11 hours Ago By Matthew Guy
Article content “A loss of brakes can increase the risk of a crash.” Thanks, Captain Obvious. That little bit of textbook government understatement was pronounced by government safety officials recently in regards to a new recall launched over the possibility of brakes failing on newer Dodge and Alfa Romeo SUVs.
At issue is a brake pedal which could disengage and stop working, with Stellantis being aware of 15 instances in which the pedal assembly “collapsed” under normal driving conditions. Yikes on bikes. Transport Canada has listed a recall for 2,280 examples of the Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet in this country.
Losing brakes in a vehicle is never anyone’s idea of a good time; that this issue is due to an impromptu self-disassembly of the brake pedal is all the more terrifying. During an emergency stop, the only item in the world which matters to the brain of most drivers – the brake pedal – is the very thing which could fall apart, according to this recall. Stellantis advises people to use the electronic parking brake should calamity strike, though we’re not sure how many humans would have the presence of mind to do so in such a stressful situation, to say nothing of the fact that switch-operated e-brakes tend to get overridden by the car’s computer when activated at speed (this is why most kids don’t know how to execute a handbrake turn any more, grumbles this old guy).
The company also notes the forward-facing emergency braking system should step in to help save the day or at least mitigate the situation. For readers unfamiliar, Hornet and Tonale are a small crossover-type vehicle built in Italy and marketed under a couple of different names in this country. Under the sheet metal, they are virtually identical, explaining why both are being recalled for the same problem.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail and advised to bring their car to a dealership, which will reinforce the brake pedal assembly with new fasteners. This is a global recall, not limited to Canada, and most affected vehicles are from the 2024 model year. The Transport Canada number for the campaign is 2024-589; while Stellantis’ internal code is recall B7B.
Through the first nine months of this annum, Dodge has sold 1,719 Hornets, while Alfa has shifted 396 Tonale crossovers, representing about 20% and 60% sales volume in those brands, respectively. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X , Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice..
