On the Dash:
• NHTSA closed its probe into 7.4 million Stellantis vehicles without ordering a recall.
• Stellantis will provide a 10-year extended warranty on affected model-year vehicles.
• The automaker named a new head of investor relations amid broader leadership changes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday closed a seven-year probe into 7.4 million U.S. Stellantis vehicles over a defect involving the unintentional deployment of active headrests. The agency did not mandate a recall. Stellantis will offer a 10-year extended warranty for vehicles produced from the 2010 through 2020 model years.
NHTSA first opened the investigation in 2019. It closed the probe this week, citing a lack of confirmed serious injuries. The agency said it received 750 injury reports but could not verify any serious injuries that were not linked to pre-existing medical conditions.
Federal investigators spent years reviewing the issue. NHTSA’s Human Injury Research Division conducted computer simulations to assess the risk of skull fractures and brain injuries from headrest deployments. The agency analyzed up to 16 years of data and reviewed more than 8,500 inadvertent deployment incidents. It said no serious crashes or injuries could be validated.
The vehicles under investigation included the 2011 to 2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 to 2016 Chrysler Town and Country, 2011 to 2020 Dodge Durango, 2010 to 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2010 to 2019 Dodge Journey, 2010 to 2017 Jeep Compass, 2011 to 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2010 to 2017 Jeep Patriot.
Separately, Stellantis NV announced a leadership change in its finance organization as CEO Antonio Filosa continues to reshape the executive team. The automaker named Charles Christman as its new head of investor relations, effective March 6. He succeeds Ed Ditmire, who has led investor relations since 2022 and is leaving for personal reasons.
The move comes as Stellantis adjusts its financial reporting practices. The company will begin reporting full earnings results on a quarterly basis. Previously, it reported detailed results only for the first and second halves of the year, with limited revenue and shipment updates in the first and third quarters. The shift also follows a challenging year for the automaker. Executives recently discussed a $26.3 billion loss last year and outlined expectations for improved sales and profitability in 2026. Since taking over in June, Filosa has appointed new regional leaders in Europe and South America, named a new manufacturing chief and elevated several executives to expanded roles.
