general problems of the 2013 Dodge Journey

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 and plan to seek a medical assessment. The vehicle is available for inspection until repairs are made. The manufacturer acknowledges that the sudden failure of this component is a defect for this vehicle but as yet it has not been the subject of a recall. No inspection of the head rest component by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

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 let it re-clip back in place and it just keeps springing forward. I have not taken it to get it looked at yet as I am writing you on the same night of the incident. I tool a picture of the headrest in it sprung forward state. I have also read alot of reviews on cargurus website about other Dodge Journey owners having the same issues. Over 20 complaints regarding this same issue. There were jo warning signs other than me noticing my head position felt strange before the headrest completely sprung forward.

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 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 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!!.

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.

As I was driving the head rest deployed on the drivers side and shoved my head forward causing me to lose focus.

Safety features of the front head rest deployed without cause, while driving under normal conditions.

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.

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.

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. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the driver's front 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. Sh.