Headrests and their potential failure to perform correctly in an accident are at the heart of two new recalls for Lincoln and Jeep that encompass a total of 1,047 vehicles on U.S. roads.
The first recall has been issued for 2022 Jeep Compasses built on December 27 and 28, 2021, and affects a total of just 114 vehicles. The second affects 2022 Lincoln Aviators built between June 24, 2021, and February 16, 2022. It is the larger of the two and impacts 933 vehicles in all.
The Jeep Compass‘s issue relates to the front seat head restraints. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents, the headrests were improperly welded and as such fail to comply with requirements laid out in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
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The Lincoln Aviator‘s issue, meanwhile, is that the restraint bun may detach from the rest of the head restraint assembly when it’s adjusted to its full forward position. That’s because the mechanism that engages the forward hard stop during adjustment was designed with inadequate spring force for proper engagement.
If the bun is detached, it may not behave correctly in an accident. In all vehicles, the head restraint plays an important role in the vehicle’s passive safety systems. As a result, in both of these cases, head restraint issues lead to an increased risk of injury.
Lincoln will start notifying affected owners by May 9 and they will be asked to bring their vehicles in for service where the headrest will be replaced. Jeep owners, meanwhile, will be notified on June 3 and the affected seats will be replaced in their entirety. Neither automaker will charge their vehicle’s owners for the services.
