NHTSA Complaint #10619384 — 2010 DODGE CHALLENGER

I PURCHASED MY CHALLENGER IN 2011 AND QUICKLY BECAME AWARE THAT THE HEADREST PUT MY HEAD IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PUSHED-FORWARD POSITION. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS AT MANIPULATING THE SEAT POSITION I CAME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MADE IT TOLERABLE, BUT ON ANY LONG DRIVE (HALF AN HOUR OR MORE) I GET A STIFF NECK AND HEADACHE. I HAD NO HISTORY OF NECK PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS TIME. OVER TIME I SEEM TO HAVE DEVELOPED CHRONIC NECK STIFFNESS, MUSCLE TENSION AND NUMBNESS IN MY FINGERS. MY NECK HAS NOW STARTED CRACKING WHEN I TURN MY HEAD SUDDENLY. IT HAS NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT IT HAS SERIOUSLY AGGRAVATED THE PROBLEM. THE HEADACHES IT CAUSES ARE SEVERE AND CAN LAST WEEKS. I HAVE NOTICED WHENEVER I TAKE A "VACATION" FROM DRIVING MY CAR FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AT A TIME THE PROBLEM IMPROVES. JUST THIS WEEK, THOUGH, MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AND I HAVE A RENTAL, A 2013 CHEVY IMPALA. THIS CAR IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE REGARDING HEAD RESTRAINT PLACEMENT. NO MATTER WHAT SEAT POSITION I TRY, IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD AT A SHARP ANGLE. BY THE TIME I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK - 20 MINUTES - I AM ALMOST SICK FROM THE DISCOMFORT AND PAIN. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... RECONSIDER THE LEGISLATION PASSED TO MAKE THESE NEW HEAD RESTRAINTS "SAFER" FOR ME. I MAY NEVER, EVER BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I SUFFER WHIPLASH INJURIES, BUT I AM CERTAINLY FEELING "WHIPLASH" PAIN. I BELIEVE IT IS CAUSING ME PERMANENT INJURY. THERE MUST BE A COMPROMISE TO MAKE CARS SAFER WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN ISSUES FOR THEIR DRIVERS. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE, SO I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE. I WOULD FIND A NEW CAR, BUT ALL NEWER MODELS I LIKE SEEM TO HAVE THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO, OTHER THAN REMOVING OR MODIFYING MY HEADREST TO TRY AND GET SOME RELIEF. SURELY A BETTER RULE IS PREFERABLE TO MY SOLUTION WHICH LEAVES ME COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED. *TR