NHTSA Complaint #11383359 — 2013 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

MY 2013 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND 4X2 'ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT' (AHR) HEADRESTS MANUFACTURED BY GRAMMER AG SUFFER FROM A DEFECT. FCA US AND GRAMMER AG'S ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT IS MEANT TO SPRING FORWARD IN THE EVENT OF A REAR-END COLLISION TO CATCH A VEHICLE OCCUPANT'S HEAD TO PREVENT WHIPLASH, THE FEATURE HAS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR EXTERNAL FORCE FROM A COLLISION, AND FORCEFULLY STRUCK THE BACK OF MY PASSENGER'S (WIFE) HEAD WHILE WE WERE IN MOTION. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT TO THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE PASSENGER'S (WIFE) HEAD AND WITHOUT WARNING OR CAUSE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. SHE WAS INITIALLY STARTLED AND WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEN WE DISCOVERED THE BROKEN HEADREST. LATER, MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A HEADACHE AND NECK DISCOMFORT OVER SEVERAL DAYS. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL LAWSUIT DOCUMENTS ONLINE FILED BY OTHER JEEP OWNERS WHO STATE THE CAUSE OF THE DEFECT AS THE FAILURE OF A 'CHEAP PLASTIC COMPONENT' INSIDE THE DEFENDANTS' AHR. SPECIFICALLY, THE FEATURE CONTAINS A PLASTIC BRACKET THAT ACTS AS THE TRIGGERING MECHANISM AND HOLDS THE FEATURE'S SPRING-LOADED RELEASE IN PLACE UNTIL A SENSOR SIGNALS THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT IN ITS REAR, THE CASE EXPLAINS. AS A 'COST-SAVING MEASURE,' THE PLAINTIFFS SAY, CHRYSLER AND GRAMMER AG DESIGNED THE AHR BRACKET WITH 'AN INFERIOR AND INEXPENSIVE FORM OF PLASTIC' THAT CAN CRACK AND BREAK DOWN PREMATURELY DUE TO THE 75 POUNDS OF CONSTANT PRESSURE APPLIED BY THE AHR'S SPRINGS ONTO THE BRACKET. I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I HAVE ONLY SEEN A RECALL FOR 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE HEADRESTS. I WOULD LIKE THE PARTS ON THESE HEADRESTS REPLACED. NOT SURE IF THE SAME DEFECT ALSO EXISTS ON REAR PASSENGER SEAT HEADRESTS.