6.7

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,903 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #17

Jun 012015

Explorer

  • 84,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front driver side seat failed to re-adjust forward. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

- White Castle, LA, USA

problem #16

May 122013

Explorer

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the design of the driver and front passenger seat head restraints pushed the occupants head forward in an uncomfortable position. She turned the head restraints around in order to assume a comfortable position while traveling. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 45,000.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #15

Jan 272012

Explorer

  • miles
The headrest on my just purchased 2010 Ford Explorer tilt so far forward that it is uncomfortable to drive. After researching this it seems to be a common problem. Sounds like to me there should be a safety recall to replace the headrests with adjustable ones. With so many complaints out there why hasn't something been done?

- Red Springs, NC, USA

problem #14

Jul 082011

Explorer 6-cyl

  • miles
If Ford ever decides to recall these forward leaning headrests please put me at the top of the list with all of these other complaints. For my safety"?" they hurt! they are so uncomfortable no matter how I adjust the back of my seat. Please Ford send out more comfortable headrests or at least make them available for purchase at a reasonable cost. Thank you!

- Chillicothe, OH, USA

problem #13

Apr 052011

Explorer

  • 20,150 miles
The active head restraint system in the 2010 Ford Explorer pushes my head forward when I sit straight in the seat. I cannot find a comfortable position where the "active restraint" is not actively pushing my head forward. I understand the necessity of minimizing space between the head and restraint when in a rear-end collision, but car manufacturers have overcompensated, causing severe neck pain for those who sit straight in their seats. This is a problem not only because it's uncomfortable and potentially causes neck pain but also because drivers have no other safe option. The options are: 1) remove the head restraint, 2) turn the head restraint backwards, or 3) bend the bars so the restraint is not angled forward as dramatically. Please offer a solution to this problem. Otherwise, the restraint guidelines will create more safety issues than they were meant to remedy.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #12

Feb 152011

Explorer

  • 4,000 miles
I have a 2010 Ford Explorer. The front passenger seat headrests are pitched excessively forward causing extreme head and neck discomfort. The only way to alleviate this stress is to recline the seat to the point where your head doesn't contact the headrest. This puts stress on your neck muscles causing stiffness and headaches. This is a defective design that must be corrected. When I brought the vehicle in for servicing at 4000 miles I informed the service manager who told me he gets lots of complaints about the head restraint and there was nothing he could do about it. Perhaps Ford can proactively cite a replacement headrest from one of its other models. I am now taking muscle relaxants every night to relieve the stress on my neck.

- West Caldwell, NJ, USA

problem #11

Dec 272010

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 6 miles
The headrests lean so far forward that I have to either lean the back of the seat way back or pull the headrest out as it is so uncomfortable I get a neck ache. I have never had this problem with any other vehicle I have owned.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #10

Aug 172010

Explorer

  • 4,000 miles
The 2010 Ford Explorer headrest pitches your head uncomfortably forward. Forget about wearing a pony tail, your chin will touch your chest! please get Ford to replace the headrest! this is not a comfort complaint, this is a safety issue!

- Sparta, NJ, USA

problem #9

Sep 012010

Explorer

  • 9,860 miles
I rented a 2010 Ford Explorer yesterday (1-Sept-2010) while my car was being repaired--I immediately noticed that the front headrests are designed so they lean forward way too far, hitting the back of my head and preventing me from sitting in a comfortable driving position. Totally ridiculous! glad I only will have it for a day or two; I would never buy such a vehicle, it hurts my back and neck.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #8

Aug 072010

Explorer

  • miles
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.

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

problem #7

Sep 252009

Explorer

  • 100 miles
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.

- Covington, WA, USA

problem #6

May 062010

Explorer

  • 154 miles
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.

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #5

Jul 082010

Explorer

  • 86 miles
The Ford 2010 Explorer front seat headrests aggressively push the drivers head forward when seated in a normal upright position. No seat or headrest adjustment is available to change this condition.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #4

Jun 012010

Explorer

  • 1,000 miles
The headrest in my 2010 Ford Explorer forces your head and neck forward in a very uncomfortable postion. There is no adjustment for the position.

- Hamilton, NJ, USA

problem #3

Apr 202010

Explorer

  • miles
The head rest on my 2010 Ford Explorer leans so far forward that it forces my head down and forward. The dealer cannot adjust it so that you can sit normally. The only recourse is to remove the head rest. This is a safety issue because you can't drive with it and removing it removes any protection.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #2

Mar 112010

Explorer

  • miles
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!!

- Eufaula, AL, USA

problem #1

Nov 262009

Explorer

  • 0 miles
The head rest on my 2010 Ford Explorer leans so far forward that it forces my head down and forward. The dealer cannot adjust it so that you can sit normally. The only recourse is to remove the head rest. This is a safety issue because you can't drive with it and removing it removes any protection.

- Newfoundland, PA, USA