Chrysler Headrests Spring Forward Randomly, Lawsuit Says (1)

FCA USA LLC installed active head restraints with easily degradable plastic that caused the headrests in Chrysler vehicles to randomly propel forward, a proposed class action says.

The active head restraints are meant to prevent injuries like whiplash during a rear-end collision by pushing the headrest forward and cushioning the passenger’s head after impact. But “inexpensive plastic” in the device “could not withstand the constant pressure being applied by the tensed springs and would fail under ordinary use,” the complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana says.

The consumers say the defect affects ...