2013 Dodge Journey Seats Problems

While driving at 30 mph, you heard a loud explosion and were struck in the back of the head when your driver's side headrest suddenly deployed on its own. Both an independent mechanic and a dealer confirmed the headrest needed to be replaced, though the repair was not completed. The issue occurred at approximately 78,000 miles.

Your driver's side headrest suddenly exploded while you were sitting in the car at a stoplight, causing a loud noise and impact to the back of your head that startled you and made you feel like you'd been hit from behind. You experienced neck soreness and dizziness after the incident and are seeking medical evaluation. The manufacturer has acknowledged this is a defect but hasn't issued a recall yet. Fixing this will likely involve replacing the active head restraint system with a new or redesigned headrest assembly.

Your driver's side seat headrest cushion suddenly deployed on its own while the car was parked, even though there was no collision. When you examined the back of the cushion, you found broken pieces inside. The seat headrest will likely need to be replaced, as the internal mechanism appears to have failed.

While driving slowly through a park at 14-15 mph with no impact or accident, the passenger seat headrest suddenly deployed with a loud pop and struck your head. This happened without any collision or apparent reason to trigger the deployment.

Your active headrest suddenly sprang forward and hit you in the back of the head while you were parked, potentially caused by broken clips inside the headrest mechanism. The headrest now stays in the sprung-forward position and won't reset properly. This could be a safety hazard if it happens while you're driving, especially at night or in bad weather. The fix will likely involve replacing the headrest assembly or having the internal clip mechanism repaired or replaced.

Your passenger's side headrest suddenly exploded while your husband was driving out of the driveway, though no one was injured. This appears to be related to the Active Head Restraint system, which is designed to deploy in certain crash situations. Your vehicle is no longer covered under the warranty extension for this issue. The manufacturer has directed you to contact NHTSA directly for assistance.

Your headrest has randomly deployed or opened, causing neck pain and discomfort while driving. You've contacted both the dealership and Dodge directly over the past year without resolution. The headrest mechanism may need to be repaired or replaced to restore proper function and comfort.

Your car's headrest unexpectedly popped open while you were driving out of a parking lot. You've checked and found that some headrests were recalled for this issue, but yours wasn't included in that recall. The headrest mechanism may need inspection or replacement to prevent this from happening again.

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.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the front passenger’s side headrest air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no reported injuries. The contact called the local dealer who informed her that the repair was not covered under warranty. The dealer referred her to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

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

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 HAVE BEEN AS LUCKY. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT.

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.

I WAS SITTING WITH MY CAR ON, IN PARK IN THE PARKING LOT WHEN MY DRIVER SIDE HEADREST DEPLOYED. I DIDN'T GET IN AN ACCIDENT, THE HEADREST WASN'T EVEN BEING TOUCHED. IT SUDDENLY DEPLOYED AND LUCKILY I WAS LEANING FORWARD SO IT DIDN'T HIT ME. IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING INSIDE OF IT BROKE.

ON SEPTEMBER 28 2016 2:30 PM RIDING NORTH ON HWY 59 FROM KINGWOOD WE HAD JUST PASSED THRU SHEPPARD TX. WE HAD BEEN ON CRUISE AT 70 MPH SINCE CLEVELAND TX WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION MY HEAD REST HAD EXPLODED AND PUSHED MY HEAD FORWARD FAST. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AND HE THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT BY A STRAY BULLET THE WAY MY HEAD BOLTED FORWARD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE JOURNEY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT HEAD REST DEPLOYED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON ONE OCCASION. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND NECK SPASMS FROM THE HEAD REST THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.