Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
24–29 mpgcombined; city 21–29, highway 29; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 77 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $12,090 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Plug-in hybrid versions: $11,500, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2025 Hornet. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Hornet. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
1
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2025 Hornet over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Dodge Hornet and 2023-2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale vehicles. The rear outboard seat belts may become twisted and fail to retract properly.
Risk: A seat belt that does not retract may fail to restrain properly an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the retractors and pillar trim, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 17, 2026. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 84D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 15, 2026.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet vehicles. The display module may not show the rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the software or replace the display as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 13, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are 13C and 38C.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale vehicles. The brake pedal may collapse and cause a loss of brake function.
Risk: A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reinforce the brake pedal arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2024. Owners may contact FCA Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is B7B.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 49 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2025 Hornet, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (28), engine (9), unknown or other (5), structure (3), suspension (2).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2025 Hornet.
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–9 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Hornet All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Hornet PHEV All-Wheel Drive
1.3 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or Electricity 33 miles on electricity, 360 miles in all
29 / 29 / 29 on gasoline 77 MPGe on electricity
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data