Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet PHEV: fire hazard, recalled in the United States

Stellantis, born from the merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA, has recalled plug-in hybrid offerings. Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale due to the risk of fire that can occur even when the vehicles are parked. The problem is caused by the positive 12 volt cable nuts and/or high voltage connectors. For this reason, the company advised owners to park outside to prevent the fire from spreading.

Fire hazard: DOdge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid versions recalled in the US.

According to the website CarBuzz, which cites a press release from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall covers 2,254 units of Dodge Hornet PHEV produced from 13 December 2022 to 23 August 2023 and 1,875 units of the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV produced from 9 February to 23 August 2023. Therefore, the total number of vehicles that may be affected is 4,129 units.

Stellantis has opened an investigation into the matter on 23 August 2023 and the next day he updated the cordless screwdriver at the Pomigliano d’Arco factory, in the province of Naples, where the two cars are produced, to ensure the correct torque values ​​for tightening the cable nuts. The factory has also added a follow-up system to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet PHEV have a 1.3 liter petrol engine and two electric motors capable of producing 280 HP. Stellantis is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the assembly failure, but the investigation found two field reports that may be related to the problem. As part of the repair plan, the company plans to tighten the nuts and secure the high-voltage connectors at no cost to the owners. Reminder notification letters will be sent to dealers and owners October 27, 2023.

This recall of the Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet adds to the number of recalls made by Stellantis, which ranks second among all automakers after Ford this year. One of the previous records this year was 1 second32,099 Jeep Cherokee units. Again there was a “park outdoors” note due to the problem with the rear electric gate which also created a fire hazard.