What 640 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Durango

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The passenger Active Head Restraints (AHR) deployed for no reason. I was sitting in in the passenger side seat talking to my wife, in the driveway, when the AHR deployed without cause. The head restraint struck me on the back left side of head with force. My neck is starting to stiffen up. Yes it is available for inspection. I will send pictures. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The force generated during the deployment of an Active Head Restraint (AHR) system is significant, I know because I was hit on the back of the my head thankfully I was not driving. My safety concern is two fold, one injury from AHR deploying inadvertently and elderly person might be at more risk for this type of injury. Two, AHR deploys striking driver while the car is in motion causing an accident. Also, this might be related to an open investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA Action Number: PE19014) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

NHTSA ODI 11616433

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 55–60 MPH, there was an abnormal exploding sound detected. The contact pulled over and noticed that the driver's side headrest air bag had exploded without warning or impact. The contact sustained a headache, but medical attention was not provided. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that repairs were not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case and informed the contact that the repairs would be at her own expense. The failure mileage was approximately 171,088.

NHTSA ODI 11559712

The active restraint in the driver’s side headrest deployed on it’s own without the vehicle being in a collision.

NHTSA ODI 11532381

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the driver's side front seat headrest was deployed without impact. The contact sustained an injury to her head; however, no medical attention was received. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11516861

ON JULY 10, 2020, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, MY DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD CAUSING A SEVERE HEADACHE. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. IT JUST RANDOMLY DEPLOYED. I HAVE SINCE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED FOR IT. I AM NOW FORCED TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE PASSENGER HEADREST DOES THE SAME. I HAVE THREE TEENAGERS, AND I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEM AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11340077

HEAD REST POPPED OUT AND INTO BACK OF HEAD WHILE DRIVING ON BOTH DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE. OCCURRED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY.

NHTSA ODI 11317765

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, & SLIGHTLY TAPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND MY HEADREST DEPLOYED & POPPED OUT AND HIT ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT STARTLED ME, BUT ALSO POPPED OUT HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE A HEADACHE. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11245922

WITHIN ONE WEEK TIME FRAME, BOTH FRONT HEADRESTS SUDDENLY AND LOUDLY SNAPPED APART WITH A LOUD BANG AND PROPELLED FORWARD WITH GREAT FORCE. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT WHEN IT HAPPENED ON THAT SIDE BUT LUCKILY DID NOT HAVE HIS HEAD RESTING ON IT. WE WERE MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND THE HORRIBLE NOISE MADE US SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND ALMOST COME TO A STOP. IT WAS A HUGE SHOCK AND VERY SCARY. SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT GOING OFF. THE SECOND PASSENGER HEADREST EXPLODED OPEN TODAY WITH MY SONS HEAD RESTING IN IT. IT JERKED HIS HEAD FORWARD AND HIT HIM ON THE TEMPORAL SIDE OF HIS HEAD. COMPLAINTS OF A HEADACHE SO FAR. WE WERE PARKED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *DT *DT *DT *TR CONSUMER STATED HER HUSBAND CALLED BOTH LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY HAD BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEN ALSO CALLED CHRYSLER AFTER DODGE. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. CONTACT DID NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE WARRANTY THROUGH THEM AND THERE WERE NO SPECIFIC RECALLS OUT ON THE HEADRESTS AT THIS TIME. THE TWO FRONT HEADRESTS WERE REPLACED WITH NON-DODGE BRAND GENERIC ONES. CONTACT KEPT THE ORIGINAL MALFUNCTIONING ONES JUST IN CASE THEY WOULD NEED TO BE LOOKED AT SOME POINT.*JB *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11244507

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION AND WAITING FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEAD REST AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. AFTERWARDS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A HEAD AND NECK INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER (POSNER PARK CHRYSLER DODGE, 42650 HIGHWAY 27, DAVENPORT, FL) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

NHTSA ODI 11205675

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I FELT MY HEAD JERK FORWARD AND HEARD A POP FROM MY HEADREST. AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT GOING ABOUT 68 MPH. WHEN I FELT THE IMPACT BEHIND MY HEAD MY INSTINCT WAS TO HIT MY BRAKE THINKING SOMEONE HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND, BUT ONCE I LOOKED AROUND THERE WAS NO ONE CLOSE BEHIND OR TO THE SIDES OF ME. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND LOOKED AT THE HEADREST AND NOTICED IT HAD POPPED OPEN. THIS ONLY OCCURRED ON THE DRIVER SEAT HEADREST. AGAIN, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY COLLISION AT OR AROUND THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN IN COLLISIONS YEARS PRIOR TO THIS, BUT NONE FROM BEHIND.

NHTSA ODI 11096428

I DROPPED THE KEYS BETWEEN THE CAR SEAT AND THE CONSOLE. I MOVED THE SEAT TO THE FARTHEST POSITION THAT I WOULD GO BACK. I TURNED TO SIT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR FRAME IN ORDER TO PUT MY LEFT HAND IN TO REACH THE KEYS. THERE WAS NOTHING MOVING BEFORE I MOVED MY HAND. AS SOON AS I TOUCHED THE KEYS THE SEAT CAME DOWN ON TO MY LEFT RING FINGER. I T JUST MOVED IN A DOWNWARD POSITION. I CALLED 911 BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO FREE MY HAND. THE WINSLOW POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND ASSISTED WITH FREEING MY HAND. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AND NOT MOVING AT THE TIME. I WENT TO THE PATIENT FIRST CARE CENTER AND THEY DID X-RAYS ON MY HAND.

NHTSA ODI 11080844