2010 Ford Explorer

HEAD RESTRAINT FORCES HEAD INTO DOWNWARD TILTING POSTURE CAUSING MODERATE TO SEVERE DISCOMFORT AFTER ANY EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRIVING. ONLY SOLUTION FOUND WAS TO REMOVE OR REVERSE HEAD RESTRAINT, OR TO RECLINE SEAT TO SEVERELY RECLINED POSITION. UNSATISFACTORY DESIGN FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH STRAIGHT POSTURE. VERY POOR DESIGN. *TR

THE HEAD RESTS ON OUR 2010 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED HAVE SUCH A SEVERE FORWARD PITCH TO THEM THAT THEY MAKE IT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO SIT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. DEALER SAYS NOTHING CAN BE DONE. PRIOR TO PURCHASE WE TEST DROVE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPETITIVE VEHICLES AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE THIS SAME ISSUE. AFTER 11 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP AND ALMOST 14,000 MILES IT IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE FOR US. I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING REMOVING THE HEAD RESTS AND DRIVING WITHOUT THEM. I HAVE TRIED OTHER WORK AROUNDS, RECLINING THE SEATS TO MAKE THE HEAD REST ANGLE MORE ACCEPTABLE, BUT THIS DEFEATS THE SAFETY OF THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM. I'VE ALSO TRIED RAISING THE HEAD REST TO IT'S MAXIMUM EXTENSION, BUT THAT DEFEATS THE VALUE OF THE HEAD REST. WHAT FORD NEEDS TO DO IS REPLACE THE 2010 HEAD RESTS WITH ONE FROM AN EARLIER MODEL. NHTSA SHOULD FORCE FORD TO RECALL THESE HEAD RESTS AS HAZARDOUS. *TR

THE HEADRESTS FOR THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATS IN THE FORD EXPLORER 2010 PROTRUDE INTO THE BACK OF THE HEAD AT AN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE ANGLE. I GET HEADACHES ALL THE TIME IF THEY ARE LEFT IN. THE HEADREST ANGLE IS NOT ADJUSTABLE. THIS IS AN AGENCY FLEET VEHICLE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO RISK A POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD BY DRIVING WITHOUT THE HEADRESTS IN PLACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADRESTS WOULD PROTRUDE INTO THE REAR OF THE OCCUPANTS' HEAD AT A STEEP ANGLE. HE WAS UNABLE TO ADJUST THE HEADRESTS WHERE THEY WERE NOT UNCOMFORTABLE AND PROTRUDING INTO THE REAR OF HIS HEAD. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REPAIR TO CORRECT THE DESIGN FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,232.

JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2010 EXPLORER, TRADING IN OUR 2006. SINCE THIS IS OUR SEVENTH EXPLORER, WE DIDN'T BOTHER WITH A TEST DRIVE. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! WHEN WE WERE DRIVING HOME, WE WERE BOTH VERY UNCOMFORTABLE - THE HEAD RESTRAINTS WERE ANGLED SO FAR FORWARD THAT WE COULD NOT GET COMFORTABLE. WE PRIMARILY USE THE VEHICLE FOR LONG TRIPS, SO THAT WILL BE A MAJOR PROBLEM. I JUST SPENT A FEW HOURS RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A SOLUTION; AND IT'S NOT JUST A FORD PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THEY HAVE TO BE THAT WAY TO MINIMIZE WHIPLASH IN A REAR-END COLLISION. THE ONES ON THE 2006 WEREN'T LIKE THESE, SO THEY MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE OR DEFICIENT (NOTE TO ALL YOU 2006 OWNERS - MAYBE YOU CAN SUE FORD IF YOU GET A WHIPLASH INJURY) I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 50 YEARS, AND NEVER HAD A REAR END COLLISION, SO I'M GOING TO CHOOSE COMFORT OVER THE UNLIKELY CHANCE THAT I'LL NEED THE HEAD RESTRAINT AND EITHER REVERSE IT (THEN IT WON'T WORK) OR TAKE IT OUT!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE HEADREST ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXTENDS OUTWARD WHICH FORCES THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS HEAD FORWARD. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED DISCOMFORT WHILE DRIVING EVEN WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO REST HIS SHOULDERS AGAINST THE BACK OF THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED SEVEN DAYS AGO WITHOUT HIM TEST DRIVING IT. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS SINCE ALL OF 2010 FORD EXPLORERS WERE DESIGNED WITH THAT TYPE OF HEADREST. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT ROTATE THE HEADREST; HOWEVER, THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE HEADREST WOULD NOT SERVE IT?S PURPOSE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.