IllustrationPASSENGER HEADREST ASSEMBLY RANDOMLY ENGAGED SOME SORT OF "AIRBAG" MODE. TWO SPRINGS DEPLOYED THE HEADREST FORWARD RAPIDLY
2015 Chrysler Town And Country
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Chrysler Town And Country do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 216.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Town And Country years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
270–25K
4625–50K
6350–75K
4975–100K
34100–150K
9150K+
228 reports with mileage · 154 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports1 fire reports21 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
38 reportsDRIVER SEAT GOT STUCK IN UP POSITION. SEAT WILL NOT GO DOWN AND PEDDLES WON'T ADJUST. THE AIR BAG IN THE HEAD REST DISCHARGED WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT. NOT VERY SATISFIED.388RKS
PASSENGER FRONT HEADREST EXPLODED WHILE STATIONARY. WE WERE AT A STOP LIGHT, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR IMPACT. IT CANNOT BE RESET AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DO NOT FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET WHEN THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND A SAFETY ISSUE.
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY STATIONARY, AND AS I WALKED TO THE VEHICLE TO ENTER THE CAR WITH MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN AND AS WE APPROACHED I HEARD A LOAD POP NOISE. I FOUND THE AHR HEADREST HAD DEPLOYED, WITH NO ONE TOUCHING OR MOVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE HEADREST HAS NEVER BEEN R…
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MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY STATIONARY, AND AS I WALKED TO THE VEHICLE TO ENTER THE CAR WITH MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN AND AS WE APPROACHED I HEARD A LOAD POP NOISE. I FOUND THE AHR HEADREST HAD DEPLOYED, WITH NO ONE TOUCHING OR MOVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE HEADREST HAS NEVER BEEN RESET FOR ANY REASON. THE PLASTIC JOINT MECHANISM AND SPRING THAT HOLDS IT IN AND TOGETHER CRACKED AND BROKE. I CALLED CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND THEY WILL NOT FIX OR REPLACE UNLESS I PAY OUT OF POCKET, APPROX $1000 FOR 1 HEADREST. THE GENTLEMAN ON THE PHONE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE KNEW OF THIS HAPPENING OFTEN IN CHRYSLER T&C VANS, HOWEVER COULD NOT HELP ME AS MY WARRANTY IS NOW UP AND THERE IS NOT A RECALL. I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY VAN NOW, KNOWING THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST AHR MAY DEPLOY AT ANYTIME NO WARNING AND CAUSE INJURIES TO ME, WHICH COULD CAUSE ME TO CRASH MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ENDANGERING MY CHILDREN AND FAMILY. I HAVE ZIPTIED BOTH THE PASSENGER HEADREST AND DRIVERS HEAD REST SHUT. THE DRIVERS HEADREST IS ZIPTIED IN CASE IT RANDOMLY DEPLOYS AND THE PASSENGERS IS ZIP TIED AS THE HEAD REST INTERNAL PLASTIC MECHANISMS ARE BROKEN.
WE WERE IN THE VAN THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT HEADREST JUST SHOT OUT AND ALMOST HIT MY WIFE IN THE HEAD. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND FOUND THEY WANTED OVER 800 FOR A NEW HEADREST. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING (ON A PAVED ROAD IN FLORIDA) FOR NO REASON. COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY BAD OR FATAL IF THEIR WAS A PASSENGER SETTING IN THE SEAT.
I WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH WITH MY ADULT DAUGHTER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE HAD HER SEAT BELT ON AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, COLLISION OR TURNING MOTION THE PASSENGER SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED HITTING HER IN THE HEAD. BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY OF MY FUTURE PASSENGERS I SECURED AN APPOINTMENT AT GALEANA CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN FORT MYERS, FLO…
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I WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH WITH MY ADULT DAUGHTER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE HAD HER SEAT BELT ON AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, COLLISION OR TURNING MOTION THE PASSENGER SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED HITTING HER IN THE HEAD. BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY OF MY FUTURE PASSENGERS I SECURED AN APPOINTMENT AT GALEANA CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA. ON 3/11/20 I PURCHASED A NEW HEADREST AT A COST OF $683.73 AND HAD IT INSTALLED ON 3/25/20 FOR AN ADDITIONAL COST OF $155.28. AT MY ORIGINAL VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 3/11/20 I CALLED THE CHRYSLER REIMBURSEMENT CENTER (TALKED TO MEGAN) AND SHE SAID THE COST WOULD BE PAID BY CHRYSLER DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUE. ON 6/22/20 WE RECEIVED OUR REJECTION FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM MOI A REIMBURSEMENT SPECIALIST AT CHRYSLER. OUR CASE NUMBERS AT CHRYSLER WERE 75899352 AND 76536023 . TWO CASE NUMBERS WERE ASSIGNED BECAUSE THEY LOST THE FIRST ONE. MY FIRST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS AND MYSELF. THIS WAS NOT COSMETIC BUT A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CHRYSLER. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED/EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE PASSENGER WAS IN SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, MOVING AROUND 40 MPH ON SMOOTH STATE/US HIGHWAY WITH NO CHANGE IN SPEED AND NO COLLISION. IT JUST DEPLOYED ON ITS OWN FOR NO REASON. *TR
WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MY HEADREST DEPLOYED AND HIT MY HEAD WITH SUCH A FORCE THAT MY GLASSES FELL DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF THE VAN. MY EYESIGHT IS PRETTY BAD AND I HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY UNTIL THE NEXT EXIT WITH LIMITED VISION BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PICK UP THE GLASSES FROM THE FLOOR WHILE DRI…
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WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MY HEADREST DEPLOYED AND HIT MY HEAD WITH SUCH A FORCE THAT MY GLASSES FELL DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF THE VAN. MY EYESIGHT IS PRETTY BAD AND I HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY UNTIL THE NEXT EXIT WITH LIMITED VISION BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PICK UP THE GLASSES FROM THE FLOOR WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION*DT MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED. CONSUMER IS HAVING NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES AS WELL AS DIZZINESS. *JB*DT CONSUMER WENT TO THE DOCTOR 3 TIMES AND WAS GIVEN PAIN MEDICINE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.*JB*DT*DT*AS *TR
MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ROUGHLY 45-50MPH, MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ROUGHLY 25-30MPH ON A CITY STREET. MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE, INCLUDING THE BACK WINDOW SHATTERING AND GLASS SHARDS FILLING THE CAR. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT, I HAD CUTS FROM GLASS, AS…
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MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ROUGHLY 45-50MPH, MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ROUGHLY 25-30MPH ON A CITY STREET. MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE, INCLUDING THE BACK WINDOW SHATTERING AND GLASS SHARDS FILLING THE CAR. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT, I HAD CUTS FROM GLASS, AS WELL AS A CONCUSSION.
Official recalls
425V876000 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility:wheelchair Restraints/securement:latch/anchor:
Dec 17, 2025
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
17V824000 · Equipment
Dec 21, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
16V461000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jun 24, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured July 31, 2015, to April 18, 2016, 2016 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured August 17, 2015, to January 29, 2016, and 2016 RAM ProMaster vehicles manufactured August 15, 2016, to April 15, 2016. The transmission pump may seize causing a loss of hydraulic pressure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the transmission loses hydraulic pressure, the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission pump, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S44.
16V044000 · Visibility:windshield
Jan 28, 2016
FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chrysler Town and Country, and 2014-2015 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 16, 2014, to December 5, 2015. The windshield on the affected vehicles may have been installed using expired urethane primer, allowing the windshield to become displaced in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the windshield dislodges during a crash, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the windshield, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S02.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE19014 · Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Opened Sep 9, 2019 · Closed Feb 25, 2026
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats; Seats:front Assembly:head Restraint
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat AHR inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.Reported safety consequences resulting from the AHR deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of vehicle control as a result of being surprised and distracted by being struck in the head by the inadvertent AHR deployment. On September 24, 2019, ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).ODI requested certain detailed information from FCA related to the following subject vehicles: MY 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger 200, MY 2010-2014 Dodge Calber, MY 2010-2014 Chrysler Sebring, MY 2013-2015 Ram Tradesman, MY 2012 Ram Van, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, MY 2010-2016 Chrysler Town and Country, MY 2010-2017 Jeep Compass, MY 2011-2020 Dodge Durango, MY 2011-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Journey, MY 2010-2012 Jeep Liberty, MY 2010-2011 Jeep Nitro, and MY 2010-2011 Jeep Patriot vehicles.On December 2, 2019, ODI received a response from FCA that included vehicle production data, consumer complaints, field reports, warranty claims, manufacturer actions, production changes, and other data related to the alleged defect from the start of production (2010) through September 24, 2019.On January 27, 2020, ODI received an update to the December 2, 2019, IR response from FCA.On September 22, 2020, ODI requested additional subject vehicle AHR information from FCA.ODI received FCA's response on October 21, 2020.ODI subsequently received an update to FCA's October 21, 2020, response on February 16, 2021.During the investigation, ODI requested updates to certain IR questions on two occasions.FCA provided updates to question #2 on March 5, 2021, and questions #2 and #5 on May 26, 2023. FCA’s IR response data identified approximately 7.5 million subject vehicles (with approximately 15 million AHR assemblies).Due to the large number of vehicles and failure reports, ODI focused its analysis on the FCA vehicle model with the highest failure rate to represent the worst-case scenario.For this purpose, ODI focused on MY 2012-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles for its analysis.This population includes 710,890 vehicles that FCA manufactured between August 19, 2011, and August 8, 2015.ODI identified 2,839 alleged AHR failures within this limited population.ODI identified 263 alleged injuries that were caused by AHR failures in MY 2012-2015 Grand Cherokees vehicles.Of these alleged injuries, ODI categorized them as eighty-two (82) soft tissue (neck/whiplash, bruise) injuries, four (4) concussions, fifty-nine (59) headaches, and one hundred eighteen (118) without a specific injury description.Although complainants have alleged injuries, ODI has been unable to obtain evidence to substantiate or validate any injuries where medical treatment was required.Consumer outreach was conducted by ODI, where sixty-three (63) FCA complainants with alleged injuries were contacted.Twelve of the sixty-three FCA consumers responded and were interviewed by ODI.ODI requested medical records, however, only one response was provided. Attorneys representing the responding complainant provided a synopsis that indicated they had experienced prior neck-related injuries dating to the mid-1990s.ODI also contacted one hundred (100) consumers who submitted Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) in an attempt to validate alleged injuries. Despite the efforts of ODI, the office has been unsuccessful at obtaining substantive documentation/evidence supporting complaints that allege serious injuries (where pre-existing medical conditions did not already exist). In addition to the low severity of alleged injuries caused by AHR deployments, there have been eleven alleged crashes and two alleged lane departures within the entire subject vehicle population that has been in the field up to sixteen years (with over 8,500 AHR inadvertent deployments).ODI was not able to validate that the alleged crashes were the result of inadvertent head rest deployments, and the crashes were minor in nature. ODI has conducted a thorough investigation of the alleged safety defect and with up to sixteen years of exposure for some vehicles and over 8,500 inadvertent AHR deployments, no serious crashes or injuries could be validated in the sub-population of focus.The lack of serious injuries validated by ODI with such large period of field exposure is consistent with thework done by NHTSA’s Human Injury Research Division and the Biodynamic Research Corporation, which support that an inadvertent AHR deployment is not likely to cause serious injury.In addition to the low risk of injury, FCA released an extended warranty program that covers inadvertent AHR deployment for ten years / unlimited mileage from the vehicle's in-service date. PE19014 is closed with the FCA extended warranty program.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. To review a complete closing summary, please the attached closing report. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seats
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat AHR inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.Reported safety consequences resulting from the AHR deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of vehicle control as a result of being surprised and distracted by being struck in the head by the inadvertent AHR deployment. On September 24, 2019, ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).ODI requested certain detailed information from FCA related to the following subject vehicles: MY 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger 200, MY 2010-2014 Dodge Calber, MY 2010-2014 Chrysler Sebring, MY 2013-2015 Ram Tradesman, MY 2012 Ram Van, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, MY 2010-2016 Chrysler Town and Country, MY 2010-2017 Jeep Compass, MY 2011-2020 Dodge Durango, MY 2011-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Journey, MY 2010-2012 Jeep Liberty, MY 2010-2011 Jeep Nitro, and MY 2010-2011 Jeep Patriot vehicles.On December 2, 2019, ODI received a response from FCA that included vehicle production data, consumer complaints, field reports, warranty claims, manufacturer actions, production changes, and other data related to the alleged defect from the start of production (2010) through September 24, 2019.On January 27, 2020, ODI received an update to the December 2, 2019, IR response from FCA.On September 22, 2020, ODI requested additional subject vehicle AHR information from FCA.ODI received FCA's response on October 21, 2020.ODI subsequently received an update to FCA's October 21, 2020, response on February 16, 2021.During the investigation, ODI requested updates to certain IR questions on two occasions.FCA provided updates to question #2 on March 5, 2021, and questions #2 and #5 on May 26, 2023. FCA’s IR response data identified approximately 7.5 million subject vehicles (with approximately 15 million AHR assemblies).Due to the large number of vehicles and failure reports, ODI focused its analysis on the FCA vehicle model with the highest failure rate to represent the worst-case scenario.For this purpose, ODI focused on MY 2012-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles for its analysis.This population includes 710,890 vehicles that FCA manufactured between August 19, 2011, and August 8, 2015.ODI identified 2,839 alleged AHR failures within this limited population.ODI identified 263 alleged injuries that were caused by AHR failures in MY 2012-2015 Grand Cherokees vehicles.Of these alleged injuries, ODI categorized them as eighty-two (82) soft tissue (neck/whiplash, bruise) injuries, four (4) concussions, fifty-nine (59) headaches, and one hundred eighteen (118) without a specific injury description.Although complainants have alleged injuries, ODI has been unable to obtain evidence to substantiate or validate any injuries where medical treatment was required.Consumer outreach was conducted by ODI, where sixty-three (63) FCA complainants with alleged injuries were contacted.Twelve of the sixty-three FCA consumers responded and were interviewed by ODI.ODI requested medical records, however, only one response was provided. Attorneys representing the responding complainant provided a synopsis that indicated they had experienced prior neck-related injuries dating to the mid-1990s.ODI also contacted one hundred (100) consumers who submitted Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) in an attempt to validate alleged injuries. Despite the efforts of ODI, the office has been unsuccessful at obtaining substantive documentation/evidence supporting complaints that allege serious injuries (where pre-existing medical conditions did not already exist). In addition to the low severity of alleged injuries caused by AHR deployments, there have been eleven alleged crashes and two alleged lane departures within the entire subject vehicle population that has been in the field up to sixteen years (with over 8,500 AHR inadvertent deployments).ODI was not able to validate that the alleged crashes were the result of inadvertent head rest deployments, and the crashes were minor in nature. ODI has conducted a thorough investigation of the alleged safety defect and with up to sixteen years of exposure for some vehicles and over 8,500 inadvertent AHR deployments, no serious crashes or injuries could be validated in the sub-population of focus.The lack of serious injuries validated by ODI with such large period of field exposure is consistent with thework done by NHTSA’s Human Injury Research Division and the Biodynamic Research Corporation, which support that an inadvertent AHR deployment is not likely to cause serious injury.In addition to the low risk of injury, FCA released an extended warranty program that covers inadvertent AHR deployment for ten years / unlimited mileage from the vehicle's in-service date. PE19014 is closed with the FCA extended warranty program.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. To review a complete closing summary, please the attached closing report. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Seats:front Assembly:head Restraint
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat AHR inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.Reported safety consequences resulting from the AHR deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of vehicle control as a result of being surprised and distracted by being struck in the head by the inadvertent AHR deployment. On September 24, 2019, ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).ODI requested certain detailed information from FCA related to the following subject vehicles: MY 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger 200, MY 2010-2014 Dodge Calber, MY 2010-2014 Chrysler Sebring, MY 2013-2015 Ram Tradesman, MY 2012 Ram Van, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, MY 2010-2016 Chrysler Town and Country, MY 2010-2017 Jeep Compass, MY 2011-2020 Dodge Durango, MY 2011-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Journey, MY 2010-2012 Jeep Liberty, MY 2010-2011 Jeep Nitro, and MY 2010-2011 Jeep Patriot vehicles.On December 2, 2019, ODI received a response from FCA that included vehicle production data, consumer complaints, field reports, warranty claims, manufacturer actions, production changes, and other data related to the alleged defect from the start of production (2010) through September 24, 2019.On January 27, 2020, ODI received an update to the December 2, 2019, IR response from FCA.On September 22, 2020, ODI requested additional subject vehicle AHR information from FCA.ODI received FCA's response on October 21, 2020.ODI subsequently received an update to FCA's October 21, 2020, response on February 16, 2021.During the investigation, ODI requested updates to certain IR questions on two occasions.FCA provided updates to question #2 on March 5, 2021, and questions #2 and #5 on May 26, 2023. FCA’s IR response data identified approximately 7.5 million subject vehicles (with approximately 15 million AHR assemblies).Due to the large number of vehicles and failure reports, ODI focused its analysis on the FCA vehicle model with the highest failure rate to represent the worst-case scenario.For this purpose, ODI focused on MY 2012-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles for its analysis.This population includes 710,890 vehicles that FCA manufactured between August 19, 2011, and August 8, 2015.ODI identified 2,839 alleged AHR failures within this limited population.ODI identified 263 alleged injuries that were caused by AHR failures in MY 2012-2015 Grand Cherokees vehicles.Of these alleged injuries, ODI categorized them as eighty-two (82) soft tissue (neck/whiplash, bruise) injuries, four (4) concussions, fifty-nine (59) headaches, and one hundred eighteen (118) without a specific injury description.Although complainants have alleged injuries, ODI has been unable to obtain evidence to substantiate or validate any injuries where medical treatment was required.Consumer outreach was conducted by ODI, where sixty-three (63) FCA complainants with alleged injuries were contacted.Twelve of the sixty-three FCA consumers responded and were interviewed by ODI.ODI requested medical records, however, only one response was provided. Attorneys representing the responding complainant provided a synopsis that indicated they had experienced prior neck-related injuries dating to the mid-1990s.ODI also contacted one hundred (100) consumers who submitted Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) in an attempt to validate alleged injuries. Despite the efforts of ODI, the office has been unsuccessful at obtaining substantive documentation/evidence supporting complaints that allege serious injuries (where pre-existing medical conditions did not already exist). In addition to the low severity of alleged injuries caused by AHR deployments, there have been eleven alleged crashes and two alleged lane departures within the entire subject vehicle population that has been in the field up to sixteen years (with over 8,500 AHR inadvertent deployments).ODI was not able to validate that the alleged crashes were the result of inadvertent head rest deployments, and the crashes were minor in nature. ODI has conducted a thorough investigation of the alleged safety defect and with up to sixteen years of exposure for some vehicles and over 8,500 inadvertent AHR deployments, no serious crashes or injuries could be validated in the sub-population of focus.The lack of serious injuries validated by ODI with such large period of field exposure is consistent with thework done by NHTSA’s Human Injury Research Division and the Biodynamic Research Corporation, which support that an inadvertent AHR deployment is not likely to cause serious injury.In addition to the low risk of injury, FCA released an extended warranty program that covers inadvertent AHR deployment for ten years / unlimited mileage from the vehicle's in-service date. PE19014 is closed with the FCA extended warranty program.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. To review a complete closing summary, please the attached closing report. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.