Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet, both in their hybrid variants, have been recalled from the United States due to an issue related to the pedestrian alert system, a safety feature required in the USA, which appears to be disconnected or entirely missing on both models.
These two C-SUVs, both born from the same base and produced at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant in Campania, Italy, have come under the scrutiny of the authority responsible for road transport safety in the United States, the well-known NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). According to the Stellantis Group, for approximately eight months, some Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet vehicles have left the production lines with this missing or malfunctioning safety equipment. Consequently, the group resulting from the merger of FCA and PSA is already recalling 4,660 C-SUVs in an attempt to find a proper solution to the situation. These are the units affected by the measure, as these 4,660 Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet vehicles would be unable to meet the minimum acoustic requirements established by the US agency for hybrid or electric vehicles.
The faulty or missing system on the Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet alerts pedestrians during electric-only driving mode
The defective or even missing system at the center of attention concerning the slightly more than 4,600 Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet is designed to notify pedestrians of an approaching vehicle when it is operating in pure electric mode. In a statement issued by Stellantis to the NHTSA, the pedestrian alert acoustic system may indeed be disconnected or completely missing on the Tonale and Hornet affected by the recall. According to Stellantis, the manufacturers only became aware of the potential problem after completing the production of each involved model for approximately eight months.
The production period that has garnered the attention of Stellantis and the NHTSA spans from December 13, 2022, to September 12, 2023, when a necessary correction was made at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant in this regard. Within this timeframe, 2,032 Dodge Hornets and 2,628 Alfa Romeo Tonales were produced, making up the total number of vehicles subject to the recall.
In particular, as mentioned earlier, this recall pertains only to the hybrid versions of the Tonale and Hornet. Additionally, American owners should have no trouble determining if their vehicle is affected by the described issue. Engaging in reverse should activate an audible warning signal. If not, there is a good chance that the safety system is missing or disconnected. Initial estimates suggest that only 10% of the vehicles indicated in the NHTSA’s measure will require the pedestrian safety system to be replaced or properly connected.
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