Front Seat Head Restraint problems of the 2013 Honda Accord

The degree of inclination of the front seats head restraints is so pronounced that the driver and the passenger are forced to assume an extremely uncomfortable posture that can result in damage to the spine.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the driver side headrest caused her neck pain. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not included.

The head restraint causes serious neck pain. The seat design is improper and does not allow for comfortable seating. My legs go numb which can lead to invalid response in braking. Stiff neck pain can cause me to miss blind spots or have reaction time neccessary to avoid dangerous collisions. These seats have not been corrected and should be replaced immediately. Multiple positions do not help. Driving for extended amount of time cause neck to leg pain.

The headrest of this vehicle is so poorly designed that after an hour of so of highway driving my neck and shoulders became stiff and uncomfortable. The only solution was to remove the headrest. I felt this was a safety hazard, so I reinstalled the headrest. Shortly thereafter my neck and shoulder stiffness returned.

These comments pertain to my fruitless search for a car without head restraints that force my head down to an uncomfortable, painful position. At 5 ft 10 in I am just 1/2 inch over the average male height in the u. S. This situation, affecting many makes, models and years, is causing people to develop back problems, and in some cases remove or disable safety equipment. Internet searches show hundreds of these complaints, and examples of how to remedy the problem by either removing or turning around head restraints. Even a dealer suggested I did the latter, which I will not do. Since manufacturers are ignoring the issue except for top-of-the-line models, the NHTSA should intervene to force a solution to help customers retain safety features while not incurring back injuries. This is part of the narrative I posted on one of many on-line forums on the subject: interested in buying a 2013 Honda Accord ex-l but I can't stand the head restraints. I can't drive with my head looking down. I tested it for 45 minutes and ended up with a back/neck ache. I tried a 2012 Accord and found the same problem. My 2008 pilot does not have the problem, as a matter of fact, I tried a new pilot and it was comfortable. Clearly, it meets safety standards without compromising driver comfort. I found hundreds of complaints on-line about the same issue dating back to 2009. . Read more...

The drivers seat causes severe lower back pain and also neck pain is so uncomfortable I cannot drive this car more than 30 minutes. Tried multiple seat adjustments without success. Very distracted while driving. Almost had an accident while driving because I was distracted with preoccupation with the seat issue. Also my wife complains in the front passenger seat headrest causes here severe neck pain and strain.

Ltr re a similar version of a petition to review the safety of the seats used in 2012 and 2013 Honda Accords- the head rest and other seat elements cause driver distraction/impairment (attachment not imaged fwd to nvs-200) the consumer stated the head rest restraint caused discomfort and was a distraction while driving. The driver's seat put the consumer in an awkward position and imposed a long duration static load on his neck and upper spine. The consumer stated he was distracted by the push of the head rest, which was too far forward. It pushed his head forward from a neutral position by at least one-half inch. The upper seat was very concave and caused tension to his upper spine. Finally, the shape of the bottom of the seat back forced him into a slumped position which cause lower back pain. When the last repair was performed at the dealer, they reversed the head restraint, which apparently, was common and unsafe, a practice dealers used to resolve owner complaints.

Headrests push the head too far forward, causing neck pain when seat back is at a normal upright, driving position. Seats are extremely uncomfortable to drive in, unless the seat back is significantly reclined - which poses an issue with being able to reach the steering wheel and other controls effectively. I find myself pulling myself forward with the steering wheel, so that I can sit up straight without the headrest pushing my head forward. I'm sure this is not the safest position to drive in.

Tl- the contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the driver's side headrest would cause severe neck and back pain to the driver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the headrest was installed properly and working as designed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 70. Kmj.

I bought a 2013 Honda Accord knowing that there have been complaints online about the headrest issue, but brief test drives prior to purchase don't fully reveal the extent to which this is a safety defect. . An Acura (also made by Honda) dealer even told me that Acura had had these same complaints for several years, but modified the headrest design in the 2013 models to correct the flaw. Honda has not done this yet, though, in Honda models. I test drove many other manufacturers' cars and they comply with federal regulations without such an obvious design problem I'm 5'4" and sit up straight when driving, which means the head restraint continually bumps or pokes the back of my head while providing no back support at all--which is itself a safety defect in a crash. So is the fact that it pushes my head so far forward that it impedes good visibility when I turn my head to look back over my right shoulder. Slumping causes back, shoulder and neck pain, untenable on a road trip and also impedes visibility. Earlier model head-restraints that don't have this issue won't fit due to different center-to-center post measurements, so there are no available parts to replace the existing restraint (I tried -- even with one in my older Acura). I have read online forums in which desperate Honda drivers describe bending the posts or making other modifications to relieve their pain while driving. They shouldn't have to and this could jeopardize their safety. Please make Honda modify this design. I'd gladly purchase another headrest that doesn't have this issue, if they make one in 2014 (with the same distance between posts as the 2013 Accords). Or make it a recall issue--enough Honda owners in the last few years have been complaining about it to justify that status.

I couldn't figure out which section to post my complaint. It's not a safety issue per se. I am complaining about the new design of the headrests. I cannot get comfortable in any of the new cars I have sat in, because I like to sit very upright, and when I position myself this way, my neck goes forward too much. When I recline the seat, it helps my neck, but now my back is not supported properly. So, either way, I am going to be uncomfortable which may very well affect my driving, and therefore safety. I need to buy 2 cars now. My current cars are old, 1996 and 1999. I am at wits end, because I cannot find a comfortable seat in a new car. Don't really want to buy a used car. I read of lot of posts on various sites about this problem. Did you test the new headrest guidelines by using short, women drivers???? can someone please tell me if you have any comments back from other people with recommendations of brands that might have a more comfortable headrest than Honda/Acura? thank you.

During the first week of driving my new Honda Accord sport, I find myself constantly trying to adjust the seats to a comfortable position. I've concluded that the headrests push my head forward so much that the upper back is unable to rest firmly against the chair. This is very irritating causing neck and shoulder stiffness during my 1hr commute each way. My old 2005 model that I still own is not like this. I wonder how many accidents will be caused by the distraction and irritation this creates for the driver. I've read that this is a government required headrest angle. Did they measure the posture of 80 year-olds to determine this angle? I'm in my 50s of good health and posture. I now have to try to find some upper back supports or I may have to pay for chiropractic care. I'm a designer and know that you need to test things before releasing designs to the public. Perhaps this is a design error caused due to cuts in research funding? well, perhaps you could ask general motors to use some of their subsidies to do a little more testing on this? I'm being sarcastic of course, but perhaps Honda is also at fault if Ford are able to provide adjustable headrests. I'm unhappy and also suffering from a little buyers remorse.

The headrests cause nevk pain. The headrests push your head forward in an unnatural way almost pushing your chin into your chest. I started having neckpain shortly after purchasing. So intense it went down my arm and caused numbess in my fingers. Spent serval days goung to doctors and mris injections etc. This summer my 13 tear old started complaining. We noticed when switching to my summer 35z the pain got better and returned when driving the Honda. The seats are also part of the issue I noticed after 15 minutes of driving hard to get comfortable. My neck spine and lower back all affecyed. I finallt traded my vehicle July 11 of 2015 because I could no longer tolerate the pain. Im very disturbed by this and the pain because I usually keep my vehicles a long time.

Head rests are angled too far forward. I cannot drive the car like it was manufactured. I have turned the headrest backwards.

Tl- the contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated the front driver's side headrest pushed her head forward limiting the mobility of her head while driving. The contact stated the design of the headrest caused her severe back and neck pain. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200. Rvk.

The front seats are so uncomfortable as to cause a distraction from driving. The seat itself causes a person to be bent like the letter "c". The shoulder blades and pelvis are supported while the middle back has a gap (no support) between it and the seat back. The only way to conform to the seat is to be a hunchback. (I am a normal, slim (150 lb) 5'9" male. ) to add to the discomfort the headrests are canted so far forward so as to continuously force the head forward pushing the chin toward the chest. This is an extremely uncomfortable position to drive in. This is not what the government mandates.

The head restraint angle is too far forward; it pushes my head forward putting stress on my neck. My upper back and shoulders cannot contact the seat due to the head restraint angle, regardless of the height of the head restraint. In effect, my neck is supporting my upper body since my upper back and shoulders don't touch the seat. This has been causing pain in my neck and upper back.

No incident. This complaint is about the headrests which are not adjustable and force heads into an unnatural and uncomfortable position. We have a long trip coming up and am concerned about sitting in unnatural positions for extended periods. I understand that these headrests must comply with NHTSA specs and there's no allowance for customizing but the safety issue (whip lash) may be cancelled by muscle fatigue, discomfort (and thus driving distraction). This needs to be corrected for safety sake.

The seat/headrest is the main issue. It pushes my head to far forward and makes it very comfortable to drive. The long-term safety issue is that so many people are complaining about the seats/headrests that many are modifying/removing the headrest to avoid pain/discomfort which will create an unsafe restraint system.

Near miss at 1300 miles. Did you know owner filed NHTSA safety complaints related to seats/head restraints for the 2012 and 2013 Accord are occurring at a rate 49 times higher than the combined rate for altima, camry, elantra and taurus? most Accord complaints include the same elements: awkward posture, pressure on head and neck, pain and distraction caused by the seat/head restraint. Honda tells owners that all manufacturers get the same complaints, and blames NHTSA fmvss 202: both are untrue! aforementioned 4-12-2013 complaint count shows this is a very severe problem for Accords, but not all other manufacturers. The seats in my 2013 Accord are painful partly because they provide no backset between the head restraint and my head; instead, they impose a “push” of a least 13 mm. This yields major distraction in 30 minutes, severe pain in 2 hours; both impair driving. Other seat ergonomic features exacerbate the problem. •during fmvss 202 rm, umtri research showed “a 50 mm backset would result in head restraint interference for 13% of the driving public”. The majority of manufacturers, including gm, magna, johnson controls, aiam, the alliance, Nissan, Porsche, daimlerchrysler, and Ford, stated that a “backset of 50 mm may cause significant intrusions into the space where these occupants typically place their heads, forcing their heads into an unnatural forward-tilting position”. Nhtsa listened, allows 55 mm. Honda ignored these findings, is solely responsible for bad seat design. • a 1997 cdc report found strong evidence of a causal relationship between awkward neck and shoulder posture/ prolonged static loads and musculoskeletal disorders (msd); more research reveals the impairments from msd: pain and fatigue. • the Accord is a danger to me, my passengers, bystanders and other drivers and should be recalled as soon as possible. Formal petition sent 9/6/13.

Near accident at 1300 miles. Did you know the rate of owner filed NHTSA safety complaints related to seats/head restraints for the 2012 and 2013 Accord are occurring at a rate 49 times higher than the combined rate for altima, camry, elantra and taurus? almost all Accord complaints include the same elements: awkward posture, pressure on head and neck, pain and distraction caused by the seat/head restraint. Honda tells owners that all manufacturers get the same complaints, and blames NHTSA fmvss 202: both are untrue! aforementioned 4-12-2013 count shows this is a very severe problem for Accords, but not for all other manufacturers. • the seats in my 2013 Accord are very uncomfortable partly because they provide no backset between the head restraint and my head; instead, they impose a “push” of a least 13 mm. This causes distraction within 30 minutes of driving, and within two hours generates severe pain which impairs my driving. • during the fmvss 202 process, umtri submitted a research finding that said “a 50 mm backset would result in head restraint interference for 13% of the driving public”. A majority of the manufacturers, among them gm, magna, johnson controls, aiam, the alliance, Nissan, Porsche, daimlerchrysler, and Ford, stated that a “backset of 50 mm may cause significant intrusions into the space where these occupants typically place their heads, forcing their heads into an unnatural forward-tilting position”. Honda ignored these findings,is solely responsible for bad seat design • a 1997 cdc report that found strong evidence of a causal relationship between awkward neck and shoulder posture/ prolonged static loads and musculoskeletal disorders (msd), and additional research reveals the impacts of msd, including pain and fatigue. • the Accord is a danger to me, my passengers, bystanders and other drivers and should be recalled as soon as possible.

Please, please back off on your head rest requirements for safety. Please allow the consumer to choose the position of the head rest. Not only Honda, but Ford, gm, Chrysler, all manufacturers are creating very painful car seats since 2009 due to this awful headrest requirement. Seatbelts are a law, but I choose to wear them. Motorcycle helmets are no longer a law, but I choose to wear them. Now let me choose my headrest position. I think these new designs are going to cause far more injuries and insurance claims from people having their heads cocked forward, in a forced improper posture. I had migraines due to my headrest before I resolved this issue in my car by making modifications. I sit with proper posture and my head is forced forward. The only choice I had was to sit improperly in order to try to avoid the terrible discomfort this new law forces on me. Please change this law.

The seats are horribly uncomfortable. The way they are designed, they make you hunch over, where your spine is in the shape of a c, instead of how it should be. The headrest pushes your head forward that furthers the pain. I got a lumbar cushion (to make driving the car bearable), but now there is an gap between my upper back and the seat. I've also had to turn around the headrest, because it was hurting my neck pushing my neck so far forward when the rest of me is set back. Please fix this!!!!! no one should have to go through this pain with a new car or any car. Make the headrests adjustable and seats with ergonomic support standard!.