NHTSA Complaint #11207646 — 2019 DODGE CARAVAN

THE ABOVE VEHICLE WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE BEING DEMONSTRATED TO ME TO SHOW THE AMOUNT OF REAR LUGGAGE SPACE AVAILABLE. WHEN THE RENTAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS DEMONSTRATING THE REAR SEAT STOWAGE SYSTEM HE INADVERTENTLY RELEASED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN UNNECESSARILY STRONG REAR ROW SEAT BACK RELEASE SPRING WHICH KICKED THE SEAT BACK DOWN HARD AND FAST ENOUGH TO HIT ME IN THE HEAD, SCRAPE AND BRUISE MY FACE AND HEAD, DAMAGE MY GLASSES, KNOCK ME TO THE FLOOR OF THE VAN AND AND CAUSE A CONCUSSION, WHICH I WAS TREATED FOR IN THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF MINE IS THAT THE DOCTOR AND A NURSE IN THE HOSPITAL SAID THAT THE APPARENT FORCE WITH WHICH THE SEAT HIT MY HEAD WOULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED A POSSIBLY KILLED A SMALL CHILD. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT AS A RETIRED ENGINEER WITH 40+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THERE IS NO REASON TO DESIGN A SEAT BACK THAT WILL CLOSE WITH THAT LEVEL OF FORCE WITH NO ADDED IMPETUS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW OF WHICH OWNERS AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE MADE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE. I DO HAVE MEDICAL RECORDS, PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY HEAD AND A NOTE FROM THE RENTAL COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTING THAT I WAS INJURED. PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY HEAD AND MEDICAL RECORDS CAN BE SUPPLIED IF NEEDED, BUT ARE NOT PRESENTLY ON MY COMPUTER. *DT*JB