An extraction tool for extracting a head rest retainer sleeve from a vehicle seat assembly comprising a tubular member seated within an opening in the vehicle seat assembly. The tubular member has a first end adjacent the opening and a second end disposed in the seat. A cylindrical, elongated retainer sleeve is received in the tubular member for slidably receiving a mounting post of a head rest. The retainer sleeve has a head portion covering the first end of the tubular member, a plurality of flexible locking wedges for engaging the second end of the tubular member to retain the sleeve in the tubular member and seat, and an inner wall defining an aperture extending between the head portion and the locking wedges for receiving the mounting post of the head rest. The extraction tool includes an cylindrical, elongated body member having upper and lower ends. The upper end includes a gripping surface for positioning the extraction tool into the retainer sleeve and the lower end includes an engagement extraction member slidably received within the retainer sleeve for engaging and compressing the locking wedges to unlock the sleeve from the tubular member. The engagement extraction member includes a plurality of flexible finger elements corresponding with the locking wedges and extending upwardly and outwardly from the body member which engage and compress the locking wedges inwardly and away from the tubular member to allow the retaining sleeve to be removed from the tubular member on the extraction tool.