How To Acquire Non-US Spec Head Restraints for a US-spec CX-5

[Mondo]

I have them and we rarely have someone in the back. Today my wife was in the back seat with our new puppy and she simply raised the headrest. I can tell you Australia does not go easy on safety and I believe they have the low headrest. It's probably not approved here because we aren't expected to have actually think and take matters into our own hands when it comes to safety. We rely on passive safety.
Plus you can always just leave them up if you want and put down when folding seats.

 

[Unobtanium]

Okay, I give. What, exactly, does the headrest block in your sight-line? It doesn't disrupt mine.

 

[Rarebit]

There are a few photos in previous posts that show it quite well. Mine block my view at the left and right sides of the rear window when looking back via the rear-view mirror. As they say, YMMV, but I guess we already know that.

 

[bigtex]

I do a ton of interstate driving each week for work. I ordered my set because to me it is very difficult to see cars in your blind spot when looking over your shoulder before making a lane change. I currently have the factory head rests removed because of this problem and have to put them back every time I have a rear seat passenger.

Now, all I have to do is make sure rear seat passengers raise them to the proper height when they enter the vehicle and I push the head rests down when the back is empty. An added bonus is that I can lower both rear seats easily without having to do anything to the head rests and my general field of view when backing up is a little better even though I primarily use the back up camera. To each his own.

 

[edj_03]

I want those lower headrests but $200 seems too much for my wallet.

My comments regarding rear visibility, without going into rant mode are...

1. There does in fact have poorer visibility when moving forward and using the rear view mirror. If you're not experiencing this, I assume you're putting too much faith in the side turn alert system.

The headrests actually increases the blind spot by about an additional 8 feet from rear edge of vehicle from passenger side, even more from the driver's side. If you don't believe this, try the following: drive on road with the headrest in, drive past a vehicle with turn signal on, side warning alert should be going off, but do not change lanes. As soon as you get past pass the vehicle, take a quick look out you rear view. For me most of the time, I can see some part of the rear of the vehicle that I just passed, worse when passing smaller vehicles, better for larger. Repeat with headrest removed, after passing vehicle, I've seen as much as up to the front driver's side pillar. To me, that translates into a much greater margin of safety.

An even greater concern is when motorcycles pass you. They, being much shorter objects, gives you even that much less chance to see them, and the manual even suggests the warning system may not be effective for these situations. Where was the IIHS when it came time to address this safety issue?

I don't doubt that the headrests do in fact improve whiplash safety,. However, my gripe comes with the acceptance that somehow, the shorter headrests are good enough safety wise for sedans, but less for the CX-5. I don't buy this for two reasons. First, most of those smaller vehicles are already compromised with poorer visibility caused by smaller rear glass. A high headrest would eliminate a greater ratio of rear view space from the driver's perspective when using the rear view mirror. Finally, most of those rear seats are shorter as well, giving them even less whiplash restraint than a CX-5 with the same headrest.

Don't belive me? Try sitting in the back of some of these vehicles. I don't know, maybe the IIHS study revealed that passengers have shown greater reliability for manually adjusting the headrests because of the shorter seat backs...

I agree, being we live in a very litigious society, we might take some legal risk if we start swapping these parts. Still, I think, there is greater risk keeping the higher headrests with their lower/poorer visibility. Sometimes even the best of planning and intentions don't result in the best or safest systems.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[littlebear]

The sedan headrests are shorter but the seats are different than the CX5. It all factors in as when the IIHS tests the whiplash factor. In a sedan seat the torso sits lower and deeper into the seat and the headrest doesn't have to be as big because the body is positioned lower and the head doesn't need a tall headrest.

The CX5 seat is higher and torso sits higher up therefore requiring a larger/taller headrest.

Remember, the IIHS tests the seat and headrest as ONE COHESIVE UNIT.

So by putting the shorter sedan headrest into the CX5 seat, you have changed the geometry of the seat headrest function. Unless the headrest is raised to the proper level, in an impact the head will snap back and cause injury.

I agree that the shorter headrests look better and provide a better sight-line through the back window.

The caveat is that the shorter headrests must be adjusted whenever a rear seat passenger enters the vehicle. The CX5 owner who made this modification must always be around and must always remember to adjust the headrest, otherwise the passenger will have no idea/clue that they need to adjust the headrest because you changed it out and it's not as safe any longer in the lowered position.

In the unfortunate event of an accident and the occupant suffers whiplash or other head/neck trauma. You better hope they are close friends and don't decide to sue you for modifying and jeopardizing their safety.

Once you go down the road of modifying OEM safety features, all bets are off, you have become your own liability. As long as you are OK with that, then you can do whatever you like.

 

[Dmac43]

Bleh... Over thinking folks... If you don't like them, don't get them... anyone who gts into the back of my car is free to adjust the headrests... note the parts are OEM Mazda parts, not knock-off Chinese parts so they fit well and adjust easily.

 

[frenchbiker]

Okay, I give. What, exactly, does the headrest block in your sight-line? It doesn't disrupt mine.

+1 It doesn't disrupt mine either. As for the headrests possibly hiding a vehicle (motorcycle) right in the blind spot, I always check my exterior mirrors before changing lanes or passing a vehicle. There's no blind spot there.
The only reason I could consider replacing my headrests by the smaller ones is to keep them on when I fold the rear seats but this happens so rarely that it's not really an inconvenience.
To each his own.

 

[yrwei52]

+1 It doesn't disrupt mine either. As for the headrests possibly hiding a vehicle (motorcycle) right in the blind spot, I always check my exterior mirrors before changing lanes or passing a vehicle. There's no blind spot there.
The only reason I could consider replacing my headrests by the smaller ones is to keep them on when I fold the rear seats but this happens so rarely that it's not really an inconvenience.
To each his own.

When people say these non-US version Mazda CX-5 OEM rear headrests are "small", I can tell they haven't actually seen these and simply make wrong assumption. I've seen those and they're not small comparing to US version on frontal area. The only difference is they can be lowered much more than the US version due to the design. As long as you adjust the height properly, the protection for whiplash is the same between two versions!

 

[littlebear]

When people say these non-US version Mazda CX-5 OEM rear headrests are "small", I can tell they haven't actually seen these and simply make wrong assumption. I've seen those and they're not small comparing to US version on frontal area. The only difference is they can be lowered much more than the US version due to the design. As long as you adjust the height properly, the protection for whiplash is the same between two versions!

One has to lift them almost 6" to make them the same height as the factory headrests.

"As long as you adjust the height properly" is the key here. Hopefully everyone remembers to do so but I doubt that this will be enforced 100% of the time, especially with life and how hectic things get with driving kids and people around.

If you ever sell your CX5, do you tell the new owner about this since they will have no clue that the headrests were swapped out and must be adjusted to provide proper safety.

FACTORY USA VERSION:

NON FACTORY VERSION:

 

[16cx-5]

Is it possible to get a set for a '16 touring in black cloth

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I like how all the naysayers say left and right headrests don't meet the height requirements blah blah blah, yet the middle headrest is a short/low style as the foreign headrests. If the middle headrest meets safety specs, why would the foreign market low headrests not meet the safety standards too? Especially as noted many times, in other Mazda vehicles in the US market, also have similar low headrests...

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

I'll restate what others have said, the backup camera does not work when the car is in drive, and that's when I wanted the additional sight line.



...sent...

No idea on '16s but on '13-'15s rear view camera can be activated at anytime as follows:

Code 92

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123817763-2013-Mazda-CX-5-Diagnostic-Codes

 

[littlebear]

I like how all the naysayers say left and right headrests don't meet the height requirements blah blah blah, yet the middle headrest is a short/low style as the foreign headrests. If the middle headrest meets safety specs, why would the foreign market low headrests not meet the safety standards too? Especially as noted many times, in other Mazda vehicles in the US market, also have similar low headrests...

Call IIHS or email them and they will verify your concerns. Also, if you look closely at the pictures the center headrest is a different design than the shorter headrests. It is thicker and projects further into the compartment than the shorter Euro versions.

IIHS tests the front driver and passenger seats and the back side seats. Those got a top rated "G" grade but it is unknown what the center seat received. From what I read the center seat was NOT tested. As mentioned in the below post. The middle headrest has to be shorter because the rear view mirror would not be usable.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/ratings-info/rear-head-restraints-test

Foreign markets don't get tested under U.S. IIHS standards. Europe has its own safety tests and standards. IIHS tests US vehicles meant to be driven on US roads.

It's not really super complex rocket science to understand the basic physics of headrests in impacts. When rear ended does ones head snap back or does the headrest protect it from doing that? A larger headrest will protect you better than a headrest that is shorter and allows your head and neck to snap back causing injury and whiplash.

Watch a NHRA or NASCAR race and you will see how safety products are introduced to prevent the drivers head and neck from snapping back. It's called a HANS device. A taller headrest protects your head better.

It's a free country and you can remove the headrests if you wish but please don't make statements that jeopardize peoples safety. You have no clue if the shorter headrests will perform properly in an impact and only IIHS can make that verification.

 

[yrwei52]

I like how all the naysayers say left and right headrests don't meet the height requirements blah blah blah, yet the middle headrest is a short/low style as the foreign headrests. If the middle headrest meets safety specs, why would the foreign market low headrests not meet the safety standards too? Especially as noted many times, in other Mazda vehicles in the US market, also have similar low headrests...

No automakers will use US version rear side headrest for the rear middle seat otherwise your inside rear view mirror will become totally useless... (whistle)

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

Call IIHS or email them and they will verify your concerns. Also, if you look closely at the pictures the center headrest is a different design than the shorter headrests. It is thicker and projects further into the compartment than the shorter Euro versions.

IIHS tests the front driver and passenger seats and the back side seats. Those got a top rated "G" grade but it is unknown what the center seat received. From what I read the center seat was NOT tested. As mentioned in the below post. The middle headrest has to be shorter because the rear view mirror would not be usable.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/ratings-info/rear-head-restraints-test

Foreign markets don't get tested under U.S. IIHS standards. Europe has its own safety tests and standards. IIHS tests US vehicles meant to be driven on US roads.

It's not really super complex rocket science to understand the basic physics of headrests in impacts. When rear ended does ones head snap back or does the headrest protect it from doing that? A larger headrest will protect you better than a headrest that is shorter and allows your head and neck to snap back causing injury and whiplash.

Watch a NHRA or NASCAR race and you will see how safety products are introduced to prevent the drivers head and neck from snapping back. It's called a HANS device. A taller headrest protects your head better.

It's a free country and you can remove the headrests if you wish but please don't make statements that jeopardize peoples safety. You have no clue if the shorter headrests will perform properly in an impact and only IIHS can make that verification.

The headrests as stated many times before can obviously be raised. They are only 'short' when lowered, which provides excellent rearview visibility. When raised they are much higher than they appear when lowered. Also, how do you explain the shape of the cx3 headrests, which are almost identical to the foreign headrests? There is no forward bulge like the middle headrest in the cx5, even the cx3 middle headrest does not have that bulge. Yes, the government tested what was provided for them by Mazda, but I am confident that the rear 'shorter' headrests are safe. They passed in other countries, and the nearly identical style headrests are provided in other Mazda vehicles in the north American market as we speak.

I'm going to say let's agree to disagree because we will never see eye to eye on this issue.

 

[yrwei52]

Call IIHS or email them and they will verify your concerns. Also, if you look closely at the pictures the center headrest is a different design than the shorter headrests. It is thicker and projects further into the compartment than the shorter Euro versions.

Yes, the government tested what was provided for them by Mazda, but I am confident that the rear 'shorter' headrests are safe. They passed in other countries, and the nearly identical style headrests are provided in other Mazda vehicles in the north American market as we speak.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, is an independent、nonprofit、research and communications organizations funded by auto insurers, they have no business setting up government safety regulations on headrests. Besides, non-US version rear headrests are not just "Euro versions", they've been used on CX-5 all over the world including Japan itself except North American market!

 

[Srad600]

No idea on '16s but on '13-'15s rear view camera can be activated at anytime as follows:

Code 92

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123817763-2013-Mazda-CX-5-Diagnostic-Codes

That does not sound like something I want to fiddle with while going down the road. I think looking over my shoulder is easier and safer (with the added benefit of still having access to the navigation system, and stereo system).

Maybe I just don't get it, so much fuss over a headrest...


...sent...

 

[JbCalg]

Besides, non-US version rear headrests are not just "Euro versions", they've been used on CX-5 all over the world including Japan itself except North American market!

+1

 

[Greymulkin]

Hello Fendyman, I tried to PM you, but I don't see the message in my sent box (same issue as someone else described).

I've got a 2016 CX-5 GT with the two-tone parchment interior and need your help getting replacements. Can you PM me?


Everyone else - anyone think getting the black leather headrests and putting them on seats with the parchment leather would look good? Anyone got pictures?


Also, littlebear, please stop posting about safety concerns. The US has the worst safety standards of all developed countries, from consumer products to pharmaceuticals, and gets the worst selection of products - for example, on the CX-5, the rest of the world gets a 14:1 compression engine that requires premium gas. It's only in the U.S. that it uses the inferior 13:1 ratio which can run on regular (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyActiv#SKYACTIV-G). But gas mileage suffers for it as everything else in the car was designed with the higher ratio in mind. So anyone wondering about their gas mileage, this is the first place to look.

If the rest of the world uses the low-profile headrests, then they are going to be perfectly safe. Likely the only reason for the difference is one of competition. Traditionally, use manufacturers sell larger vehicles giving them more room to create visibility despite taller headrests. Mfrs. petition things like the IIHS to create barriers to entry for competitors - that's the true purpose of an organization like that.