— A class action lawsuit alleges a Chrysler headrest deployed and injured the plaintiff in a 2014 Chrysler 200.
The class action lawsuit was filed against Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and active head restraint manufacturer Grammer.
The lawsuit alleges a Chrysler active headrest can deploy suddenly when cheap plastic breaks and releases the head restraint.
The active head restraint is supposed to be for safety to help prevent whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions by quickly springing forward in a rear-end crash to catch the occupant's head.
The Chrysler class action lawsuit includes:
"All persons in the United States (excluding the State of California) who currently own or lease, or who have owned or leased, one or more vehicles manufactured by Chrysler, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, which are equipped with headrests containing the defective AHR [active head restraint]."
And these vehicles are allegedly equipped with active head restraints.
- 2010-2018 Dodge Journey
- 2010-2011 Dodge Nitro
- 2010-2012 Jeep Liberty
- 2010-2017 Jeep Patriot
- 2010-2017 Jeep Compass
- 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber
- 2010-2018 Dodge Caravan
- 2011-2018 Dodge Ram C/V
- 2011-2018 Dodge Durango
- 2011-2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2010-2014 Sebring/Avenger
- 2011-2018 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2011-2018 Chrysler 200
- 2011-2018 Chrysler 300
- 2011-2018 Sebring/Avenger
- 2011-2018 Chrysler Town & Country
According to the lawsuit, the Chrysler headrest spontaneously deploys when no crash occurs, all when a cheap plastic component fails.
"The AHR contains a plastic bracket that acts as the triggering mechanism and holds the spring-loaded release in place until a sensor signals a rear-end collision. As a cost-saving measure, Defendants designed this bracket with an inferior and inexpensive form of plastic which cracks and breaks down prematurely under the constant pressure exerted by the springs in the AHR." — Chrysler headrest lawsuit
The two plaintiffs who sued contend there are more than 1 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles in the U.S. equipped with allegedly defective headrests.
The lawsuit references a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation opened in September 2019 titled, “Active Headrest Inadvertent Deployment.” However, the only vehicles involved are 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs.
It's been nearly five years but NHTSA has not announced its conclusion about the active headrests.
The Chrysler headrest lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana: Dantoni, et al., v. FCA US LLC, et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Jim Hall & Associates.
Multiple headrest lawsuits have been filed against FCA, and two which went to trial were in favor of Chrysler when the juries ruled Chrysler would not be required to pay damages.
