. but but did hurt a little tho lol.

 

For what it's worth, the most comfortable long distance seats I've ever owned were Recaros. and they were also the firmest.

I used to do consulting work all over the country and spent long hours in the air. I started taking one full size aspirin before boarding in the morning. The aspirin improves circulation and reduces inflammation when you are sitting for long peroiods. I started that because of reports of people getting blood clots in planes during long flights. It worked so well that I do that now whenever I have a long drive to make. At the end of the day the difference is huge! The longest nonstop drive I've taken was 27.5 hours. Nothing but gas and bathroom stops. Last summer I pulled 13 hours in one stretch. No, I don't take drugs either. I just like to drive, but that is why I get so uptight about ergonomic problems.