Parents just purchased a new 2008 V6 sedan. Very happy with it but having problems with the new forward tilted headrests in the front seat. My father has neck problems and does not like the headrest touching the back of his head. We have tried all combinations of seat tilt and headrest height with no real improvement for him. So 2 questions:

1) Is it possible to just retrofit a 2004-2007 Accord headrest? Will it fit and operate in the 2008 car?

2) If not, is there an aftermarket solution of any sort that you guys are aware of? Seems like there would be a market for this type of thing considering the number of people that do not like the new headrests...

Thanks.

I hear you. I have the same problem. The headrest, at any heigth, pushes my head forward. I get an immediate neck strain and headache.

I pulled mine out and put in on backwards. I know it's very unsafe but I can't stand the sensation of my head being thrust forward.

Any aftermarket headrests that might work?

Is it possible to just retrofit a 2004-2007 Accord headrest? Will it fit and operate in the 2008 car?

The 7th Gen headrests WILL fit in the 8th Gen Accord. The Active Head Restraint system still works as well.

The 7th Gen headrests don't tilt as far forward as the 8th Gens do, so I'm pretty certain that will resolve your father's problem.

Those headrests are about $300 or so (not sure of exact price)...pricey, but well worth it to ensure comfort.

Oh, and the 7th Gen headrests look just fine in the 8th Gen Accords. The only issue would be with color...if your father has the light gray interior then there may be a difference in shade/hue from 7th Gen to 8th Gen. Check with a dealer before ordering.

I'm 5'9" (with a bad back courtesy of a visit to Viet Nam) and my wife is 5'1" and neither of us have any issues with the headrests. To be honest I didn't know there was anything different/special about the 08 Accord's headrests until I read my Owner's manual.

They don't interfere with our enjoyment of the vehicle and we pay them no notice. I'd suggest a visit to the dealer and see if there aren't any adjustments that can be made before I'd tamper with or modify a safety device.

Darth, thanks for the info on the 7gen rests. This is exactly what I was trying to confirm.

Of course now the question is where to get these at some price less than dealer retail?

So putting them in backwards, substituting gen 7 headrests, etc. will essentially defeat the safety system.

Agreed on turning them around backwards.

Disagree (somewhat) on 7th Gen substitution. The Active Head Restraint System still works perfectly with the 7th Gen headrests substituted. Granted how far the 8th Gens tilt forward naturally has a part to play in reducing whiplash, the AHRS is the key component.

Fortunately for me, I'm like USAFRET... even with the new headrests, I have to tilt my head backwards slightly to touch it. I can't tilt my head as much as I could with my gen 7, but I don't have any issues with the gen 8 design.

Same here. No issues whatsoever...my wife on the other hand has complained about the same thing. She has severe neck problems as well...mainly from whiplash in two separate car accidents.

I dont think an 07 headrest would hold up under the crash pressure of your head with the active system either. I think the 08 is made of denser material and not crushable either in order to absorb the high level of forces in a crash. But this is just my opinion.

Talon, I appreciate your input and reminder that we can unravel safety feature/functions with changes like the one I am investigating. I also agree with your assumption that the new headrest is probably a key element of the active restraint system. This decision will be up to my parents and I will be certain to relay your concerns, which I share.

However, I seriously doubt that a dealer or Honda NA will assist with any changes to the current headrest due to all the legal fears involved.

...kind of a pain in the tush to always have to have a seperate seatback cushion, at least it would be to me. I also noticed the headrest "problem" when sitting in the new sedan, in my case it forces my head forward unless I'm willing to tolerate constant contact between my head and the headrest, which I wouldn't be - just another reason the 08 sedan isn't for me, and I think that's a pretty strange requirement of some potential customers, that in order to sit comfortably in the car they have to resort to extra seat cushions, which would also make the seat heaters not fully usefull...
...anyway, your opinions definitely vary, I have mine and others have theirs...

cheers,

Lorne Miller
05 EX-L deep green pearl with ivory
96 Odyssey taffeta white with sage

Might a firm seatback cushion possibly help? Something like the one in this link might just move your dad's head far enough forward so that his head won't touch the headrest. This might provide some relief without having to modify the safety system.

And if this one doesn't look like the right one for your dad, there are tons of other cushions available that might help.

Just a thought...

http://www.comfortchannel.com/prod.itml/icOid/7298

ya it just might work, but you are still moving his head farther away from the headrest, which is the same thing, as putting a headrest in that is not as far froward. that is just my $0.02. i would not be worried about putting the previous gens headrest on, because it will still be there in a crash.

Any other solutions on '08 headrest? I have no problem but it is driving the wife crazy. It seems counter productive to reverse headrest or have to buy '07 version for '08.

I am in the office right now, but my first thought was if there was any difference between the front seat head rests and the back seat head rests? They may be slightly different due to the front seats being able to decline and recline as apposed to the back seats being stationary. My guess is they would fit...are they any different, I dont know?

Typically, raising the headrest up would solve such an issue... you've tried it in every position?

Also, if you're one to sit with the seat straight up, that certaintly makes the tilt of the ehadrests more prominent.

Whenever I drive the Volvo I have to tilt the seat back a bit more than I do in other cars due to the tilted design of the headrests; and in Volvo's they're fixed, so you can't move them.

Sorry for the dumb question, but do the 7th gen headrests articulate?

I hear you. I have the same problem. The headrest, at any heigth, pushes my head forward. I get an immediate neck strain and headache.

I pulled mine out and put in on backwards. I know it's very unsafe but I can't stand the sensation of my head being thrust forward.

Any aftermarket headrests that might work?

Its unsafe and very awkward looking.. One of my neighbors has an 05 sequoia with her headrests like that.. it drives me crazy.

Typically, raising the headrest up would solve such an issue... you've tried it in every position?

Also, if you're one to sit with the seat straight up, that certaintly makes the tilt of the ehadrests more prominent.

Whenever I drive the Volvo I have to tilt the seat back a bit more than I do in other cars due to the tilted design of the headrests; and in Volvo's they're fixed, so you can't move them.

Volvo's are very comfortable cars, drive nice, they typically look great, and there safe and for the most part very reliable being there built like a rock..

But the headrests ruin the whole car. That is the only reason I would not buy a Volvo.. Sounds stupid, but its true.

The XC90 has to be one of my favorite SUV's when equipped with the T6.. Quick ride.. Love the Twin Turbo..

Talon, I appreciate your input and reminder that we can unravel safety feature/functions with changes like the one I am investigating. I also agree with your assumption that the new headrest is probably a key element of the active restraint system. This decision will be up to my parents and I will be certain to relay your concerns, which I share.

However, I seriously doubt that a dealer or Honda NA will assist with any changes to the current headrest due to all the legal fears involved.

I'd suggest that you don't remove the headrests or alter them in any way. as Sumtoc noted, its a key element in the ARS system, and when you get rear ended its designed to pop forward and reduce whiplash. My dealer strongly suggested that I dont change it.

i find you have to recline the seat to a certain extent and then its fine

My wife and I had the same problem with the headrests. We tried everything. The dealer refused to help. I tried to buy custom headrests but the owner of the custom shop wouldn't touch them due to liablilty issues. The back headrests don't fit in the front, and I couldn't find the 07 headrests.

Soooooo, I looked on ebay for a 1/2" tube bender, found a heavy duty bender and bent the headrest tubes back about 25 degrees. A tube bender is a device that will bend the tube without damaging the tube. The tubes are pretty strong so it took a heavy duty bender.

Now we can sit up comfortably and not have back and neck pain.

Another alternative would be to take the existing headrests to an upholstery shop to have them reshaped/contoured. Could be cheaper and safer than installing gen 7 heads. The color would match also!

Interesting, I actually like the fact that I can rest my head on the head rest without feeling like I'm leaning backwards, as with the case with ALL my prior cars. I think this is the best seat I have ever sat in, even better than my buddy's BMW. Hell, if I lean my head against my Mustang Cobra's headrest, I'm staring at the ceiling.. Not to mention that I have to lean WAY forward to shift. They probably used a monkey when designing the ergonomics of that car... Short neck, long arms...

[QUOTE=CTmechanic;249976]My wife and I had the same problem with the headrests. We tried everything. The dealer refused to help. I tried to buy custom headrests but the owner of the custom shop wouldn't touch them due to liablilty issues. The back headrests don't fit in the front, and I couldn't find the 07 headrests.

Soooooo, I looked on ebay for a 1/2" tube bender, found a heavy duty bender and bent the headrest tubes back about 25 degrees. A tube bender is a device that will bend the tube without damaging the tube. The tubes are pretty strong so it took a heavy duty bender.

Hi,

Can you give more details about finding a tube bender on Ebay? I did a search and they range in cost from $20-400. Will a simple 1/2" tube bender that looks a little like a tree pruner do the job? Do you risk weakening the tubes by bending them? Will the straighted tubes still fit in the headrest slots perfectly?

Thanks!

You might also want to try out a gen 6 headrest. They are probably even smaller than the 7th gen. Maybe one of your friends has one you can try it out with. I haven't tried it out yet but I think that this may also solve my problem with looking out the rear passenger window.

i am also someone who doesn't like the headrest touching my head. i tilt the chair back enough (not as comfy though) so it doesn't touch for the most part.

I too find the 08 headrests to be extremely uncomfortable and would like to swap them out for the 07 type. I did some research and found 3 different part numbers for 07 headrests:

1090351 HEADREST ASSY., FR. (LEA)(TS TECH)
1091815 HEADREST ASSY., FR. (LEA)(TACHI-S/SETEX)
1094707 HEADREST ASSY., FR. (LEA)

Anybody know the difference or which one would work? The prices range from $115 to $250?

Any help is appreciated!

Had the same problem as all of you who posted on the new Accord Coupe I just picked up. Searched these forums, and found the solution posted by Darth a few months back. Ordered 2007 Accord Coupe headrests online, and they fit and look great, in fact, I think they look better then the stock ones, IMO. Cost was about $100, but I have the cloth interior, so they are cheaper. They definately don't push your head as far forward as the stock headrests. Glad I came to this forum!:thmsup:

Only thing I can say is if headrests bother you now, they'd probably injure you more when the AHRS activates than the crash itself. It's like driving with the steering wheel in your chest: the airbag might kill you rather than save you. It's nice to have extra safety devices, but as long as they'd actually help you in a crash, not hurt you. I much rather drive with one less safety device than being miserable while I drive ALL the time I own the car. When I ride my motorcycle, I'm giving up MANY safety devices, but am fully aware of that.

Bottom line is I'd also just bend the stock headrests so car looks stock, and also to keep the AHRS. And it'd also be the cheapest fix. Just bent them enough that you don't feel them anymore, but barely. That's the way they're now, so no complains here either. Good luck.
JC

I am glad I found this thread as I am one of those who do not like the 08 headrests. I have some questions:

1) Has anyone successfully bent the headrest rods/tubing?

2) Is it something I can take my headrests to local shop (not sure what kind of shop)?

3) Will it fit after you bend them?

Thanks!

I'm not sure I understand this thread; granted, i'm not really contributing to this, and i'm not trying to be insulting, but it's my understanding that the head restraints are not for "resting" your head on while driving. I've never heard of an issue like this, and it certainly is not a problem for me. Do you all lean back against your seat and put your head back while driving?

Ok - I may be the odd man out here, but I happen to really like the tilt of the new headrests. I would be willing to swap my '06 headrests (black leather) if you're interested. Let me know and I can send some photos.