| Issue ID | 1564384 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 11207646 |
| Manufacurer | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| Brand | DODGE |
| Model | CARAVAN |
| Model Year | 2019 |
| File date | 17/04/19 |
| Component | SEATS |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | The above vehicle was a rental vehicle being demonstrated to me to show the amount of rear luggage space available. When the rental representative was demonstrating the rear seat stowage system he inadvertently released what appeared to be an unnecessarily strong rear row seat back release spring which kicked the seat back down hard and fast enough to hit me in the head, scrape and bruise my face and head, damage my glasses, knock me to the floor of the van and and cause a concussion, which i was treated for in the hospital emergency room. A significant concern of mine is that the doctor and a nurse in the hospital said that the apparent force with which the seat hit my head would have seriously injured a possibly killed a small child. From my vantage point as a retired engineer with 40+ years of experience, there is no reason to design a seat back that will close with that level of force with no added impetus. This appears to be a serious design flaw of which owners and the manufacturer should be made should be made aware. I do have medical records, photographs of my head and a note from the rental company representative admitting that i was injured. Photographs of my head and medical records can be supplied if needed, but are not presently on my computer. *dt*jb |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 1522 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | SAN JOSE, CA |
| VIN pattern | 2C4RDGEG3KRXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | Y |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 1 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | Y |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Drive train type | FWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 0 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |