2024 Dodge Hornet Phev

Tail light bar fractured spontaneously without any external physical impact due to structural over-tightening at the factory, creating a risk of water intrusion that can short out required FMVSS rear lighting. What the data shows is that this isn't a random occurrence — it's a known manufacturing and installation defect. If you look at the accounts from dozens of owners on places like Reddit and Hornet forums, they describe identical failures across the board. Here is the breakdown of why so many people are running into this exact problem: 1. The Real Cause: "Over-Torque" From the Factory The most eye-opening discovery from owners who have dealt with this multiple times is that the cracks are usually mechanical, not environmental. When the "racetrack" light bar is installed at the factory, the securing bolts are often tightened too far down. This leaves virtually zero gap between the plastic light assembly and the metal car body. As you drive, hit bumps, or slam the rear liftgate, the light bar literally smashes against the vehicle's body panels, causing the plastic to buckle and fracture under the stress. 2. Spontaneous Hairline Fractures Many owners report walking out to their driveway to find massive spiderweb cracks along the top edge of the light bar, despite swearing they never backed into anything. The tension on the plastic is so high that temperature changes (like going through a cold car wash on a hot day) are enough to spontaneously trigger the fracture. 3. The Secondary Nightmare: Water Traps Once the plastic casing gets that hairline crack along the top edge, rain and car wash water seep right into the lens. Because the assembly is sealed tightly, the water gets trapped inside, causing: Condensation that can short out the racetrack LED segments. Delamination, where the water forces the internal tint film to separate from the plastic, making the crack look much wider and worse over time.

Upon purchasing the vehicle on September 26th, 2024, my brand new Dodge hornet started experiencing critical failures between the gas engine, the hybrid electrical system, and various safety features in the vehicle. At just 1,800 miles, the vehicles auxiliary coolant pump needed to be replaced along with several other components within that system. The vehicle was at the dealership for 2 months for the repair. Shortly after that, there is electrical systems started to malfunction including the blind spot monitoring system and other safety features. A few months ago, the entire engine blew and needed to be replaced. It was in the shop for over a month for that and the day after I got the vehicle back, it experienced more electrical failures causing the car to brick. The car has been in the shop for a few weeks now with no root cause provided. This vehicle, meets all of the Lemon Law criteria. Also, just a few days before the electrical system failed, the headlights went out while I was driving at night. This was actually the second time this happened. The dealership said they couldn't find any issues the first time but I am waiting to hear what they discover with it now. With the headlights shutting off in the middle of the night, I was unable to see the road ahead of me and almost crashed into a car in front of me. All of these issues have put my son, my friends and myself in danger. Dodge has been having consistent problems with their electric vehicles including their plug-in hybrids over the past 2 years and many of them are still sitting in dealerships bricked. Various recalls have already been issued for the Hornet although none seem to pertain to the powertrain or the hybrid system