Response from the NHTSA regarding the headrests from hell:
We have found that some manufacturers have placed the head restraint much closer to the head than the 55 mm that the upgraded standard requires. We have been told specifically by Ford that the IIHS ratings are forcing them to put head restraints closer than they need to for our new standard and for safety. They do this knowing that it will alienate a small segment of their customers, but they will gain customers if they get a high rating from IIHS. In a presentation last year at a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) conference, Ford stated that, in order to get a good IIHS rating, the backset value they must design to for the Ford Edge is just 2 mm. This is much closer to then the 55 mm required by our standard.
