2013 Honda Accord Seats

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that after parking and returning to the vehicle 30-minutes later, there was an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of vehicle. The contact discovered a small burn mark on the center of the front passenger’s side seat. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The head restraints cause back pain and injury because they are so far forward. When we confronted Honda about these, they said they are required by you to make them miserable and uncomfortable. Are there any car manufacturers that have found a way around this regulation? Maybe cars manufactured before the regulation took effect? Can you reconsider that maybe this regulation is written to cause more injury than assistance and rescind it or revise it to allow manufacturers to fix YOUR problem?

BOUGHT THE HONDA ACCORD IN NOVEMBER, 2012. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER. CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000 MILES ON IT AND THE SEAT MOTOR HAS FAILED. IT MAKES NOISE. SEAT CANNOT BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED BY MOTOR. OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED AND SAID SEAT COULD COLLAPSE DOWN AND THAT IS DANGEROUS. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR INVOLVING REPLACING ENTIRE FRONT SEAT.

THE DEGREE OF INCLINATION OF THE FRONT SEATS HEAD RESTRAINTS IS SO PRONOUNCED THAT THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER ARE FORCED TO ASSUME AN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE POSTURE THAT CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE SPINE

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BACK WAS MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE BACK SEAT. THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BACK WOULD NOT LOCK IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. WITH NO SEAT BACK IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, IT WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP. THE WELD ON THE SEAT FRAME THAT ALLOWED THE BACK TO BE LOCKED IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION WAS BROKEN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BROKEN SEAT FRAME. HE FRAME COST $1320 AND LABOR WAS $409.

ACCORD V6 COUPE BOUGHT NEW (AND SPOTLESS) AND NEVER IN ACCIDENT, 33,000 MILES AND 47 MONTHS OLD- CAR WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK WAS COMPLETELY FLACCID. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS ESSENTIALLY IN THE FULL RECLINED POSITION RESTING AGAINST THE BACKSEAT. IT COULD BE MOVED UP AND DOWN EASILY TO THE TOUCH WITH ABSOLUTELY NO LOCKING MECHANISM (IE IF IT WASN'T BEING MANUALLY HELD UP IT WOULD FALL BACK). I TOOK IT INTO THE HONDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT "THE SEAT FRAME HAD FAILED." I CALLED HONDA TO TELL THEM AND, GIVEN THAT IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, WILL CALL ME BACK IF THEY WILL COVER IT. AGAIN, DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME FAILED AND SEATBACK COMPLETELY FLACCID AND CAN OFFER NO BACK SUPPORT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEADREST CAUSED HER NECK PAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED.

THE HEAD RESTRAINT CAUSES SERIOUS NECK PAIN. THE SEAT DESIGN IS IMPROPER AND DOES NOT ALLOW FOR COMFORTABLE SEATING. MY LEGS GO NUMB WHICH CAN LEAD TO INVALID RESPONSE IN BRAKING. STIFF NECK PAIN CAN CAUSE ME TO MISS BLIND SPOTS OR HAVE REACTION TIME NECCESSARY TO AVOID DANGEROUS COLLISIONS. THESE SEATS HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. MULTIPLE POSITIONS DO NOT HELP. DRIVING FOR EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME CAUSE NECK TO LEG PAIN.

THE DESIGN OF THE DRIVERS SEAT CAUSES SEVER BACK PAIN

AFTER ABOUT 2 AND A HALF HOURS OF DRIVING, MY BUTT (RIGHT SIDE) AND LEG WOULD HURT UNBEARABLY, TO THE POINT OF ME TWISTING AND TURNING TO GET COMFORTABLE. I WOULD PULL OVER AT A REST STOP, WALK AROUND FOR 10 - 15 MINS, BUT ABOUT 90MINS OF DRIVING LATER THE PAIN IS BACK AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS IN BOTH FRONT SEATS. I DONT KNOW ABOUT THE BACK SEATS AS YET. I LIKE THE CAR, BUT THIS IS TERRIBLE.

I'M IN MY EARLY 20'S AND RECENTLY DEVELOPED A SEARING PAIN IN MY LOWER BACK THAT WOULD STRIKE EVEN WHEN I AM LYING MOTIONLESS. I STILL WOULDN'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WHY IT WAS HURTING UNTIL ANOTHER HONDA ACCORD OWNER (2015) TOLD ME HE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND FIGURED OUT IT WAS THE SEATS! I BOUGHT THE SACRO EASE SEAT ADAPTER FROM RELAX THE BACK ($269) AND IT FIXED MY PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. HONDA SHOULD NOTIFY THE PUBLIC OF THE HEALTH RISKS, REPLACE BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT, AND PAY FOR SOME SORT OF THERAPY.

THE HEADRESTS CAUSE NEVK PAIN. THE HEADRESTS PUSH YOUR HEAD FORWARD IN AN UNNATURAL WAY ALMOST PUSHING YOUR CHIN INTO YOUR CHEST. I STARTED HAVING NECKPAIN SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING. SO INTENSE IT WENT DOWN MY ARM AND CAUSED NUMBESS IN MY FINGERS. SPENT SERVAL DAYS GOUNG TO DOCTORS AND MRIS INJECTIONS ETC. THIS SUMMER MY 13 TEAR OLD STARTED COMPLAINING. WE NOTICED WHEN SWITCHING TO MY SUMMER 35Z THE PAIN GOT BETTER AND RETURNED WHEN DRIVING THE HONDA. THE SEATS ARE ALSO PART OF THE ISSUE I NOTICED AFTER 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING HARD TO GET COMFORTABLE. MY NECK SPINE AND LOWER BACK ALL AFFECYED. I FINALLT TRADED MY VEHICLE JULY 11 OF 2015 BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER TOLERATE THE PAIN. IM VERY DISTURBED BY THIS AND THE PAIN BECAUSE I USUALLY KEEP MY VEHICLES A LONG TIME. .. UPDATED 09/30/15*BF

THE HEADREST OF THIS VEHICLE IS SO POORLY DESIGNED THAT AFTER AN HOUR OF SO OF HIGHWAY DRIVING MY NECK AND SHOULDERS BECAME STIFF AND UNCOMFORTABLE. THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE THE HEADREST. I FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY HAZARD, SO I REINSTALLED THE HEADREST. SHORTLY THEREAFTER MY NECK AND SHOULDER STIFFNESS RETURNED. *TR

THESE SEATS HAVE CAUSED SO MUCH PAIN THAT I NOW HAVE TO GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR FOR WEEKLY TREATMENT. THE CAR IS KILLING ME, I'M HAVING TO TAKE PAIN PILLS AND CAN'T DRIVE VERY LONG WITHOUT PAIN. IF I WOULDN'T LOOSE SO MUCH MONEY I WOULD TRADE THE CAR. *TR

THE MEMORY SEAT ADJUSTMENT HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY IN MY NEW 2013 HONDA ACCORD XL. THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF HONDA. IT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A SWITCH FAILURE. THE MEMORY SEATS SIMPLY WOULD NOT ADJUST THEMSELVES TO THE DRIVER'S SETTING, IT WAS NECESSARY TO RE-ADJUST THE SEATS MANUALLY. MEMORY SEAT ADJUSTMENT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY OCT. 2014. I AM ALMOST SORRY I PURCHASED THIS CAR. WHY SHOULD I BE CHARGED FOR A REPLACEMENT SWITCH WHICH IS CLEARLY MANUFACTURER FAILURE? *TR

THE SEAT/HEADREST IS THE MAIN ISSUE. IT PUSHES MY HEAD TO FAR FORWARD AND MAKES IT VERY COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE. THE LONG-TERM SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SEATS/HEADRESTS THAT MANY ARE MODIFYING/REMOVING THE HEADREST TO AVOID PAIN/DISCOMFORT WHICH WILL CREATE AN UNSAFE RESTRAINT SYSTEM. *TR

THESE COMMENTS PERTAIN TO MY FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR A CAR WITHOUT HEAD RESTRAINTS THAT FORCE MY HEAD DOWN TO AN UNCOMFORTABLE, PAINFUL POSITION. AT 5 FT 10 IN I AM JUST 1/2 INCH OVER THE AVERAGE MALE HEIGHT IN THE U.S. THIS SITUATION, AFFECTING MANY MAKES, MODELS AND YEARS, IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO DEVELOP BACK PROBLEMS, AND IN SOME CASES REMOVE OR DISABLE SAFETY EQUIPMENT. INTERNET SEARCHES SHOW HUNDREDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS, AND EXAMPLES OF HOW TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BY EITHER REMOVING OR TURNING AROUND HEAD RESTRAINTS. EVEN A DEALER SUGGESTED I DID THE LATTER, WHICH I WILL NOT DO. SINCE MANUFACTURERS ARE IGNORING THE ISSUE EXCEPT FOR TOP-OF-THE-LINE MODELS, THE NHTSA SHOULD INTERVENE TO FORCE A SOLUTION TO HELP CUSTOMERS RETAIN SAFETY FEATURES WHILE NOT INCURRING BACK INJURIES. THIS IS PART OF THE NARRATIVE I POSTED ON ONE OF MANY ON-LINE FORUMS ON THE SUBJECT: INTERESTED IN BUYING A 2013 HONDA ACCORD EX-L BUT I CAN'T STAND THE HEAD RESTRAINTS. I CAN'T DRIVE WITH MY HEAD LOOKING DOWN. I TESTED IT FOR 45 MINUTES AND ENDED UP WITH A BACK/NECK ACHE. I TRIED A 2012 ACCORD AND FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM. MY 2008 PILOT DOES NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I TRIED A NEW PILOT AND IT WAS COMFORTABLE. CLEARLY, IT MEETS SAFETY STANDARDS WITHOUT COMPROMISING DRIVER COMFORT. I FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON-LINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2009. HERE'S ONE OF THOSE WEB SITES: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/HONDA/ACCORD/2013/ I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL. THREE TIMES THE LADY I SPOKE WITH REPEATED THE LITANY OF "SINCE 2009 ALL HONDA CARS....ETC" REFERRING TO NEW FEDERAL SAFETY REGULATIONS. NEVER MIND THAT THE PILOT DOES NOT SACRIFICE COMFORT FOR SAFETY. HOW CAN HONDA IGNORE SUCH A PROBLEM THAT MUST BE TURNING AWAY ACCORD BUYERS? HOW CAN HONDA IGNORE IT WHEN THEY HAVE THE SOLUTION IN ANOTHER ONE OF ITS MODELS (THE PILOT)? *TR

HEAD RESTS ON SEATS ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE YOU NEED TO LEAN FORWARD AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING WE REMOVED THE HEAD REST, THOU IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE. *TR

FRONT DRIVERS SEAT CAUSES NECK AND BACK ISSUES. NO ADJUSTMENT SEEMS TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. TRY ADDING SEAT AND BACK CUSHION WITH NO RELIEF. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RESOLUTION OFFERED BY HONDA. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE AND COULD CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE SEATS IN MY ACCORD ARE TERRIBLE. IT PUTS YOU IN AN AWKWARD POSITION AND MAKES YOU SLUMP AS YOUR DRIVING. I HAVE HAD SEVERE NECK, LOWER BACK AND SHOULDER PAIN FROM THE DISCOMFORT. I AM FORCED TO LOSE MONEY ON THIS CAR AND TRADE IT IN BECAUSE IT IS VERY DISTRACTING TO TRY TO CHANGE THE SEATS AS I DRIVE. SOME NIGHTS AFTER DRIVING I AM UNABLE TO WALK MY BACK HURTS SO BAD. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SEATS! *TR

NEAR ACCIDENT AT 1300 MILES. DID YOU KNOW THE RATE OF OWNER FILED NHTSA SAFETY COMPLAINTS RELATED TO SEATS/HEAD RESTRAINTS FOR THE 2012 AND 2013 ACCORD ARE OCCURRING AT A RATE 49 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE COMBINED RATE FOR ALTIMA, CAMRY, ELANTRA AND TAURUS? ALMOST ALL ACCORD COMPLAINTS INCLUDE THE SAME ELEMENTS: AWKWARD POSTURE, PRESSURE ON HEAD AND NECK, PAIN AND DISTRACTION CAUSED BY THE SEAT/HEAD RESTRAINT. HONDA TELLS OWNERS THAT ALL MANUFACTURERS GET THE SAME COMPLAINTS, AND BLAMES NHTSA FMVSS 202: BOTH ARE UNTRUE! AFOREMENTIONED 4-12-2013 COUNT SHOWS THIS IS A VERY SEVERE PROBLEM FOR ACCORDS, BUT NOT FOR ALL OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THE SEATS IN MY 2013 ACCORD ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PARTLY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE NO BACKSET BETWEEN THE HEAD RESTRAINT AND MY HEAD; INSTEAD, THEY IMPOSE A PUSH OF A LEAST 13 MM. THIS CAUSES DISTRACTION WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING, AND WITHIN TWO HOURS GENERATES SEVERE PAIN WHICH IMPAIRS MY DRIVING. DURING THE FMVSS 202 PROCESS, UMTRI SUBMITTED A RESEARCH FINDING THAT SAID A 50 MM BACKSET WOULD RESULT IN HEAD RESTRAINT INTERFERENCE FOR 13% OF THE DRIVING PUBLIC. A MAJORITY OF THE MANUFACTURERS, AMONG THEM GM, MAGNA, JOHNSON CONTROLS, AIAM, THE ALLIANCE, NISSAN, PORSCHE, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND FORD, STATED THAT A BACKSET OF 50 MM MAY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INTRUSIONS INTO THE SPACE WHERE THESE OCCUPANTS TYPICALLY PLACE THEIR HEADS, FORCING THEIR HEADS INTO AN UNNATURAL FORWARD-TILTING POSITION. HONDA IGNORED THESE FINDINGS,IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR BAD SEAT DESIGN A 1997 CDC REPORT THAT FOUND STRONG EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AWKWARD NECK AND SHOULDER POSTURE/ PROLONGED STATIC LOADS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (MSD), AND ADDITIONAL RESEARCH REVEALS THE IMPACTS OF MSD, INCLUDING PAIN AND FATIGUE. THE ACCORD IS A DANGER TO ME, MY PASSENGERS, BYSTANDERS AND OTHER DRIVERS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE DRIVERS SEAT CAUSES SEVERE LOWER BACK PAIN AND ALSO NECK PAIN IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES. TRIED MULTIPLE SEAT ADJUSTMENTS WITHOUT SUCCESS. VERY DISTRACTED WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE I WAS DISTRACTED WITH PREOCCUPATION WITH THE SEAT ISSUE. ALSO MY WIFE COMPLAINS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEADREST CAUSES HERE SEVERE NECK PAIN AND STRAIN. *TR

I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHICH SECTION TO POST MY COMPLAINT. IT'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE PER SE. I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NEW DESIGN OF THE HEADRESTS. I CANNOT GET COMFORTABLE IN ANY OF THE NEW CARS I HAVE SAT IN, BECAUSE I LIKE TO SIT VERY UPRIGHT, AND WHEN I POSITION MYSELF THIS WAY, MY NECK GOES FORWARD TOO MUCH. WHEN I RECLINE THE SEAT, IT HELPS MY NECK, BUT NOW MY BACK IS NOT SUPPORTED PROPERLY. SO, EITHER WAY, I AM GOING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE WHICH MAY VERY WELL AFFECT MY DRIVING, AND THEREFORE SAFETY. I NEED TO BUY 2 CARS NOW. MY CURRENT CARS ARE OLD, 1996 AND 1999. I AM AT WITS END, BECAUSE I CANNOT FIND A COMFORTABLE SEAT IN A NEW CAR. DON'T REALLY WANT TO BUY A USED CAR. I READ OF LOT OF POSTS ON VARIOUS SITES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. DID YOU TEST THE NEW HEADREST GUIDELINES BY USING SHORT, WOMEN DRIVERS???? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS BACK FROM OTHER PEOPLE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF BRANDS THAT MIGHT HAVE A MORE COMFORTABLE HEADREST THAN HONDA/ACURA? THANK YOU. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2013 HONDA ACCORD AFTER MY FORMER CAR WAS REAR ENDED AND I SUFFERED SEVERE WHIPLASH AND BACK PAIN. AS A RESULT OF THIS I DID NOT REALIZE THE POOR DESIGN OF THE SEAT, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY THE HEAD RESTS. IN MY TEST DRIVE LASTING 10 - 15 MINUTES I DID NOT NOTICE IT, BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP AND DRIVING THE CAR 1 HOUR EACH WAY TO AND FROM WORK, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE HEAD REST STICKS OUT SO FAR THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET COMFORTABLE IN THE CAR, AND ADDITIONALLY, IT HURT THE THORACIC PORTION OF MY MIDDLE BACK. I KNOW THIS, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I AM STILL IN PHYSICAL THERAPY, ON THE WEEKEND WHEN I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR MY BACK HURTS MUCH LESS THAN IT DOES DURING THE WEEK WHEN I MAKE MY COMMUTE TO WORK. ADDITIONALLY THIS WEEKEND MY WIFE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR FOR A LONG DRIVE AND SHE SUFFERED FROM THE SAME PAIN THAT I SUFFERED FROM. IT IS SO BAD, WE HAD TO CUT OUR TRIP SHORT. I CONTACTED THE DEALER SHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEY STATED THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT BUT A REQUIREMENT BY THE US GOVERNMENT. THEREFORE I AM CONTACTING YOU CONCERNING HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. *TR

LTR RE A SIMILAR VERSION OF A PETITION TO REVIEW THE SAFETY OF THE SEATS USED IN 2012 AND 2013 HONDA ACCORDS- THE HEAD REST AND OTHER SEAT ELEMENTS CAUSE DRIVER DISTRACTION/IMPAIRMENT (ATTACHMENT NOT IMAGED FWD TO NVS-200) *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEAD REST RESTRAINT CAUSED DISCOMFORT AND WAS A DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. THE DRIVER'S SEAT PUT THE CONSUMER IN AN AWKWARD POSITION AND IMPOSED A LONG DURATION STATIC LOAD ON HIS NECK AND UPPER SPINE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE PUSH OF THE HEAD REST, WHICH WAS TOO FAR FORWARD. IT PUSHED HIS HEAD FORWARD FROM A NEUTRAL POSITION BY AT LEAST ONE-HALF INCH. THE UPPER SEAT WAS VERY CONCAVE AND CAUSED TENSION TO HIS UPPER SPINE. FINALLY, THE SHAPE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT BACK FORCED HIM INTO A SLUMPED POSITION WHICH CAUSE LOWER BACK PAIN. WHEN THE LAST REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AT THE DEALER, THEY REVERSED THE HEAD RESTRAINT, WHICH APPARENTLY, WAS COMMON AND UNSAFE, A PRACTICE DEALERS USED TO RESOLVE OWNER COMPLAINTS.