Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Chrysler 200 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's side seat headrest deployed and struck the back of the head of the front passenger seat occupant. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side seat headrest deployed while the contact was occupying the seat on another occasion. There were no injuries sustained by the driver or passenger seat occupant. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer was charging a fee for the headrests replacement, but the contact declined to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact's fianc owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, his fianc heard a loud explosion coming from the vehicle. The contact's fianc looked inside the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger's side headrest had exploded and separated. The front passenger's side headrest air bag had been deployed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the front passenger's side headrest needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 23-027-20 (Active Head Restraint X84 Warranty Extension); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, he noticed that the front passenger's side headrest had deployed without impact. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that when he entered the vehicle, the failure reoccurred with the driver's side headrest. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated the vehicle was parked at a Walmart, upon entering the vehicle, the contact noticed the front passenger's side headrest had inadvertently deployed. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V282000 (Electrical System, Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the previous owner had the recall repair performed March 12, 2013. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,429.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the front driver's and front passenger's side headrests deployed without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the headrest needed to be replaced out of pocket. The contact was informed that the vehicle no longer qualified to be serviced under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 97,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the front driver's side headrest deployed, and there was no impact to the vehicle. The contact stated that the headrest struck the back of her head, but there was no injury sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the headrest needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off the contact heard a loud explosion coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed that the front passenger's side headrest had exploded and separated with no warning light illuminated. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Occupant Restraint Control failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the front driver's side seat headrest exploded without impact. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact's husband purchased the headrest from the dealer and replaced the headrest. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer denied reimbursement. The failure mileage was approximately 40,300.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the driver's and passenger's seat headrests were deployed without warning. The contact called the dealer and was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags) which he linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and closing the front driver's side door, the driver's side front seat headrest deployed inadvertently with the vehicle turned off. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there would be a charge for the headrest replacement. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Related recalls
Seats › Front assembly › Head restraint
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early…
Seat complaints in other 200 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2013 Chrysler 200?
NHTSA has 82 complaints about the seats of the 2013 Chrysler 200, 13% of the model year's 628 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Chrysler 200 seat problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-640 (head restraint, Oct 10, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Chrysler 200 seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 18 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.