IllustrationDriver side rear door is stuck in the lock position and will not unlock with the manual button on the front doors, key fob, or the button on the door itself. So, it is therefore stuck in that position.
2019 Dodge Grand Caravan
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2019 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
170–25K
1625–50K
1550–75K
775–100K
10100–150K
2150K+
67 reports with mileage · 172 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports3 fire reports16 injury reports
Structure complaints
28 reports10/2020 - Bought this van at Findlay Honda in Henderson, relied upon Carfax report provided by the dealer that No Manufacture Recalls Reported to Carfax. Vehicle Qualifies for the Carfax Buyback Program. [XXX] - @ around 1am I was driving at [XXX] towards [XXX] when the van lose power and was forced to parked near a safety z…
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10/2020 - Bought this van at Findlay Honda in Henderson, relied upon Carfax report provided by the dealer that No Manufacture Recalls Reported to Carfax. Vehicle Qualifies for the Carfax Buyback Program. [XXX] - @ around 1am I was driving at [XXX] towards [XXX] when the van lose power and was forced to parked near a safety zone. Waited out for an hour and was able to arrived home safely. 02/24/24 - Called Findlay Honda about the incident but was told it was not covered by an extended warranty. Was told to call Towbin Dodge Henderson. The van was towed by Agero Towing to Towbin Dodge for diagnosis. 02/29/24 - Towbin Dodge Henderson confirmed that the Automatic Transmission failed and must be replaced and fix for $8,100+ coz it's no longer covered by a manufacturer's warranty for driving 60,298 miles. The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives. [XXX] - I noticed a dashboard warning to change oil so I went to a mechanic friend for change oil that day. Went back to mechanic on 02/21/24 because the warning for change oil still popping up. Ask to check the transmission oil and showed me the oil level is proper and color is red. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2019 Dodge Grand Caravan driver side left rear sliding door locks and will not unlock with electronic or manual methods. Have to disassemble the door panels to unlock.
Driver side passenger door is stuck in locked position. Cannot manually open door. This is a huge safety risk as all rear passengers must exist passenger side rear door. I am learning that this is a very common safety issues with these vehicles and Dodge will not do anything about it. Extremely unacceptable that they will not fi…
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Driver side passenger door is stuck in locked position. Cannot manually open door. This is a huge safety risk as all rear passengers must exist passenger side rear door. I am learning that this is a very common safety issues with these vehicles and Dodge will not do anything about it. Extremely unacceptable that they will not fix it. Simply profits over people.
I put my 18 month old into the van and closed the door with no issue using the button above the front center console. We drove to the elementary school to pick up my daughter and back. The car stayed on the entire time, and the trip there and back took about 20 minutes. When we returned I pressed both buttons for both sliding do…
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I put my 18 month old into the van and closed the door with no issue using the button above the front center console. We drove to the elementary school to pick up my daughter and back. The car stayed on the entire time, and the trip there and back took about 20 minutes. When we returned I pressed both buttons for both sliding doors, and only the right side opened. When I went to open the door manually it wouldn’t budge. When I tried to move the lock manually to unlocked it felt as if there was something preventing it from moving all the way to unlocked. I googled the issue and discovered that this is a common problem and that the lock actuator needs to be replaced. A costly and time consuming repair is necessary, but what is worse is the safety issue. It’s not unheard of for cars to be hit, ind tipped over to one side. If that door was the only side that was accessible it could pose a significant safety risk to anyone in the back seat as it is completely jammed and cannot even be manually opened. Upon researching the issue further, it appears earlier models had a recall due to this door issue, but later models are not covered for this recall.
Without any warning or problems leading up to this, the sliding door on my passengers side has become “locked” and cannot be opened. I used my keys, and buttons in the car, the door will not open. I even tried to use force and pull it open, but it has not worked. It is stuck in “lock”. This is a safety hazard because my children…
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Without any warning or problems leading up to this, the sliding door on my passengers side has become “locked” and cannot be opened. I used my keys, and buttons in the car, the door will not open. I even tried to use force and pull it open, but it has not worked. It is stuck in “lock”. This is a safety hazard because my children have to enter and exit on the drivers side now which is often the side facing the open street. Also makes it harder for me to get my child on that side strapped into his car seat. I have to reach back OR reach through his window to get him secured. I have not taken the car to a dealership for repairs because I don’t want to be charged for fixing a manufacturer defect
The driver's inside door handle broke off during routine use. This could pose an egress hazard. No accident happened; the handle broke while the vehicle was parked. The handle was replaced by the dealer at our cost (warranty was expired). We still have the broken handle in our possession, and are providing pictures.
Vehicle failed inspection, AIR BAG LIGHT ON. Driver seat wire harness open left thorax squib must replace entire harness, air bag circuits cannot be repaired due to high resistance splicing causes. Part on Back order until August 2023!! Car cannot be repaired and is out of service, unable to drive, illegal to drive, I have a $20…
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Vehicle failed inspection, AIR BAG LIGHT ON. Driver seat wire harness open left thorax squib must replace entire harness, air bag circuits cannot be repaired due to high resistance splicing causes. Part on Back order until August 2023!! Car cannot be repaired and is out of service, unable to drive, illegal to drive, I have a $20,000 car loan, Thrifty Car Sales of Westfield, [XXX], violated Massachusetts Lemon Law and refused the car while under the 60 day, 2500 mile Used Car Warranty. Exhaust Leak, Muffler clamp rusted through, not holding pipes together. Driver Front Marker Light Bulb open circuit, bulb needs to be replaced. Air Bag light noted to be out by Firestone on February 25th, 2023. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The Air Bag Light remains on. I was told that it is responsible for the Driver's Side Air Bag. It was formally documented on February 25th, 2023 by Firestone on King St. in Northampton, MA 01035. It has been brought to LIA DODGE KING STREET in NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060. THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING PART TO REPAIR THIS IS ON BACKORDER AN…
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The Air Bag Light remains on. I was told that it is responsible for the Driver's Side Air Bag. It was formally documented on February 25th, 2023 by Firestone on King St. in Northampton, MA 01035. It has been brought to LIA DODGE KING STREET in NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060. THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING PART TO REPAIR THIS IS ON BACKORDER AND NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AUGUST 2023 and not guaranteed to be available. In addition, I was told it would cost $900.00 to install. I was told this by multiple people including CHRYSLER DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS TOLD A NEW PART IS IN DEVELOPMENT AND NOT READY UNTIL AUGUST 2023. If this is in fact, true, then this is a huge safety risk for all 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan Driver's who have the Air Bag Light on and may or may not have a working Air Bag. This is a huge safety issue. Additionally, I was told that the part is a "Wiring Harness" Part#68531685AA and it would cost $900.00 to install. On the Mopar Site, it is just the JUMPER WIRE SENSOR" PART# 68531685AA and is $45.00 plus $20.00 Shipping!!!! I was also told by Chrysler Dodge Customer Service that a Dodge Dealer can install the part after I buy the part on Mopar.com and Lia Dodge told me they could not. My car has been rejected following a failed inspection for the Airbag light and ALSO the RUSTED CLAMP that is holding the Exhaust Pipes together and Co2 is backing up into the Cabin. In addition to the SENSOR JUMPER WIRE Part# 98531685AA, the Vehicle should also be recalled for the Part# 4578916AB The Exhaust Clamp that is rusted and falling off causing Co2 to back up into the Cabin according to both Lia Dodge and Auto Express in Hadley, MA 01035. The Vehicle is off the road and not able to be repaired or inspected as it is illegal to drive until it is inspected. Please confirm the above information regarding the parts and start a recall so I can have these problems fixed or reimbursed by Dodge the Manufacturer, as they SHOULD BE BY THE MANUFACTURER. The Vehicle only has 70,000 miles.
DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN. MANUAL LOCK/UNLOCK LEVER ON DOOR IS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION. THIS CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE ARE REAR PASSENGERS THAT NEED TO EXIT IN A CRASH OR OTHER EMERGENCY. THIS VAN SEATS 4 REAR PASSENGERS AND HAVING BOTH DOORS AVAILABLE CAN BE CRITICAL. THIS HAPPENE…
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DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN. MANUAL LOCK/UNLOCK LEVER ON DOOR IS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION. THIS CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE ARE REAR PASSENGERS THAT NEED TO EXIT IN A CRASH OR OTHER EMERGENCY. THIS VAN SEATS 4 REAR PASSENGERS AND HAVING BOTH DOORS AVAILABLE CAN BE CRITICAL. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THROUGH RESEARCH I FOUND IT POINTS TO A SEIZED DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK ACTUATOR. THERE HAVE BEEN PRIOR NHTSA ACTIONS ON 2015-2017 DODGE AND CHRYSLER MINIVANS RESULTING IN CHRYSLER EXTENDING THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS ISSUE. MY VAN USES THE EXACT SAME ACTUATORS AS THE EARLIER VANS. I AM FEARFUL THAT THE OTHER DOOR ACTUATOR MAY FAIL WITHOUR WITHOUT WARNING, RENDERING MY VEHICLE USELESS FOR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS.
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.
20V278000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump; Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
May 15, 2020
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain Vantage-modified 2016-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. The fuel pump gasket may deteriorate, allowing fuel to leak.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Vantage will notify owners, and will provide parts and reimbursement to owners for repair facilities to replace the fuel tank gasket, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2020. Owners may contact Vantage customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain Vantage-modified 2016-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. The fuel pump gasket may deteriorate, allowing fuel to leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Vantage will notify owners, and will provide parts and reimbursement to owners for repair facilities to replace the fuel tank gasket, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2020. Owners may contact Vantage customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain Vantage-modified 2016-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. The fuel pump gasket may deteriorate, allowing fuel to leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Vantage will notify owners, and will provide parts and reimbursement to owners for repair facilities to replace the fuel tank gasket, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2020. Owners may contact Vantage customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
19V759000 · Seats
Oct 24, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. The welds on the outboard rear seat strikers for the second row bench and second row bucket seats may fail during a front impact crash. The front outboard seat strikers for the third row bench seats may fail in the event of a rear impact crash. In addition, the second row bench and second row bucket seats may not withstand the required loads.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the seat strikers fail, the seat or seat belt may not adequately restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will weld in a striker reinforcement bracket on the second and third row outboard seat strikers, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is V91.
18V523000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
Aug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.
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.