Yahoo Autos Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale Recalled Due to Collapsing Brake Pedal
"Loss of brake function" is not the kind of recall language that you want showing up in your mailbox, but that will soon be a reality for some Dodge and Alfa Romeo customers. Stellantis has filed a recall notice for its 2024–2025 Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale twins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, stating that the compact crossovers could lose braking function unexpectedly
Specifically, the recall is focused on the brake pedal itself, which is liable to collapse and leave drivers without braking function. Officially announced on October 9, the recall covers all 2024 and 2025 model year units, totaling around 21,069 vehicles.
NHTSA estimates that only five percent of the 21,000 units could actually suffer from brake pedal failure. Even so, the potential of a complete failure of the brake pedal assembly is nerve-wracking, especially when the federal agency's safety recommendation includes using the electronic parking brake in an emergency.
"The inability to activate the service brakes while driving can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Should this happen, the Electronic Park Brake, located on the center console, can be pulled up and held while driving to slow the vehicle to a controlled stop," recall documents filed with the NHTSA read.
Notably, Stellantis says that the automatic emergency braking system will still engage if it senses an impending collision, regardless of whether the brake pedal is attached or not.
Only one accident related to this failure has been identified by Stellantis, with no injuries or fatalities associated. And there is a remedy, albeit a simple one: the brake pedal assembly will be reinforced with a bolt and nut, offered as a voluntary recall service at no cost to the customer. U.S. customers who previously paid for this kind of fix will be reimbursed as well, so long as they can provide a work receipt.
An internal investigation of this problem was opened on September 27, 2024 after a number of warranty claims related to the brake pedal, indicating that initial reports of the issue were previously trickling into Stellantis. After reviewing supplier data and warranty records, 12 separate incidents related to brake pedal collapse were identified by Stellantis, prompting an initial safety recall on October 2 and then a complete recall on October 9. Production of Hornet and Tonale models with the problem brake pedal assembly started on July 30, 2023, and ended on September 26 for the Hornet and September 30 for the Tonale.
This news come after BMW recalled over 1.5 million cars globally over a failing primary braking system provided by Continental. The Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale pair was also subject to a recall early in their road-going careers surrounding loose battery cables and the potential for fire.
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