Headrest Solutions

That is a pretty good solution, bound to serve you better than many generic back support products you may get at the stores.

My wife is not a tall person either and she complained about the headrests too particularly on longer trips. One day she ventured into a Walmart and bought a back support product that looked good but did not help her much. She took it back and then exchanged it for a $5 narrow neck support pillow. She now swears by it. :)

Good luck with your new vehicle.

MSantos

I found a new solution to the headrest problem. I had the headrest rods put in a vice (the rods that support the headrest) bent backwards to be made more straight. I works!!! I don't need a pillow, car seat covers, or have to have my headrest on backwards. I have perfect headrest support & my back & neck is straight and supported. Just bend the rods back!! It works perfect.

Where did you go to get the rods straightened? I've thought of the same thing but don't know where to start! Also, are there concerns that the headrest will be weakened too much by bending the rods? Thanks!

I didn't have much of a problem with the headrest, but DID in trying to get a comfortable arm length with the steering wheel, once I had the seat and back positioned, and the wheel telescoped out to the max. I had a rectangular fake lambswool that I folded into thirds and placed that as a full back rest. The headrest is no longer in contact. I had to custom make a lumbar "roll" to suite my particular requirements. I also had a kind of memory foam that I positioned on the seat. NOW ALL PARTS OF ME ARE COMFORTABLE;)

No need to have the bars bent. You can take the headrest completely out of the two holes, turn it around, and slide it in backward. You won't have a height adjustment, but it will still be tall enough for most people, and it won't push your head forward any longer, since the pad will be angled back.

This fix takes 10 seconds and costs nothing.

I purchased a Honda Civic EX in May 2007. Started noticing pain in neck after a few weeks from headrest tilting my head forward. Found this forum and others documenting problems and attempted fixes. I tried the headrests from my husbands 2007 Honda Odyssey. They fit but only hit my head about 1/4-1/2" farther back and still not good enough. I checked with the dealer and they could not help. Someone suggested a custom auto shop. Haven't found one yet to help. I tried turning the headrests around but there is absolutely no support and could lead to serious injury in an accident. I like the idea of bending the rods and we are considering doing that. I will e-mail Honda Support and see if I get a response. I saw a solution to try a Honda Accord headrest but at the dealer they appeared to be the exact same angle. Maybe I'll try that again. The correct responsible solution would be for Honda to offer a headrest that would fit that is at a normal and safe angle for those of us who have problems. I would pay to buy new headrests if they remedy the situation because I really like the car and the gas mileage. Especially now! Will continue to monitor this forum for more information and will update if I find anything informative. Thanks.

I had this problem on a 2008 Honda Accord EX Coupe I had purchased, and had neck and back pain from the headrests. After searching a couple of forums, I found a solution. The headrests from a 2007 will fit, the two cost me @ $100 ordered from an online Honda parts dealer. The active headrest restraint system still functions, but is much less intrusive then the stock system. The 2007 Accord headrests are not at the same angle as the 2008 and don't force your head forward. I don't know if this would work on the Civic, but it's certainly worth a look. Good luck.

Headrest is a bit of a misnomer. I believe it's *not* the intention to "rest" your head against them: their primary function is to guard against whiplash in rearend collisions. Maybe try adjusting your seat back angle, to more upright? And maybe seat height as well?

Wow. I thought I was the only person that was experiencing this issue. When I'm driving for a long period, it feels like I have someone pushing on my head. So far the only thing that counteracts this is if I keep the seat completely straight up. Once I leave work today, I'll try turning the headrest around. If not, I'll just get the piece of foam like a previous poster has done.

Just today I bought a 2008 Honda Accord V6. I was so excited with how well it drove and so happy with the car buying experience that it wasn't until 60 miles later, once I had driven the car off the lot and all around town, that it hit me... my neck was in excruciating pain! The forward head posture in the 2008 accords is so very uncomfortable that it makes it difficult to sit without squirming. Furthermore, I am a neuromuscular therapist for Goodness sakes! My whole career and life is built around maintaining good posture and treating clients who are misaligned. I deeply regret purchasing this car today and wish that I could take it back! We will see tomorrow...

I bought a 2008 Honda Accord 3 weeks ago and am having problems with the headrest bumping me in the head as I drive. My neck and back hurt when I get out of the car. We tried turning the headrests around (while at the dealer). It works, but is still uncomfortable. They told me the 2007 headrests wouldn't fit for a 2008 Accord.

Did you not notice this problem while doing your test drive?
I like to take my time when I do a test drive.

Don't just drive it along the block like they want you to.
I always ask to drive it fast also.

How is it feeling now?

Hi Kathy,
The service rep is mistaken in telling you that the 2007 Honda Accord headrests will not fit the 2008. I have them installed on my car now, and they are a great improvement over the stock ones. Installation involved pulling the originals out and pushing the new ones in ( removing the headrests is described in your owners manual ). I think total removal and installation time done by myself was maybe five minutes. As I said in my earlier post, I actually came on this solution in another Honda forum, and others have done the swap as well. The only possible drawback is that if you have the leather interior the price per headrest was higher then the cost for the cloth, which is the interior I have on the EX coupe. They look stock, in fact when I took the car in for service, they didn't even notice I had changed them. The AHRS (active head restraint system ) still operates, and the risk of bending the originals incorrectly or weakening them in the process is eliminated. Most of all, the 2007 headrests will not force your head unnaturally forward. Hope this helps, and good luck to you.

I bought my 2009 Honda Accord EX Sedan about a month ago and I am having the same problem like many of you with the headrest (head restraint). If I knew about the headrest problem, I would of had a second thought buying the car although I love the new Accord. I see comments about the 2007 Accord's headrest that will fit 2008/2009 Accord. I am going to check it out myself and buy it if it fits and comfortable. To those who bought them, how much was it and where did you order them? At the dealers? Any info will be appreciated.

Here is the link for the 2007 Honda Accord Coupe headrests ( this is for the EX model, but you can also look up/order for other trims as well ) http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputsta...

Thomas, I puchased my 2007 Accord head restraints from the Honda dealer. They're expensive. They do fit, and they're better than the '08 ones, but if you sit up really straight your head will still bounce off of the 'restraint'. Suggestion: order from the parts shop at the dealer, but request that you be able to install in your car (without removing the head restraint from the plastic bag other than making an opening for the rods to slide into the seat back) before you are charged for them......so you can make sure they will make enough of a change for you to justify the expense. Good luck!

I bought a 2008 Honda Civic 3 months ago. Like everyone here and lots of other sites too, it hurt my neck and back. You don't really notice until you've driven a few hours. Just long enough so you cannot take it back. I was going to the Chiro, taking medicines and spent around $300.00 on cushions that worked, but I felt I could topple over if I took a curve too fast.

From what I understand all of the newer cars are like this. I finally solved the problem today and thought I would share what I did.

The Civic headrests have a slight curve on the metal rods, right under the cushion. I found someone to straighten that out ( the dealer actually) and now they feel perfect. If you can get someone to make those rods completely straight the headrest will feel much better.

Putting 2007 accord headrests (120.00each) also works, I tried them and they fit perfectly and were adjustable. The 2007 accord is the last year before they bent them forward.

Also if you find the seat to hard, which I did, A universal sheepskin seat from Overland Sheep company took care of that. 119.00.

I finally love my new car. Was ready to trade it in and take a loss before today though. Thanks to all who posted ideas. I tried most of them and this is what worked for me.

Anybody found a similar solution for Mazda cars? My Mazda3 is killing me due to the seat design.

My wife that is 5'8" tall and I drove a 2010 GMC Acadia and the headrest tilled my wifes head so far forward that see couldn't see to drive when she sat back in the seat. We looked at the Enclave & Traverse and they were the same. I then went to look at the new Ford Crossover's and found the same problem. I guess we will keep our 2008 Yukon until the wheels fall off. It's plain to see that the Government Regulations are telling most of us to not buy any new vehicles as they are just to uncomfortable to drive. What a terrible thought, the Government is now in the auto business, this should be good, what else will they mess up?

Your ability to see to drive was never considered when the testing was done for these headrests. It's so nice to know that our Government doesn't care if we can see to drive, only that the headrest does its job. Well I wonder how many accidents this will cause, not being able to see while driving. Only the jerks in Washington could come up with headrests that make it impossible to see to drive.

I sympathize and agree with all of you. My wife and I test drove a new CRV for 25 minutes. My neck bothered me for a week and my wife.....2 months. What I would like to know is who is the idiot or team of idiots at the DOT who failed to recognize that different people have different heights, neck lengths and body thickness. To use the common vernacular......one size DON'T fit all!!!!!! Once again government is dictating how we live our lives and it's a literal pain in the neck and or back. It seems that some common sense is in order here. Or perhaps a legally savvy entreprenuer could come up with some after market solutions. It is a shame that when you spend thousands of dollars on a new vehicle and have this kind of problem, the dealerships response is "sorry, there is nothing we can do". Let's continue our letters to the manufacturers and let's begin to write the DOT.

I am having the same problems from our new Ford Edge. Here is the website from the regulators:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/HeadRest/update/202FinalRule...

In addition, once there you will find an email address to send your concerns.

I just sent one to Louis.Molino@nhtsa.dot.gov with this content: I am hoping you can address this issue. I understand the need to prevent whiplash having had one in my late 20's.

However, the new restraints that the Ford Edge and many of the newer cars have force the head down and forward for many of us causing severe pain in the neck and back. The pain comes from the fact that when we sit upright in the seat, the head is pushed so far forward that the cervical spine, and lumbar spine are artificially pushed forward away from the seat and thus go unsupported.

I have prowled about on the web and note that many people have this problem and they are removing their head restraints or taking them out and turning them around putting themselves at risk even more than from the older restraints. Still others are reclining to dangerous positions while driving.

A pillow propped up behind me allows me to drive 30 minutes before the pain starts as opposed to the 15 minutes without the pillow.

As a former emergency physician of many years and an injury prevention enthusiast, I find myself frustrated and feeling victimized by the new head restraint regulations. I know the rule was well-intended but it is causing pain for many who might not ever have a rear-end collision but who do drive every day.  

I am hoping you can direct me to an after-market solution that retains the enhanced safety feature and also relieves the back pain being caused by being forced into an unnatural driving solution.

Perhaps if we all send an email detailing our problems something will happen.

Earlier this year I test drove a Civic Hybrid. The price was very attractive, but I found the headrest so uncomfortable I did not buy the car.
Later I bought a Camry Hybrid which had a similar fixed headrest, but not quite as bad. The Toyota salesman turned the headrests around, but I did not think this was right. As a trial I substituted the adjustable headrests from our 2001 Lexus RX300 and they worked fine. I then bought two RX headrests on eBay, installed them onbb the Camry, and the problem is solved! (Incidentally, we're very happy with the TCH)

Bought an 2010 acurra rdx very uncomfortable headrests causes severe head &neck pain.

We recently purchased a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. My wife has just started driving the car this week and her neck and back are killing her. We had noticed the headrest issue on a Honda CRV that we test drove, and did not think the issue was as severe on the Sonata. I just turned the headrest around and told her to give that a try. Although, I do not know what the effectiveness in a crash would be.
This is what we get when we have over-paid government pea-brains trying to mandate every aspect of our lives.

We have owned BMW X5 Toyota Yaris, Honda Odyssey, and test driven Ford Flex, and Acadia. This forward head posture caused by headrest apparently exist in almost every type of vehicle out there here in US.

Just came back from a dealer after driving 40 miles with our new Odyssey, and my neck and upper back between the shoulder blades were blazing in pain within 10 minutes of driving. It's UNBELIEVABLE!

I bet the architects and drivers who test drove these cars have huge humps on their backs with major Forward Head Posture that they think this driving position is normal / comfortable. What the friggin heck! Had to go to our chiropractor to get my spine straigthened up again. Dagnabit!

No solutions for this at all? Any help? Advise?

2 days with a just-bought 2005 nissan altima have given me the equivalent of a week's slouching pain. I'm glad to see it's not just me! I'm a 5' 11" female who can't put the headrest as high as it can go (or any higher at all) - it actually gets worse! I will have to try this 180 turn for tomorrow's work commute, since I wouldn't know the first step to try bending it without breaking it.

I bought a Mazda 3 grand touring and as a small (5'2) woman have the same problem. It is driving me crazy and I'm a professional cellist who needs relaxed shoulders and neck for my job. I just ordered a small inflatable back rest from travel smith that may work. The Mazda 3 is called an "active restraint" and is even more forward than the civic. Putting the seat back makes the pedals uncomfortable so I did try turning the rest around but it is dangerous if there is an accident. You would think Mazda would design another head rest as an option! It does seem that moving your back forward would help, but the head rest is designed to hit under your left ear. Height it the problem.
Any other thoughts?

Sorry folks for the re-post... Ron's statement did not post on the first try...

I Have a 2010 Altima and have the same problem. On long drives my neck and back ache. I turned the headrest around and it appears to be sitting straight, not leaning back as I may have expected. Ron 6'6 reported that "the regulations say that front head restraints must be no more than 2.2 inches behind the occupants’ heads." so I will measure. My questions to what degree am I adversely compromising the safety, as there may be a safety comfort trade off, and is there a "Non Ghetto" fix for this? Here's another, how will reversing the headrest affect (if at all) the active head restraint system? BTW it would be outstanding if someone from Nissan engineering could reply.

400 miles on my 2010 Honda Accord EX-l and I could not take the headrest anymore. Read all of the other posts. The 2007 headrests sound good, but expensive after just buying a new car. I thought I would give a shot at bending the tubes. I have quite a lot of experience with metal work and gave this a lot of thought. The tubes are pretty hard but they do bend. The hard part was bending them at the top so they would still go up and down. I had a piece of steel sheet that was 1/2" thick with a 1/2" hole in it. Wrapping the leather in plastic and masking taping the areas to be bent to protect them I gave it a shot. With the sheet steel in a bench vice I put one tube through the hole at a time. Pushing it all the way through until it hit the leather I then placed rubber tube over the headrest tube. Then I used a larger piece of steel tubing about two feet long over the headrest tube that was sticking out of the steel plate. I simply bent it to the angle desired. It doesn't take much. The end result is much better. The only problem is that the headrest will no longer go all the was down due to the bend in the tube(one click up). I cleaned the headrest tube with a little metal polish. It does have some tool marks in it but it is worth the comfort. Trying this yourself be sure not to over bend the tube and kink it. I can not speak for the legality of doing this. This post was simply to share my experience. (legal stuff)

I can't drive my inherited 2008 RAV4 or sit in my husband's 2008 Highlander or my mother's 2010 Camry for more than 10 minutes without wanting to get out of the car and never get in again. Toyota - what is wrong with you that you can't make a 5'2" person comfortable in any of your cars? Only my 2002 Subaru is perfect. I'll never give it up or ever get another Toyota.

The reply I got from NHTSA:

I am sorry to hear about the difficulty you are having with the head restraint on your 2010 Toyota Corolla. However, I think you have been misinformed as to the US head restraint standard.

The US head restraint standard was developed in the 1960s. Up until the 2010 model year, the previous head restraint standard specified a height for the head restraint, but this height was insufficient for many occupants. The old standard did not specify how far away from an occupant's head the head restraint could be (backset). However, biomechanics research has shown that, in addition to height, the closer a head restraint is to an occupant's head (even contact with the head), the better the protection against whiplash.

NHTSA upgraded the head restraint regulation to be consistent with current information about whiplash injury. This upgrade went into effect for front outboard seats in the 2010 model year and will require 80% of the vehicles sold to meet the upgrade.

The upgrade will require taller head restraint and a backset of no more than 2 inches (55 mm) rearward of a test manikin that represents the head position of an average adult male. Alternatively, manufactures would be relieved of the backset limit if they certify that they can meet a dynamic test simulating a rear impact. In this test a 50th percentile male test dummy is limit to 12 degrees of rearward head rotation with respect to the dummy torso. We believe that many manufacturers who are currently installing active head restraints in their vehicles will select this option.

Another factor influencing vehicle designs is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) head restraint rating. They rate front seat head restraints as Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Poor. First they rate the height and backset of the head restraint. The head restraint must have a Good or Acceptable geometry to qualify for dynamic evaluation. The dynamic evaluation provides the final rating of the head restraint. The head restraint rating is tied into the overall vehicle rating.

The actual backset that any one occupant will have in the same seat will vary as a function of many factors. One important factor is the seat back angle selected. Our 55 mm backset limit is measured with the seat in the manufacturers selected design position. If an occupant selects a more upright angle, the backset will be reduced by about 3 mm for every degree of difference. In general, short stature occupants will tend to select more upright seat back angles. So these occupants may tend to have less backset. However, many of these occupants are female and research has shown female occupants are more susceptible to whiplash injury.

The agency recognizes the importance of acceptable comfort for all occupants, including those of short stature. However, we believe the available data do not support the view that the 55 mm requirement will create any significant problem for well designed and well built seats. We reviewed backset data from the 2004 model year provided by IIHS and it showed that about half of all vehicles had a backset of 55 mm or less, 25% had a backset of 40 mm or less. Moreover these calculations were made with a 25 degree seat back, which would tend to give a large backset value. So a large number of vehicles in the fleet have been meeting a 55 mm backset limit for several years without causing significant comfort issues. Finally, our analysis shows that if the agency increased the backset limit from 55 to 70 mm, the number of prevented injuries would be cut in half.

We have found that some manufacturers have placed the head restraint much closer to the head than the 55 mm that the upgraded standard requires. We have been told specifically by Ford that the IIHS ratings are forcing them to put head restraints closer than they need to for our new standard and for safety. They do this knowing that it will alienate a small segment of their customers, but they will gain customers if they get a high rating from IIHS. In a presentation last year at a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) conference, Ford stated that, in order to get a good IIHS rating, the backset value they must design to for the Ford Edge is just 2 mm. This is much closer to then the 55 mm required by our standard.

If you wish to file a complaint with NHTSA you can go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm.

However, since it is up to the manufacturer if they wish to place head restraints closer than our standard requires, it may be more effective for you to provide your feedback to vehicle manufacturers and the IIHS (www.iihs.org).

I am not aware of any after-market solutions designed to address your concern. However, if you recline you seat back slightly, you will create additional clearance between your head and the head restraints. It appears from your letter that you have tried this. You also may find that any kind of pad on the seat back would move you torso away from the seat back, also creating additional clearance for you head.

I hope this information has been helpful.

Louis N. Molino

NHTSA
Acting Division Chief
Light Duty Vehicle Crashworthiness
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, NVS-112, W43-311
Washington, D.C. 20590

I too have found the head restraints on new-model cars to be downright painful! I've been car shopping this past week and when I sit down and adjust the seat to a comfortable angle (10-15 degrees recline, proper driving position), my neck begins to ache right away. This likely results from the fact that these head restraints force my head downwards so that I'm practically staring at my crotch. So just to look out the windshield, I either have to crane my neck forward (more neck pain and horrible posture), or lean the seat way back, which is uncomfortable and reduces visibility. Of course, turning the headrests around eliminates the problem, but I'm guessing it's unsafe, or at the very least could cause insurance problems. I've tried Nissan, Toyota, and Hyundai models, and all are equally bad.

I'm tired of hearing dealers tell me how wonderful these obnoxious head restraints are, too. Head restraints that "protect" me from whiplash are no good if they cause chronic neck pain!

Alas, I will be lodging complaints with the auto manufacturers themselves, and maybe even the IIHS and the NHTSA.

Picked up my new 2010 Honda Fit last night, and like Donald from a year ago, was ready to rip the thing apart after a twenty-minute drive home.

Wonderful car, incredible pain in the neck. I'm astonished by all the misery listed above, and the fact that this has been going on for three years! My heart goes out to all of you!

I will follow up with the suggestions to call Honda at 800-999-1009, and I will let Consumer Reports know, and I'll send an email to Louis.Molino@nhtsa.dot.gov. I urge everyone who visits this site to do the same.

My original plan was to return the car, but I suspect that any other car I might consider would have a similar issue. I have a lumbar support which I didn't transfer from my '07 Ford yet; that can only help.

I have a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid - I have always hated the way the headrest hit the back of my head and neck. It has always pushed my head forward and has caused a strain on my neck. My husband has adjusted the headrest but it did not work! Since I am having this additional strain on my neck; it has also increased the frequency of my migraines (5 out of 7 days). I am now seeing a physical therapist for my neck and he has tried to adjust the headrest, too.

I like the ideas I have read. I realize that turning the headrest around, I will lose the support if I am in an accident, but I will do anything to stop these migraines. If this doesn't work, I will try bending the rods.

They are horribly desgined, infact I don't think they were "designed" at all.

I stuck my headrest in a vice with a rag around it to prevent scuffing near the top of the top of the post. I then stuck the post inside a tent pole and bent it with the tent pole. Went very well, quite easily and back into the headrest support no problem. The steel in the pole is very strong, so I'm sure this will be fine.

Headrest solution!!!!!! Take the care to a automobile seat repair shop. Car dealers in your area can tell you who they use. For next to nothing they removed the seat covering, built up the entire seat to provide a custom fit, while moving my head further away and off the head rest and includeded lumbar support. In addition he removed the head rest and bent the bars back in a vice. Professionally done, you cant see aifference at all. I now have a custom seat and love my new car. Place in Asbury NJ called Asbury Tops did the work. AMAZING JOB!!!
PS
(You CANNOT in some of the new cars, REMOVE OR TURN your head rest around. It is connected via wires to the air bags and will send a signal so that your dashboard will light up like a christmas tree.) You can thank the insurance companies for this one.

I tried to bent the rods,but have no luck.
Maybe i am not strong enough.
How did you bent yours?

Turning the headrest around is DANGEROUS, please find another solution. While driving, the back of your head should be only an inch or two away from the headrest. By turning it around, you are 5 or 6 inches (or more) away and if you get hit from behind, you are going to have serious neck injuries.

Thank you fleur for the contact information. I have been looking to buy a 2010 ford mustang and absolutely refuse to buy one because of the headrest. Just sitting in the seat before taking it for a test drive made up my mind. It felt like I had a rear passenger pushing my head uncomfortably forward. There is absolutely no way to sit up straight in the seat without your head being pushed forward about 4 inches or more. What the hell are these vehicle manufactures thinking when they design these headrest, they should at least be adjustable. Shoot, just adjust the seat straight up, step back and look at it, and ask yourself, do I really want to sit in that seat with my head that far forward?
I have a 2007 honda van that has the same problem, just not as pronounced as the ford mustang. Its almost time for a new vehicle, and you can bet the headrest will be a big factor in my purchase.

I have the same head restraint issues with my new Honda---intense backaches and migraines no matter how I adjusted the seats; it has been awful. My best friend is a physical therapist, and she evaluated the situation. She assured me that I had excellent posture (something we're actually being punished for with these head restraints). I do tend to carry my head further back. That's just how I'm made. Reading many threads like these assures me that I'm not the only one. I came across this recent USA Today article the other day and found it to be VERY interesting. It looks like Ford is acknowleging and addressing this horrible head restraint issue by creating head restraints that can be adusted back and forth as well as up and down. They still have the same safety to meet the new standards. Honda BETTER follow in Ford's footsteps and offer a solution for me and for all of you. We need to keep protesting this. I plan on taking this article into my Honda dealer and asking him who I need to talk to in order to get results.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/11/headrest-ha...

The problem is that the seats are designed for the average American mail. This means for anyone that is short than that, which is most women, they do not fit correctly. That bump that pushes are heads forward is actually supposed to rest under the base of the skull to fit into the curve of your neck thus helping protect against whiplash. I have scoliosis and cannot lean my seat back so the backrest does not push on my head. I have to have my seat upright to support my back, I also cannot sit in bucket seats for this reason. This makes the governments solution of leaning your seat back useless. right now either my back kills me or my neck does.

If the manufactures would simply make the overall seat shorter and extend the adjustable of the head rest it would fix this problem because then even those of us that are short than the average male can adjust it down so it fits the way it is supposed to. As it is now the seat comes up to the middle of my neck so no headrest is going to give me the optimum protect because there is no way to get the curve where it is suppose to be. They should not regulate based on a single body type. If they really want to prevent whiplash injuries then they need to make the regulation fit the range of body types.

We just bought a 2010 Honda Civic and to our dismay have discovered what everyone here has been talking about. I just emailed Louis Molino and took down the phone number for Todd. I will check into having a seat repair (custom auto) shop fix the angle of the steel rods (tubes). The idea to add foam to the turned around headrests sounds good too. Thanks everybody for posting it helps a lot more people that just look and don't really having anything to add (like me).

Bought a 2007 Ford Explorer in 2006 and my wife ran into this problem head on (so to speak). We eventually bought a full back support from a medical supply store that has worked, but obviously interferes with the use of heated seats. Investigating the new 2012 Mazda5, and the redesign makes this problem even worse - test drive was unacceptable. We are looking forward to testing a variety of cars for this feature at the next Auto show in town, in particular the 2011 Explorer redesign with the adjustable restraint mentioned earlier.

After posting my lengthy comment above, I did then notice some other posts about the 2011 Ford Explorer and the potential for adjustable headrests to become available from the manufacturer. That is encouraging. I sincerely hope other manufacturers will follow suit. As silly as it sounds, the headrest comfort for me is such a big issue that it is very high up on my list of criteria I use when I shop for a new car. I have eliminated many many cars in the past simply based on the headrest angle (pushing my head forword). So new vehicles that provide adjustable headrests (where you can adjust the tilt angle) will definitely go to the top of my shopping list when I am in the market for a new car.

I have a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica that we're thinking about replacing. Today was our first day of car shopping in five years & the first thing I noticed was the head rest problem. I didn't even DRIVE anything - just sat in the cars to try to find something a little more comfortable - and my neck still aches about 6 hours later. I just printed out the article on Ford's adjustable head-rest design for my husband to read. It may be better if we just hang onto our Pacifica another year or two until we can get this type of headrest in a vehicle. While I appreciate the effort to make vehicles safer in the possible event of a crash, I think it's more important to also make them safe in the definte event of everyday driving! Thanks to everyone else who's written - now I know it's not just me.

My husband losened the bottom of the leather, pushed back the foam and leather, used a small needle nosed vice script to hold it in place and heated the rod before he put it in the vice with a torch (only for few seconds) grabbed the headrest with hands and slowly bent it straight and it worked great.

2007 Civic is really great except the headrest problem.

I can't believe I found this website and that so many other people are complaining about this! I have a 2011 Honda Civic Coupe. The seats and headrests downright suck. I am 5'1" and have the same issue of the headrest pushing my head forward leaving me with major neck and upper back pain. Only thing that I have found to work is sitting on a pillow to raise your whole body so your head aligns with the headrest. You have to be careful that the pillow isn't too thick or you will be too high. It's a royal PITA, but it beats a pain in the neck:). I then use a smaller lumbar type pillow for my upper back. Why can't they make headrests that adjust like they used to?!! My stepmom has a 2008 Honda Accord and I don't have such a problem with her car because she has lumbar support which pushes your body forward slightly. I will NEVER buy another Civic. I do believe not having the lumbar support is the entire problem. Not sure if this option is even available on these little cars. I test drove a VW Jetta and did not have this problem because it has lumbar support. I've had this car for 5 months and am hoping it blows up! I knew I should have bought another VW!!

I had just leased a honda civic and sorry that I had. I have the same problems as everyone else here.

I like the idea of turning the headrest around but am afraid that this is dangerous in case of an accident.

What are your thoughts on turning the headrest around and how dangerous do you think this could be.

Having a similar problem with a 2007 Mazda 5 we just bought. When I put the lumbar support at it's most inflated and lean the seat back and put the headrest at its highest position (the opposite of what I initially thought would work), it's somewhat better, but I'm still thinking of getting an additional seat cushion. A bummer because this is the first car with leather seats I've ever owned (and heated seats). I'm also on the thin side, 5'4", and find the seats hurt my tailbone and the seat belt strap hits uncomfortably on my collarbone. We previously owned a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan and there's no comparison of the comfort level of the seats. Unfortunately I didn't notice all these things while on the short test drive. Other than these, I love the car.

Got a 2011 Honda Civic Coupe EX a few months ago and cannot drive in it for long without back and neck pain. I was wondering if you are still able to remove the headrest and turn it around in the 2011 model?

It seems that after some tugging it just won't budge. Am I just not pulling hard enough?

I just test drove Honda Accord, CRV, and Civic today. All of them have this severely angled headrest that pushes my head and shoulders away from the seat. Height adjustment made no difference. I liked the CRV the best and am wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to buy 2007 headrests from a CRV and if they will fit into the frame on the 2011. All the comments I have read thus far just mention the Civic and the Accord.

I really need to take better care of my car. I drive a 2005 Honda CRV and my headrest feels great, but after riding in friends' newer cars, my neck kills me. I rode in one friend's 2010 Honda last night for 20 minutes and my neck is still in a lot of pain today. I can't imagine trying to drive in that much pain. That would cause me to get in accidents. I felt violent last night and I never feel violent, I don't like that feeling.

I was thinking about getting a new car, but I won't until this issue gets solved by the manufacturers. It's ridiculous how much money and time people are forced to spend on cushions and modifications so they can sit normally in their new cars.

Write the car companies today to get somewhere. The more complaints the better. For a good headrest, Try the Chevy Equinox, that headrest is fine in the 2011's. Very nice ride, but out of my price range. I was in the chevy Cruze, what a PAIN in the a$$ headrest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the Malibu you can take the headrest OFF turn it around and it's a normal feeling headrest. Chevy was SMART on the Malibu. I am in physical therapy and I will say this, car makers are STUPID!! I'll cost my health insurance company MORE $$$$ driving a vehicle with a stupid headrest too forward, than I will ever cost them with a whiplash. Most whiplash cases are unfounded too. I assume this is the case with most Americans who'll end up with neck pain, they'll be in physical therapy.

The body is NOT meant to sit like this with your head forward, and your shoulders can't even touch the seat. I was going to buy a Chyrsler but they messed up the 200 model so you can't even sit in it comfortably. ERGG! I too am 5'2. Let's just make the people who hit people and give them whiplash, the bill for the whiplash, people drive too close and then the rest all have to suffer with more safety restraints. What's next? Seriously, motorcyclists NEVER have any of the problems car and truck drivers do. How are motorcycles still legal if the rest of us in a safer mode of transportation have to endure more required safety restraints and they don't??????????

Also, I would strongly recommend NOT turning around the headrest. The angle would not likely provide any more support than having no rest at all. First, don't die or become quadriplegic, THEN, avoid neck pain.

Vicki,
My husband thought I was crazy that I should be basing my car buying decision on headrest and seat belt comfort. I am 5'1" and have problems with both headrest and the seat belt cutting across my collarbone. I am so glad I found this forum.
I've been test driving cross-overs, not SUVs, but I have found that the Nissan brands seems to have better headrests than the Kia, Hiundai, or Toyota. Another comfortable ride for me was the Mazda.
I don't know if this is car dependent, or all cars of the same make will have similar head restraints.
Good luck.

I have a 2008 Lincoln MKX; when I told the dealer about the headrest problem, his response was "You're the first person that ever complained about this. I got the same answer from a few dealerships, and from the Lincoln/Ford main office.

I started to believe I was alone, until reading this blog.

I bought the car and it seemed fine for a short time; I sit up very straight, and with this headrest my head is being pushed forward. It started to bother my neck and back. I've tried every adjustment possible, but nothing seems to work.

I have been using a cushion on the seat, and one on the back of the seat, to push me forward. It does help, but not enough. It seems ridiculous, but I'm looking for another car, because of the headrest.

Maybe I'll try bending the posts, as someone suggested, but if it doesn't work, I hope I can bend it back without weakening the posts.

If there's any other suggestions out there, please let me know. Thanks.

I have rented many different car models for business travel and have had this headrest problem with most of them. Like many of the writers, I like to sit up straight with my back against the seat for support. Since I'm 5'6", itis not possible with these projecting headrests, which hit square in the back of my head and push it forward.

So how is the headrest supposed to support and protect you? It hits me in a much different spot than it would hit a 6'+ person, and there is generally not enough height adjustment to put it in the same relative position or to make it comfortable.

It did not occur with my 96 Civic because the headrest was flat, but I just bought a new Toyota and see I will now have the problem.

Are there any after-market replacements available? I don't like the idea of bending it, and turning it around is definitiely not safe. Otherwise, was 2007 the year they started this insanity? Maybe I can find an older one that fits?

Further research over the past year:
Mustang aftermarket headrest addresses issue (for Mustangs).
http://site.mrt-direct.com/blog/2011/02/22/mrt-announces-an-adjustableti...
Clearly, the Mustang aficionados are aware of the problem.

Sent my wife to test drive a 2011 Explorer four months ago to check out the new "four-way" head restraint mentioned in earlier post on this page, and the dealer said he had no idea what she was talking about.
Went to a local auto show and spotted a Toyota Siena with headrests installed backward. Pointed this out to a salesman, and he had a horrified look on his face, saying that someone "must have been having some fun."
People are clearly rotating these things around the wrong way to solve this problem. Pushing people in this direction is poor engineering.

May I add that I shopped around for the 2007 headrests and got a good price at Majestic Honda in RI, ordered them in the color I wanted and shipped to my home, they were brand new too! I now LOVE my Honda accord, the dealer where I bought my car said he had never heard about the problem and wouldn't do anything about it....They did look up the headrests for me, which I had already done the research, and gave me a HIGH price ( this is why I shopped around on the internet) ... I would suggest seeing if you know someone with an older model of your Brand car and be sure to see if they fit and are to your liking before you order them, mine are perfect!!!!!!!!!

Bought a new Dodge Journey last month, and after one long roadtrip I am having severe back and neck problems. The dealer won't even acknowledge that the headrest is a problem -- he says I must have bad posture. I am a 5'7" woman and my posture is FINE -- or at least, it was until I bought this car. I have never had a car cause me pain before, and I am really regretting this purchase. My old car was 9 years old, and I'm thinking I should have held on to it. I am going to try some of the suggested solutions here (an ergo back cushion), but because the headrest is active/wired, I can't take it out without setting off airbag indicators, so I guess I"m stuck with it. Grrrrrr. Now I'm going to go take a couple of aspirin for my aching neck.

Folks,

If you are another person with the same problem, please avoid complaining without proposing a solution. Does anyone really care if you bought a new car and have the same problem? That sure doesn't make anyone else feel better, unless you explain how you fixed it.

To sum up the situation to date (10/09/2011) there are no official fixes, at least on Honda's part (should they have a recall? maybe). Here is a list of what's been working for some people:

- Rotating the headrest around. This worked for me on my old corolla (I'm 6'0", don't ask... :) ), but on the accord it was angled too far back. You need the headrest to protect the neck first and foremost

- bending the mounting bars of the headrest itself with a vice or equivalent. Keep in mind that you are modifying a safety feature, with all the underlining possibilities. Good idea though, worked for some

- adding more padding to the seat itself. some folks went very creative by essentially modifying the whole lower/upper back section. The main issue is matching the upholstery and the time it takes. props for the creativity!

- using a headrest from an earlier model. Again, upholstery issues here, unless you find a match. some folks were able to work with the dealer/supplier, although the price was usually there as well

My personal solution (more of a workaround really) was to recline the whole seat as far back as possible with arms fully extended on the wheel. I would alternate this position during stops/highway, with leaning forward on the wheel while in the city. By hook or crook...

I will post an update if I find anything

Cheers,
Arik

I did the same thing with the headrests of my 2007 CR-V. I put the poles in my vice and bent the headrest back enough to give me and my wife enough clearance not to get a neckache. Had to do each pole individually.

The whole problem is that car manufacturers cheaped out by not making the headrests adjustable forward and back. These car manufacturers are the cheapest bastards I can think of. Maybe one car mfr cheaped out, and so all of them did?

Older car models were great for upright sitters but were too far back when angling the seat back. So apparenltly the mfrs angled the headrests forward so that people who lean the seat way back will have whiplash protection. But this messed up the people like me who have to sit with the seat more upright. So for us it actually is a "headrest"-- the damn thing is shoving itself into the back of my head at all times.

Talk about brain-dead engineering. It is trivial to include an adjustable headrest. Even better would be a mechanism that automatically angles the headrest based on the seat angle-- can't be that difficult.

I like to sit upright to get more control over steering. Sitting angled back usually provides less control. And for me, sitting upright avoids upper back pain. I would think that sitting with an angled seat would cause neck pain eventually, since your neck is always bent forward.

However, the new Subaru Impreza 2012 actually has adjustable headrest angles! I tried it out-- unfortunately the furthest-back position is still a bit too close for me. But it is a good step in the right direction.

And leaning the seat further back is a hazardous danger, as it is not the optimal position to protect incase of an accident. The best is about 10-15 degrees back from 90. But then again the seast aren't even straight...
The problem is the seats don't support your back. You can't lean your back into the seat anymore because the headrest. That's not going to be too good in an accident because your back isn't even suppported.. Stupid punks that did this should be shot.
I take it off all together or if I'm riding shutgun and want to sleep I turn it around and put a small pillow there to compensate for the 6 to 7 inch gap...
Also the other problem is that they are much Harder now. The material they use is 5 times as hard as in the past... That's not going to feel good in an accident. I would rather have something soft there to catch my head.

The ideal head rest should be about 3 to 4 inches behind your head if You're sitting sraight up with a proper posture and back against the seat comfortablly.
That's not at all how they have it now. Infact it comes forward about 2-3 inches..
I would love to break the persons neck that built it this way.

My husband and I tried out a 2009 Buick Lucerne and we were going to buy it. My husband test drove it for about 30 minutes, but could not get the head restraint adjusted correctly. That night he got a horrible neck ache and head ache. We went back to the dealer and told them no deal and why. Luckily, we had not put any money down or signed any papers. They acted surprised....said they had never heard of that problem before. I think they were lying. We went and bought a 2010 Nissan Maxima and love it! The headrests were the first thing we checked out. The so called domestic car companies complain about their customers going to a "foreign" car (which is actually made in the U. S.), but they do not listen to their customers and do anything about correcting situations like this.

Well, I almost backed out of a purchase today of a Toyota Aurion (3.5l 6cyl camry in some countries). I am ok with it but it damn near killed my wife's neck! I've decided to purchase and take the car straight to a local machinist and have these rods straightened up a little. I don't see any safety issues doing this as the rods are robust and the bend is extremely mild. My wife will then be able to sit straight uo, not have the headrest killing her -but still have the headrest 2inches behind for safety. It's just madness... 2 tons of precision engineered vehicle and the entire ride experience RUINED over what probably amounts to a $20 headset.