If your vehicle is showing active headrest popped open or deployed unexpectedly, here are the most likely causes and the parts you'll need to fix each one.
In many vehicles (especially certain Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models), the internal plastic hooks that hold the spring-loaded headrest mechanism under tension become brittle and snap over time, causing it to deploy with no impact.
Active headrests are highly sensitive and designed to deploy during rear-end collisions to prevent whiplash. Even a very low-speed bumper tap in a parking lot can trigger the system as designed.
Damaged or pinched wiring inside the seat back or underneath the seat can short out, sending a false deployment voltage directly to the headrest actuator.
A malfunctioning restraint control module or rear crash sensor can falsely detect a collision and command the active headrests to deploy unexpectedly.