2012 Toyota Prius Seats Problems

A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO MY WIFE PURCHASED A USED 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C AND LIKE ALL CARS I'M HEARING AFTER 2011 IT'S GOT YOUR CRAPPY HEADREST DESIGN TO SUPPOSEDLY AID IN SAFETY OF WHIPLASH, BUT MY WIFE HAS MINOR SCOLIOSIS AND WE HAVE TO TURN THE HEADREST AROUND BACKWARDS SO IT DOESN'T HURT HER. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING, SO YOU DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING, YOU MADE IT WORSE. THESE ARE NOT A GOOD DESIGN!? WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST MAKE ACTIVE HEADRESTS MANDATORY IN CARS INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM PERMANENTLY FORWARD? YOU CAN'T TAKE ANY CARS WITH THESE HEADREST ON A LONG DRIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO STOP AND GET OUT AND MOVE YOUR NECK AROUND AND HAVE IT SOMETIMES CRACK BECAUSE IT'S IN A STIFF FORWARD POSITION. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT SAFE AND DEFINITELY NOT COMFORTABLE. YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING NOW!? I HAVE A 2011 INFINITI G37S COUPE MY HEADRESTS ARE COMFORTABLE AND I AM NOT BUYING ANY CAR AFTER 2011 THAT HAS UNCOMFORTABLE HEADRESTS. WE'VE EVEN GONE AS FAR AS TO START SEARCHING JUNK YARDS FOR HEADRESTS THAT HAVE THE SAME WIDTH BETWEEN THE POSTS SO WE CAN SWAP THEM OUT IN HER CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE POSITION OF THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD REST FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPPORT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED PAIN TO THE HEAD, NECK, LOWER BACK, AND LEFT LEG THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

I AM 5'3". THE HEADREST OF MY CAR IS DESIGNED TO ANGLE FORWARD AT THE TOP. THIS PUSHED MY HEAD DOWN AT A 15* ANGLE. IT IS PAINFUL TO DRIVE. I WILL HAVE TOREMOVE THE HEADREST COMPLETELY, LOSING ANY PROTECTION IN ANY ACCIDENT AND LOSING THE SUPPORT IT SHOUD GIVE MY HEAD NOW. I UNDERSTAND THIS DESIGN IS MANDATED BY YOUR AGENCY AND THAT ALL PEOPLE IN THE 5'0" TO 5'4" HEIGHT RANGE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. SINCE THE AVERAGE HEIGHT FOR AMERICAN WOMEN IS 5'5" YOUR REGULATION DISCOMFORTS AND/OR ENDANGERS HALF OF THE WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY. CHANGE THE REGULATION. ALLOW, OR REQUIRE, HEADRESTS THAT CAN SWIVEL TO CHANGE THE ANGLE OF ALIGNMENT.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH MY FACTORY INSTALLED SEAT WARMER ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT ON. I GOT OUT AT A GAS STATION TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. WHEN I SAT DOWN ON THE TOILET I FELT AN EXCRUCIATING PAIN ON MY LEFT UPPER BACK SIDE OF THE THIGH. THE CAR SEAT GAVE ME SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON THE BACK OF MY UPPER LEFT THIGH. I WENT TO THE ER THE NEXT MORNING WHEN MORE BLISTERS APPEARED SO THAT THE OPEN AND CLOSED BLISTERS COULD BE CLEANED AND DRESSED. I WAS GIVEN A TETANUS SHOT AS WELL. I CONTACTED TOYOTA THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT AFTER BEING SEEN BY THE ER. I SPOKE WITH A CLAIMS ADVISER ON DEC. 1, 2014 WHO ASKED ME TO EMAIL PICTURES OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND PICTURES OF MY BURNS. I WAS THEN CONTACTED DEC. 9, 2014 BY TOYOTA TO BE TOLD A TOYOTA INSPECTOR WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE ON DEC. 18, 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY INFORMATION TO DATE (12/31/14) NOR HAS MY VEHICLE BEEN FIXED. I AM AWAITING TOYOTA TO CONTACT ME ON THE OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I COLD NOT HAVE THE SEAT WARMER FIXED UNTIL TOYOTA WENT THROUGH THEIR PROCESS OF DOCUMENTING THE INCIDENT DUE TO ME BEING INJURED. *JS

METAL COMING THRU RIGHT SIDE OF SEAT. *TR

HEAD RESTRAINT (HEAD REST) ON DRIVER SEAT DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE. AFTER I ADJUST IT, IT RISES VERY SLOWLY. IF I DO NOT CONTINUALLY READJUST IT (3 OR 4 TIMES A DAY), IT RISES ABOVE MY HEAD. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR (NEW) AND I HAVE ASKED TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT, AND THEY SAY THAT IT IS 'NORMAL'. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS DURING MY LIFETIME, AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN ANY OF THEM. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN TO THE PASSENGER HEAD RESTRAINT. I DO NOT THINK IT IS 'NORMAL', AND IF IT IS 'NORMAL' FOR TOYOTA, THEN ALL TOYOTA CARS HAVE A SAFETY PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY JUST REFER THE PROBLEM BACK TO MY LOCAL DEALER, WHO CONTINUES TO GIVE ME THE SAME ANSWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2300.

THE DRIVERS SEAT DOES NOT RAISE FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW SHORTER DRIVERS TO SEE OVER THE DASH BOARD , BASE OF WINDSHIELD AND REAR OF HOOD. THIS PREVENTS SHORTER DRIVERS FROM BEING ABLE TO SEE THE THE GROUND ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAR. GIVING THE DRIVERS A 2 DIMENSIONAL VIEW OF THE TRAFFIC AND OBJECTS BETWEEN 3 AND 5 FEET HIGH. ANYTHING BELOW 3 FOOT TALL IS NOT VISIBLE FOR 30 TO 50 FEET IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THE RAISED BELT LINE IS ALSO CAUSING THIS PROBLEM OF 2 DIMENSIONAL VIEWS VERSES 3 DIMENSIONAL VIEWS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.. IT COULD BE FIXED WITH INCREASED TRAVEL HEIGHT FOR THE DRIVERS SEAT. AS I HAVE HAD TO OFFER SEVERAL FRIEND CHAIR CUSHIONS TO PROP THEM UP SO THEY COULD SEE.. WHEN I LOOKED IN THE CAR. I DON'T THINK DO TO THE WINDSHIELD ANGLE.. THAT I BEING ALMOST 6 FOOT TALL COULD SEE THE GROUND ANYWHERE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE CAR EITHER. I DON'T FIT IN THESE CARS. *KB