Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age, so 7.7% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 23 complaints, typically at 1.3 years.
Dodge Hornet years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26 | 16 | too new | |
| 2023 | 26 | 13 | too new |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 23.1% | covered | |
| 1 year | 55.8% | covered | |
| 2 years | 92.3% | covered | |
| 3 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 92.3% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 7.7% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 11% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Dodge Hornet, the early trouble is Electrical System and Forward Collision Avoidance — reported at around 1.3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1.3 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 0.9 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 1.6 yrs | — | — | |
| Back Over Prevention | 1.3 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Service Brakes | 0.7 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Engine | 0.6 yrs | — | — | |
| Steering | 0.4 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Lane Departure | 1.5 yrs | 1 | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Hornet's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 1.8 for the Hornet. That is the fewest complaints of the group.
| Same class as the Hornet | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 168 | 1996–2026 | |
| Jeep Wrangler | 285 | 1986–2026 | |
| Honda CR-V | 207 | 1997–2026 | |
| Tesla Model Y | 100 | 2020–2026 | |
| Mazda CX-5 | 33 | 2013–2026 | |
| Nissan Rogue | 94 | 2008–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Dodge Hornet reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.8 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.
When do Hornet problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 1.3 years, followed by Forward Collision Avoidance.
Will the warranty cover Hornet problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 92.3% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 11% of the complaints here.
Is the Hornet more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
Yes: 1.8 complaints per production run for the Hornet against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.
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