My brand new 02 FX4 screw can't seem to keep the headrests together. The plastic clip type fastner on the FRONT ONLY headrest seems to be **** poor design. Other than replacing and maybe getting the same thing does anyone know what the cure is?

Does Ford have an answer? My dealer says never heard of it I'll just replace them. Surely I don't have the only truck in the world with this problem.

 

I have the same problem with my '02 screw.....I have put the driver seat headrest back together at least 6 or 7 times since I bought the truck in May. I have also read several other posts that complain about the headrests... Haven't found any solution other than to remove it and snap it back together. I plan on making a stink about it the next time I visit my friendly neighborhood Ford dealer.

Anyone have theirs replaced or come up with a more permanant fix for this problem?

Tim

 

Wow - I thought I was the only one. I kept putting the driver's side back together (kind of a pita). Then one day the passenger side came apart. Was thinking about swapping fronts and backs since I keep the backs all the way down you won't be able to see it. Next time I take it in for oil change/warranty work I will have them fix them.

Anyone else?

 

OK, I just went out and looked and the front and rear headrests are different sizes, so swapping them is out...

 

Every couple of weeks it seems that I hve to re-tuck the little bastard back into it's slot... Seems to get looser every time... I think I will take this up with the dealer next time I go by...

Chris (ReelWork)

 

I have the same problem with my headrests. My solution will be to purchsase seat covers that come with headrest covers. this will hold the things together.

 

same problem here on my 02 FX4 lariat. Took it to the dealer and they shipped the hearests down the street to a local interior shop. The shop glued them back together with what looked like clear silicon adhesive, but neglected to wipe away the excess that squeezed out. The dealership agreed that the repair was not acceptable and ordered new covers. The new covers have a definate grain in the leather, and I remembered the covers being pretty smooth, like the seats not much grain, however they dont have any lariats on the lot for me to compare (yet). Since I could snap them back together myself, If I had to do it over again, I would probably glue them myself, using straps to hold them tight while the glue in the plastic seam set.
Anybody with a lariat, Am I crazy about the grain (or lack thereof) in the headrests?. I'm tired of waiting for a lariat to come in so I can compare the covers.

 

Yes, I had the annoying headrest covers too. I got tired of re-snapping them together and decided to develop my own solution. After a short examination, I realized that the locking channel for the tab is actually too wide and that is why the tab comes undone periodically. I came up with an exceedingly easy fix that works and is clean to boot. Here's what I did:

1. Remove the headrests from the front seats and take them inside.
2. Unsnap them (if they aren't already)
3. Now, if you look, there are two obvious connecting pieces. There should be a straight black tab that looks like an arrowhead in cross-section (the "male" end) and there should also be a U-cross-section "female" channel. It is the female channel that you will modify.
4. Get a lighter (Zippo, Bic, whatever, but not matches).
5. With the U-channel in hand, light your Zippo and hold the flame close to (but not touching) the outside portion of the bend in the U-channel. Do this in small sections starting at one end and work your way across (I did mine about 1/2"-1" at a time). Only hold the flame near the bend long enough to warm the plastic and make it pliable...DO NOT HOLD THE FLAME THERE UNTIL THE PLASTIC MELTS.
6. After you warm each section, immediately pull the lighter away and pinch the plastic so the the U-channel collapses to a narrower cross-section. The whole idea here is to basically pinch the U-channel along its entire length so that the locking tab will actually have a tighter fit. You don't need to pinch the U-channel flat, just enough to make a tight fit.
7. After you have worked your way along the entire U-channel, let the plastic cool to at least room temperature. It won't be that warm to begin with, so this should only take a couple of minutes tops. As it is cooling, re-pinch the U-channel along its entire length to make sure it is consistent and maintains that narrower cross-section.
8. Examine your work. Eyeball it from different angles and make sure the channel is uniformly pinched. If you see areas where the bend isn't as narrow, simply re-heat the area and pinch with your fingers until it is uniform. Again, make sure the plastic has cooled before you proceed.
9. Now, re-snap the locking tab into the U-channel. You should notice a significantly higher level of resistance followed by a very definitive "SNAP" when that tab locks into the narrower U-channel.

All told, this took me about 5 minutes per headrest to do. I have had the headrests modified for about three weeks now and they are nowhere near ready to unsnap, even after they baked inside the truck on near-100 degree days (the re-shaped channels did not become pliable even with the high interior heat level). This should be all you need to do to fix their annoying propensity to come undone. Keep in mind that you also retain the ability to unsnap them should you need to down the road and you don't have to deal with messy sealants or adhesives. HTH.

-Mike

P.S. Please don't just grab a pair of pliers and crimp the U-channel, that will probably split the plastic and ruin your headrest. You need the heat on the bend to avoid fracturing the plastic, so don't try to take a shortcut. Just use your fingers to pinch...the plastic will be somewhat hot, but it won't burn you, I promise.

 

Another problem with the seats? I have experienced this one too. On the bright side, I don't have the "tranny thunk" problem.

 

Apparently this is a 2002 issue, my 2001 (cloth, XLT) dosen't have any issues with the headrest. I am curious what you are snaping back together? Please inform me.

 

I think it may be an '02 issue only. The parts that are being snapped back together are the tab and locking channel attached to the fabric that covers the headrest. These locking tabs are located on the bottoms of the headrests (front and back fabric pieces) and when they are secured it makes the headrest fabric taut while at the same time neatly tucking it in underneath. What is happening is the tabs come undone and when you raise the headrest you see the dangling fabric/fastener that should be neatly tucked in underneath. Simply modifying the locking mechanism holds it together rather permanently...that is what we are all talking about.

-Mike

 

Sounds to me like some engineer found a way to save $.50 on each truck by using a cheaper peice. Not a good idea....

 

You are right that fix really worked. Although I used a Hair Dryer to warm up my plastic clip. But I still got them good and warm and squeezed the little peckers as tight as I could and they have not come apart yet. Nearly two weeks so far. Nice work! Too bad Ford doesn't have any suggestions.

 

Thanks to DD I used his fix and no more problems.. At least not yet... The only thing I did differently was to use an iron on full blast and I put a towel between the iron surface and the plastic clip...

Worked like a champ! - Thanks DD!

Chris (ReelWork)

 

Chris and sengland,
Good deal, glad to hear it appears to have worked out for you as well. I didn't think to use an iron or a hair-dryer. Six of one, half a dozen of the other...heat is heat, right?. As long as that channel maintains a narrower cross-section it should hold just fine. A little update, mine are still clipped together solidly and they don't look as if they will come undone on their own anytime soon...1.5 months without popping apart and counting

-Mike