Sprung headrest

[Coug]

I'm still waiting for my dealer to call back, but does anybody have any experience with the active head restraints? Unfortunately I got rear-ended pretty hard two days ago. Both front headrests "deployed". They sprang forward and upward (They worked -- I got zero whiplash). The body shop (not Hyundai dealer) says they don't touch those of course.

Can they be reset, or do they have to be replaced? The service rep at the dealer doesn't know, and is looking into it. Just wondered if anyone has knowledge on these gizmos.

 

[Dimitry]

Glad to hear you were not injured.

See attached.

 

[Calvin]

Dimitry:

Thanks for the attached Technical Service
Bulletin, it looks like we can reset it ourselves without the cost of the service dept!

 

[Coug]

Wow, thanks for the TSB on resetting the headrests. I think I can do that one myself. Just for everyone's info, I have a written estimate from my dealer to do this -- $208!

 

[Coug]

I do have one quetion about these head restraints. Hyundai advertises that these are "electronic active head restraints", and because they are electronic they react faster than the mechanical versions. If you read the TSB that Dimitry sent showing how to reset the headrests after they have sprung, it is hard to see how they are electronic. You remove the headrest from the seat, with apparently no wires attached, and you press the headreset back together until the springs re-engage.

There is apparently a sensor in the rear of the car that senses the rear impact, but I don't see how the headrests themselves are electronic. How does the sensor trigger the headrests? Just curious!

 

[joe215]

This is great info. I thought my 3 year old broke my seat. Now I know how to fix it!

 

[MarkF001]

The electronics are in the seat. They connect to "elevators", that raise the headrests.

 

[johnlowenthal]

Hi all. I recently backed my genesis lightly into a tree. There was no damage but the head restraints deployed. I gave the car to the dealership to reset them, and later that day they called me and said that a piece was broken in one of the restraints and they had to replace the whole thing with a new part. Does that sound legit?

 

[Dimitry]

Hi all. I recently backed my genesis lightly into a tree. There was no damage but the head restraints deployed. I gave the car to the dealership to reset them, and later that day they called me and said that a piece was broken in one of the restraints and they had to replace the whole thing with a new part. Does that sound legit?

Check it out yourself in person, you may be able to save a few bills.

 

[moose66]

I would suggest you have them show you what is broken. Sometimes you have to keep them honest.

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[johnlowenthal]

What I'm asking is, shouldn't this be covered by warranty? If the head rest is meant to be easily reset, and they're telling me that some piece is broken and I have to buy a new head rest, shouldn't warranty cover it? It's a defective headrest if it broke during deployment.

 

[dataguy]

I don't believe any of the safety equipment that is activated in any sort of collision is covered by warranty.

 

[stephen bertrand]

Thanks for the information on reset.
I believe that I inadvertently reset the latch and would like to know if there is any way of releasing it . The action of pushing the headrest back into placed worked however I assume I failed to push sufficiently to engage the latch.
Any help would be appreciated

 

[mongo]

Thanks Dimitry.

The things I learn on this forum...I didn't even know the headrests popped like that.

And Coug, glad you're okay.

 

[Coug]

Update on original accident: After the body work was complete I took the car to the dealer to reset the headrests. They reset one and said the other was broken and had to be replaced -- similar to johnlowenthal's experience. I'm still waiting for the new part to come in.

 

[MartinLee]

I do have one quetion about these head restraints. Hyundai advertises that these are "electronic active head restraints", and because they are electronic they react faster than the mechanical versions. If you read the TSB that Dimitry sent showing how to reset the headrests after they have sprung, it is hard to see how they are electronic. You remove the headrest from the seat, with apparently no wires attached, and you press the headreset back together until the springs re-engage.

There is apparently a sensor in the rear of the car that senses the rear impact, but I don't see how the headrests themselves are electronic. How does the sensor trigger the headrests? Just curious!

Hello,
I just removed my headrests and saw that the left post of both has a 2 pin electrical connector at the bottom end.
Hope this helps.
Martin Lee
i11.me

 

[genekey]

A week ago car had a minor accident - not a scratch but both headrests got deployed. At the beginning it looked not too complicated to put them back as they should be ( I am an electromechanical engineer and done quite a number of my own car repairs). I looked up on Google, found this forum, pulled the tech bulletin ( Thanks, Dmitriy) but had no luck to get headrests in place. I have noticed that a few plastic pieces ( clamps, etc) were broken (before I even start working on it - I found them on the car floor).
Thus, I have done more research and found lowest price for the new OEM headrests at $360 a piece ( $720 +s/h). Well, I took my car to the dealership and was hoping that I may get $200-$300 fix price (as it was mentioned by someone in this tread).
Guess, what?
First of all, when I told at the dealership what has happened - they all come out to look at it - they never heard about this Genesis feature(!?).
Second, because I printed Dmitriy's bulletin and brought with me just in case (huh)- they took it to use as a reference(!).
Third, one hour later, dealer came out and said that some pieces are broken ( I didn't mention that I've found out it already) and they need to get parts to fix those pieces and total cost ( not replacing with a new headrests but repair existing ones) will be - keep your chair - $1,049!!!! When I responded that I have checked already price and I can buy new headrests for $720, dealer said that he needs a few minutes - talk to the parts department. Five minutes later he came out and "offered" total fix with a new headrests for $825! Well, now I know who I am dealing with... I ended up by doing more Google search and ordering both new OEM headrests on line for a total price of $538+s/h.
Entire "adventure" makes me feel so bad for those who have no experience with cars and have to trust car dealers/mechanics and pay astronomical prices for something that should not cost as much as it is asked for.

 

[Dimitry]

A week ago car had a minor accident - not a scratch but both headrests got deployed. At the beginning it looked not too complicated to put them back as they should be ( I am an electromechanical engineer and done quite a number of my own car repairs). I looked up on Google, found this forum, pulled the tech bulletin ( Thanks, Dmitriy) but had no luck to get headrests in place. I have noticed that a few plastic pieces ( clamps, etc) were broken (before I even start working on it - I found them on the car floor).
Thus, I have done more research and found lowest price for the new OEM headrests at $360 a piece ( $720 +s/h). Well, I took my car to the dealership and was hoping that I may get $200-$300 fix price (as it was mentioned by someone in this tread).
Guess, what?
First of all, when I told at the dealership what has happened - they all come out to look at it - they never heard about this Genesis feature(!?).
Second, because I printed Dmitriy's bulletin and brought with me just in case (huh)- they took it to use as a reference(!).
Third, one hour later, dealer came out and said that some pieces are broken ( I didn't mention that I've found out it already) and they need to get parts to fix those pieces and total cost ( not replacing with a new headrests but repair existing ones) will be - keep your chair - $1,049!!!! When I responded that I have checked already price and I can buy new headrests for $720, dealer said that he needs a few minutes - talk to the parts department. Five minutes later he came out and "offered" total fix with a new headrests for $825! Well, now I know who I am dealing with... I ended up by doing more Google search and ordering both new OEM headrests on line for a total price of $538+s/h.
Entire "adventure" makes me feel so bad for those who have no experience with cars and have to trust car dealers/mechanics and pay astronomical prices for something that should not cost as much as it is asked for.

Your local dealership parts department is not a non-profit organization

I generally always look up OEM parts myself. Smart move

 

[nearwater]

That's some ridiculous price to fix it. Stealerships....
Wow, but if those parts start to break off like that when it deploys, it could be a very costly repair.

Dan

 

[genekey]

Have a few questions:
- Does anyone knows if it is enough to replace old deployed headrests with a new ones or it requires to reset some electronics/sensors ( as a result of headrests deployment in first place)? Which, of course, can be done by dealership only.
- How would I know/can be assured that new headrests electrical contacts did "mate" with corresponding device/sensor and so, headrests will work/deployed when it needed.

Thank you in advance,

Eugene