2014 DODGE AVENGER Seats Problems

I was stopped at a red light, when the airbag in the headrest deployed on the driver side.

The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Dodge Avenger. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the occupant restraint controller in the driver's seat activated inadvertently, and the head restraint deployed. The contact stated that her daughter was struck in the back of the head by the head restraint. The contact stated that her daughter had not observed the warning light before or after the failure. The contact's daughter had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was unknown.

I WAS LEAVING WORK ON FRIDAY, MARCH 19,2021 AROUND 4:05 P.M...STOPPED, MY CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION, I WAS WAITING FOR ON COMING TRAFFIC TO CLEAR, WHEN I HEARD WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE GUN SHOTS OR EITHER A CAR HAD CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES BEHIND ME, I WAS SO SCARED, I WENT TO MY MECHANIC, AND HE DISCOVERED THE HORRIBLE NOISE WAS MY HEAD REST HAD EXPLODED. IT IS CUT IN HALF AND HAS STARTED RATTLING. MY MECHANIC ADVISED I CALL DODGE DEALER ON MONDAY MORNING 3/22/2021. I CALLED THIS MORNING AT 9:11 A.M. (EASTERN TIME). I DID RECEIVE A CALL BACK, I EXPLAINED IN GREAT DETAIL WHAT HAPPENED, I IN NO CERTAIN TERMS TOLD THE DEALER, I WILL NOT BE PAYING FOR THIS, AND WAS TOLD, THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS AT THIS TIME, THAT I...

THE BACK OF BOTH HEAD REST HAVE POPPED OPEN.

I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A LOUD POP. LOOKED AT MY PASSENGER SEAT AND SAW THE HEAD REST CAME OFF THE PLASTIC HOLDING IN AIRBAG. THE BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. I WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT POPPED. I CALLED TO SEE IF DEALERSHIP WOULD FIX BUT THEY WANT ME TO PAY SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL BUT I FEEL WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY IT SHOULD BE FIXED WITH NO CHARGE TO CUSTOMER ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS A MALFUNCTION ON CAR.

MY SEATBELTS WILL UNLATCH WHENEVER IT FEELS LIKE IT, THE SEATBELTS WON'T GO IN BY THEMSELVES ANYMORE, AMD THIS ALL HAPPENED AFTER WE FIXED THE RECALL. THEN ALL IN A YEAR THE THROTTLE BODY QUIT WORKING, THE ALTERNATOR STOPPED WORKING, IT WILL NOT KEEP A CHARGE, AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOUR DRIVING FOR NO REASON AT ALL THE INSIDE LIGHTS WILL DIM AND BRIGHTEN. THIS ALL HAPPENS WHILE IN MOTION EXCEPT THE BATTERY CONSTANTLY DYING EVEN THOUGH THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY ARE NEW.

BOTH OF MY HEADRESTS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF COLLISION. THE FIRST HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO, MY PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED OVERNIGHT WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE CARPORT. THE PLASTIC CLIPS WERE BROKEN. THEN ON 7/15/2020, THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED AT SOME POINT DURING THE 8 HOURS MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS IN THE SEAT EITHER TIME BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2011-2013 AVENGER MODELS, BUT APPARENTLY THEY DECIDED NOT TO CHANGE ANYTHING FOR THE 2014 MODEL, THERE ARE TONS OF COMPLAINTS, SOME WITH INJURY, MOST WITH RIDICULOUS REPAIR BILLS AND ALL THIS IS DUE TO FAULTY CHEAP PLASTIC CLIPS THAT APPARENTLY JUST SNAP DURING NORMAL USE. WE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED...

WHILE THE CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP (STATIONARY) WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND, THE HEADREST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SNAPPED OPEN JERKING THE DRIVERS HEAD FORWARD.

PASSENGER REACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED ON ITS OWN DUE TO WEAK AND FAULTY PLASTIC. THE PIN PULLED THROUGH THE PLASTIC ON ITS OWN ALLOWING THE HEADREST TO DEPLOY, WHILE THE PIN WAS STILL LOCKED DOWN.LUCKILY IT HAPPENED WHEN OPENING CAR DOOR, IF ON DRIVERS SIDE WHILE DRIVING WOULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

I WAS MOVING MY SEAT BACK AND THE HEADREST POPPED OUT. THE CLIPS INSIDE BROKE AND IT WON'T GO BACK INTO PLACE. THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING, WHICH IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE HEADREST SNAPPED HITTING ME IN THE HEAD. ALMOST MADE ME CRASH.YOU ARE LUCKY I DIDN'T CAUSE I WOULD HAVE SUED YOUR ASS.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 75 S, TRAVELING @70 MPH THE DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DETACHED FROM THE FRAME.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 75 S @70 MPH DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DETACHED FROM THE BACK. MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. PURCHASED BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT IN 2014. NO ACCIDENTS WITH THE CAR PAST OR RECENT. NO BUMPER DAMAGE. PULLED OVER AND COULD NOT GET THE FRONT TO RESET BACK INTO THE FRAME. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE THE VIN IS OUT OF THE RANGE OF A PREVIOUS RECALL DODGE WON'T FIX IT. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A QUOTE YET FOR WHAT OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE WILL BE.

BOTH OF MY FRONT SEAT HEADRESTS DEPLOYED AS PASSENGERS WERE GETTING OUT THE CAR AND PUSHED AGAINST THE SEATS TO GET OUT THE CAR. THE CAR WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE HEADRESTS DEPLOYED LIKE THEY DID. SINCE THE PINS ARE NO LONGER IN THE HEADRESTS, IT APPEARS I WILL HAVE TO ORDER NEW ONES TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE UPHOLSTERY ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR HAS LIFTED.

WHILE SITTING PARKED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT POPPED OUT. I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE ABOUT IT AT MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP ON HOW TO RETRACT IT AND THEY POINTED OUT THAT THE BRACKET HAD BROKEN AND THE HEAD REST NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

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...

PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST SPLIT.OPEN BUT WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. CAR WAS IN MOTION AT THE TIME BUT NO ONE WAS IN PASSENGER SEAT. CAN NOT GET HEADREST TO PUSH BACK CLOSED.

THE PASSENGER ACTIVE HEADREST RESTRAINT POPPED OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND THE PLASTIC PIECES INSIDE OF IT BROKE MAKING IT UNABLE TO RESET.

HEAD REST HAS SEPARATED WHILE NOT DRIVING. SINCE THE TIME IT SEPARATED THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN MY CAR WILL NOT GO OFF. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESET IT ON MY OWN AND SEEMS THAT IT WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL THAT WAS AN AIRBAG ISSUE WITH THE DODGE AVENGER IDENTIFIED IN 2016. MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, IN GOOD CONDITION, BUT I HAVE AN AIRBAG LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY AND MY HEADREST IS "POPPED". THIS IS NOT SAFE TO HAVE HAPPENING IN ORDINARY DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED BY DODGE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ALL OVER THE INTERNET FOR 2014 AVENGERS. PEOPLE COULD GET HURT. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PART REPAIRED BY DODGE, BUT HAVE BEEN QUOTED UPWARDS OF $500 TO FIX A HEADREST! THE HEADREST IS WHAT IS SETTING MY AIRBAG LIGHT OFF AND NOT KNOWING IF MY PASSENGER...

HAED ON GUARLRAIL AND AIRABG AND SEAT BELT DIDN'T GO OFF PLUS DRIVER SEAT SLID FORWARD HITTING CHEST SHOULDER AND HEAD ON WINDOE STEERING WHEEL AND KNEE HITTING DASH BREAKING ARTIFICIAL KNEE