IllustrationDRIVERS SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNATTENDED WHEN DEPLOYMENT OCCURRED.
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 284.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Caravan 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
240–25K
2625–50K
4150–75K
3975–100K
35100–150K
11150K+
176 reports with mileage · 105 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 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports2 fire reports18 injury reports
What owners actually said
281 reports2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, NOT STARTED. I WAS SEATED IN DRIVER SEAT AFTER JUST ENTERING THE VEHICLE, DOOR STILL OPEN, I ACTIVATED THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR SO MY FAMILY COULD ENTER THE REAR. MY WIFE OPENED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR BUT HAD NOT ENTERED THE VEHICLE, SHE WAS ASSISTING THE KIDS…
Read full complaint
2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, NOT STARTED. I WAS SEATED IN DRIVER SEAT AFTER JUST ENTERING THE VEHICLE, DOOR STILL OPEN, I ACTIVATED THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR SO MY FAMILY COULD ENTER THE REAR. MY WIFE OPENED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR BUT HAD NOT ENTERED THE VEHICLE, SHE WAS ASSISTING THE KIDS ENTERING THE REAR. THE PASSENGER SEAT HEADREST SUDDENLY BURST OPEN AND EXTENDED FORWARD. EVERYONE JUMPED AT THE SUDDEN NOISE. I LOOKED OVER AND SAW THE HEADREST DISTENDED AND DIDN'T KNOW IT COULD DO THAT. I INSPECTED THE HEADREST AND SAW ARMS AND LATCHES THAT INDICATED IT COULD BE MOVED. I ATTEMPTED TO RETURN IT TO NORMAL BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE VERY EASILY. WE DECIDED TO LEAVE IT AS WE WERE ON OUR WAY SOMEWHERE. LATER I AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER BUT IT WOULD NOT STAY TOGETHER. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR INFORMATION AND FOUND IT TO BE DESCRIBED AS A SAFETY FEATURE TO HELP PREVENT WHIPLASH INJURY AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT A CRASH. NO OTHER SAFETY FEATURES DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE STILL OPERATED NORMALLY. I CONTACTED DODGE DIRECTLY THROUGH ONLINE CHAT AND SPENT OVER 30 MINUTES DESCRIBING EVERYTHING IN DETAIL AND WAS TOLD A MANAGER WOULD BE CONTACTING ME IN 1-2 DAYS. AFTER A WEEK, NO CALL WAS RECEIVED. I AGAIN CONTACTED DODGE AND WAS GIVEN THE RUN AROUND WITH REQUEST FOR ALL THE INFORMATION AGAIN EVEN THOUGH THE AGENT PULLED UP THE FILE AND TOLD ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY REFUSED TO SEND IT TO A MANAGER AGAIN UNLESS I SPENT ANOTHER 30+ MINUTES DESCRIBING EVERYTHING IN DETAIL AGAIN. I TOLD THEM I WAS PULLING UP THE NHTSA WEBSITE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND FORWARDED THE ISSUE WITHOUT HAVING TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AGAIN. I TOLD THEM IT SEEMED THEY WERE RUNNING ME IN CIRCLES.
PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED ON ITS OWN.
THE A/C IS BLOWING HOT AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IN THE REAR OF THE VAN.
MY HVAC SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE HVAC RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND MY DEALERSHIP SHIP SAYS IT WAS A MINOR PART THAT WAS FIXED, BUT EVERYTHING I READ ON THE 2016 RECALL SAYS A HUGE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE HVAC SYSTEM. MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THE RECALL ISN'T WARRANTY APPLICABLE AND THEREFORE I HAVE TO P…
Read full complaint
MY HVAC SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE HVAC RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND MY DEALERSHIP SHIP SAYS IT WAS A MINOR PART THAT WAS FIXED, BUT EVERYTHING I READ ON THE 2016 RECALL SAYS A HUGE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE HVAC SYSTEM. MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THE RECALL ISN'T WARRANTY APPLICABLE AND THEREFORE I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET! MY AC IS BLOWING HOT AND IT CONTINUOUSLY WILL CHANGE FROM AC TO RECIRCULATE TO NO AC ON ITS OWN. IT'S ALL APART OF THE PROGRAM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE WARRANTIED. IT'S DANGEROUS TO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE AC WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT IN COLORADO WHILE IT'S SO HOT HERE. MY AC BLOWS HOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WHEN COMPLETELY STOPPED OR SLOW SPEEDS, IT GETS HOT. ONLY STAYS COLD WHILE GOING FASTER SPEEDS. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO REPLACE THE RECALLED PARTS FROM 2016 STATING THEY AREN'T UNDER LIFETIME WARRANTY. PLEASE HELP!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONTAL HEAD REST DEPLOYED AFTER HER GRANDSON HELD ON TO THE HEADREST FOR SUPPORT WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GRIFFIN CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (961 E, US-74 B…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONTAL HEAD REST DEPLOYED AFTER HER GRANDSON HELD ON TO THE HEADREST FOR SUPPORT WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GRIFFIN CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (961 E, US-74 BUS, HAMLET, NC 28345) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT A PLASTIC PART ATTACHED TO THE HEADREST FRACTURED CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEADREST NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
WHEN DRIVING IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON I-71 NORTH A LOUD WHINING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT LEFT OF THE VEHICLE IT THEN HAD DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING. I HAD MY FOOT PRESSING HARD ON THE GAS JUST TO GET TO 60 MPH. THE RPM WAS ALL THE WAY TO 6. THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW AND SPEED UP WITH A JERK. ONCE I ARRIVED TO WORK I PARKED THE CAR. …
Read full complaint
WHEN DRIVING IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON I-71 NORTH A LOUD WHINING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT LEFT OF THE VEHICLE IT THEN HAD DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING. I HAD MY FOOT PRESSING HARD ON THE GAS JUST TO GET TO 60 MPH. THE RPM WAS ALL THE WAY TO 6. THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW AND SPEED UP WITH A JERK. ONCE I ARRIVED TO WORK I PARKED THE CAR. WHEN I TURNED THE VAN BACK ON MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO THEN HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER LOCATION THAT WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING THE FULL DIAGNOSTIC. I RELIGIOUSLY MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC FAILURES SUCH AS THE ONE I AM HAVING NOW. SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS VEHICLE AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SEVERAL TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT WITH PROBLEMS FROM ELECTRICAL ISSUES, THE SIDE DOORS UNABLE TO OPEN, AND OIL PAIN CRACKING.
I WAS INFORMED THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR A TRANSMISSION (RECALL REFERENCE S44) ON 06/24/2016 AND IT HAS REQUIRED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, COSTING $4K IN JULY 19, 2019. ON JUNE 20, 2020, WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD REVVING SOUND, RPM INCREASED NEARLY TO MAX, ACCELERATION BECAME INOPER…
Read full complaint
I WAS INFORMED THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR A TRANSMISSION (RECALL REFERENCE S44) ON 06/24/2016 AND IT HAS REQUIRED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, COSTING $4K IN JULY 19, 2019. ON JUNE 20, 2020, WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD REVVING SOUND, RPM INCREASED NEARLY TO MAX, ACCELERATION BECAME INOPERABLE, AND CAUSED ACTIVE TRAFFIC DELAYS - SIMILAR TO WHAT HAD OCCURRED A YEAR BEFORE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED.
I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TO FIX AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING THEY FIXED THE FRONT AND REAR EVAPORATORS . I PICKED UP FROM DEALER DROVE T MINS DOWN THE ROAD AND WHILE DRIVING BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER HEAD READY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED . ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT NOT TO MENTION HIT ME IN THE BACK OF HEAD WHILE DRIVING DOWN MAJOR…
Read full complaint
I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TO FIX AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING THEY FIXED THE FRONT AND REAR EVAPORATORS . I PICKED UP FROM DEALER DROVE T MINS DOWN THE ROAD AND WHILE DRIVING BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER HEAD READY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED . ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT NOT TO MENTION HIT ME IN THE BACK OF HEAD WHILE DRIVING DOWN MAJOR HWY 41 IN FLA . I ALSO HAVE DAUGHTER IN WHEELCHAIR IT'S A CONVERTED WHEELCHAIR VAN HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO DEALER AND NOW DRIVING NON WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE RENTAL ..MY AIR CONDITIONING WAS ALSO WHILSTLING AFTER JUST BEING FIXED . I WAS ONLY DOING ABOUT 30MPH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE HEAD REST DEPLOYED AND STRUCK THE CONTACT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIE…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE HEAD REST DEPLOYED AND STRUCK THE CONTACT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.
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.