Short driver struggling with seat depth and leg pain in car

[Hoogieflip]

I'm 5'2" and can't drive my new (to me) car without my shins and/or knees being in agony. So, yeah, basically I can't drive it. The depth of the driver seat seems to be the problem - my legs dangle like a kid's over the edge because they bend too soon. The results of this is that I struggle to get my foot at a decent angle to the pedals so I get shin splints on my right leg (the car is automatic) and terrible pain in my knee.
Has anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

Have you tried putting a cushion behind your back so you sit a bit further forward? I’m only just 5ft tall and there have been a few cars I haven’t been able to drive over the years due to the lack of adjustment on the seats and poor visibility.

Did you not test drive it before you bought it?

Im 5ft 2 and actually sit on a cushion, it makes such a difference to what I can see and also makes driving easier.
I’m not sure why this works as it puts me further away from the pedals but it does.

Are you certain that the front of the seat isn't adjustable and is extended? My Volvo has this.

Cushions! Makes all the difference.

Thanks for all your replies.
I've tried a wedge cushion - knee pain. And a back wedge - that moves the pain from my knees to my shin. I've tried every adjustment available in the car, but just can't get it to work for me. What kind of cushions are you using?

I am 5ft and struggle with the same issues. The tilt of modern car seats as well as the lumbar supports are not designed for people out height. I have a wedge-shaped cushion that has the thin end towards the front and the thicker end at the back, which lifts me slightly in the seat but effectively makes the seat flat. On longer trips I use a small peanut-shaped lumbar pillow. These fit me better than the “regular” lumbar support pillows. I will share screenshots of examples from Temu, but you can get them everywhere. *My wedge pillow is like the larger one in the photo below, but I feel like the bottom one might be a better option.

Thank you. I've not tried the peanut shaped one, so that might be worth a try - I'll have a look. I spoke to a physiotherapist today but she couldn't digest anything else. It's so frustrating!

i moved up to a bigger and higher seated car recently, took me ages to find a comfortable position as my legs and arms felt like they had to stretch too far and it was causing strain, then I learnt that the steering wheel position could be changed and that made a huge diffeeence. Take a look at your manual and see if the back of the seat can be moved forwards to reduce the seat depth.