Dodge Hornet & Alfa Romeo Tonale Seat Belt Recall: Your California Lemon Law Rights

In August 2026, Stellantis filed NHTSA recall 26V510000 covering 48,777 Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale compact SUVs in the United States because the rear outboard seat belts may become twisted and fail to retract properly. A seat belt that does not retract can fail to restrain an occupant the way it was designed to, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. The Hornet and the Tonale are mechanical siblings built on the same platform, which is why one defect reaches across both brands. Stellantis' internal number for this recall is 84D. This article is general information, not advice about your specific vehicle.

What the recall covers

The recall covers certain model-year 2023-2025 Dodge Hornets and model-year 2023-2026 Alfa Romeo Tonales — 48,777 vehicles combined in the U.S. The defective component is the rear outboard seat belt retractor: the webbing can become twisted inside the mechanism so the belt no longer retracts properly. VINs involved in the recall were scheduled to become searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 15, 2026, so owners can confirm a specific vehicle by entering the 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

The safety concern

A seat belt only protects an occupant if it fits snugly against the body, and the retractor is what takes up the slack. A twisted belt that will not retract can leave slack in the webbing or fail to lock the way it should in a collision — which means a rear-seat passenger may not be properly restrained in exactly the moment the belt matters. Rear outboard seats are also where children ride, whether in boosters or belt-positioned seats that rely on the vehicle's own belt, so a rear retractor defect is squarely a family-safety issue. The reassuring part is that the remedy is a hardware replacement, not a software patch; the risk is in not knowing whether your vehicle's belts are affected, which is why the VIN check matters.

What the fix is

Dealers will replace the rear outboard seat belt retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed beginning September 24, 2026, but you do not need to wait for the letter — once your VIN is confirmed, you can contact your dealer about scheduling the repair. Owners with questions can contact Stellantis customer service at 800-853-1403 and reference recall 84D, or call the NHTSA vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

What owners should do now

• Confirm your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — VINs for this campaign were scheduled to be searchable beginning August 15, 2026.
• Check your rear belts now: pull each rear outboard belt all the way out and let it retract. If it twists, binds, or retracts slowly or incompletely, document it and tell the dealer.
• Until the retractors are replaced, be cautious about seating passengers — especially children in boosters or belt-positioned seats — in the rear outboard positions if a belt is not retracting properly.
• When the recall letter arrives, schedule the free retractor replacement and keep the repair order.
• Keep the recall letter — it is dated proof of when Stellantis notified you of a safety defect.
• If a belt still twists or fails to retract after the replacement, document it with the date and get a repair order each time.

The Hornet and Tonale have other known warranty problems

A lemon law claim rarely rests on a single recall, and this is not the first for these SUVs. The same Hornet and Tonale generation has already been recalled for a brake pedal that can collapse and cause a loss of braking (recall 24V752000) and for a rearview camera image that can fail to display (recall 25V246000). Beyond the recalls, Hornet R/T and Tonale plug-in hybrid owners have reported losses of propulsion, hybrid-system faults, and 12-volt electrical problems, and both brands' infotainment and electrical systems generate steady complaint volume. If your Hornet or Tonale has been back to the dealer repeatedly — for the brakes, the hybrid system, the electronics, or a combination — the seat belt recall may be one entry in a larger repair history rather than an isolated issue.

Is your Hornet or Tonale a lemon, and how a buyback works

Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a vehicle may qualify as a lemon if it has a warranty-covered defect that substantially impairs its use, value, or safety and the manufacturer cannot repair it after a reasonable number of attempts — or if it has been out of service for repairs for 30 or more cumulative days. If your Hornet or Tonale qualifies, Stellantis generally must either buy it back (refunding your down payment, monthly payments, and payoff, minus a mileage offset for your use before the first repair attempt) or replace it, and in a successful claim it pays your attorney fees separately, so representation does not come out of your recovery. Leased vehicles are covered too.

When the recall becomes a California lemon law claim

A recall by itself does not make a vehicle a lemon — Stellantis is offering free replacement retractors, and for most owners that will resolve the seat belt concern. The owners in the strongest position are usually those whose belts still malfunction after the replacement, those waiting an extended time for parts, and those whose Hornet or Tonale has other unresolved warranty defects — brakes, hybrid system, electrical — on top of the recall. If that describes your situation, you may be entitled to a buyback, a replacement, or a cash settlement, with the manufacturer paying your attorney fees.