Dodge Hornet GT AWD Fails TFLCar’s Diagonal Slip Test

Dodge Hornet GT AWD Fails TFLCar’s Diagonal Slip Test​

Dodge Says Vehicle Is A Pre-Production Issue, It Is Aware Of...​

As the first totally new vehicle in the Dodge portfolio, there is a lot of excitement behind the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet GT.

Many are disappointed to hear that the new Dodge is produced in Italy, whereas others are embracing the newest vehicle to wear the “Rhombi” logo as something new and exciting. But much is riding on the American performance brand’s new C-segment utility vehicle.

https://moparinsiders.com/dodge-hornet-gt-awd-fails-tflcars-diagonal-slip-test/

 

[James.A]

Those Alfa genes coming through

 

[Mopar392]

This is bad planning and marketing.
Why would one give a pre-production car to a publication with known issues?
This is not going to give a good first impression.

 

[bill burke]

Too much development emphasis on electrification, not enough on basic engineering and associated software. Bad, very bad.

 

[James.A]

This is bad planning and marketing.
Why would one give a pre-production car to a publication with known issues?
This is not going to give a good first impression.

Publication with issues?

I hope that this is not a sign of things to come. Looking at you next-gen Charger/Challenger

 

[UN4GTBL]

Publication with issues?

I hope that this is not a sign of things to come. Looking auto next-gen Charger/Challenger

Issues are with the car, not the publication

 

[UN4GTBL]

This is bad planning and marketing.
Why would one give a pre-production car to a publication with known issues?
This is not going to give a good first impression.

My exact thought as well. Why aren't the media fleet cars kept up to date for these "known issues?"

 

[TripleT]

it all depends on whether they trusted TFL, and said hey we have preproduction unit with a few bugs to work out. And then TFL agreed. But you know it all about clicks and views.

If that is the case TFL should be careful cuz they are given a lot of early access and won't want to lose that.

 

[patfromigh]

One would think that a model which is in production and being sold elsewhere as an Alfa shouldn't have too many bugs to work out.

NEVER BUY A FIRST YEAR CHRYSLER PRODUCT. When we say Chrysler products we mean Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram. First year refers to a new model, platform, transmission or an engine.
Here are some examples:
1. The entire 1957 model year
2. Transverse torsion bar suspension. The first year of Aspen / Volare cars are the poster children of 1st year Mopars.
3. Lean Burn
4. Ultra-Drive
5. Fuel injection systems_
_A. 1958 Bendix
_B. 1981 Imperial 318
_C. Early 1980s Bosch equipped K-cars

The experience of TFL doesn't surprise me. Since the 100 year birthday of Chrysler is only months away, maybe this warning needs to be retold to each new generation of buyers. Chrysler was created on the remains of companies which went bankrupt from quality lapses and recalls. Never buy a first year Chrysler product.

Someone might ask. "What about Plymouth? It was a huge success in its initial years." Plymouth in the beginning was a rebadged Chrysler 50 series which in itself had a totally reworked Maxwell four cylinder engine. Plymouth was always the last Chrysler brand to receive new engines and engineering improvements until 1957. The year of 1957 was a record sales year, but convinced a generation of buyers to never buy a Chrysler product. The Aspen/ Volare twins would repeat history for a new generation of buyers twenty years later.

 

[UN4GTBL]

One would think that a model which is in production and being sold elsewhere as an Alfa shouldn't have too many bugs to work out.

NEVER BUY A FIRST YEAR CHRYSLER PRODUCT. When we say Chrysler products we mean Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram. First year refers to a new model, platform, transmission or an engine.
Here are some examples:
1. The entire 1957 model year
2. Transverse torsion bar suspension. The first year of Aspen / Volare cars are the poster children of 1st year Mopars.
3. Lean Burn
4. Ultra-Drive
5. Fuel injection systems_
_A. 1958 Bendix
_B. 1981 Imperial 318
_C. Early 1980s Bosch equipped K-cars

The experience of TFL doesn't surprise me. Since the 100 year birthday of Chrysler is only months away, maybe this warning needs to be retold to each new generation of buyers. Chrysler was created on the remains of companies which went bankrupt from quality lapses and recalls. Never buy a first year Chrysler product.

Someone might ask. "What about Plymouth? It was a huge success in its initial years." Plymouth in the beginning was a rebadged Chrysler 50 series which in itself had a totally reworked Maxwell four cylinder engine. Plymouth was always the last Chrysler brand to receive new engines and engineering improvements until 1957. The year of 1957 was a record sales year, but convinced a generation of buyers to never buy a Chrysler product. The Aspen/ Volare twins would repeat history for a new generation of buyers twenty years later.

The never buy a first year car isn't a Chrysler specific thing thought, let's be honest.

But, ask me how my 2007 Caliber (new vehicle, built November 2006) was...LOL 25+ warranty service visits in the first 5 years
My parents 2011 Caravan (refreshed vehicle, built June 2011) had some teething issues (undersized brakes, steering column surround, FOBIKs failing, uconnect bluetooth issues)
My 2019 Cherokee (refreshed vehicle, built February 2018) has had a couple of issues (12V batteries failing, coolant sensors failing, rear tail lights with water in them and radio replaced), but one of the main reasons why I chose the V6 and not the new 2.0T was because the 2.0T was a new thing, and I figured I'm going to be forced into another 4-banger in the future with how things are going, so I might as well enjoy an NA V6 while I can, and I was sick an tired of having a gutless 1.8l I4 in the Caliber.

 

[patfromigh]

^^^^ I feel your pain. I had a first year Volare with all the issues, leaking carb float, transverse torsion bars going their separate ways and rust. I had a first year Omni which was always being fixed for something poorly designed. I later had a Dodge Neon that was in its 3rd year of production, but was built in the midst of the new corporate penny pinching program.

My current ride is a 2012 Dodge Avenger. It is one of the models debugged after FCA took over. I never planned on keeping it this long, but the pandemic got in the way. It has been trouble free except for the plastic cooling system parts. When I tried to replace it last October with a Cherokee X (It was my last chance for the V6.), I couldn't get financing. The Avenger is in my late wife's name and I haven't had a car loan in my name in twenty years. I tried to buy a Maverick, but someone at Ford kicked me off the waiting list. I was at the operations base at work last month and was looking at the new Jeep Compasses that just came off the truck. They now have the same sticker price that the Cherokee X that I tried to buy had.

 

[pumadog]

One would think that a model which is in production and being sold elsewhere as an Alfa shouldn't have too many bugs to work out.

I don't know how different the suspension is, but the standard Hornet rides much higher than the Tonale.

 

[TripleT]

Statistically each new model has actually had less overall Quality assurance issues than the previous. With social networking now everything is amplified. Overall quality is way up. A lot of QA assurance issues now are not really poor build quality but integration issues. It is basically now a rolling PC with an array of sensors and digital to mechanical connections. So herculean effort to find every possible scenario so the integration knows what to do without lighting up like a Xmas tree is problematic. Yes if one has been able to make the car forever say like WK and WK2 most of the manufacturing teething has been worked out, and people in general have short memories. With my experience with a Alfa, they just don't put the time or are as good at integrating as the NA side of the business. My Stelvio lit up like Xmas tree and went to limp mode 3 times. What were those issues.

1. to much ethanol for the cold temperature. Clear the code life went on.
2. the person doing my brakes didn't unhook the battery. Dealer Code reset.
3. Wife didn't tighten the gas cap.

None of those are build quality issues but how the software dealt with common issues.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

Those Hornets are nothing but a pile of trouble for FCA to chew on for years to come. Just crap. Couldn’t give us 1 USA built, decent everyday Dodge to buy. That whole company is so late to the game on any product, stuck in that EV dreamland horse sh*t that it will sputter out junk for years. FCA/Stel are in deep muck! I’d like to believe they’ll survive their latest markups. They’re delusional on what the market wants.

 

[TripleT]

I rather enjoyed my Stelvio, and I am not sure what the big problem with a Hornet opposed to a Renegade.... Charger and Challenger are decent but built in Cananda's old Renault plant. Journey was a POC and built in Mexico. For decades they sold just absolute pooo they built themselves and even worse poo that Mitsubishi built.

I suppose what one considers decent every day, the old days making marginal cars to cover overhead, constantly on the brink of bankruptcy. Ah THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

Really the low margin segment is dominated now by the Koreans, who box up the parts in Asia and assembly the cars in Alabama.

The company has been doomed for every day since SM saved the company from being divided and sold for scraps by the New York Robber barons. Maybe one day the Allparian pessimists will actually be correct after 15 years of predicting it. Returning to the Coach build model pushed by PSA might bring that about.

Whining about EV is tiresome when it being mandated by the CARB states who contain over half the buying public, I agree it a problem but it is Governmental issue not a Company issue.

 

[James.A]

I test drove a GT about a week ago or so. It's nicely designed and drives well but I was underwhelmed by the power and turbo lag.