Are headrests universal?

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Hi, the headrests in my Dodge Caravan are factory vinyl. They are extremely hard and uncomfortable. I was wondering if I can swap them out with something cloth from another Dodge or another brand. I looked for padded covers on Amazon but didnt find anything good in gray. . Any suggestions? Thanks
 
Look around but be careful. I was rear ended by a Chrysler minivan going 50mph while I was behind another car doing 25mph. My head hit the backrest really hard but I was not hurt and did not suffer any whiplash. The drink in the cup holder ended up on flat shelf at the rear window. Just about everything in the glove box landed in the back seat. The car was a late model x-police Crown Vic. Don't let any one tell you that the difference in speed of 25mph is no big deal. It was a solid hit. I think that sturdy head rest did its job.

The woman driving the minivan was talking on her cell phone. She was upset because the air bags did not go off even though it was deflated and in her lap and there was white powder floating around everywhere. Evidently she never saw or felt the bags go off.
 
Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
Any suggestions?


Don't drive around with your head on the headrest. They are there to protect you in an accident, not for napping as you're driving.
 
Flip them around backwards. If you break your spine don't come crying to me.
 
The proper term for them is head restraints not head rests. That tells you all you need to know. The only purpose they're designed for is to prevent injury. Not going to find them that feel like a pillow.
 
You could switch with something else that had the same shaft diameter and distance between shafts; however as mentioned the ones IN your vehicle are the ones designed FOR your vehicle.

If it's the vinyl that bothers you, you could have some custom covers made in a material that makes you happy; I don't think that would affect the way they work.
 
I consult for one of the interior manufactuters. They told me that a number of years ago there was a push to redesign seats to keep occupants from sliding up and out of the seats in a rear end collision. They do this by making the lower part of the seat more compliant in a collision, so the seat acts more like a "catcher's mitt." This may be why you notice the head rest is more rigid than before.
 
We have been told that when a customer comes in and asks about swapping headrests from a different vehicle or modifying theirs that we are to inform the customer we cannot help them in any manner whatsoever. The only exception is certain models have accessory DVD player headrests available.

We get a lot of customers complaining about the newer Ford headrests that are tipped forward similar to Volvo in the mid 00s. Even had a customer take their headrests out and have a machine shop bend the posts so they were no longer leaning forward.
 
My 91 Mercury Marquis had useless headrests. Sitting normally in the car I could tilt my head back as far as it can go with the headrests full up. I'd end up looking straight up at the headliner. I never could understand how the NHTSA or DOT could allow such a useless design to exist in a car, when the intent of the federal mandate was to prevent this exact condition. No oversight!
 
Just like every 70's and early 80's American car, it seemed.

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