NHTSA Complaint #10504339 — 2007 ACURA MDX

THE HEADRESTS IN THIS CAR AND ALL NEWER-MODEL CARS CREATE AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND DANGEROUS POSITION OF THE HEAD AND NECK BY FORCING THE DRIVER'S HEAD FORWARD INTO AN UNNATURAL POSITION. PEOPLE WHO ARE TALLER, OR WHO HAVE A TALLER TORSO ARE AFFECTED MORE THAN SHORTER DRIVERS/PASSENGERS. RECLINING THE SEAT TO AVOID HAVING YOUR HEAD PUSHED FORWARD CREATES AN ABSENCE OF SUPPORT FOR YOUR UPPER BACK AND TORSO. THESE UNNATURAL AND UNCOMFORTABLE POSITIONS, WHILE THEY MAY ASSIST IN WHIPLASH-TYPE ACCIDENTS, CAN CREATE NECK AND BACK FATIGUE AND EVEN EXACERBATE AND/OR CAUSE DISK INJURIES IN THE DELICATE CERVICAL SPINE AREA. I'M SURE THESE HEADRESTS ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH NHTSA REQUIREMENTS; HOWEVER WHILE THE DESIGN MAY SOLVE ONE PROBLEM (WHIPLASH) IT CREATE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SET OF PROBLEMS. A SIMPLE SOLUTION IS TO MAKE THE HEADRESTS ADJUSTABLE IN TERMS OF THE ANGLE SO THAT TALLER DRIVERS ARE NOT FORCED INTO A HUNCHED OVER, NECK-PAIN CAUSING POSITION. THIS IS NOT A MINOR COMPLAINT AND IS NOT SPECIFIC TO OUR ACURA. THESE UNCOMFORTABLE HEADRESTS EXIST IN EVERY NEWER-MODEL CAR I'VE DRIVEN OR BEEN A PASSENGER IN. THE NHTSA RULES FOR THESE HEADRESTS ARE ALSO CREATING A SITUATION WHERE OWNERS OF THESE CARS ARE MAKING MODIFICATIONS TO ALLEVIATE THE PAINFUL HEAD/NECK POSITION CAUSED BY THE HEADRESTS. PEOPLE ARE REMOVING THE HEADRESTS, TURNING THEM AROUND BACKWARDS AND SOMETIMES BENDING THE SUPPORTS TO ANGLE THE HEADREST AWAY AT A MORE COMFORTABLE POSITION WHICH UNDERMINE THE SUPPOSED SAFETY BENEFITS AFFORDED BY THE HEAD-FORWARD DESIGN. PLEASE, DO SOMETHING TO CORRECT THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS. THEY ARE HURTING US AND CREATING AN EVEN MORE UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN PEOPLE MODIFY THE HEADRESTS. A RE-DESIGN AND RECALL OF THESE CURRENT HEAD-FORWARD HEADRESTS IS IMPERATIVE TO ELIMINATE REPETITIVE HEAD-FORWARD-TYPE CERVICAL DISK INJURIES THAT ARE NOT CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT. *TR