What 635 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Chrysler Town And Country

While parked, the headrest on the driver side exploded causing my head to be forced forward abruptly and painfully. There was no warning before this happened. Had I been driving, I may have crashed and caused injury to myself and others.

NHTSA ODI 11741132

Drivers Headrest Airbag went off unexpectedly causing minor whiplash to myself, the driver and causing uncomfortable head placement and high repair costs.

NHTSA ODI 11605935

The passenger seat headrest deployed without warning. I slowly pulled out of a parking lot and proceeded down the road. I heard a loud bang and looked over at my daughter to ask what was that. She said ouch my head. I looked at her seat and saw the headrest deployed. I took it to the dealership and they said there wasn’t anything they could do but it was equivalent to an airbag deploying. I called Chrysler and they say my van is out of warranty and they can’t help. This is a known safety issue and yet no recalls have been made. I fear my drivers side headrest will do the same. Someone needs to fix this issue. My daughter has whiplash.

NHTSA ODI 11585142

Passenger Side Headrest literally exploded open due to a broken plastic tab. I was only mildly injured but definitely felt the after effects in my neck and back. Definite Safety concern. I'm worried the driver side headrest will do the same thing as we are driving. Absolutely should be a safety recall.

NHTSA ODI 11526578

I was sitting in my 2014 Town and Country and my active headrest restraint randomly activated hitting me in the back of the head. I was parked with one passenger in the vehicle. It hurt my neck as it shot my head forward.

NHTSA ODI 11525276

Passenger headrest violently exploded forward without warning while car was parked and running with my wife in the passenger seat.

NHTSA ODI 11492527

The driver headrest popped out and struck me in the back of the head, nearly caused me to crash. I've seen online this is a previous reported issue, however no recalls. This is very dangerous and I was traveling with me one year old...

NHTSA ODI 11473103

Driving in a subdivision at about 20 mi/hr and the passenger headrest AHR deployed for absolutely no reason and without warning hitting the passenger sharply in the back of the head. Looking at the unit it appears that the plastic component holding a retention pin gave out releasing the pin which was still in the grip of metal claws so we know the solenoid didn't accidently activate. The plastic simply broke!! Fortunately it didn't result in injury other then a sore head! There are a lot of reports of this happening with these headrests so it is recurring problem which I'm surprised hasn't been addressed yet. If/when the drivers side does the same thing it could result in an accident causing situation.

NHTSA ODI 11419892

I HAVE A TOWN AND COUNTRY 2014. WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR MINI VAN ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE HEAD REST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT DEPLOYED AND SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD TWICE FOR NO REASON. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR US TO PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE IT WAS NOT COVERED IN OUR WARRANTY. THEN JUST A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND COME TO A STOP THE DRIVERS SIDE HAD SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD AGAIN! WHY WOULD THESE DEPLOY FOR NO REASON WHAT SO EVER. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK. THEY CANNOT BE RESET BECAUSE THE SAME PIECE THAT BROKE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT ARE THE CHANCE ?? THIS IS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND THE FAULTY HEAD RESET NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.*DT CONSUMER DID NOT CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11389817

WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED THE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED HITTING THE DRIVER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD AFTER THEY GOT IN THE CAR AND WERE GETTING READY TO DRIVE OFF. THE METAL ROD REMAINED IN THE ENGAGED POSITION IN THE BRACKET BUT THE PLASTIC EDGES THAT HOLD THE METAL ROD TO THE HEADREST BROKE WHICH CAUSED IT TO DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11302842

APPROXIMATELY AROUND 7 PM EASTERN TIME ON AUGUST 8, 2019, I [XXX] WAS DRIVING 30 MPH (CITY STREET) AND ALL OF SUDDENLY MY HEADREST DEPLOYED ON ME (DRIVER SIDE HEADREST). THUS, CAUSING MY HEAD AND NECK TO SHOOT FORWARD ABRUPTLY. REMINDER, NO ACCIDENT OR REAR COLLISION WAS TAKEN PLACE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND WAS ABLE TO GET CUSTOMER CARE NUMBER. I CALLED AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER AND THAT I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY A SPECIALIST BETWEEN 2 AND 4 DAYS, WHICH I FEEL LIKE IS A HORRIBLE TIME TO WAIT ON THIS SERIOUS MATTER. WAS TOLD TO LEAVE VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY. ANOTHER PROLONGED CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WORK. IT'S BEEN TWO HOURS SINCE THAT INCIDENT AND BEGINNING TO HAVE UPPER SHOULDER/NECK PAIN WITH A HEADACHE. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO ASK. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11242709

WHILE I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY THE DRIVERS HEADREST EXPLODED INTO MY NECK FOR NO REASON. THREE DAYS LATER I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE PASSENGER HEADREST EXPLODED INTO MY NECK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH HEADRESTS EXPLODED DUE TO THE PLASTIC BRACKET HOLDING THE PIN BREAKING WHEN NO ACCIDENT HAD TAKEN PLACE.

NHTSA ODI 11234282

ACTIVE HEADREST ACTIVATED DUE TO PLASTIC PIECE BRAKING. WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE HEADREST CAME APART. WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. THE PRESSURE FROM THE HEADREST STRUCK PASSENGER IN THE HEAD

NHTSA ODI 11110427

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS RECENTLY REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE. WHILE SEATED IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE IGNITION IN THE OFF POSITION, THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A SOUND AS IF THE CD PLAYER WERE CYCLING FOR ANOTHER CD. SUDDENLY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD REST AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SORE NECK AND POSSIBLE CONCUSSION, BUT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED BY VICTORVILLE MOTORS (14617 CIVIC DR., VICTORVILLE, CA 92394, (760) 733-8484) WHO WAS ALSO INFORMED OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,833.

NHTSA ODI 11099594

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT TWISTED TOWARDS THE WINDOW, FELL BACKWARDS, AND FRACTURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH, A CONCUSSION, AND NERVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SHOULDER AND FACE THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUSTAINED WHIPLASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 10970965

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I DETECTED A BURNING SMELL. I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY LEGS. I LIFTED MY LEG AND SAW A GLOWING HEATING COIL IN THE SEAT. I TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEAT SWITCH AND PULLED TO THE CURB TO FURTHER CHECK OUT THE SITUATION. I REALIZED THE SMOKE/FIRE HAD STOPPED AND DROVE TO A PARKING AREA AND CHECKED THE SEAT AGAIN. THE DANGER SEEMED PAST SO I WENT TO DINNER. MY WIFE AND I RETURNED HOME WITH THE SEAT HEATER OFF. THE NEXT MORNING THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND THE CAR TAKEN TO THE SERVICE CENTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693155