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Honda CR-V Headrests

66 messages,  Last post on Jan 30, 2013 at 6:30 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda CR-V, SUV

Messages Page 7 of 7

#56 of 66 2011 CR-V Head Un-Rest by sunshinegirl1

Jun 20, 2011 (10:08 am)

I just purchased my 1st Honda, a CR-V. Love the car, but the headrests are an unbelieveably poor design! When I mentioned it on the test drive, my salesperson said I could recliine the seat and that did work. I purchased the car and things went from bad to worse. I then was holding myself up from the seat using the steering wheel. Finally, I read where someone had turned the headrest around. With my neck hurting, and now my back also, I also turned my headrest around. Wow! Relief! It's like a brand new car again! No more riding like a turtle, it's ridiculous! Honda should make an alternate headrest!

#57 of 66 Re: 2011 CR-V Head Un-Rest [sunshinegirl1] by bpollen

Jul 14, 2011 (8:25 pm)

Replying to: sunshinegirl1 (Jun 20, 2011 10:08 am)
Sunshinegirl, I'm glad you solved your headrest problem. I've heard of people turning them around. In fact, the salesman mentioned that to me over the phone after he checked with his service people about the problem and called me back. Then he didn't mention it again, when I back to check out the headrest problem. I think he found out he wasn't supposed to recommend that. The problem with you doing that is it doesn't protect against whiplash, like it's supposed to. So if you ever do really get whiplash, your ins. claim might be denied, since you altered the whiplash protection. Some car mfrs fix the headrests so that they can't be removed, and certainly can't be turned around.
 
Turning them around wasn't an option for me, since it would take away my ins. protection against whiplash. And that other poster who ran over hers with a car to straighten them out, she too probably wouldn't be able to make a claim for whiplash.
 
Personally, I think that's the point of the headrests (cynical me): to lessen whiplash CLAIMS, not whiplash injuries.
 
I just wish the govt had gone with the less extreme head restraints. They would have increased whiplash prevention without creating this problem for that 13% of drivers.
 
I STILL haven't bought a new car. The # of vehicles for sale decreased...some sold out! So I'm waiting for the 2012 models to see what will be available. Maybe the headrest/seat system on the 2012 CRV will be better. Sure wish the CRV came with chrome door handles.

#58 of 66 Re: I read up a lot on this issue of the head restraint problems [bpollen] by ouchcrv11

Jan 25, 2012 (2:47 pm)

Replying to: bpollen (May 17, 2011 8:34 pm)
CRV 2011 NECK SHOULDER ROTATOR SKULL OUCH! I am 5'2" very fit with great posture..(i teach yoga zumba spin etc..)
One day into driving off the Paragon Honda New York City Lot I noticed a dull pain in my neck...for the past 2 months I have in order of occurance...removed the head rest from the front seat and replaced it with the less forward angled one from the middle seat in the back row and WEDGED it into the holes. It seemed to work at first but NOPE! I am in agony. My neck is numb with shooting pain down my right side. I have adjusted the steering wheel, angle of back support etc... I placed a lift at my tailbone under my butt, I put a lumbar support at the base of my spine...I feel like a lunatic. It has made me feel like I need to ride my bike in the snow to get to work. I love to drive...btw..I enjoy I95 trips to Florida from New York...but this has really practically paralyzed me.

#59 of 66 Re: I read up a lot on this issue of the head restraint problems [ouchcrv11] by rikrikardo

Jan 25, 2012 (5:17 pm)

Replying to: ouchcrv11 (Jan 25, 2012 2:47 pm)
Ever consider that your neck pain has nothing to do with the CRV but is an injury from your other activities? That this happened the day after you bought the car is just too soon for the angle of the headrest to mess up the alignment of your vertebrae and nerves. At the outside it pressed on a point on your neck that was already injured, alerting you to the problem. Don't blame the messenger!

#60 of 66 headrests ARE the pain in the neck by nseiss

Jul 25, 2012 (10:21 am)

I just bought a 2012 CRV and, like others, figured I could fix the uncomfortable headrest situation with a seat adjustment. Well, that didn't work, so I took it to my physical therapist who tried to help me adjust the seat to a level of comfort and safety. According to him, it doesn't exist! The headrest is tilted at such an extreme angle that if you adapt the seat inclination, you start losing the safety factor and you put stress on your shoulders to adjust to the distance from the steering wheel. And, unfortunately, you can't turn the headrests around...we tried. But we have adjusted the seat as well as we can and I can only hope nobody wants to drive my car and adjust the seats otherwise!
So why are Honda and other car mfgrs. not paying attention? Surely the headrests in the past weren't so awful that they caused more problems. The headrest in my Tahoe was very comfortable to rest against when I needed to and never felt like it was in the way.

#61 of 66 Re: HONDA CR-V HEAD RESTRAINT ISSUE FOR SHORT PEOPLE [bratt03007] by mamm

Jul 27, 2012 (8:23 am)

Replying to: bratt03007 (Apr 18, 2010 7:46 am)
I'm so glad to see other people are having problesms with the hedrest although it looks like there have not been any posts since 2010. I just bought a slightly used 2011 and have to choose between using the headrest or developing back pain. I need to find a solution. I also have thought of writing to honda or going to a dealership. The irony is that in the manual the picture of the correct position of the head fest is a linear vertical line from the back through the neck and head. Of course that is not the reality. What are people doing?

#62 of 66 Re: headrests ARE the pain in the neck [nseiss] by dtstof

Jul 27, 2012 (11:09 am)

Replying to: nseiss (Jul 25, 2012 10:21 am)
I think that some people have a misconception of the "head restraints" that come on the CRV. They are not headrests. They are made to protect your neck and head in case of an accident or sudden stop against whiplash. They are not there to rest your head on them while driving. My head does not touch them in a normal driving position. It tells you hoe to adjust them in the owners manual. They are adjusted for safety.

#63 of 66 Re: headrests ARE the pain in the neck [dtstof] by nseiss

Jul 27, 2012 (1:37 pm)

Replying to: dtstof (Jul 27, 2012 11:09 am)
The "restraint" restrains me from sitting in a perfectly upright position, because when I do, my head hits the headrest (excuse me, head restraint) and I can't sit comfortably, as I am forced to cock my neck forward. It is much like sitting in an airplane seat which forces your body into a "C" curve position. Don't know your height, but I am 5'8" tall. I have a friend who is 5'4" and has no problem with the headrest. I can't imagine where a six-footer puts his/her head!

#64 of 66 Re: headrests ARE the pain in the neck [nseiss] by snuke

Jul 30, 2012 (1:29 pm)

Replying to: nseiss (Jul 27, 2012 1:37 pm)
I agree with you Nseiss. The head restraint can be quite uncomfortable.
When I first encountered the problem, I pulled out my owner's manual assuming I could read something that could help me find a solution but there was none. I found a little relief by finally finding a seating position that positioned my body in a way to tolerate the head restraint. Fortunately, I don't spend a lot of time in my vehicle. If I did, I don't know if the current seat position would be of much help.

#65 of 66 Re: headrests ARE the pain in the neck [nseiss] by glittergal

Jul 30, 2012 (11:06 pm)

Replying to: nseiss (Jul 25, 2012 10:21 am)
A friend of my husband had a similar issue. He took his headrest and put the prongs into a vice and gave it slight bend where the headrest and prongs meet. The prongs in his headrest went through the top of the headrest so there is no issue of snapping off and no stress fractures in the metal. Not sure if it met the new standards but it made him more comfortable and it still protects him from whiplash. Another option is to buy an adjustable headrest.

Messages Page 7 of 7

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