Problems · by component
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee seats problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee cite seats, 5% of all 855 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
5% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the seats
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“In approximately early to mid-August 2026, I was driving my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee at approximately 40 mph when the passenger-side Active Head Restraint (AHR) suddenly deployed without any collision, rear impact, or other event that should have caused it to deploy. There was no passenger in the seat at the time, so fortunately no one was struck or injured. The vehicle had approximately 55,179 miles at the time of the incident. Its current mileage is 55,279 miles. Following the unexpected deployment, the passenger-side head restraint developed a persistent rattling condition. I brought the vehicle to Naples Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for inspection. The dealer advised that the head restraint would need to be replaced and provided an estimate of approximately $1,001.95, including parts and labor. I subsequently contacted Jeep Customer Care regarding the problem. My case was assigned Case Number 97938645 and was initially characterized as a high-priority Repair Cost Assistance matter. I was later advised that Goodwill assistance was not available for my 2018 vehicle. I am submitting this complaint because the Active Head Restraint is a safety device, and it…”
“While driving my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x2, the driver side Active Head Restraint deployed without any collision, rear impact, crash, or other triggering event. There was a sudden loud bang directly behind my head, which startled me and created an immediate safety distraction while the vehicle was in motion. I did not know what had happened at the time. The head restraint remains deployed/open and cannot be reset. The vehicle was not involved in a crash, there was no rear impact, and there was no airbag deployment. FCA/Stellantis has issued an X88 Active Head Restraint warranty extension for certain Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles involving inadvertent deployment of the front Active Head Restraint where it cannot be reset due to internal damage. My vehicle appears to have experienced the same failure mode, but Jeep/Stellantis has advised that my VIN does not qualify for X88 coverage, apparently because the vehicle was built after the selected warranty extension population. My vehicle build date is January 2018, with MDH 011623. I am filing this complaint because this was a safety related head restraint failure that occurred while driving without a…”
“The active head restraint on my driver seat deployed and pushed my head forward suddenly. I could not push my head back into position. This happened while driving on the evening of May 3. I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I was not able to reset the head rest position. I took the vehicle to the dealership. They said that the whole headrest needed to be replaced. It could not be reset because the molded plastic piece was degraded. From a search online this appears to be common in the 2014-2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with active head restraints. Even though this is a failure of the equipment, and other Jeep Grand Cherokees from 2014 -2018 received a 10-year extension on their head restraints, the dealership and Jeep Customer Care said that my vehicle is not covered. Nor will they let me buy a seat from them that does not use the active head restraint. They said that because My vehicle's VIN specifies a vehicle with active head restraints, they cannot sell me otherwise. I will not be comfortable driving this vehicle again with an active head restraint that could randomly fail and punch my head forward while I am in rush hour traffic. I believe this is a…”
“Electrical goes crazy when driving and parked , radio comes on, switches from AC to heat , on its own , calls people in my contact list , calls 911, screens goes blank at times , flashes on and off , heated seat on driver side gets way to hot , passenger seat ok so far , headlight keeps going out on passenger side fails to get it off heated seats at times or it freezes, it jumps from defrost to vent to floor , heat to AC , have to turn on AC when it rains to keep windows from fogging up. Hard to drive when it’s lighting up like a Christmas tree , radio won’t stay on same station , jumps from station to station , when on speaker phone it mutes the calls, or hangs up the person you are talking to. Navigation won’t work most of the time freezes up also.”
“To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a serious safety defect regarding the Active Head Restraint (AHR) system in my vehicle. On 11/28/25 the headrest deployed spontaneously while I was operating the vehicle. Incident Details: • No Collision: There was no impact, collision, or sudden braking event that would trigger a safety deployment. • Safety Risk: The forceful deployment occurred without warning, striking me in the back of the head. • System Failure: The internal plastic bracket responsible for holding the spring-loaded mechanism failed—a documented issue in many similar Stellantis vehicles. I contacted a certified Jeep dealership and Stellantis customer service regarding this failure. They have declined to provide a remedy, repair or reimbursement the component under any "goodwill" or extended warranty program, stating that my specific VIN is not included in existing service bulletins or recalls. Request for Action: The "VIN-specific" limitation is arbitrary when the mechanical failure is identical to those in recalled units. A safety component that deploys violently without an accident is a defect, regardless of whether the manufacturer…”
“While driving on I-95 on 11/14/25, the passenger headrest suddenly and unexpectedly exploded forward with great force while I was sitting in the seat. We were not in an accident or collision. The headrest is now push so far forward that it pushes my face down toward my chest. We cannot reset the head rest to its original position and there is some broken plastic inside the headrest mechanism. A warranty extension has been issued for this known problem with 2014-2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. When I called my dealership, I was told that my vehicle model was NOT included in this warranty extension.”
Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.