2024 Dodge Hornet PHEV Problems

On [XXX] the electrical system on the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T malfunctioned and all warning lights were simultaneously flashing on the screen and all driver safety warnings malfunctioned. There was loss of Power Steering Assist while driving the car as well as an Electronic Parking Brake malfunction.. It is unknown what other specific electronic safety functions failed as well but the complete system was severely malfunctioning and all warning lights displayed simultaneously. The car was brought in for service May 30, 2026, at Westbury Chrysler Jeep Dodge Service Center located at 111 Bond Street, Westbury, NY 11590 to repair the electrical system. On June 10, 2026, the car was ready for us to pick up. It was driven back to our house (a 30 minute drive) with no incident and was used by my wife this morning, on. June 11, for her short commute to work. [XXX], my wife started the Hornet and the same electrical problem occurred with the same safety issues. This electrical failure occured within 24 hours of receiving the car back from the service center. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While commuting to work, my vehicle’s dashboard illuminated with the indicators for both the engine and hybrid electric systems. Subsequently, the vehicle began to hydroplane across lanes into the median, rendering it impossible to regain control. prior to the incident, my electrical system on my dash been flickering and blacking out Random occasions for the past weeks

The contact rented a 2024 Dodge Hornet from Avis Car Rental. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "URGENT SAFETY RECALL - Your vehicle has an urgent safety recall: NHTSA Recall Number 24V752000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), Collapsed Brake Pedal - Call Customer Care or the Dealer to Schedule Repair" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact emailed Avis Car Rental about the recall and the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

I am filing this complaint due to repeated and dangerous electrical and hybrid system failures in my 2024 Dodge Hornet, which have resulted in sudden loss of acceleration, loss of braking performance, dashboard warning lights, and system malfunctions while driving. The vehicle has been serviced multiple times at Meadowland of Carmel Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram with the following documented incidents: • Check engine light and loss of acceleration on highway – Vehicle would not accelerate while driving on the highway. • Repeated highway loss of power – Vehicle drops speed while driving and will not accelerate, requiring me to pull over and shut the vehicle off to regain acceleration. • Battery/Hybrid system malfunction – Vehicle experienced abnormal battery percentage drops and required multiple software flashes and reprogramming of PCM, hybrid control processor, and transmission control modules. • Grinding noise from engine with complete loss of acceleration – Vehicle had to be towed. Dealer found active hybrid generator performance code (P0A92). The motor generator unit (MGU) was found to have failed and required replacement. • All dashboard warning lights illuminated / Drive mode unavailable message – Vehicle would not accelerate and multiple control modules required flashing and updates. • Brake pedal went soft – Loss of normal brake pedal feel was reported. • Electrical communication faults – Stored codes for lost communication with AC compressor control module and cabin air heater module. • Frozen backup camera (intermittent issue not always replicated at dealer) – Rearview camera screen has frozen while reversing, creating risk of collision. The most serious safety concern is the repeated loss of acceleration while driving at highway speeds, forcing me to pull over in active traffic. Additionally, the soft brake pedal and electronic failures raise concerns about braking reliability. These failures create a serious risk of crash or injury to myself and others.

Just 5 minutes after starting the drive, the 'Limp Mode' warning light illuminated, and the accelerator pedal became completely unresponsive. The vehicle decelerated rapidly and came to a sudden stop in the middle of an intersection, putting me in a highly dangerous situation. Furthermore, I pressed the emergency SOS button, but it failed to function entirely.

Have been, unsuccessfully, attempting to get my vehicle repaired under Safety Recall Notice 25V-246 for almost 1 year. Today was my fourth attempt. I do not believe the manufacturer is making a good faith attempt to rectify a built in defect with my car.

I am filing this complaint due to repeated and dangerous electrical and hybrid system failures in my 2024 Dodge Hornet, which have resulted in sudden loss of acceleration, loss of braking performance, dashboard warning lights, and system malfunctions while driving. The vehicle has been serviced multiple times at Meadowland of Carmel Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram with the following documented incidents: • Check engine light and loss of acceleration on highway – Vehicle would not accelerate while driving on the highway. • Repeated highway loss of power – Vehicle drops speed while driving and will not accelerate, requiring me to pull over and shut the vehicle off to regain acceleration. • Battery/Hybrid system malfunction – Vehicle experienced abnormal battery percentage drops and required multiple software flashes and reprogramming of PCM, hybrid control processor, and transmission control modules. • Grinding noise from engine with complete loss of acceleration – Vehicle had to be towed. Dealer found active hybrid generator performance code (P0A92). The motor generator unit (MGU) was found to have failed and required replacement. • All dashboard warning lights illuminated / Drive mode unavailable message – Vehicle would not accelerate and multiple control modules required flashing and updates. • Brake pedal went soft – Loss of normal brake pedal feel was reported. • Electrical communication faults – Stored codes for lost communication with AC compressor control module and cabin air heater module. • Frozen backup camera (intermittent issue not always replicated at dealer) – Rearview camera screen has frozen while reversing, creating risk of collision. The most serious safety concern is the repeated loss of acceleration while driving at highway speeds, forcing me to pull over in active traffic. Additionally, the soft brake pedal and electronic failures raise concerns about braking reliability. These failures create a serious risk of crash or injury to myself and others.

I purchased a 2024 dodge hornet RT February of 2025. Since purchasing the vehicle, I now have had issues where my breaks are screeching so loud that it is heard from my camera inside my house and blocks over from my street. I tried to address this issue with the Sterling Kunes location and they said nothing is wrong and offered to put a desqeak on it and they never did when they fixed my recalled screen. I also contacted the Belvidere Kunes location to get my car in because my car would randomly shut off when parked when I pick up my child from school. I told them it was a severe safety concern and it has been 2 months with no call from the Belvidere, IL location to get my car seen! Now my fuel door is randomly opening on its own. The dealerships will not help me and I have the numbers saved to show how many times I have tried to call them! Receipts of taking it in! And no one is doing anything. When I try to break, sometimes my car speeds up rather than breaking like it should and I then have to put my car in sport mode to get my car to slow down faster before an accident is caused. I have children! And no dealership is willing to fix these issues!

This involves a rental from AVIS at Orlando International Airport that I picked up on the 24th of March. I drove up to Palm Coast, as that journey progressed I began to notice that turning the steering wheel, either right or left the beginning of that motion had no effect on the direction of the car, which meant you had to turn the wheel further than you would normally that gave the driver a lack of confidence in the steering. This got progressively worse over the next couple of days, so I investigated to see what was wrong. It took me a little over one minute to find the pinch bolt in the knuckle joint, where the steering column joins to the steering rack, was completely missing. Realising how dangerous this was, I contacted AVIS, who asked me to drive the car some 30 miles to their nearest depot/office, which I declined to do, telling the vehicle was dangerous in it's current condition. They brought a replacement car on a recovery lorry and took the first car away. I told the driver that the car he was taking should not be put on rental until the issue was sorted.

The contact rented a 2024 Dodge Hornet. While driving 50-75 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, and the steering wheel was not turning as intended. Additionally, the steering wheel and the front axle were not responding as intended, and constant adjustments were needed; the contact had to grip the steering wheel tightly. The contact stated that the failure increased while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was driven back to the rental agency. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 48,025.

The contact rented a 2024 Dodge Hornet. While driving 50-75 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, and the steering wheel was not turning as intended. Additionally, the steering wheel and the front axle were not responding as intended, and constant adjustments were needed; the contact had to grip the steering wheel tightly. The contact stated that the failure increased while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was driven back to the rental agency. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 48,025.

We had a sudden heavy wet snow that accumulated a couple inches on the roadway. This made the roadway very slippery. The vehicle could not be driven safely. Upon lifting my foot off the gas pedal, the rear wheels would enter regenerative braking and cause the rear wheels to skid (no matter the drive mode or speed down to less than 5 mph), leading to fishtailing and no ability to control the vehicle. The only way to operate the vehicle without extreme risk was to immediately put the vehicle in neutral as I lifted my foot off of the gas pedal to decelerate or when going down hill. Otherwise you would immediately go into an uncontrollable skid. I researched the problem extensively. There is no way to disable the regenerative braking. With the design of this vehicle, if you cannot disable regenerative braking for slippery conditions, the vehicle cannot be safely operated. This vehicle cannot be safely driven on winter roadways. Dodge should add the ability to turn off regenerative braking. Lives are at risk. I queried Grok AI and it explains the problem and lack of a resolution quite well. Question: Is there a way to turn off the regenerative braking on a 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus plug in hybrid to allow for safe driving on slippery roads? Answer: The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale platform, featuring regenerative braking as a standard part of its hybrid system. This recaptures energy during deceleration to recharge the battery. From official Dodge sources, reviews, and owner discussions, there is no user-selectable option to completely turn off or disable regenerative braking in the Hornet R/T PHEV. It is integrated into the powertrain and operates variably depending on the drive mode. No sources indicate a hidden way to fully disable regen without aftermarket modifications (which could void warranty or affect safety systems). The design prioritizes efficiency and performance over a full "off" switch.

Tail light bar fractured spontaneously without any external physical impact due to structural over-tightening at the factory, creating a risk of water intrusion that can short out required FMVSS rear lighting. What the data shows is that this isn't a random occurrence — it's a known manufacturing and installation defect. If you look at the accounts from dozens of owners on places like Reddit and Hornet forums, they describe identical failures across the board. Here is the breakdown of why so many people are running into this exact problem: 1. The Real Cause: "Over-Torque" From the Factory The most eye-opening discovery from owners who have dealt with this multiple times is that the cracks are usually mechanical, not environmental. When the "racetrack" light bar is installed at the factory, the securing bolts are often tightened too far down. This leaves virtually zero gap between the plastic light assembly and the metal car body. As you drive, hit bumps, or slam the rear liftgate, the light bar literally smashes against the vehicle's body panels, causing the plastic to buckle and fracture under the stress. 2. Spontaneous Hairline Fractures Many owners report walking out to their driveway to find massive spiderweb cracks along the top edge of the light bar, despite swearing they never backed into anything. The tension on the plastic is so high that temperature changes (like going through a cold car wash on a hot day) are enough to spontaneously trigger the fracture. 3. The Secondary Nightmare: Water Traps Once the plastic casing gets that hairline crack along the top edge, rain and car wash water seep right into the lens. Because the assembly is sealed tightly, the water gets trapped inside, causing: Condensation that can short out the racetrack LED segments. Delamination, where the water forces the internal tint film to separate from the plastic, making the crack look much wider and worse over time.

Upon purchasing the vehicle on September 26th, 2024, my brand new Dodge hornet started experiencing critical failures between the gas engine, the hybrid electrical system, and various safety features in the vehicle. At just 1,800 miles, the vehicles auxiliary coolant pump needed to be replaced along with several other components within that system. The vehicle was at the dealership for 2 months for the repair. Shortly after that, there is electrical systems started to malfunction including the blind spot monitoring system and other safety features. A few months ago, the entire engine blew and needed to be replaced. It was in the shop for over a month for that and the day after I got the vehicle back, it experienced more electrical failures causing the car to brick. The car has been in the shop for a few weeks now with no root cause provided. This vehicle, meets all of the Lemon Law criteria. Also, just a few days before the electrical system failed, the headlights went out while I was driving at night. This was actually the second time this happened. The dealership said they couldn't find any issues the first time but I am waiting to hear what they discover with it now. With the headlights shutting off in the middle of the night, I was unable to see the road ahead of me and almost crashed into a car in front of me. All of these issues have put my son, my friends and myself in danger. Dodge has been having consistent problems with their electric vehicles including their plug-in hybrids over the past 2 years and many of them are still sitting in dealerships bricked. Various recalls have already been issued for the Hornet although none seem to pertain to the powertrain or the hybrid system

The Center Display Screen on about 18,800 of the above vehicles may have been built with a defect, which may result in the rearview image not displaying in a backing event. A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle. A blank screen will appear in place of the rearview image. If the driver does not heed the blank screen warning and fails to otherwise make sure it is safe to operate the vehicle in reverse, a vehicle crash can occur.

1. Dealer failed to repair hood latch when part broke. Hard to access hood secondary release latch in an emergency. 2. Recurring Trunk release latch issue. Trunk will not fully close when in operation.

At approximately 11:00PM on April 24, 2026 I received a phone call from a neighbor telling me that my car was on fire. I went outside and the car, which was parked in the driveway, was pouring out smoke and making popping noises. We called the fire department and watch from a safe distance. The smoke and popping got worse another were large flares or jets of flame visible. The fire department attempted to contain the fire but the priority was our house. After multiple attempts to put out the fire the fire fighters used a specially manufactured blanket to aid in keeping the fire from spreading. The fire burned for roughly 3-4 hours before burning itself out.

Dear NHTSA Safety Defects Division, I am writing to report a safety issue I have identified that affects several modern vehicles, particularly from manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Dodge (Hornet model specifically). This issue relates to the overactivation of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system and related sensors, including wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, and forward-facing cameras. Over the past two years, I’ve conducted extensive personal testing and analysis across multiple vehicles and brands. My findings indicate that many vehicles using modern ESC systems—likely built on common software frameworks from Tier 1 suppliers (Bosch, Continental, ZF, WABCO, Autoliv, etc.)—are exhibiting the following unsafe behaviors: •Overcorrection of minor road imperfections, such as slight pavement grooves or drainage lines. •Harsh braking or acceleration of individual wheels at highway speeds, triggered by incorrect interpretations of road angle or yaw. •Resulting symptoms include vibration, wobble, instability, and “bouncy” rides, which compromise vehicle control and driver confidence. •In some cases, fuel economy is also impacted, due to unnecessary braking and acceleration by the system. When I disconnected the four wheel speed sensors and the front-facing camera in a 2023 vehicle, the vehicle’s ride quality and directional stability improved significantly. This suggests that the ESC software is misinterpreting normal driving conditions as loss-of-control events and is applying interventions that reduce safety rather than improve it. I believe this is a systemic safety defect, potentially affecting millions of vehicles using similar ESC software logic. If left unaddressed, this could result in increased accident risk—especially at freeway speeds—and consumer mistrust in vehicle safety systems. I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider whether a defect investigation or broader inquiry into ESC behav

Just purchased a 2024 Dodge Hornet for my daughter on [XXX] She was involved in an accident on [XXX]. Cause of the accident was brake failure - as a result of said failure, she stuck a fuel truck going 45 mph on a highway offramp. Airbags did not deploy, seat belt did not lock. Why did this happen on a brand-new vehicle with under 500 miles on it. A witness, who was travelling behind my daughter at the time, corroborated that the Dodge Hornet's brake lights were illuminated/functioning right up to impact with the fuel truck. There were also no skid marks from the tires leading up to the collision. Very frustrated and disappointed that my 21-year-old daughter was subjected to a faulty 53k vehicle, and hope that other families do not experience the same, or worse results when purchasing a similar vehicle for their children. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Just purchased a 2024 Dodge Hornet for my daughter on [XXX] She was involved in an accident on [XXX]. Cause of the accident was brake failure - as a result of said failure, she stuck a fuel truck going 45 mph on a highway offramp. Airbags did not deploy, seat belt did not lock. Why did this happen on a brand-new vehicle with under 500 miles on it. A witness, who was travelling behind my daughter at the time, corroborated that the Dodge Hornet's brake lights were illuminated/functioning right up to impact with the fuel truck. There were also no skid marks from the tires leading up to the collision. Very frustrated and disappointed that my 21-year-old daughter was subjected to a faulty 53k vehicle, and hope that other families do not experience the same, or worse results when purchasing a similar vehicle for their children. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)