Used Dodge Hornet 1st Gen (2023-2025): Buyer's Guide

Dodge stopped building the Hornet in January 2026, three model years after it launched. That's an unusually short run for a compact crossover, and tariffs weren't the whole story. This is a nameplate that never shook a reputation for electrical gremlins, built around a plug-in hybrid version whose federal recall told early owners to park outside, away from buildings, until a loose battery cable got fixed. None of that means skip it. Hornet prices have cratered since the cancellation announcement, and if you know exactly what you're buying, this is a genuinely fun small SUV at a steep discount. Here's what three years of recalls, forum threads, and NHTSA complaint data actually say about which one to buy.

This Generation at a Glance

The Dodge Hornet is a single generation: 2023 through 2025, with no redesign in between and no second generation coming. Dodge built it in Italy on the same Pomigliano d'Arco assembly line as its platform-mate, the Alfa Romeo Tonale, sharing the FCA "Small Wide 4x4" architecture, body stampings, suspension, and most of the powertrain hardware. Alfa Romeo was reportedly unhappy about the arrangement, worried the cheaper Dodge would cannibalize Tonale sales in a shared market. There was no mid-cycle refresh across the Hornet's run: what changed year to year was mostly software, trim availability, and recall remediation, not hardware.

The Hornet filled a gap Dodge had left open for years: the Caliber left the lineup in 2012 and the Journey followed in 2020, and neither had a direct replacement until this arrived for 2023. Every trim ran Uconnect 5, Stellantis's current infotainment stack, standard, which owners consistently describe as fast and easy to use even when the rest of the electrical system is acting up.

Two engines cover the whole lineup. GT and GT Plus trims run a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder making 268 hp and 295 lb-ft through a 9-speed automatic. R/T and R/T Plus trims get a 1.3L turbocharged four paired with a rear-mounted electric motor and a 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, for 288 hp and 383 lb-ft combined, routed through a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic. The R/T is Dodge's first-ever plug-in hybrid, rated for 33 miles of EPA electric range at up to 84 mph on electric power alone, with 360 miles of total range once the gas engine kicks in. All Hornets came with standard all-wheel drive.

Current pricing and inventory: Dodge Hornet market data, with per-year pages for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Powertrain & Trim Breakdown

2.0L Turbo I4 (GT and GT Plus)

The GT's turbo four and 9-speed automatic are the safer bet if you want a Hornet without the added complexity of a plug-in hybrid. Owners on hornetowners.com generally rate this powertrain ahead of the R/T's for reliability, and one 2024 GT owner with nearly 28,000 miles over two years reports no issues beyond routine service. That pattern shows up repeatedly in GT-specific threads: fewer catastrophic failures, more small annoyances, and a forum consensus that this is the Hornet to buy if you just want a fun-handling crossover without a science project attached.

The known mechanical issue is a coolant leak from improperly torqued water pump inlet tube fasteners, typically surfacing between 7,000 and 10,000 miles. Stellantis addressed it through a technical service bulletin instructing dealers to re-torque the fasteners and apply sealant. That's a TSB, not a recall, so it won't turn up on a VIN recall check: ask the seller directly whether it was performed. Turbo lag paired with occasional low-speed gear hunting in the 9-speed is a persistent forum complaint across all three model years, more annoyance than failure, and there's no fix on record beyond software updates that some owners say help and others say don't.

If you're looking at a GT Plus with the optional Track Pack (20-inch wheels, firmer tuning, paddle shifters), pay close attention to tire wear. The Hornet's strut front suspension has no dedicated caster adjustment: camber and caster share the same two strut-to-hub mounting bolts, and the adjustment range built into those bolt holes is limited. Owners report feathered front tire wear when caster drifts out of spec, and one long-term owner review logged three alignments, three sets of specialty tires, and more than $9,000 in combined tire, wheel, and alignment costs across two years, separately from an isolated turbo failure on the same car. That's an outlier, not a documented pattern tied specifically to the Track Pack, but the caster limitation itself is a real design constraint worth having a shop check during a pre-purchase inspection, not just a general tire-tread glance.

GT and GT Plus models are also subject to two label recalls (24V175000 for 2023-2024 cars, and 24V209000 for 2024 cars specifically), plus the brake pedal recall (24V752000, 2024-2025 cars) and the rearview camera recall (25V246000, 2023-2025 cars). None of them are engine or transmission issues, and none carry the same urgency as the R/T-only battery cable and pedestrian siren recalls described below, both of which are limited to the plug-in hybrid powertrain and don't apply to gas-only GT models.

1.3L Turbo I4 PHEV (R/T and R/T Plus)

The R/T PHEV is where the Hornet earns its reputation, for better and worse. It's the more interesting drivetrain, with genuine electric commuting range and a strong torque number, and it's also the one with real documented risk attached.

Federal recall 23V623000 (Chrysler's internal number: 98A) covers 2023-2024 Hornet R/T models, along with the mechanically identical Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV: the 12-volt battery's positive cable and/or a high-voltage connector cable may not have been tightened properly at the factory, which can overheat the connection and start a fire while the vehicle is parked or being driven. NHTSA's remedy notice told owners to park outside and away from structures until a dealer inspected and re-tightened the cables. Owner notification letters went out starting September 2023. If you're looking at a 2023 or 2024 R/T, do not take a seller's word that this was handled. Ask to see the completed recall paperwork, and run the VIN through CarScout's recall lookup tool yourself before you commit to anything.

That recall isn't the whole electrical story. A widely shared piece from The Autopian described the Hornet's owner forum as "full of people who regret buying" one, and threads back that up in detail. One titled "Major Electrical Issues - Brand New 2024 Hornet RT PHEV" describes a familiar pattern: the car won't start, the dashboard lights up with a cascade of warnings (power steering, drive mode unavailable, park sense disabled, ESC, forward collision warning), and in at least one documented case, a dealer's "bad 12V battery" diagnosis didn't hold, with the same failure recurring shortly after the battery was replaced. Some owners traced their version of this to a physically squished wiring harness underneath the dashboard, not the battery at all. NHTSA's complaint data backs up the pattern at scale: the 2024 model year logged 62 total complaints, versus 26 for 2023 and just 2 for 2025 (which has far less time on the road to generate them), including 4 fire-related complaints separate from the specific battery-cable recall population.

Day to day, the R/T's 6-speed dual-clutch automatic can feel hesitant at low speed and during the handoff between electric and gas power, a trait common to dual-clutch plug-in hybrids generally and not unique to Dodge. A 2023-2024-only recall (23V696000, internal number B5A) also covers a pedestrian alert siren that may be missing or disconnected, meaning the car fails to make the federally required warning sound for pedestrians while backing up. Every R/T also carries the shared label, camera, and brake pedal recalls listed in the year-by-year table below.

None of this makes the R/T unusable. Plenty of owners report daily-driving it as a genuine EV for a 20 to 30 mile commute and rarely touching the gas engine on weekdays. But the R/T carries meaningfully more electrical risk than the GT, and a pre-purchase inspection on one should specifically confirm the battery cable recall was completed, not just check a general "recalls done" box and move on.

Consumer sentiment splits along roughly the same lines the recall and complaint data suggest. Kelley Blue Book's owner surveys show about three in four 2024 Hornet owners would recommend the vehicle, with performance and styling rated as its strongest traits, and reliability consistently rated its weakest. Consumer Reports went into the 2025 model year expecting it to be less reliable than the average new vehicle, based on Dodge's broader reliability history rather than Hornet-specific data at the time. Neither source contradicts what the forums and NHTSA complaints show: this is a car people mostly enjoy driving and don't fully trust electrically, especially in R/T form.

Trim Levels

For most used buyers, the GT Plus is the trim to target. It gets nearly the same premium interior and Uconnect 5 tech as the R/T Plus without the battery, the extra recall exposure, or the dual-clutch hesitation, and GT-based Hornets show up in far greater numbers on the used market. CarScout's 2024 snapshot alone lists roughly nine times as many total Hornet listings as the entire 2023 model year and nearly eight times as many as 2025, and GT and GT Plus trims make up the bulk of that inventory.

Skip the Track Pack unless you specifically want the handling upgrade and are prepared to budget for tires and alignments. It doesn't come with a different engine, just wheels, suspension tuning, and paddle shifters, and it's the version most associated with the caster-related tire wear complaints described above. Note also that GT-based Hornets carry a real cargo advantage: 54.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, versus 50.5 for R/T models, since the PHEV's battery pack eats into cargo volume.

If you want the plug-in hybrid specifically for HOV-lane access or a genuine electric commute, buy the R/T Plus and treat the recall verification step as a non-negotiable part of the purchase, not an optional extra.

Which Model Years to Target Within This Gen

The 2023 is the launch year in the most literal sense. First-year production of a platform new to Dodge, at a plant new to shipping this specific drivetrain combination, is where the pedestrian siren, tire label, and PHEV battery cable recalls all originate. That doesn't make 2023 cars unfixable; every one of those recalls has a documented remedy. It does mean 2023 cars have had the least time and fewest production revisions behind them, and in CarScout's data, only 98 of them are currently listed nationally against 867 for 2024, so you're shopping a much thinner pool with less room to negotiate on condition.

2024 is the volume year by a wide margin, which means better selection, more pricing leverage, and the deepest well of forum and complaint data to cross-reference against any specific VIN you're considering. It also picked up the brake pedal recall (24V752000) partway through the model year, so confirm a given 2024 car's build date and recall status directly rather than assuming coverage.

2025 is the closing model year, built after three years of accumulated recall fixes and running changes. NHTSA's complaint count for 2025 is the lowest of the three years, though that's partly a function of newer cars simply having less time on the road to generate complaints, not proof the underlying issues are gone. Inventory is thin nationally (112 listed as of this writing), so treat "best overall" as aspirational unless one turns up near you specifically.

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

If you're looking at a GT or GT Plus (2.0L turbo):

• Check for coolant residue or staining around the water pump inlet tube fasteners. This is a documented leak point around 7,000 to 10,000 miles; ask whether the TSB re-torque was performed.
• Start the car cold and pay attention to hesitation or gear hunting from the 9-speed automatic at low speed. Some is typical for this transmission; a lot is not.
• On a Track Pack car with 20-inch wheels, inspect front tire wear for feathering on the inside edge and ask to see alignment records.

If you're looking at an R/T or R/T Plus (1.3L turbo PHEV):

• Confirm recall 23V623000 (loose 12V/high-voltage battery cable, fire risk) shows as completed, in writing, not verbally. This is the single most important check on any 2023-2024 R/T.
• Drive it through a full electric-to-gas handoff and watch for any dashboard warnings: power steering, drive mode unavailable, park sense disabled, ESC. Even an intermittent warning light is a reason to walk away or get the wiring harness independently inspected.
• Ask how the car was actually charged. A PHEV driven for years without regular Level 2 charging tells you a lot less about real-world reliability of the electric side than one that's been plugged in consistently.

On every Hornet, regardless of trim:

• Confirm recalls 25V246000 (rearview camera display) and, for 2024-2025 cars, 24V752000 (brake pedal arm) are completed.
• Test adaptive cruise control at highway speed; false forward-collision alerts are a recurring forum complaint, including one report of an alert triggering at 55 mph with nothing around the car.
• Check the front seatbelt routing near the center console; several owners describe the belts catching between the seat and console, a design quirk rather than a recall.
• Run the VIN through CarScout's recall lookup tool before you sign anything, regardless of what the seller tells you.

Running Costs

Routine maintenance on a Hornet is genuinely cheap on paper: figure around $197 a year for scheduled service on average, well below the compact-SUV norm, with full synthetic oil and filter changes due every 10,000 miles or 12 months. The R/T adds no meaningful extra routine cost, since its 15.5 kWh battery pack doesn't require dedicated scheduled service, but it does add exposure to the electrical repairs described earlier, and those aren't reflected in any "average maintenance cost" figure. They can add up fast if they surface outside the factory warranty.

Fuel costs favor the R/T if you actually plug it in: EPA estimates put its annual fuel cost around $2,350 against roughly $2,800 for the GT, and that gap widens further for owners who cover most local driving on the 33-mile electric range and only dip into the gas engine on longer trips. Most used Hornets, especially 2024 and 2025 models, are still within Dodge's factory basic and powertrain warranty windows, which is worth factoring into any repair-cost math if something electrical does turn up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV reliable? Mixed. It isn't Toyota-level reliable. The R/T's electrical system generates the most owner complaints of any Hornet system, and a federal recall covers a loose battery cable that can overheat and cause a fire. Confirm that recall was completed and check for lingering dashboard warning lights before buying one.

What year Dodge Hornet should I avoid? The 2023 model year carries the most first-year risk. It's where the pedestrian siren, tire label, and PHEV battery cable recalls all originate, and it has the smallest surviving used inventory to shop from nationally. It isn't undriveable, just the year with the least production experience behind it.

Why was the Dodge Hornet discontinued? Dodge ended Hornet production after the 2025 model year, citing new tariffs on the Italian-built SUV. Weak sales and a reputation for electrical issues were already working against it before the tariffs made the math worse. Stellantis kept building the related Alfa Romeo Tonale on the same assembly line.

How many miles does a Dodge Hornet last? There's no long-term track record yet: the oldest Hornets are only three model years old. It shares its platform and much of its powertrain with the Alfa Romeo Tonale, and turbo four-cylinder engines of this type typically hold up past 150,000 miles with regular maintenance, but that's an inference from related hardware, not a documented Hornet-specific result.

Is the Dodge Hornet GT or R/T better for a used buyer? The GT and GT Plus carry meaningfully less electrical risk and show up in far greater numbers on the used market. Choose the R/T or R/T Plus only if you specifically want plug-in electric range and are willing to verify the battery cable recall was completed before you buy.

Bottom Line

Buy a 2024 GT Plus if you want the best mix of features, price, and available inventory without the PHEV's electrical exposure. If you specifically want the plug-in R/T, look at 2025 examples first and treat the battery cable recall check as a dealbreaker, not a formality. Either way, run the VIN through a recall check before you buy. CarScout checks the used market every day and can email you when the right Hornet, or something worth cross-shopping against it, shows up in your area.

Data sourced from NHTSA's recalls and complaints database, EPA fuel economy data, and real owner reports from the Dodge Hornet Forum (hornetowners.com), CarComplaints.com, and coverage from The Autopian, InsideEVs, Green Car Reports, and The Truth About Cars. See the full Dodge Hornet market data for pricing and inventory.