2016 Dodge Journey · symptom sheet
Seat belt or seat problems
- 43owner reports
- 60,000median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 1, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
43 of the 387 complaints on this car describe seat belt.
Tick what matches of 43 reports
Seat belt on other Journey years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2018, 2019.
What this problem usually is
This group covers the belt and the seat it's bolted to: buckles that won't latch or won't let go, belts that lock up and won't pull out, and seats that shift or rock in their tracks. It's a wide bucket, with over 9,000 complaints across the vehicles on this site, and a quarter of them mention a recall.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the buckle (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the seats covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the seats on the Journey
Active head rest inadvertent deployment. Closed feb 25, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 46,271 and 78,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2016 Dodge Journey that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Active Head Restraint (AHR) Inadvertent Deployment - X84 Warranty Extension This bulletin involves inspecting the sled bracket striker pin and possibly replacing a front seat AHR that has inadvertently deployed.
What owners wrote
“Passenger headrest activated without warning striking passenger in the head while driving. x84 recall in effect. Dealerships wont return phone calls for the repair. no trouble indicator lamps”
Filed Dec 19, 2023
“My driver seat headrest had deployed somehow without getting into an thankfully I wasn't driving but I noticed it when I got into my car. The headrest also doesn't go back into place it seemed to have broke the clamps that hold the silver pole and the clamps that hold the silver pole is also locked.”
Filed Oct 5, 2023
“The driver's headrest in my 2016 Dodge Journey has deployed and will not reset. The plastic pieces that hold the metal bar have broken. I have read about many other owners of Journeys, that are experiencing the same issue, yet there is no official recall. I have not taken it to be inspected.”
Filed Sep 28, 2023
“The passenger side active head restraint (AHR) burst open injuring the owner who was sitting in the passenger seat while the vehicle was moving. There was no rear end impact and there was no reason for the AHR to malfunction.”
Filed Sep 7, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 43 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 94 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 53 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 40 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 26 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 25 reports