2013 DODGE JOURNEY Seats Problems

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at approximately 1:30 PM, the driver’s side headrest, part of my 2013 Dodge Journey’s AHR (Active Head Restraint) system suddenly exploded for no apparent reason. I was alone in the vehicle, waiting to make a left turn. The sudden loud, sharp sound and impact to the back of my head startled and stunned me; I felt as if I had been rear ended. I looked back but there was no one behind me. Not knowing what had happened, I felt scared and light headed. I was still able to complete my turn but I pulled over to compose myself and ensure that I was okay. I didn’t become aware of the failure of the headrest until I returned home and my husband inspected the vehicle. As I write this incident report 24 hours after it occurred, I am experiencing soreness and discomfort in my neck...

My headrest randomly deployed/opened. I have contacted the dealership, and spoke directly, with Dodge; still no success. I have been trying to get this issue fixed for over a year; I still have a broken headrest that hurts my neck and makes it uncomfortable to drive. Please RECALL the headrest for 2013 Dodge Journey! This is my second form and NOTHING has been done yet!!

The driver side seat headrest cushion deployed automatically. There was no car collision. I noticed the seat headrest deployed after returning to the car hours later. I liked into the interior back side of the cushion part and I saw broken pieces inside.

We were going thru the park we did not hit anything nor where we going fast we were only going 14/15 mph . I was sitting in the pasenger seat and all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a loud pop and my head was hit by the head rest for no reason . We were not in an accident or anthing to cause it to just all of a sudden deploy.

As I was driving to pick my son up from work at 10pm, I started to drive my 2013 dodge journey sxt and noticed my head position didn't feel right. I got to my sons job and as we were making our way to the gas station to get gas before we headed home my headrest hit me in the back of the head randomly. The active headrest sprung forward hitting me in the back of the head. Luckily I was not driving at that moment or it could have caused me to crash, being that it was night time and raining. I got home where I could get my flash light out and give it a good looking over and realized that it the clips on the inside of the active headrest broke. I tried to reset the headrest to dee if there was some other mechanism that would...

We were pulling out of a parking lot on to the road and the riverside head headrest “exploded” open. We have looked and seen that some weee recalled but ours was not apart of the recall.

There was no damage to my headrest when I parked my car on the evening of: June 29, 2024. On Sunday morning; June 30, 2024. When I entered my vehicle. I learned that the driver seat headrest; airbag deployed/busted open for no apparent reason. My children travel with me in this vehicle. This is very, very dangerous!

My headrest on my passenger seat employed during the night. My wife noticed it in the morning when she went to turn the car on for work. My safety or whoever would be sitting in the passenger could be compromised if the headrest would’ve went off while driving. We are worried now that our driver seat might activate for no apparent reason. That would put myself or anyone else on the road in danger.

On November 2nd, 2022, while driving home with my teenage son in the passenger seat with his head leaning back on the headrest, the headrest spontaneously sprang/deployed and thrust his head forward toward the front of the car. When we got home, I looked into the headrest and found the latching pin broke away from the housing and deployed the headrest. This is available for inspection as I cannot put the broken headrest back into my vehicle. Fortunately, my son was not injured as far as we know. We will be having the local dealership look at the headrest tomorrow 11/5/22

The driver side headrest has snapped from its plastic hinges inside that keep the front cushion part attached the the back plastic cover. It happened while I was driving with my children in the vehicle and could have caused an accident!

My car was parked in the driveway and when I went to leave in my car I noticed the headrest felt odd. I got out of the car to inspect it and found that the active head rest had deployed. The vehicle has not been in an accident and was parked at time of incident.

The passenger side headrest popped open when no one was in the passenger seat. Scared me half to death!

I noticed today that the front passenger headrest popped apart, or deployed. I am not sure exactly what to call it. I had no front seat passengers.

Active head rest deployed. Car was off.

THE PASSENGER HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVEWAY. TRIED TO RESET HEADREST AND WHERE THE PIN IS MOUNTED IS BROKE. PIN IS STILL IN LATCH ASSEMBLY AND CANNOT BE RESET. AFTER GOOGLING IT WAS SUGGESTED I SEND A REPORT TO YOU. WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE.

ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT HEADREST ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED ON ITS OWN. CAR WAS STATIONARY AND TURNED OFF. THE PASSENGER WAS BUCKLED IN AND HAD LEANING FORWARD TO OPEN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE HEAD RESTS POPPED OPEN.

AS I WAS DRIVING THE HEAD REST DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND SHOVED MY HEAD FORWARD CAUSING ME TO LOSE FOCUS

DRIVER'S SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND PARKED. IT STRUCK DRIVER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED & UNOCCUPIED.

DRIVER HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE CAR WAS PARKED. LOOKED ONLINE SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MOST DODGE VEHICLES MADE AFTER 2010.*DT CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND HAD A POSSIBLE CONCUSSION.*JB

DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST SNAPPED APART WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY.

THE ACTIVE HEADREST RESTRAINT DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A CITY ROAD.

DRIVERS HEADREST EXPLODED FORWARD AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. NO COLLISION, IT WAS JUST TOUCHED WITH A HAND.

I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE SHUT THE DOOR AND THE HEAD REST POPPED OPEN IT HIT MY HEAD SO HARD MY NECK HURTS FROM MY HEAD BEING THROWN FORWARD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING IT WASN'T EVEN STARTED YET IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY I HAD TO TAKE OFF THE HEADREST SO I COULD DRIVE IT.*DT CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THE HEADREST WOULD COST $575 TO REPLACE IT. IN THE MEAN TIME, CONSUMER PLACED 2 SCREWS TO HOLD IT IN PLACE UNTIL HE COULD REPAIR IT.*JB

WHILE ADJUSTING DRIVERS SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED. SMALL PLASTIC PIECES BROKE THAT HOLD A BAR IN PLACE.*DT

THE AIRBAG IN THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST JUST DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

DRIVER SEAT HEADREST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE WHILE PARKED AT MY HOUSE AND WON'T CLOSE BACK.

WHILE PARKED AND SITTING IN MY VEHICLE I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE WAS ADJUSTING A SEAT. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE NOISE I NOTICED MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST HAD SEPARATED APART AND I WAS UNABLE TO REATTACH IT. *TR

MY DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING. I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A NOISE AND WHEN I GOT TO THE STOP LIGHT I NOTICED IT HAD DEPLOYED AS WAS FULLY OPEN. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. LOOK AT THE DODGE JOURNEY FORUMS AND YOU'LL SEE MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE. THAT IS WHY I DID A SEARCH ON RECALLS AND CAME ACROSS THIS SITE AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, SO DODGE WE ARE WAITING ON YOU. PS THAT IS PROPERLY WHY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEAD REST VIOLENTLY BURST APART DURING NORMAL OPERATION GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. NO IMPACT TO CAR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO CAUSE DAMAGE. THE IMPACT HIT THE BACK OF MY WIFE'S HEAD CAUSING DISORIENTATION AND THE FRIGHTEN AWARENESS SHE HAD BEEN STRUCK. AT THE TIME, SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT HIT HER UNTIL SHE NOTICED THE HEAD REST HAD COME APART. THE HEAD REST IS NOW SHOWING THE COMPONENTS OF THE MECHANISM AND DRIVING IS NOW DIFFICULT. THERE IS NOTICEABLE PLASTIC COMPONENTS THAT APPEAR TO BE SHATTERED OR DAMAGED INSIDE THE HEADREST. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND OUT OF NO WHERE MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADREST POPPED, I DIDN'T HIT THE BRAKES HARD NOR WAS I IN ANY ACCIDENTS. IT PUSHED MY HEAD FORWARD HARD, I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD HIT ME OR THE CAR SEAT GOT UNLATCHED AND HIT THE SEAT. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD NO VEHICLES AROUND ME. *TR

DRIVER SIDE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON A SMOOTH ROAD, NO ACCIDENT. FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC RETAINERS WERE BROKEN. PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST ALSO HAD DAMAGED RETAINERS. *TR

MY DRIVER SIDE ACTIVE HEADREST DEPLOYED WHILE PARKED. IT WAS FINE THE DAY BEFORE, CAME OUT THIS MORNING AND IT HAD ACTIVATED. AFTER INSPECTION, SEVERAL PLASTIC RETAINING CLIPS THAT HOLD A METAL PIN INSIDE THE HEADREST WERE BROKEN. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND I'M NOT SURE OF THE CONSEQUENCES IF THAT HAD HAPPENED. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. LOOK AT THE DODGE JOURNEY FORUMS AND YOU'LL SEE MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE.

THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED WITHOUT ACCIDENT. THE CLIPS HOLDING THE LOCKING PIN IN PLACE BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE HEADREST POPPED WITH A LOT OF FORCE HITTING ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FROM WHAT I SEE ON DODGE FORUMS.

THE HEADREST POPPED OUT AND SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD.

SAFETY FEATURES OF THE FRONT HEAD REST DEPLOYED WITHOUT CAUSE, WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.

MY HEADREST ON MY DRIVER SEAT JUST BUSTED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I10 AND HIT ME IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD. IT HIT ME SO HARD I SWERVED LEFT TO RIGHT LIKE 3 4 TIMES, I LITERALLY HAD TO PULL OVER AND GET OUT TO SEE WAT THAT WAS, I THOUGHT SOMETHING CAME THRU THE BACK OF MY WINDOW, IT KNOCKED ME DIZZY FOR A FEW MINUTES, I HAD TO SIT AND WAIT, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO OUT, I HAD TO CLOSE MY EYES AND DEBILITATE, THE MOST SCARIEST THING EVER, MY NECK AND BACK HURT.*DT*JB

MY HEADREST DEPLOYED SUDDENLY AND BROKE APART INTO TWO PIECES WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A FLAT, LEVEL HIGHWAY. BEING SO CLOSE TO MY EARS, THE NOISE WAS VERY LOUD. MY HEAD WAS THRUST FORWARD IN A DOWNWARD FASHION. I INITIALLY THOUGHT I WAS REAR-ENDED, BUT REALIZED THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME. IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 56,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND DO NOT TRANSPORT CHILDREN. THERE WAS NO ABUSE/NEGLECT ON MY PART THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITUATION. MY NECK IS A LITTLE SORE, BUT I SUFFERED NO SERIOUS INJURY. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE TO HAVE MY SISTER IN MY CAR BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD A PREVIOUS NECK SURGERY. IF IT HAD HAPPENED TO HER, I DO NOT BELIEVE SHE WOULD...

THE FRONT PASSENGER HEADREST SNAPPED APART WITHOUT ANY CONTACT. THE SUV WAS PARKED WHEN IT HAPPENED.

HEADREST ON PASSENGER SIDE POPPED OUT WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. I TRIED TO PUSH IT BACK IN BUT THE PLASTIC THAT CLAMPS AROUND THE METAL BAR WAS SNAPPED OFF.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE, THE HEAD REST WAS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING, NO ACCIDENT AT THE TIME THAT THE HEAD REST WAS FOUND DEPLOYED.

PASSENGER HEADREST JUST SNAPPED APART WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. NO ACCIDENT AND NOT IN MOTION.

THE HEADREST DEPLOYED AND PLASTIC SAFETY CLIPS APPEAR TO BE BROKEN. DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED FOR NO REASON. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. THE HEADREST CAN NOT BE FIXED OR EASILY REPLACED. ALSO, WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT MECHANISM HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE UP AND DOWN AS INTENDED AND NOT ALWAYS RETRACTING.

I WAS DRIVING ALL THE SUDDEN I HEAR THIS POP SOUND MY HEADREST BUSTED OPEN THE PLASTIC BROKE INSIDE. I HAVE READ LOOKED UP THAT IT HAS HAPPEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE

PASSENGER FRONT SEAT HEADREST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE HEADREST SHOT OPEN STRIKING MY WIFE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE READ OTHER ISSUES OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A ACCIDENT HAPPENS AND SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I THINK DODGE SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES FOR THESE ISSUES.

MY HEAD REST DEPLOYED WHILE I WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVE THROUGH LINE AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT (LUCKILY, IT DID NOT HIT ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD, BECAUSE I HAD LEANED FORWARD TO TALK TO THE RESTAURANT WORKER). AFTER RESEARCHING HOW TO FIX THIS/THE COST OF FIXING THIS, I SEE THAT THIS HAPPENS TO NEARLY EVERY DODGE JOURNEY. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN MY STREET AT ABOUT 40 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADREST SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED, HITTING ME HARD IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD. I WAS ON A CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT, AND HAD HIT NO BUMPS.

THE HEADRESTS ON BOTH FRONT SEATS POPPED OPEN. THE PASSENGER SEAT OPENED WHEN THE PASSENGER STRETCHED AND TOUCHED THE BACK OF THE HEADREST. THIS WAS DURING A TRIP, MAYBE IN 2015. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO RESET THE HEADREST AND WERE TOLD IT COULD NOT BE RESET AND WOULD COST IVER $600 TO FIX IT. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW THE DRIVER HEADREST OPENED. WE ATTEMPTED TO RESET IT, BUT IT WILL NOT STAT IN THE LPCKED POSITION. NEITHER INSTANCE WAS CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT.