What 2,367 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

On November 6, 2025 at 11:59 AM, the active head restraint on my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited deployed without impact as I adjusted the driver’s seat into an upright position. This was a spontaneous mechanical deployment inside the cabin of a stationary vehicle. The dealership confirmed this as a known failure involving the internal plastic retaining clip that holds the deployment pin. This defect was previously covered under a 10-year extended warranty that expired in November 2024. At the time of the incident, I was alone in the vehicle. I later sought medical evaluation for head, neck, shoulder, and lower back pain and was diagnosed with a cervical strain. Because this failure occurs without collision, it presents a serious risk of injury to drivers and passengers. I regularly spend time with elderly individuals in personal, non-commercial contexts and occasionally transport others in my personal vehicle. In such a population, an in-cabin mechanical deployment of this force could cause catastrophic injury. The manufacturer and warranty programs have declined to assist with repair due to expiration despite acknowledging this as a known defect. Estimated repair cost is approximately $1,000. I am submitting this report for documentation, safety tracking, and defect pattern analysis. Submitted by: [XXX] REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11704136

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? --It was taken by Jeep when they repaired it. They likely have it. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? --I was at a complete stop when the headrest deployed into the back of my head causing sever injury. There was no impact. The headrest slammed the back of my head. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? --Yes, and there have been news reports about class action suits, but there was no recall. In fact, they notified owners that if you hadn't had a problem then you're okay. No need to do anything. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? --Manufacturer (jeep) 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 11602962

While driving the vehicle the headrest deployed striking the driver in the back of the head. Action happened while turning onto a residential street. Driver stopped to access the damage. Driver sustained a headache from impact. Headrest will not reset. If system deployed while driving down the highway it could have resulted in traffic accident. Concern for the owner as subject has severe spinal issues and impact could result in fatal damage. There is no codes visible at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11579975

The head rest deployed into the back of my head while driving through an intersection. No collision. No bumps. No contact. Smooth driving and then it deployed. It’s a hard and shocking deployment that hits you in the back of the head very aggressively causing my head jolt forward from the impact.

NHTSA ODI 11481525

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the front, passenger side headrest deployed without warning. The contact's wife was sitting in the front passenger seat during the failure and was hit in the back of the head. The contact stated his wife had experienced headaches since the incident but had yet to seek medical attention. The contact notified the dealer of the incident but was offered no assistance. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

NHTSA ODI 11480507

My passenger side headrest deployed randomly while my girlfriend was in the seat. She currently has a headache, we are looking into this further and what steps should be taken. Vehicle was driving maybe 10 mph when this took place. I understand this design for deployment is supposed to take place during an accident to protect the passenger from whiplash. Again, this incident took place randomly (no accident) A plastic clip broke off, causing the headrest to spring and deploy. This is a dangerous safety design flaw and Jeep should have a recall for this component. There were NO warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The incident occurred on August 4, 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11477780

The Active Head Restraint system, which is integrated into the headrest unexpectedly deployed while I was safely operating the vehicle on the highway. The impact to the back of my head caused a concussion. The vehicle was not involved in a collision or other kind of accident that would trigger the system to deploy. After parking the vehicle and inspecting the headrest, it was observed that several plastic fastening components failed causing the unintended deployment of the system. It was also observed that the plastic around the metal fastening pin had failed. Internet research shows that this is a known problem with Fiat Chrysler automobiles. A Federal investigation is ongoing relating to this issue. Further, there is a class action lawsuit in the state of California.

NHTSA ODI 11467926

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph when the vehicle's driver seat headrest suddenly deployed. The contact had spoken to the dealer however the appointment for the repair had not occurred as of yet. The contact stated the driver received neck injuries however no medical attention was needed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. A case was opened regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000. Case number is [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”

NHTSA ODI 11430368

While driving, I heard a loud explosion, and my head/ neck jerked forward to the steering wheel. I immediately thought someone hit me from the back. My daughter in the passenger seat shouted, “Are you Ok?” She told me that the back head rest exploded. I was shaking and tears filled my eyes as I pulled over to the side of the road. The driver’s headrest deployed for NO reason! I was so lucky that this did not cause a major accident! That evening (and for the next 4-5 days), I had a headache and lower neck pain. Today, it still feels sore. Even though the dealer fixed it, the salesmanager could not confirm if the new head restraint had the same faulty parts inside. My daughter is 15 1/2…She is scared to death of learning to drive in my Jeep. She witnessed the restraint deploying, and doesn’t want that to happen to her. Me either! I have been a Jeep owner for 22 years. Sad to say that I might not be much longer :-/,

NHTSA ODI 11427352

Passenger headrest deployed without accident and struck passenger in the back of the head with a great deal of force.

NHTSA ODI 11421513

While driving home all of a sudden there was a loud pop and instantly hit in the back of the head WHILE driving. Instant headache and throbbing to the back of my skull. I pulled over as soon as I could to see that my driver side headrest had deployed. Further inspection it appears the plastic inside the head rest is broken so it can not be reset. This is an extreme safety issue! Just driving down the same road we've driven on multiple times to be hit in the back of the head while driving. If my wife was driving I am not sure how that would have turned out as she already has neck issues. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS THE COST IS TOO HIGH. THE CONSUMER STILL DRIVES THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11417821

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST RANDOMLY EXPLODED OPEN WITH GREAT FORCE AND A LOUD BANG, HITTING THE PASSENGER ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE HEADREST TO DO THIS, AND MY PASSENGER WAS INJURED.

NHTSA ODI 11416382

WE WERE IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT, SUNDAY MORNING AT ABOUT 10AM. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 65 DEGREES. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. MY WIFE GOT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE HEADREST POPPED OUT AND STRUCK HER IN THE BACK OF HER HEAD. SHE LATER DEVELOPED A HEADACHE AND GENERAL DIZZINESS. WE STAYED IN THE REST OF THE DAY SO SHE COULD LAY DOWN. NOT SURE IF A TELESCOPING HEADREST WAS A FEATURE, I DID A WEB SEARCH TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I READ ABOUT THE 'EXPLODING HEADREST', A TERM THAT DESCRIBES WHAT IT WAS LIKE. LOOKING AT THE INSIDE OF THE HEADREST, I CAN SEE THE BROKEN PLASTIC TABS THAT WERE DESCRIBED BY OTHERS. I ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, BUT WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN IT WAS NOT. AFTER CALLING THE DEALER, WE WERE GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $850 TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A BAD DESIGN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED AS A RECALL FIX. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY NOW SO WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT EXTENDED.

NHTSA ODI 11414680

I WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT THE VEHICLE WAS OFF AND PARKED AND THE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE. I WAS STRUCK IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, NECK AND SHOULDER INJURY AND WHIPLASH.

NHTSA ODI 11403085

THE HEADREST POPPED OUT DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE RESULT ALMOST CAUSED A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 45 MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11366114

I WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH, ALONE IN THE VEHICLE, AND THE DRIVER'S ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT SUDDENLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON.

NHTSA ODI 11362592

UPON BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT MY ACTIVE HEADREST RESTRAINT DEPLOYED WITH NO REASON OTHER THAN FAULTY EQUIPMENT. THE HEADREST STRUCK THE BACK SIDE OF MY HEAD. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM A MIGRAINE FOR 2 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11353678

I WENT TO MY CAR ONE MORNING AND SAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. WHILE SITTING IN THE SEAT THE HEADREST MADE A LOUD PIPING SOUND AND HIT ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. IT THROUGH ME FORWARD AND MY FACE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA ODI 11351072

ACTIVE HEADREST INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED ON AUGUST 21, 2020 ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70MPH, AND I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH WAS RECLINED SLIGHTLY. I BELIEVE I HAD SAT UP FOR A MINUTE AND WAS LAYING BACK DOWN IN THE SEAT WHEN I HEAD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT SOMETHING HIT THE BACK OF MY HEAD. IT SCARED ME MORE THAN ANYTHING AND ONLY HURT A LITTLE AND FOR A SHORT TIME. I DID HAVE A HEADACHE THAT NIGHT WHICH IS NOT NORMAL FOR ME, BUT NO OTHER INJURIES. I SAW THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE19014. I WANT TO GET IT FIXED. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION?

NHTSA ODI 11350792

DRIVER SIDE HEADREST POPPED OPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH UNEXPECTEDLY. INJURING MY NECK. I WAS ON RT 528 IN ORLANDO, FL.*DT CONSUMER HAS YET TO CALL DEALER OR MANUFACTURER.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11348705

I WAS DRIVING AND HAD JUST COME TO A STOP WHEN I WAS HIT IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD. MY HEAD WENT FUZZY AND MY NECK HURT. I THOUGHT I HAD JUST BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. I LOOKED AND DIDN'T SEE A CAR BEHIND ME. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY HEADREST LOOKED DIFFERENT IT HAD SPRUNG FORWARD AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE HEADREST IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING INSIDE HAD BROKEN.

NHTSA ODI 11348721

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS HAVING PAIN IN HIS NECK. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST HAD DEPLOYED IN MAY OF 2018 AND THE HEADREST WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER REEDMAN-TOLL CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM OF JENKINTOWN (140 OLD YORK RD, JENKINTOWN, PA 19046 215-690-3770) WERE THEY SAID SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WERE THE CONTACT'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE MANUFACTURER AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD CALL BACK AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC WAS COMPLETED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11342900

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN ALLAH SODDEN THE HEAD REST DEPLOYED HIT ME IN THE HEAD CAUSING ME TO SWERVE AND SCRAPE MY RIMS AGAINST THE CURVE ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT

NHTSA ODI 11340509

WHILE HAVING A NICE FAMILY OUTING ON JULY 6,2020. WE WERE HEADING TO A BUTTERFLY HOUSE ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT DRIVING. WHEN SUDDENLY WE HEARD A LOUD POP! SURPRISED AND CONFUSED I STARTED LOOKING AROUND EXPECTING TO FIND MY DAUGHTER HAD THROWN SOMETHING OR A POP BOTTLE EXPLODED...NOPE MY HEAD REST DEPLOYED HITTING MY HUSBAND, HARD, IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THIS IS NOT A SAFE ISSUE HE COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.

NHTSA ODI 11338983

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER HEADREST ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE EXPLODED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SAW THE HEADREST COMPLETELY OPENED UP. THE CONTACT HAD A SORE NECK AND HEADACHE BUT DID NOT GO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE VEHICLE HAD NO RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,503.

NHTSA ODI 11338349