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 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's seat headrest deployed. The contact's minor child was seated in the rear seat was struck by fragments. The contact stated that the fragments landed in the minor child's lap. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,455.
It was cold out and my sister was driving my car with the heated seats on when she started to smell fire as well as her back got really hot. She pulled over and leaned forward and discovered a flame/fire coming through the seat back. She burned my hand and had visible ash on it trying to put the fire out. There is now a hole in the seat back from where the fire burned through.
Driver's side head restraint exploded as I was pulling out of my driveway with no advance warning. Thankfully I was facing forward when it deployed, or it would have slammed into the back of my head. I found my extended warranty notice from FCA regarding this issue. Contacted my dealership and scheduled an appointment for repair/replacement on 11/1.
When using the heated seat feature, there was a faint electrical smell. It got worse after about 5 minutes. I shut the heated seats off and the smell started to disappear. I read some jeep forums and this seems a common issue in the jeeps with suede & leather seats for there to other be an electrical short, or "hot spot" on a certain part.
I I was driving in my moms 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and in motion on a city street and I was not aware of the seat setting button on the drivers side panel door its positioned in a terrible place for people with longer legs, I had dropped a milk shake after picking it up out of the cup holder and it slipped out of my hand and between my legs rolling behind the brake, it had a lid on it so I wasn't worried about it spilling or making a mess. I just casully tried to pick it up by spresding my legs and reaching down to pick it up while keeping my eyes on the road. But, that ended up being the wrong thing to do ,my knee hit the s button for the drivers 1 and 2 memory. The seat started going forward and I couldn't stop it. …
Headrest-active head restraints - mopar (6lr08ps4aa) the front passenger seat headrest 'exploded' due to what appears to be faulty material. I got the part number from the dealer using the VIN number. A plastic component simply broke for no apparent reason. This specific failure appears to be the plastic that holds a pin in place. Dealer indicates this is not covered by warranty. I believe it should be because it is a safety component. A failure while driving could easily cause an accident. Someone could be seriously injured either by the impact or in an accident. When this failed it forced the headrest to move forward several inches. Ours self destructed while it was parked, thank goodness. No one was in the car. However if we had been traveling at 70 MPH on a busy freeway, this could be a disaster, especially if it was the drivers side.
My SUV is stationary in city street. I put the ignition in accessories and I start to clean with a dry cloth the passenger seat and pass a cloth for the head of seat, is activate the head restraint. My SUV never have a crash. I go in 23 April 2020 to autocentro service center Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler in caguas, puerto rico and explain my situation and then tell me I have to paid the parts (active head restraint) and the cost is $994.00 and labor is $140.00 because the warranty of my SUV is expire. I refuse to paid that because I think is defect of manufacture because my SUV I don't have any crash. Please let me know how this situation can be resolved. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, it was discovered that front passenger's side head rest had deployed. There was no one present inside the vehicle nor was the vehicle turned on. The cause of the failure was not determined. Neither the manufacturer nor the local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000. The VIN was not available.
While I was driving 25mph on hwy95 turning right exiting the hwy the front passenger head rest pooped open striking my 16 teen year old daughter in the head with frightening force which has caused headaches since the incident. Consumer stated case number from fda is [redacted]. '
While driving the Jeep on the city street, I smelled something burning. I felt the drivers seat warmer get really hot, felt it with my hand and got shocked. I right away turned off the seat warmer. Once I got home, I noticed there was a hole in the seat and part of my sweater got burned.
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 Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the seats of the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 5% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 2 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.