The Headrest Too Far Forward Fix
The headrest is one of the most underappreciated aspects of the interior of your car. For two reasons. First, it obviously makes the driving experience far more comfortable and enjoyable and without it, you would find long periods of driving noticeably uncomfortable, or even painful.
And secondly, the headrest is an incredibly important safety feature – yet many people fail to realize this. We will get into all of that throughout the article, but first, let’s get into the meat of the problem. Here is how to fix a headrest that is too far forward in your car.
The Headrest Too Far Forward Fix – How To
Having a headrest that is too far forward can be painful and uncomfortable, even if it is in your best interest. If you were hoping for a quick and definitive answer you, unfortunately, will not be getting one.
Well, not exactly. Firstly, your headrest should be quite far forward. If you absolutely cannot stand it and insist on altering it you have a few options. First, you may want to consider getting some kind of neck pillow to make you more comfortable instead of actually adjusting the headrest.
Some Toyota vehicles have buttons or tabs that must be pressed or pulled that then allow you to change the angle of the headrest. If that isn’t an option you could *theoretically* remove the headrest and turn it the other way around which would then make it face slightly too far back for most people’s comfort.
Why Does My Headrest Come Forward On Its Own?
With Toyota’s, there is a real issue with the headrests being too far forward to be considered comfortable by default. But, here is the problem. They are designed to be that far forward because it is considered better for your head and neck, especially in the event of a crash, even if it is not exactly comfortable.
And, here is the kicker, many Toyota headrests are not even intended to be adjustable other than the much-needed up and down to adjust for each driver’s height. If your headrest is coming forward on its own, more so than intended, it may be loose or damaged.
Why Does My Headrest Get Stuck?
If you find that your headrest is getting stuck, ignoring the fact that it may perhaps not be intended to be adjusted forward or backward for comfort, and is even getting stuck moving up and down this is to be expected. The headrest should be tightly secured within your seat to stop it from slipping while you are driving so that it doesn’t get ejected from your seat in the event of a crash or collision.
If it slipped out easily it could cause devastating injuries to you and your passengers in the event of a highspeed collision. It may be a tad frustrating (more than a tad in many cases) but it really is the best way to do things. If you have ever dealt with a headrest that kept slipping up and down while you were driving you would agree that a stiff headrest beats a loose one!
Why Does My Headrest Slip Around?
If you find that your headrest is slipping around when you are driving, without you trying to adjust it, there may be some kind of issue with the “locking” system that holds your headrest in place within the actual seat.
If you remove the headrest completely and re-insert it you should hopefully solve the problem. If not, you may want to contact your dealership, mechanic, or body shop to give you a helping hand. You should absolutely NOT drive without a headrest. We will explain why in the next section.
What Is The Purpose Of The Headrest?
Most people assume that the headrest is there for comfort, and while that is partially true and they definitely make driving more comfortable, that is not their primary purpose. The headrest is there to assure that your head doesn’t “snap back” in the event of a collision.
If you imagine how bad whiplash can be even with a headrest imagine how bad it would be if there was nothing to help support the head. People would be breaking their necks constantly; the airbag would hit you so hard it snapped your neck and bent your head back over your seat.
Headrests are incredibly important. If you think yours is slightly uncomfortable it’s better to suffer than to remove it completely.
Is Having The Headrest Too Far Forward Dangerous?
When your headrest is too far forward it can be painful for your neck and upper spine and can result in headaches, cramps, spasms, and worse. It can also be super distracting and lead to accidents in its own right. In the event of a crash, if the headrest is too far forward you may end up compressing your neck and head too much and injure yourself that way.
Is Having The Headrest Too Far Back Dangerous?
Having your headrest too far back is likely to make your everyday driving a little bit uncomfortable and you will probably end up with aches in your neck and shoulders.
But not much worse. In the event of a crash, however, your headrest being too far back can and will result in you being injured in the neck and spinal areas because there is not enough support within a high-impact environment. It is better to have your headrest too far forward than too far back, but obviously, it is best to have it positioned correctly. Of course!
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article hasn’t been too frustrating for you to read if you were hoping to quickly adjust your headrest. While it is possible in some cases to adjust the angle in most cases you are stuck with what you have got, for better or for worse.
Remember, the headrest is incredibly important and should not be overlooked in terms of safety in favor of comfort. You can suffer life-altering injuries simply by removing your headrest should you end up in an accident. Thanks for reading and goodbye for now. Cheers.
