2016 Honda Odyssey

MY THREE YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER WAS BUCKLED INTO CAR SEAT IN SECOND ROW PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD TO ALLOW EASY EXIT FOR HER AND HER BOOK BAG. I STOPPED SUDDENLY FOR A YELLOW LIGHT. THE SEAT MY GRAND DAUGHTER WAS IN FLEW FORWARD AND LANDED HER FACE ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HER. SHE WAS SCREAMING, I HAD TO LEAN OVER AND PUSH HER SEAT BACK INTO PLACE. I WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 35-45 MPH. AT FIRST IN MY MIND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE CAR SEAT BUT KNEW IN WAS WELL STRAPPED DOWN, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE WHOLE SEAT LEANING FORWARD. SHE HAS A FEW BRUISES ON HER FACE. I DROVE TO THE HONDA DEALER TO EXPLAIN IT TO THEM. I WILL BE DROPPING THE CAR BACK OFF THERE TONIGHT WHEN MY HUSBAND CAN DRIVE US HOME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE MIDDLE ROW PASSENGER SEAT UNEXPECTEDLY SHIFTED FORWARD, WHICH CAUSED THE PASSENGER'S HEAD TO HIT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V933000 (SEATS); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

THE DRIVER'S HEAD RESTRAINT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT NECK AND BACK PAIN BECAUSE THE RESTRAINT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD SO THAT MY CHIN TILTS DOWN TOWARD MY CHEST. THIS ALSO MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD AT THE ROAD. I HAVE TRIED ALL VERTICAL POSITIONS OF THE HEAD RESTRAINT. I HAVE TRIED ADJUSTING THE LUMBAR SUPPORT. I HAVE TRIED ADDING A NECK SUPPORT PILLOW. NOTHING HAS WORKED. THE OWNER'S GUIDE SAYS, "THE CENTER OF THE BACK OF THE OCCUPANT'S HEAD SHOULD REST AGAINST THE CENTER OF THE RESTRAINT. THE TOPS OF THE OCCUPANT'S EARS SHOULD BE LEVEL WITH THE CENTER HEIGHT OF THE RESTRAINT" (PAGE 42). I AM UNABLE TO SIT WITH THE RESTRAINT IN THE RECOMMENDED POSITION (OR ANY POSITION) WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT NECK AND BACK PAIN AND WITHOUT DIFFICULTY LOOKING FORWARD. THE OWNER'S MANUAL GOES ON TO GIVE THE FOLLOWING WARNING: "IMPROPERLY POSITIONING HEAD RESTRAINTS REDUCES THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AND INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SERIOUS INJURY IN A CRASH." THEREFORE, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE ADJUSTING THE RESTRAINT IN ANY OTHER UNRECOMMENDED POSITION. ADDITIONALLY, THE OWNER'S GUIDE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE HEAD RESTRAINTS TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED: "FOR A HEAD RESTRAINT SYSTEM TO WORK PROPERLY: ' DO NOT HANG ANY ITEMS ON THE HEAD RESTRAINTS, OR FROM THE RESTRAINT LEGS. ' DO NOT PLACE ANY OBJECT BETWEEN AN OCCUPANT AND THE SEAT-BACK. ' INSTALL EACH RESTRAINT IN ITS PROPER LOCATION" (PAGE 43). THEREFORE, PLACING ANY PILLOWS BEHIND THE DRIVER'S BACK OR NECK IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE. THE OWNER'S GUIDE GIVES ANOTHER WARNING, "SITTING IMPROPERLY OR OUT OF POSITION CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IN A CRASH. ALWAYS SIT UPRIGHT, WELL BACK IN THE SEAT, WITH YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR" (PAGE 42). I AM UNABLE TO SIT "WELL BACK IN THE SEAT" BECAUSE THE RESTRAINT PUSHES MY HEAD, NECK AND SHOULDERS FORWARD.

THE HEADREST (OR MORE ACCURATELY, "HEAD RESTRAINT") OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FORCES MY HEAD TO TILT FORWARD IN MY NORMAL SITTING POSITION. I AM 6' 2" AND LIKE TO PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE BY SITTING UPRIGHT AND STRAIGHT. WHILE SITTING WITH MY BACK STRAIGHT, AND NOT RECLINING THE SEAT, MY NECK MUST BEND FORWARD ABOUT 15 DEGREES TO CONFORM TO THE HEADREST. ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD RESULT IN THE HEADREST TAPPING AND PUSHING THE BACK OF MY HEAD. I FEEL LIKE A BOBBLE-HEAD! THIS CAUSES ME CONSTANT IRRITATION AND DISTRACTS ME FROM DRIVING. TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS AWKWARD HEADREST DESIGN, I MUST RECLINE MY SEAT BACKWARD FURTHER THAN I FIND COMFORTABLE, OR SLOUCH, WHICH IS ALSO UNCOMFORTABLE. I HAVE HEARD MANY TALL AND SHORT PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THIS SAME ISSUE, FOR THIS VEHICLE AND MANY OTHER NEW MODELS OF VARIOUS BRANDS. AN ADJUSTABLE ANGLE ON THE HEADREST WOULD BE EXCELLENT. ALTERNATIVELY, OFFERING A CHOICE OF HEADRESTS WITH VARIOUS ANGLES WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THE STANDARD HEADREST SEEMS TO BE ANGLED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES. HOW ABOUT OFFERING ADDITIONAL HEADREST THAT HAVE LESS OF AN ANGLE, LIKE 20, 15, 10 AND 5 DEGREES?

I EXPERIENCED INTENSE BACK PAIN AFTER DRIVING MY 2016 HONDA ODYSSEY FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS (STOPPING ABOUT EVERY 1 1/2 HOURS FOR A BREAK) MY BACK COMPLETELY GAVE OUT AND FELL TO THE GROUND WHEN I TRIED TO STAND UP AFTER PICKING UP SOME TRASH FROM BEHIND THE FRONT SEAT. I WAS IN INTENSE PAIN AND WAS INCAPACITATED FOR A WEEK. I WENT TO A DOCTOR WHO X-RAYED MY BACK, BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH MY DISCS. I DROVE MY ODYSSEY TODAY FOR TWO TRIPS OF 1 1/2 HOURS EACH AND I COULD NOT FIND ANY SEAT POSITION WHERE MY BACK DID NOT HURT.