Cybex car seats - unsupported head?

[Anad1]

Hi

I purchased an Aton car seat and base Q fix from mothercare, Canterbury on 28 November 2015 this was on the basis of the advice given by the sales person as being suitable for our car (seat Leon 5 door 2014).

When we read the manual on page 15 it states that if the car seat is too steep for the base q fix to use a towel to compensate this. We have been doing this reluctantly as we do not think that arrangement is particularly safe, but have had little choice, due to the cost of car seats etc., our daughter is now 4 months old and weighs 7.3kg and we are finding that the towel becomes flattened very quickly and she then ends up being titled forward with her head hanging forward unsupported in a dangerous position when asleep. I am shocked that they can sell a car seat and base stating its suitable for a car make when clearly it is not - even if the towel system was still working, if there was accident the towel would most likely move and again she could be, if sleeping/unconscious in a dangerous position. Plus they provide no guidance on how the towel under the base should be used!

Has anyone else experienced this problem, with this or other car seats? Wondering how wide spread the problem is and why manufacturers (who clearly know it's problem) have not come up with better solutions?

I am currently stuck in middle between mothercare and cybex shrugging responsibility, all I want is my ~£200 back so I can get a car seat that means my little ones head is hanging unsupported! I attach a photo showing how bad the problem is, look at the spirits level and the red line on car seat - how will a towel ever fix that!

How does the seat sit without the Base?

Should obviously read I want the £200 so I can get a car seat so my lo head is not left hanging unsupported!

Without base its better, but still not great, plus the seat is less safe when not using a base, as the car seat is more likely to flip forward if there was an accident. So as far as I am concerned this is not an option. Research other systems such as dino radian 5 - which does not have a base but does tether to the front car seat frame to prevent it tipping forward in accidents.

Googling suggests sections of those foam pool noodles have been used instead of towels to get the correct angle

Yup but that's not in the manual...seriously how can that even be right? Surely different noodles makes have different squishyness. My point still stands where's the guidance on where to put said towel or said noodle? There must be guidance, I mean when they tested the seat for that car, how did they place the towel/noodle? Plus problem of them moving in accident remains! In addition at 7.3 kg she is already flattening a towel, it's just not sustainable in the long run!

So mothercare have offered to give me a new car seat of my choice for the value of the old system...thank you Kelly! However cybex attitude stinks they called me yesterday and basically said 1. It's the problem with my car 2. Have I looked at rubber bands that are available that go around the babies head and seat to keep it upright!

They suggested a rubber band around her heead?!! WTF!!
Just wanted to add though, we use a towel to recline our Axkid minikid. I consider it being an extension of the car seat - the foam car seats are made of isn't uniformly squishy or firm from car to car which doesn't make a different to fitting. A lady came to fit our seat and after the towel was put under the front she gave it a really good shove and as long as it barely moved she was happy. Having said that, our seat is tethered to the front seat so that does help keep it rock solid.
They don't crash test the seats in every single type of car by the way. In fact they might not even test them in actual cars - don't they just have a couple of rows of seats on a crash rig?
Anyway sounds like you've been treated shabbily and I'm glad Mothercare has sorted you out.