When a car slams into a wall, the driver and front-seat passenger are sent lunging forward. Conversely, when a vehicle is struck from behind, the driver and passenger are thrust backward. In 1967, the federal government set a minimum standard for seat strength.
Experts say the government standard is useless.
Nearly all cars have reclining seats, and most of these seats have a single recliner mechanism on the side nearest the door. Government and independent tests show that single-recliner seats often twist and break backward near a bolt holding the inboard side.