IllustrationHEATER CORE PER DODGE DEALERSHIP IS STOPPED UP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE HEAT WOULDN'T GET UP TO A SATISFACTORY TEMPERATURE, THEY TESTED IT & SAID THEY COULD TRY FLUSHING BUT THEY THOUGHT IT NEEDED REPLACING.
2012 Dodge Avenger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Avenger years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Dodge Avenger are substantially higher than the model-year median of 157.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avenger 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
370–25K
7225–50K
10650–75K
8775–100K
74100–150K
15150K+
391 reports with mileage · 162 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 95 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
34 crash reports7 fire reports30 injury reports
What owners actually said
553 reportsMY CAR IS BLOWING COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I JUST HAD THE HEATER CORE AND THE ACTUATOR DOOR REPLACED BACK IN THE SUMMER AND IT COST US OVER 2000.00. THIS ISSUE STARTED BACK IN FEBRUARY AND WE WAITED UNTIL SUMMER TO FIX IT BUT NOW A FEW WEEKS INTO THE COLD WEATHER AND HERE WE GO AGAIN. THE HEAT WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND …
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MY CAR IS BLOWING COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I JUST HAD THE HEATER CORE AND THE ACTUATOR DOOR REPLACED BACK IN THE SUMMER AND IT COST US OVER 2000.00. THIS ISSUE STARTED BACK IN FEBRUARY AND WE WAITED UNTIL SUMMER TO FIX IT BUT NOW A FEW WEEKS INTO THE COLD WEATHER AND HERE WE GO AGAIN. THE HEAT WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE IS BLOWING COLD AIR AGAIN . I CALLED DODGE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT BUT THERE WAS NO RECALLS SO THEY STATED THAT I HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED AGAIN. THE PLACE THAT FIXED IT STATED THAT THE HEATER CORE HAS LIKE A FILM THAT BREAKS OFF AND THE PARTICLES BLOCK THE HEAT. THERE IS SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES BUT MANY CALLS TO DODGE AND THEY WILL NOT PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED. CAN YOU HELP, I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS AGAIN! AND I HAVE A 30 MILE COMMUTE TO WORK, NOW I AM SICK FROM BEING SO COLD DAILY.
HEATER AND DEFROST DO NOT WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR, LEAVING HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP. THIS CAUSES BAD VISIBILITY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE (DODGE AVENGER)
SINCE 2016, MY CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IS NOW STARTING TO LOSE HEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE. I HAVE HAD GREAT UP-KEEP ON MY CAR AND GET IT FIXED ON A REGULAR BASES. DURING THE WINTER MY CAR IS FREEZING COLD. IT IS ONLY LETTING HEAT OUT ON THE FAR LEFT DRIVER SIDE VENT AND THIS IS STARTING TO BLOW COLD AIR T…
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SINCE 2016, MY CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IS NOW STARTING TO LOSE HEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE. I HAVE HAD GREAT UP-KEEP ON MY CAR AND GET IT FIXED ON A REGULAR BASES. DURING THE WINTER MY CAR IS FREEZING COLD. IT IS ONLY LETTING HEAT OUT ON THE FAR LEFT DRIVER SIDE VENT AND THIS IS STARTING TO BLOW COLD AIR TOO. IT TAKES FOREVER TO WARM THE INSIDE OF MY CAR OR NEVER WARMS UP AT ALL. I'M UNSURE WHAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS THAT I SEE IS VERY COMMON FOR THIS TYPE OF CAR. BEING IN THE MILITARY I DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET THIS FIX. IT IS TOTALLY A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND NEED TO FIXED IMMEDIATELY.
THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE IN THE DASH DUE TO THE A/C SYSTEM. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THIS BEING AN ISSUE IN MANY CARS AND REFUSES TO FIX IT. IT APPEARED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE A/C OR FAN IS RUNNING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEFROST SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEFROST SYSTEM FAILED TO CLEAR THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, WHICH AFFECTED HIS VISION WHILE DRIVING. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEFROST SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEFROST SYSTEM FAILED TO CLEAR THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, WHICH AFFECTED HIS VISION WHILE DRIVING. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT SAND ENTERED THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
DRIVER SIDE VENTS BLOW HOT AIR AND ALL PASSANGER SIDE VENTS BLOW COLD AIR.
WINDOW DEFROST AND PASSENGER HEAT /AIR. WHILE EITHER IN MOTION OR WHILE DRIVING, NO HEATED AIR EXITS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER, NOR THE PASSENGER WINDOW DEFROST, LOWER AND CENTER CONSOLE VENTS. HEATED AIR ONLY EXITS THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD AND DRIVER'S SIDE DASH VENTS. PROBLEM PERSISTS THROUGH ALL CABIN…
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WINDOW DEFROST AND PASSENGER HEAT /AIR. WHILE EITHER IN MOTION OR WHILE DRIVING, NO HEATED AIR EXITS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER, NOR THE PASSENGER WINDOW DEFROST, LOWER AND CENTER CONSOLE VENTS. HEATED AIR ONLY EXITS THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD AND DRIVER'S SIDE DASH VENTS. PROBLEM PERSISTS THROUGH ALL CABIN AIR MODES, AND CIRCULATIONS. THIS SAFETY ISSUE EFFECTS VISIBILITY AND PASSENGER SAFETY BY FAILING TO DEFROST/DEFOG WINDOWS AND KEEPING CABIN TEMPURATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING DURING COLD WEATHER (BLOWING COLD AIR INTO THE CABIN)
THIS ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE HEATER CORE. CASTING AND METAL SHAVINGS CLOG HEATER CORE TO WHERE YOUR CAR CANNOT HEAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF YOUR CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE CAR NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO DEFROST FRONT AND BACK WIND SHIELDS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE PROBLEM ARISES WITH HOW TO THE HEATER SITS BEHIND THE D…
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THIS ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE HEATER CORE. CASTING AND METAL SHAVINGS CLOG HEATER CORE TO WHERE YOUR CAR CANNOT HEAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF YOUR CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE CAR NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO DEFROST FRONT AND BACK WIND SHIELDS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE PROBLEM ARISES WITH HOW TO THE HEATER SITS BEHIND THE DASH. IT CAUSES THIS ISSUE TO REPEAT EVEN IF HEATER CORE IS REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IS A $1,000 PLUS REPAIR THAT WILL REPEATEDLY OCCUR NEARLY EVERY YEAR OR SO.
THE AC HEATER DOES NOT HEAT ON THE MIDDLE AND RIGHT VENTS. THE ONLY ONE THAT HEATS IS THE DRIVER SIDE VENT. I NOTICED IT WHEN IT WAS WINTER OF THE ISSUE. THERE ARE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Official recalls
317V640000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seats:front Assembly:head Restraint
Oct 10, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seats:front Assembly:head Restraint
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Consequence: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Consequence: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
16V668000 · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner
Sep 15, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Seat Belts:pretensioner
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Air Bags
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
13V282000 · Air Bags; Electrical System
Jul 2, 2013
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
Electrical System
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
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.