What 351 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Dodge Journey

DRIVERS HEADREST EXPLODED FORWARD AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

NHTSA ODI 11342804

THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. NO COLLISION, IT WAS JUST TOUCHED WITH A HAND.

NHTSA ODI 11340266

I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE SHUT THE DOOR AND THE HEAD REST POPPED OPEN IT HIT MY HEAD SO HARD MY NECK HURTS FROM MY HEAD BEING THROWN FORWARD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING IT WASN'T EVEN STARTED YET IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY I HAD TO TAKE OFF THE HEADREST SO I COULD DRIVE IT.*DT CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THE HEADREST WOULD COST $575 TO REPLACE IT. IN THE MEAN TIME, CONSUMER PLACED 2 SCREWS TO HOLD IT IN PLACE UNTIL HE COULD REPAIR IT.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11339836

WHILE ADJUSTING DRIVERS SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED. SMALL PLASTIC PIECES BROKE THAT HOLD A BAR IN PLACE.*DT

NHTSA ODI 11339355

THE AIRBAG IN THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST JUST DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI 11337530

DRIVER SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE WHILE PARKED AT MY HOUSE AND WON'T CLOSE BACK.

NHTSA ODI 11331795

WHILE PARKED AND SITTING IN MY VEHICLE I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE WAS ADJUSTING A SEAT. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE NOISE I NOTICED MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST HAD SEPARATED APART AND I WAS UNABLE TO REATTACH IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331056

MY DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING. I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A NOISE AND WHEN I GOT TO THE STOP LIGHT I NOTICED IT HAD DEPLOYED AS WAS FULLY OPEN. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. LOOK AT THE DODGE JOURNEY FORUMS AND YOU'LL SEE MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE. THAT IS WHY I DID A SEARCH ON RECALLS AND CAME ACROSS THIS SITE AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, SO DODGE WE ARE WAITING ON YOU. PS THAT IS PROPERLY WHY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11327768

DRIVER SIDE HEAD REST VIOLENTLY BURST APART DURING NORMAL OPERATION GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. NO IMPACT TO CAR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO CAUSE DAMAGE. THE IMPACT HIT THE BACK OF MY WIFE'S HEAD CAUSING DISORIENTATION AND THE FRIGHTEN AWARENESS SHE HAD BEEN STRUCK. AT THE TIME, SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT HIT HER UNTIL SHE NOTICED THE HEAD REST HAD COME APART. THE HEAD REST IS NOW SHOWING THE COMPONENTS OF THE MECHANISM AND DRIVING IS NOW DIFFICULT. THERE IS NOTICEABLE PLASTIC COMPONENTS THAT APPEAR TO BE SHATTERED OR DAMAGED INSIDE THE HEADREST. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11325504

I WAS DRIVING AND OUT OF NO WHERE MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST POPPED, I DIDN'T HIT THE BRAKES HARD NOR WAS I IN ANY ACCIDENTS. IT PUSHED MY HEAD FORWARD HARD, I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD HIT ME OR THE CAR SEAT GOT UNLATCHED AND HIT THE SEAT. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD NO VEHICLES AROUND ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11325515

DRIVER SIDE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON A SMOOTH ROAD, NO ACCIDENT. FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC RETAINERS WERE BROKEN. PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST ALSO HAD DAMAGED RETAINERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11323596

MY DRIVER SIDE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE PARKED. IT WAS FINE THE DAY BEFORE, CAME OUT THIS MORNING AND IT HAD ACTIVATED. AFTER INSPECTION, SEVERAL PLASTIC RETAINING CLIPS THAT HOLD A METAL PIN INSIDE THE HEADREST WERE BROKEN. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND I'M NOT SURE OF THE CONSEQUENCES IF THAT HAD HAPPENED. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. LOOK AT THE DODGE JOURNEY FORUMS AND YOU'LL SEE MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11321474

THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT ACCIDENT. THE CLIPS HOLDING THE LOCKING PIN IN PLACE BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE HEADREST POPPED WITH A LOT OF FORCE HITTING ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FROM WHAT I SEE ON DODGE FORUMS.

NHTSA ODI 11319345

THE HEADREST POPPED OUT AND SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD.

NHTSA ODI 11317764

SAFETY FEATURES OF THE FRONT HEAD REST DEPLOYED WITHOUT CAUSE, WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11307881

MY HEADREST ON MY DRIVER SEAT JUST BUSTED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I10 AND HIT ME IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD. IT HIT ME SO HARD I SWERVED LEFT TO RIGHT LIKE 3 4 TIMES, I LITERALLY HAD TO PULL OVER AND GET OUT TO SEE WAT THAT WAS, I THOUGHT SOMETHING CAME THRU THE BACK OF MY WINDOW, IT KNOCKED ME DIZZY FOR A FEW MINUTES, I HAD TO SIT AND WAIT, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO OUT, I HAD TO CLOSE MY EYES AND DEBILITATE, THE MOST SCARIEST THING EVER, MY NECK AND BACK HURT.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11302577

MY HEADREST DEPLOYED SUDDENLY AND BROKE APART INTO TWO PIECES WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A FLAT, LEVEL HIGHWAY. BEING SO CLOSE TO MY EARS, THE NOISE WAS VERY LOUD. MY HEAD WAS THRUST FORWARD IN A DOWNWARD FASHION. I INITIALLY THOUGHT I WAS REAR-ENDED, BUT REALIZED THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME. IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 56,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND DO NOT TRANSPORT CHILDREN. THERE WAS NO ABUSE/NEGLECT ON MY PART THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITUATION. MY NECK IS A LITTLE SORE, BUT I SUFFERED NO SERIOUS INJURY. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE TO HAVE MY SISTER IN MY CAR BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD A PREVIOUS NECK SURGERY. IF IT HAD HAPPENED TO HER, I DO NOT BELIEVE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN AS LUCKY. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11279084

THE FRONT PASSENGER HEADREST SNAPPED APART WITHOUT ANY CONTACT. THE SUV WAS PARKED WHEN IT HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI 11277155

HEADREST ON PASSENGER SIDE POPPED OUT WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. I TRIED TO PUSH IT BACK IN BUT THE PLASTIC THAT CLAMPS AROUND THE METAL BAR WAS SNAPPED OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11269533

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE, THE HEAD REST WAS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING, NO ACCIDENT AT THE TIME THAT THE HEAD REST WAS FOUND DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11267994

PASSENGER HEADREST JUST SNAPPED APART WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. NO ACCIDENT AND NOT IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11266916

THE HEADREST DEPLOYED AND PLASTIC SAFETY CLIPS APPEAR TO BE BROKEN. DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON.

NHTSA ODI 11257949

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED FOR NO REASON. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. THE HEADREST CAN NOT BE FIXED OR EASILY REPLACED. ALSO, WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT MECHANISM HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE UP AND DOWN AS INTENDED AND NOT ALWAYS RETRACTING.

NHTSA ODI 11257313

I WAS DRIVING ALL THE SUDDEN I HEAR THIS POP SOUND MY HEADREST BUSTED OPEN THE PLASTIC BROKE INSIDE. I HAVE READ LOOKED UP THAT IT HAS HAPPEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE

NHTSA ODI 11235208

PASSENGER FRONT SEAT HEADREST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE HEADREST SHOT OPEN STRIKING MY WIFE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE READ OTHER ISSUES OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A ACCIDENT HAPPENS AND SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I THINK DODGE SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES FOR THESE ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 11218697