Dodge Hornet Complaints

92 consumer complaints on file.

#11720238February 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, STRUCTURE:BODY
I am a disabled veteran reporting a failed recall remedy and a dangerous safety defect in a 2024 Dodge Hornet GT. This vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Recall 25V246000 (Rear Visibility System), where the display module was reportedly replaced/updated. On January 17, 2026, while driving at slow speeds, the center infotainment screen suffered a total failure and went blank. This failure resulted in the immediate loss of the rearview camera and all primary safety/vehicle interfaces, which is a direct violation of FMVSS No. 111. I provided video evidence of the total screen failure to the service department at Southern Dodge Jeep Ram Alfa Romeo in Norfolk Virginia. While they confirmed the failure occurred based on my footage, they stated they could not replicate the issue during their inspection and informed me there was "nothing they could do." They refused to keep me in a safe loaner vehicle, forcing me to choose between driving a fundamentally unsafe vehicle with my young child or incurring massive personal expense for a rental. Due to the manufacturer’s inability to provide a permanent remedy for a federally recalled safety defect, I was forced to sell the vehicle at a significant loss. I am filing this to urge an investigation into the effectiveness of the current remedy for Recall 25V246000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719406February 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Since delivery, the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system intermittently fails without warning while in motion. The system frequently displays an "Unavailable" message, particularly during stop-and-go traffic at speeds around 20 mph. This sudden deactivation occurs with no prior audible or visual alert, leaving the driver with dangerously limited time to manually intervene and avoid potential rear-end collisions. Attempted Repairs: The vehicle has been to the dealership service department multiple times for this specific issue. While technicians acknowledge the system failure and have documented the error, they stated there is currently no functional repair or software fix available from the manufacturer. The safety risk remains unresolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718854February 18, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715513February 4, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Discontinued vehicle model still under active bumper to bumper warranty (thru 10/26); has faulty rear defroster/heated side mirrors that the "remedy" handed down to me was to "drive more" in an effort to charge battery to a threshold that allows said necessary safety feature to operate. If charge falls beneath 65% the vehicle terminates functionality of deemed "non-essential" operations to maintain major functions. Problem is, this feature is not optional. It needs to be available on demand AT ALL TIMES. Especially in the midst of a brutal upstate NY winter where the windows are quintessentially frosted over EVERY morning. There is but one mention of rear defroster operation in the 2023 Dodge Hornet owner manual on page 47. There is ZERO mention of driving X amount of miles or X amount of time to maintain functionality of the rear defroster/heated side mirrors. Devoid of this information in the manual, my expectation is for the company to find a remedy as I have owned many vehicles in my life and never have I ever had this sort of selective operation issue for a SAFETY feature. These vehicles rely on an Intelligent Battery Sensor to dictate to the car what the state of charge is for the battery. My battery was replaced by the dealer I bought this from in May '25 (have paperwork to prove) and the readings per the local dealer I had looking into this on two occasions this month were in the 60-65% range for battery capacity. No way a battery this young has been drained by a third of it's potential already. And if so, something larger is amiss that needs to be diagnosed and remediated PERMANENTLY. Me "driving more" is not a solution. Especially since it makes me incur unnecessary miles and expend more on gas which I will absolutely not do. Bringing this to light before warranty expiration later this year. The company is seemingly trying to do anything and everything to not put money into vehicles that are discontinued. Factory warranty ends 10/26.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714917February 2, 2026
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2024 Dodge Hornet. The contact stated that while the front wheels were improperly aligned during manufacturing of the vehicle, causing the front driver’s and front passenger’s side tires treads to prematurely wear on the inner section of the tire. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 3,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713869January 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electrical system drains the battery if not driven on a daily basis. Now that it had to be jump started the information screen is not working. With that being said, I have no camera, radio, heat and other displays. There have been many people with the same problem with this model vehicle but nothing is being done.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712838January 23, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712015January 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Anytime it is cold out, there is an issues with the doors not closing. Today it us 4 degrees out and I was able to get the doors closed. As I was driving down the road I live on the door popped open. I stopped, opened the door shut the door and locked it. I proceeded to drive a little more and it happened again. I again stopped and opened the door and shut and locked it again. I turned around to go back home and it did it a third time. I stopped and shut it, locked it and started to drive. This time I went around a ben and the door flew open. I am a member on a Facebook group of other Hornet owners and ther is an ongoing issue with the doors not closing when it's cold. Its a huge safety issue! I am scared to drive this car in winter, it's not safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711834January 19, 2026
ENGINE
I went to have an oil change and was told I had a coolant leak. Took to dealership and they told me they don’t see an issue. Two days later the same problem persists. I go under the hood and the coolant container is empty. Coolant was added and there is still an issue. I bring it back for a second time and dealership can not find the problem but clearly there is a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710757January 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SERVICE BRAKES
-Blank screen -When driving sound rough and feels like it’s shifting -Navigation takes me obviously wrong directions -would not start a couple of times and had to tow to dealership ***I feel very unsafe to drive the car with the current safety recalls***
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710460January 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710339January 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving through Columbia, SC on Jan 10th at 11am the sunroof suddenly shattered. The temp was 80 degrees and it was sunny. Traffic was moderate. There was what sounded like a large explosion and then I heard what sounded like pebbles running down my car. It was very startling to say the least. I thought it was a truck tire that had exploded but I kept hearing the pebbles sound. So as soon as it was safe to pull over I did to check to see if what I thought was a truck tire exploding had damaged my car somehow. I opened the sunroof roof once I came to a stop and thats when I saw that my sunroof had shattered and understood that was the noise I heard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705506December 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
we had to have our dash harness replaced due to an electrical short, the USB would not power on, they replaced the usb and it immediately fried due to the short. This is not a one off incident apparently. There are a few posts on the owners forum about harness issues, extreme parasitic draw, and even a few vehicle fires [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705148December 15, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Complete electrical issues, starting with no start up, after jumping power steering went out. Was in shop for 2 months and had an electrical fire internally, while not running.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704399December 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Heavy vibration/ shaking felt in steering, floorboard, seats and all. I purchased this car February 14, 2025 and reported this within 24 hours of be driving the car home. I was told it most likely was due to the car sitting on the lot for over 300 days. First took car back for them to assess 3 days after purchase. I was told to drive it and put 500 miles on it and see if it self corrected. It did not. I have 9,400 miles now and nothing they have done as resolved it. It is getting worse. I cannot drive the car on a long trip and do not feel safe driving it. I have had the car in the shop over 5 times. I initiated a support ticket with the main Stellantis Corp the last time it was taken in. I was assured they would have a Technical Advisor work with the dealership on the issue. Car was there over 3 months just the last time it was there. They put new tires and brakes on it and it did not resolve the shaking and vibration issues. Now the issue can be felt at lower speeds like 40MPH and is worse at 72 to 75. I contacted them after picking my car up last time and spoke to a different agent who asked me to schedule and appt with the service dept once again and they would have a Tech Advisor work with them. I reminded him that was what was supposed to happen the last time and did not. My safety and the safety of others are my main concern. Merging is difficult to feel comfortable doing because of this issue. I am a nervous wreck thinking this may cause an accident harming myself or others but they do not care.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703208December 5, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I took my Dodge Hornet to the dealership on October 1st for ongoing Apple CarPlay issues and the safety recall involving the center screen and camera system. I explained that the screen had been failing intermittently while driving, shutting off or freezing without warning, and that CarPlay had continued to malfunction despite bringing the vehicle in for this issue more than three separate times over the past two years. The dealership told me the CarPlay problem might improve after a system update, but they could not complete the recall because the required part was on back order. I was told I would be contacted once the part arrived. It is now December 4th, and I have received no update or estimated timeframe. Since then, the center screen has continued to fail at random while the vehicle is in motion, and CarPlay disconnects unpredictably. These issues affect the backup camera, navigation, alerts, and other essential functions, making the vehicle unsafe to operate. This is also not the first recall I have had to address, despite owning the car for only two years. The repeated electronic failures, combined with the manufacturer’s inability to complete a safety recall within a reasonable timeframe, have significantly reduced my confidence in the vehicle’s safety and reliability. I am requesting resolution due to the ongoing safety risks and continued delay in repairing a known defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701518November 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Driving on the highway at 75 mph, slowing down to 55mph exiting the highway by braking manually, gently. The car started juddering slightly, we assumed it was the road and carried on, then the car following us started to flash for us to stop, we did, got out and all 4 wheels / brakes were on fire, we put them out and carried on driving assuming the brakes would be ok, but we had not put any other kind of brake on except the brake pedal. Then this past weekend a mechanic was trying to move the car and moved it only 5 ft before the brakes all came on and jammed the car. I have no files to upload as the car is currently with a Dodge dealer and they are inspecting it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700625November 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697311November 3, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I purchased this vehicle in December of 2024 at 37 miles on the car. The car shut down three times on me due to electrical issue, but the dealership said it was the battery and the electric, i have invoices for all of the visits. i didnt feel safe driving the vehicle so i let the car sit and rented through Turo. Recently in October, there was a loud squeek sound and vibration coming from my brake, it was so loud, and i can feel the vibration. I didnt want to drive my car. Took my car to the Folsom CDJR dealership to get service. Car was returned to me, squeeking noise went away, but now im hearing squeeling sounds from my front and rear brake when my car is on reverse or neutral and im steering my wheels left to right. So I bring th3 car back in for service the following day and told them my concern. The car stayed in the shop for another 3 days just for them to bring my car back to me with the squeeking sound coming back. The advisor told me that it was a normal sound but I told them no it's not, he kept saying it's the rain..etc Its the same squeeking sounds that I brought the car in service for. So the car stays, the car was returned a couple more days, theres still sounds and vibration coming from the brakes. Now they are telling me that the regenerative braking system that use to work when I first bought the car that it doesnt work and Sacramento cdjr is saying that it only charges 1% over where it's at. All false. (They also mention that there were a recall and that they needed to reprogram the car but we never got a letter or notice for it). Folsom CDJR also said they resurfaced the rotors, but when the car was returned to me they were all rusty rotors. Also the fuel meter gauge started jumping up and down, and fuel burning faster then before. Things were were not normal after the services. They are saying that they cant duplicate the issue, but when I took it to an independent shop, they notice the problem and also said that I have an electrical issue still.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696055October 28, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The ADAS do not work properly when it rains, when there is fog (density doesn't seem to be a factor when the warning light comes on), or first thing in the morning when there is condensation on the vehicle. These are the times when they are most needed to help the driver.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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