NHTSA Complaint #11124100 — 2014 DODGE AVENGER

IMPORTANT NOTE : MY WIFE'S VEHICLE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT ON THE VEHICLE DECIDED TO SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOY. WE ARE NOT SURE WHEN IT HAPPENED, BUT THANK GOD IT WASN'T WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION. THE FORCE OF THE HEADREST OPENING APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN SOME PLASTIC RETAINER PIECES, AND NOW WE ARE FACED WITH REPLACING THE HEADREST. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO BE SURE THERE WERE NO SAFETY RECALLS, AND WAS INFORMED THERE WERE NOT. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD REPLACE A FAULTY SAFETY DEVICE THAT DECIDED TO MALFUNCTION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY WARRANTY WE HAD ON THE VEHICLE WAS FOR POWERTRAIN AND THEREFORE, THIS WOULD NOT BE A COVERED ISSUE. WE WERE THEN TOLD THE COST TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HEADREST WOULD BE $625 PLUS TAX FOR THE PART ALONE! I ASKED FOR THE AREA REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION AND THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH A NAME. I CALLED JIM BROWN DODGE IN TAMPA AND THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE INFORMATION AND THEY REFUSED TO TAKE MY INFORMATION TO RELAY TO THEM. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER FOR DODGE AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING AS WELL, SAYING IT WAS NOT A COVERED PART. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT JIM BROWN TOLD ME HE SEES THIS 5-6 TIMES PER YEAR. WHY ARE CUSTOMERS BEING CHARGED FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SAFETY DEVICES THAT ARE FAILING? FURTHERMORE, IF THE HEADREST IS DEPLOYING WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO BREAK THE PARTS INSIDE, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING AT THE TIME?!?