2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECOND ROAD SEAT HEAD RESTS WOULD NOT ALLOW HIS CHILD TO BE SECURED PROPERLY IN A BOOSTER SEAT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE HEAD RESTS WOULD CAUSE THE CHILD TO BE PUSHED TOWARD THE SIDE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT SECURE THE CHILD IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ALTER THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500.

MY CHILD, WHO IS 11, CAN NOT SIT IN THE REAR SEATS OF THIS TRUCK WITHOUT THE SHOULDER HARNESS SLIDING ACROSS HIS NECK, A TERRIBLE SITUATION SHOULD AN ACCIDENT OCCUR. HIS HEAD IS FORCED DOWNWARD BY THE HEAD REST IN EITHER THE UP OR DOWN POSITION. GIVEN THE POSITION OF THE HEAD REST, EVEN A BOOSTER SEAT IS INEFFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH "POWER EASY ENTRY" OPTION WHICH MAKES REMOVING THE HEADRESTS IMPOSSIBLE (VEHICLES WITHOUT THIS OPTION HAVE REMOVABLE HEAD RESTS). THE DEALER, AFTER SEEING MY CHILD IN THE SEAT, ALSO AGREED THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY SO, AT ITS EXPENSE, REMOVED SOME PARTS OF THE "POWER EASY ENTRY" OPTION SO WE COULD REMOVE THE HEADRESTS. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE 2ND ROW HEADRESTS DO NOT FULLY EXTEND/RETRACT UPWARD AND ALSO CANNOT BE REMOVED! WE ARE BEING TOLD BY MBUSA THAT THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE "EASY ENTRY 2ND ROW OPTION" AND THAT THOSE HEADRESTS HAVE LIMITED CAPABILITIES AS FAR AS RAISING/LOWERING/REMOVING. AS A RESULT CHILDREN SITTING IN THE 2ND ROW HAVE THEIR HEADS PUSHED FORWARD (BECAUSE OF THE HEADRESTS) WHICH IS CAUSING MAJOR NECK DISCOMFORT AND IS A REAL HAZARD FOR CHILDREN. THIS ALSO CANNOT BE CURED BY RAISING THE HEADREST BECAUSE CHILDREN OF A CERTAIN SIZE, PROBABLY AGES 10-16, AREN'T SHORT ENOUGH TO FIT "UNDER" THE HEADREST AND AREN'T TALL ENOUGH TO HAVE THEIR HEAD/NECK FIT PROPERLY ON THE HEADREST. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OPTION WHERE THESE VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH THE "EASY ENTRY 2ND ROW OPTION", CAN HAVE THEIR 2ND ROW HEADRESTS REMOVED WHEN CHILDREN OF A CERTAIN HEIGHT WILL BE SITTING THERE. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM AND A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT MBUSA NEEDS TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY. I AM NOT SURE HOW THEY MISSED THIS IN THEIR SAFETY TESTS. *TR

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW- THE HEADRESTS IN THE SECOND ROW ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE. THEY ONLY HAVE TWO POSITIONS: FULLY UP OR FULLY DOWN. IN EITHER OF THESE POSITIONS, MY 11 YEAR OLD CHILD'S HEAD IS IN A CLEARLY UNSAFE POSITION. IN THE DOWN POSITION, HIS BACK IS PUSHED FORWARD AND HIS NECK PUSHED DOWN ON THE SEATBELT. IN THE UP POSITION, THE BOTTOM OF THE HEADREST HITS THE VERY TOP OF THE BACK OF HIS HEAD AND, AGAIN, PUSHES HIS HEAD FORWARD AT A SEVER ANGLE. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS WITH THE DEALER AND MERCEDES BENZ USA BUT THEY HAVE STOPPED REPLYING TO ME. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR ANYONE WHO IS APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF MY SON (4' 9"). I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU PICTURES OF MY SON SEATED WITH THE TWO HEADREST POSITIONS. *TR