IllustrationTHE CAR KEEPS SHUTTING OFF WHEN I'M DRIVING IN SOME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION I NEED TO GET HELP IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS CAR I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT FIXED ASAP
2014 Chrysler 200
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2014 Chrysler 200 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 336.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 200 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
340–25K
1925–50K
2350–75K
1475–100K
23100–150K
4150K+
117 reports with mileage · 75 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 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 34 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 reports2 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
192 reportsIT SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING ..WITHOUT NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING THAT THERES ANY PROBLEM.. THE BATTERY VOLTAGE IS GOOD AND MY ALTERNATOR IS GOOD AS WELL . IT SHUT OFF ON ME MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINTS (AHRS) ON DRIVER'S SEAT DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY. SOME BROKEN PLASTIC PARTS FELL OUT. LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN THE CAR AND NOTICED ONLY WHEN NECK GOT UNCOMFORTABLE WHILE SITTING.
2014 CHRYSLER 200 126K MILES SEPT. 8, 2020 SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. HEARD A LOUD NOISE LIKE A TIRE BLOWING OUT. YET DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE OUTSIDE AND FOUND NOTHING AMISS. ENTERED VEHICLE ON DRIVERS SIDE AND LOOKED OVER AND SAW PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST HA…
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2014 CHRYSLER 200 126K MILES SEPT. 8, 2020 SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. HEARD A LOUD NOISE LIKE A TIRE BLOWING OUT. YET DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE OUTSIDE AND FOUND NOTHING AMISS. ENTERED VEHICLE ON DRIVERS SIDE AND LOOKED OVER AND SAW PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST HAD DEPLOYED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. REWIND TO NOVEMBER 2019 SAME CAR AT 120K MILES. SITTING IN DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE PARKED AND ENGINE OFF. KEY NOT EVEN IN THE IGNITION. SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND MY HEAD WAS THROWN FORWARD IN A VERY FAST MOTION. LOOKED UP TO SEE IF I HAD BEEN REARENDED SOMEHOW AND NOT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN SIGHT. GOT OUT OF THE CAR HAD A LOOK AND FOIND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WALKED BACK TO THE CAR AND NOTICED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATS HEADREST HAD EXPLODED THUS CAUSING THE LOUD NOISE AND MY HEAD TO FLY FORWARD. I HAVE SEEN OTHER PAST MAKE AND MODELS FOR CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP HAVE RECALLS ALL THE WAY UP TO ABOUT 2013. HOW IS THIS STILL AN ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET , AGAIN? THIS IS SERIOUSLY CONCERNING. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED? WHAT IF I HAD ONE OF MY TEENAGERS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR A PASSENGER FOR THAT MATTER.
WHILE I AM DRIVING MY CAR, MY CAR WILL JUST SHUT OFF. I CAN BE ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 75 AND MY CAR WILL JUST DEAD STOP. I LOSE POWER IN MY STEERING WHEEL, MY BRAKES STOP WORKING. YOU CAN'T EVEN PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL TURN BACK ON WHEN I TRY, OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T. ITS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR…
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WHILE I AM DRIVING MY CAR, MY CAR WILL JUST SHUT OFF. I CAN BE ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 75 AND MY CAR WILL JUST DEAD STOP. I LOSE POWER IN MY STEERING WHEEL, MY BRAKES STOP WORKING. YOU CAN'T EVEN PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL TURN BACK ON WHEN I TRY, OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T. ITS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR IVE HAD THIS CAR. NOBODY CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHY.
CAR WILL JUST RANDOMLY SHUT OFF WHILE THE CAR IS CRUISING, ACCELERATING, OR DECELERATING. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS, SOUNDS, OR VISUAL CUES TO INDICATE ANY SORT OF PROBLEM. IN ADDITION TO THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST WILL ALSO SHUT DOWN. AFTER THE STALL: IT DOESN'T TRIGGER ANY ERROR CODES FOR AN …
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CAR WILL JUST RANDOMLY SHUT OFF WHILE THE CAR IS CRUISING, ACCELERATING, OR DECELERATING. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS, SOUNDS, OR VISUAL CUES TO INDICATE ANY SORT OF PROBLEM. IN ADDITION TO THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST WILL ALSO SHUT DOWN. AFTER THE STALL: IT DOESN'T TRIGGER ANY ERROR CODES FOR AN OBD-II READER, MEANING TECHNICIANS WONT BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WILL DO THIS AT ALL SPEEDS, EVEN ON THE HIGH WAY, OR PLACES THAT MAY NOT HAVE A PLACE TO PULL OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
HEADREST EJECTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING NECK PAIN. *TR
WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE AND WANTED TO CHANGE THE TIRE TO A SPARE, BUT FOUND THAT NO AMOUNT OF TORQUE WOULD LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS. AFTER TRYING TWO DIFFERENT LUG WRENCHES, I ENDED UP HAVING TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I HAD A WARRANTY WITH FOR THE TIRE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORM…
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WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE AND WANTED TO CHANGE THE TIRE TO A SPARE, BUT FOUND THAT NO AMOUNT OF TORQUE WOULD LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS. AFTER TRYING TWO DIFFERENT LUG WRENCHES, I ENDED UP HAVING TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I HAD A WARRANTY WITH FOR THE TIRE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT ALL OF THE LUGNUTS ON THE TIRE WERE DEFECTIVE (AND LATER ADDED THAT ALL OF THE OTHER LUGNUTS ON THE CAR WERE AS WELL). THEIR DEFECT IS THAT THEY HAVE A NON FERROUS (TIN?) COATING ON THEM THAT SHEARS OFF WHEN TORQUE IS APPLIED. THE LUGNUTS ATTACHING THE TIRE / WHEEL HAD TO BE HAMMERED OFF TO BE REMOVED. I HAVE SINCE HAD ALL OF THESE LUGNUTS REPLACED (EXCEPT FOR ONE) AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I BELIEVE IT I HAD BEEN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN I ENCOUNTERED THE FLAT AND THE DEFECTIVE LUGNUTS, IT WOULD HAVE PUT ME AT PERSONAL RISK WHILE TRYING DESPERATELY TO REMOVE THEM - NOT TO MENTION THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TRYING TO DO SO. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT "NO ONE WAS AT FAULT" FOR THE DEFECTIVE LUGNUTS. I TOOK EXCEPTION TO THIS, BEING OF THE OPINION THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THESE LUGNUTS WAS VERY MUCH RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.
CAR DELIVERED AND PURCHASED FROM MCCLUSKY CHEVROLET, SMITHJ@ONLINE.CARS, CINCINNATI, OH TO FARRAGUT, TN ON 02/25/2020 IN EXCELLENT DRIVEABILITY CONDITION. CAR PERFOMANCE WAS EXCELLENT, DRIVEN DAILY UNTIL 03/03/2020 AND ALWAYS RETURNED TO HOME GARAGE. WHEN STARTED THE MORNING OF 03/04/2020, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY RACED TO 400…
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CAR DELIVERED AND PURCHASED FROM MCCLUSKY CHEVROLET, SMITHJ@ONLINE.CARS, CINCINNATI, OH TO FARRAGUT, TN ON 02/25/2020 IN EXCELLENT DRIVEABILITY CONDITION. CAR PERFOMANCE WAS EXCELLENT, DRIVEN DAILY UNTIL 03/03/2020 AND ALWAYS RETURNED TO HOME GARAGE. WHEN STARTED THE MORNING OF 03/04/2020, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY RACED TO 4000 RPM IN NEUTRAL. TAPPING THE BRAKE LOWERED THE IDLE TO 1200 RPM, NOT THE NORMAL 850 (APPROXIMATE). I BACKED THE OUT OF THE GARAGE UPHILL INTO THE STREET. WHEN ENGAGED IN DRIVE THE MOMENT OF STARTING ACCELERATION THE CAR GENTLY ACCELERATE ITSELF WITH MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR TO ABOUT 40 MPH IN 1/4 MILE. TAPPING THE BRAKE STOPPED THE ACCELERATION AND THE CAR THROTTLE RETURNED TO ABOUT 1200 RPM. AFTER BRAKING TO A STOP, I STARTED TO DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK AND THE CAR AGAIN ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. WITH MULTIPLE BRAKES TAPS, I RETURNED THE CAR INTO THE DRIVE WAY. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE RPM AGAIN RACED TO 4000. TAPPING THE BRAKE RETURNED THE RPM TO 1200, SIMILAR TO A CRUISE CONTROL RETURN. IN ALL CASES THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT TURNED ON AND CYCLING THE CRUISE BUTTON ON AND OFF HAD NO EFFECT. CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM MAYBE OR MAYBE NOT BE INVOLVED. I DID AN ACCUTRON CODE READ AND NO CODES RETURNED. NO ATTEMPT TO TRY TO FIX OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM WAS MADE. CAR NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED BY NHTSA, NOT JUST REPAIRED. IT IS HAZARDOUS. I USED TO TEACH PHYSICS AND HAVE PERFORMED MOST MAJOR CAR REPAIRS SINCE 1960. I WISH TO KEEP THIS CHRYSLER 200 S RETRACTABLE CONVERTIBLE. IT WILL STAY IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL ANALYZED BY NHTSA.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHRYSLER 200. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 43 MPH, THE DRIVE SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS HIT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD HOWEVER, NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND CALLED…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHRYSLER 200. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 43 MPH, THE DRIVE SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS HIT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD HOWEVER, NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND CALLED 911 WHOM ADVISED HIM TO CALL HIS AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY AND A DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED HE CALLED HIS INSURANCE COMPANY AND AN UNKNOWN KIA DEALER IN LUMBERTON, NC WHOM OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,000.
Official recalls
116V668000 · 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.
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.