Broken headrest?

[Mohsmom]

I have owned my B-class for a little over a year now and the back seat passenger side headrest has never gone all the way down. When I took it in for the 20,000 mile service a couple weeks ago I asked to have that fixed and was told that it is not meant to go all the way down. That doesn’t sit right with me because then the seat won’t lie flat when closed. Long story short, do you have full movement of both backseat headrests or does one not rear flush against the seat at it’s lowest level.
Thanks!

 

[GlennD]

Pound on them with your fists. There is a flimsy stop that needs to be pushed away. In my case I completely removed the rear headrests. The only person that rides in back is my dog. He does not need the headrests and the vision is greater with them removed and stored.

 

[Mohsmom]

Thank you for responding, I will try pounding, but I can’t even pull it all the way out either. You are saying that both your back headrests can come completely out as well as push all the way down? I just want some back up when I go back to the dealership.

 

[GlennD]

Yes with the stops bent the normal latch works but you can lower it all the way or pull it up to remove. I left the center headrest since with it down it really does not obscure my vision.

 

[JeffRay]

Mohsmom,

Hi and welcome. Your rear headrests are performing as the MB engineers designed it. Many of us have lowered them by having someone pound vigorously on them with our hands or arms or DIY. You can ask the MB service person to do it but they may not be allowed to do so. A friendly neighbor or teenager will be able to do it too. It was incredibly hard to break the pin on my 2014 but after a few tries, it released. Much easier for some reason to do it on my 2017 even though I was 3 years older and less fit.

I leave them in as I have no place to store them and the dealer will want them back when I return the leased car.

 

[barsaec]

This was a point of contention with my wife the first few months we had the car. After seeing the posts here, I couple of good whacks, and the headrests went down. She is much happier with the visibility out the back. Good Luck.

 

[Mohsmom]

I guess my main question is, is it supposed to go down or is whacking it making it do something it was not meant to?

 

[JeffRay]

Good question. IMHO, our headrests were designed that way by safety conscious engineers. I am pretty sure that studies have shown that most customers do not have their headrests in the proper position relative to the back of their head. I have kids so putting them all the way down is better for them. For those without rear passengers to worry about, removing them actually improves rear sight lines for better safety. If you were building our rear seats only for folks larger than 5 feet, their limited range of motion probably is correct.

So the short answer is that it depends on what you use the rear seats for and to remember to adjust headrests for your actually passengers. Don't forget to adjust yours and your front passenger.

 

[Mohsmom]

My kids are always in the back seat. Just doesn’t make sense to me that one backseat headrest has full motion but the other doesn’t.

 

[GlennD]

My 2017 came with fully working latches. On my 2014 I had to force them. From what others have said someone at the dealer forced them.

The right and left headrests are independent of each other. someone may have forced only one. In any event forcing them is very simple. Just do not forget to leave the latch at the base open. You hold the latch in with one hand and hit the rest with the other.