Vehicle was traveling around 60 moh.. Jumped curve and hit a tree. Air bags failed to deploy. Driver sustained multiple injuries including fractured pelvis, torn aeorta, hemothorax under ribcage, and several cuts, scrapes, and bruises requiring stitches.
2017 Dodge Durango
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Dodge Durango do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Durango 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
97 reports with mileage · 114 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.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
211 reportsThe vehicle has a rear parking assist function. Via a Uconnect (touchscreen) system, the function can be enabled or disabled. The Uconnect system allows the operator to select whether the function will provide an audible warning or brake automatically if an object behind the vehicle is detected by any of 4 sensors installed in t…
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The vehicle has a rear parking assist function. Via a Uconnect (touchscreen) system, the function can be enabled or disabled. The Uconnect system allows the operator to select whether the function will provide an audible warning or brake automatically if an object behind the vehicle is detected by any of 4 sensors installed in the rear bumper. The function can also be enabled or disabled via a physical button below the Uconnect system. I purchased the vehicle new and have owned the vehicle for 3 years. I have towed boats many times. Until recently, I was able to successfully use the touchscreen or physical button to disable the function when backing up with a trailer connected. Now I cannot disable the function or braking via either method. It appears to turn off for about 1 second before turning back on. I've tested in various conditions such as park/neutral, with/without a trailer, etc. to no avail. I thought I would try resetting software in the rear parking assist controller, so I disconnected both batteries and removed the proper fuse, but that didn't fix the issue. That got me worried because the failsafe should be that if the control system goes bad, the function should be disabled. I believe this to be true, because sometimes you need to back up to avoid collisions with irresponsible drivers, etc. If you are towing a trailer, you wouldn't be able to back up if the system failed. I understand about failsafe design from working on safety-critical aircraft computers. I reviewed the users manual and information online, and found that if connected to a trailer or exceeding 7 mph in reverse, the function should disengage. However, the function has NEVER, in 3 years, disengaged when towing a trailer, and I am unable to exceed 7 mph when towing due to the automatic braking. I tested this again by plugging a trailer into both factory-installed electrical receptacles provided with the tow package. I could not disable it. Other vehicle owners have the same issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the contact was pulled over by the police and was informed that their rear center taillight was inoperable. Additionally, the license plate light was also inoperable. The contact was able to continue driving back to the residence. The vehicle was tak…
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The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the contact was pulled over by the police and was informed that their rear center taillight was inoperable. Additionally, the license plate light was also inoperable. The contact was able to continue driving back to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be inspected. The contact was informed that there was a cost for a diagnostic test. The contact declined due to the cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,506.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the headlights would turn off inadvertently after driving for 30 minutes. The contact was made aware of the headlight failure when she was pulled over by the police. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the headlight assemblies were fau…
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The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the headlights would turn off inadvertently after driving for 30 minutes. The contact was made aware of the headlight failure when she was pulled over by the police. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the headlight assemblies were faulty, but only the light bulbs were replaced. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable. The Vin was unavailable.
The climate control system is malfunctioning, and the windows will not roll down. The heat comes on full blast and cannot be turned down or off, and it is summertime. On a hot day the car cannot be driven more than a couple of miles because the interior becomes so hot that it becomes difficult to breathe and remain conscious wit…
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The climate control system is malfunctioning, and the windows will not roll down. The heat comes on full blast and cannot be turned down or off, and it is summertime. On a hot day the car cannot be driven more than a couple of miles because the interior becomes so hot that it becomes difficult to breathe and remain conscious with the heat on full blast and the windows up. The controls for the windows do not work. The controls for the heat do not work. The climate control system is connected to, or is controlled, by the Uconnect System, which also does not work. I cannot safely operate this vehicle for more than about 5 minutes on a hot day. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem was reproduced by an auto dealer, who said that it is likely a problem in the electrical system and would take about 3 hours to diagnose. The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. However, I called FCA. They told be to do a software update for the Uconnect System. I successfully updated the software, but it did not resolve the problem. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. However, about three months ago the Uconnect System began malfunctioning by occasionally and intermittently rebooting – i.e., flashing on and off. After a couple of weeks, the rebooting occurred more frequently, and now it will work at all.
The rear center tail light, or track light, was poorly designed and it allows water to get trapped inside and sit, resulting in the lights burning out. This single light assembly consists of a brake light that is the width of the rear hatch, a backup camera, and reverse lights. The only way to fix this problem is to replace the …
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The rear center tail light, or track light, was poorly designed and it allows water to get trapped inside and sit, resulting in the lights burning out. This single light assembly consists of a brake light that is the width of the rear hatch, a backup camera, and reverse lights. The only way to fix this problem is to replace the entire light assembly which costs over $1,000. This is a very widespread problem with Dodge Durangos based on the vast number of complaints for this specific issue, and I am surprised that this is not a recall considering the number of complaints associated with this problem. As you can see from the picture that I have attached, the bottom lights on both sides no longer work because of the sitting water inside. I tried to get this problem fixed, being that it is a manufacturer defect, but Dodge is unwilling to help me because my 2017 Durango is just out of warranty. I would greatly appreciate help with this problem. Thank you
Water in the rear tailgate light(race track)
Passenger headrest deployed without being in a car accident
BOTH SECOND ROW SEAT BELTS FAILED. THE DEALER COMMENT IS THAT BOTH RETRACTORS BROKEN. THE SEAT BELTS FAILED WITHIN 3 YEARS, BUT OUTSIDE THE MILEAGE RESTRICTION FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS PREDOMINANTLY FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL, WITH LIMITED SECOND ROW PASSENGERS, AND AVERAGING 25K MILES PER YEAR. A DODGE CASE WAS OPENED …
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BOTH SECOND ROW SEAT BELTS FAILED. THE DEALER COMMENT IS THAT BOTH RETRACTORS BROKEN. THE SEAT BELTS FAILED WITHIN 3 YEARS, BUT OUTSIDE THE MILEAGE RESTRICTION FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS PREDOMINANTLY FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL, WITH LIMITED SECOND ROW PASSENGERS, AND AVERAGING 25K MILES PER YEAR. A DODGE CASE WAS OPENED ON MY BEHALF, BUT I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. THE PARTS ARE ROUGHLY $250, BUT LABOR TO INSTALL THEM IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE, AS THE INTERIOR HAS TO BE DISASSEMBLED. IT IS UNREASONABLE FOR SEAT BELTS TO FAIL WITH 75,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, AND UNDER 200 USES.
TAIL LIGHT CRACKED ALLOWING WATER IN LIGHTS CAUSING LIGHTS TO GO OUT. NOTICED THIS ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO. NO OTHER DAMAGE, LOOKS LIKE IT WAS CUT WITH A LASER. CAR WAS STATIONARY
Official recalls
218V332000 · Electrical System:software; Electrical System:wiring; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
May 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Electrical System:software
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Consequence: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Consequence: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Electrical System:wiring
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Consequence: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
17V541000 · Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft
Aug 31, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017 Dodge Durango vehicles. The vehicles may have been assembled with rear axle halfshafts that are too short.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a halfshaft is too short, it may disengage from the differential causing a loss of drive and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will replace both halfshafts, free of charge. The recall began on September 18, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T55.
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
2PE19014 · 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.
PE16014 · Vehicle Rollaway
Opened Dec 16, 2016 · Closed Jan 25, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited the vehicle prior to the rollway incidents. These complaints involved multiple Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) model and model year vehicles that share a common electronic rotary shifter design. Of the 43 consumer complaints, 25 complaints alleged crashes, and eight complaints alleged at least one injury. Subject Vehicles – When NHTSA opened the investigation, the subject vehicles were model year (MY) 2013-2016 Ram 1500 vehicles and MY 2014-2016 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with a rotary electronic shifter. However, NHTSA expanded the scope of the investigation to include subsequent model years of the same model vehicles when the Agency learned that those new model year vehicles use the same rotary shifter. Additionally, all subject vehicles manufactured by FCA are equipped with electronic rotary shifters supplied by Kostal Automotive. Reason for closing - During the course of this investigation, ODI did not find evidence that a vehicle-based design or manufacturing defect was the cause of vehicle rollaway incidents on the subject vehicles. Nevertheless, given the risk of a vehicle rollaway, FCA’s CSN actions provide automated vehicle securement when an operator attempts to exit the vehicle without successfully achieving a Park position with the rotary shifter mechanism. ODI closely monitored the subject vehicles on which the CSN actions implement a vehicle securement strategy and found that the CSN actions were effective in reducing the frequency of vehicle rollaway incidents in the subject vehicles. ODI analyzed the incidents when a CSN had been implemented and a rollaway still occurred, and ODI was unable to find an actionable defect that caused vehicle rollaway incidents. ODI found that the failure rates on subject vehicles that received a CSN remedy were similar to the failure rates on other vehicle populations and additionally had similar mechanisms as other vehicle populations such as slippery surfaces and various mechanical failures. Furthermore, as discussed above, after FCA’s release of the CSN actions, consumer complaints have decreased significantly. Given the absence of an identified safety defect based on available information and FCA’s customer satisfaction campaign which addresses the failure mode, further action is not warranted at this time. Accordingly, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. However, the Agency reserves the right to take further action, if warranted.Please see the attached detailed closing summary for more information. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Power Train:automatic Transmission
Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited the vehicle prior to the rollway incidents. These complaints involved multiple Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) model and model year vehicles that share a common electronic rotary shifter design. Of the 43 consumer complaints, 25 complaints alleged crashes, and eight complaints alleged at least one injury. Subject Vehicles – When NHTSA opened the investigation, the subject vehicles were model year (MY) 2013-2016 Ram 1500 vehicles and MY 2014-2016 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with a rotary electronic shifter. However, NHTSA expanded the scope of the investigation to include subsequent model years of the same model vehicles when the Agency learned that those new model year vehicles use the same rotary shifter. Additionally, all subject vehicles manufactured by FCA are equipped with electronic rotary shifters supplied by Kostal Automotive. Reason for closing - During the course of this investigation, ODI did not find evidence that a vehicle-based design or manufacturing defect was the cause of vehicle rollaway incidents on the subject vehicles. Nevertheless, given the risk of a vehicle rollaway, FCA’s CSN actions provide automated vehicle securement when an operator attempts to exit the vehicle without successfully achieving a Park position with the rotary shifter mechanism. ODI closely monitored the subject vehicles on which the CSN actions implement a vehicle securement strategy and found that the CSN actions were effective in reducing the frequency of vehicle rollaway incidents in the subject vehicles. ODI analyzed the incidents when a CSN had been implemented and a rollaway still occurred, and ODI was unable to find an actionable defect that caused vehicle rollaway incidents. ODI found that the failure rates on subject vehicles that received a CSN remedy were similar to the failure rates on other vehicle populations and additionally had similar mechanisms as other vehicle populations such as slippery surfaces and various mechanical failures. Furthermore, as discussed above, after FCA’s release of the CSN actions, consumer complaints have decreased significantly. Given the absence of an identified safety defect based on available information and FCA’s customer satisfaction campaign which addresses the failure mode, further action is not warranted at this time. Accordingly, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. However, the Agency reserves the right to take further action, if warranted.Please see the attached detailed closing summary for more information. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited the vehicle prior to the rollway incidents. These complaints involved multiple Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) model and model year vehicles that share a common electronic rotary shifter design. Of the 43 consumer complaints, 25 complaints alleged crashes, and eight complaints alleged at least one injury. Subject Vehicles – When NHTSA opened the investigation, the subject vehicles were model year (MY) 2013-2016 Ram 1500 vehicles and MY 2014-2016 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with a rotary electronic shifter. However, NHTSA expanded the scope of the investigation to include subsequent model years of the same model vehicles when the Agency learned that those new model year vehicles use the same rotary shifter. Additionally, all subject vehicles manufactured by FCA are equipped with electronic rotary shifters supplied by Kostal Automotive. Reason for closing - During the course of this investigation, ODI did not find evidence that a vehicle-based design or manufacturing defect was the cause of vehicle rollaway incidents on the subject vehicles. Nevertheless, given the risk of a vehicle rollaway, FCA’s CSN actions provide automated vehicle securement when an operator attempts to exit the vehicle without successfully achieving a Park position with the rotary shifter mechanism. ODI closely monitored the subject vehicles on which the CSN actions implement a vehicle securement strategy and found that the CSN actions were effective in reducing the frequency of vehicle rollaway incidents in the subject vehicles. ODI analyzed the incidents when a CSN had been implemented and a rollaway still occurred, and ODI was unable to find an actionable defect that caused vehicle rollaway incidents. ODI found that the failure rates on subject vehicles that received a CSN remedy were similar to the failure rates on other vehicle populations and additionally had similar mechanisms as other vehicle populations such as slippery surfaces and various mechanical failures. Furthermore, as discussed above, after FCA’s release of the CSN actions, consumer complaints have decreased significantly. Given the absence of an identified safety defect based on available information and FCA’s customer satisfaction campaign which addresses the failure mode, further action is not warranted at this time. Accordingly, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. However, the Agency reserves the right to take further action, if warranted.Please see the attached detailed closing summary for more information. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Basis – On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-014 to investigate 43 vehicle rollaway incidents with operators alleging they had shifted to Park and then exited the vehicle prior to the rollway incidents. These complaints involved multiple Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) model and model year vehicles that share a common electronic rotary shifter design. Of the 43 consumer complaints, 25 complaints alleged crashes, and eight complaints alleged at least one injury. Subject Vehicles – When NHTSA opened the investigation, the subject vehicles were model year (MY) 2013-2016 Ram 1500 vehicles and MY 2014-2016 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with a rotary electronic shifter. However, NHTSA expanded the scope of the investigation to include subsequent model years of the same model vehicles when the Agency learned that those new model year vehicles use the same rotary shifter. Additionally, all subject vehicles manufactured by FCA are equipped with electronic rotary shifters supplied by Kostal Automotive. Reason for closing - During the course of this investigation, ODI did not find evidence that a vehicle-based design or manufacturing defect was the cause of vehicle rollaway incidents on the subject vehicles. Nevertheless, given the risk of a vehicle rollaway, FCA’s CSN actions provide automated vehicle securement when an operator attempts to exit the vehicle without successfully achieving a Park position with the rotary shifter mechanism. ODI closely monitored the subject vehicles on which the CSN actions implement a vehicle securement strategy and found that the CSN actions were effective in reducing the frequency of vehicle rollaway incidents in the subject vehicles. ODI analyzed the incidents when a CSN had been implemented and a rollaway still occurred, and ODI was unable to find an actionable defect that caused vehicle rollaway incidents. ODI found that the failure rates on subject vehicles that received a CSN remedy were similar to the failure rates on other vehicle populations and additionally had similar mechanisms as other vehicle populations such as slippery surfaces and various mechanical failures. Furthermore, as discussed above, after FCA’s release of the CSN actions, consumer complaints have decreased significantly. Given the absence of an identified safety defect based on available information and FCA’s customer satisfaction campaign which addresses the failure mode, further action is not warranted at this time. Accordingly, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. However, the Agency reserves the right to take further action, if warranted.Please see the attached detailed closing summary for more information. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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