A Basic Safety Feature, Now With a Twist
Seat belts are supposed to be the no-brainer safety feature – click, tug, and you’re good to go. But what if the belt itself decides to throw a curveball and doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to?
That’s exactly what’s happening with the latest recall for the outgoing Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale. According to the NHTSA document, some rear seat belts can get twisted up during use – definitely not what you want in a crash.
All told, 48,777 vehicles are affected – 40,386 Dodge Hornets and 8,391 Alfa Romeo Tonales. That’s a lot of seat belts with commitment issues.
Stellantis
How the Seat Belt Problem Was Found
If you’re wondering if your SUV is on the list, here’s the breakdown: Hornets built between August 31, 2022 and September 18, 2025, and Tonales from February 9, 2023 to November 26, 2025. After those dates, new seat belt retractors went in, so the problem should be sorted for newer builds.
Here’s the gist: if the rear seat belt gets twisted, it might not retract or stay tight against you. In a crash, that could mean the belt doesn’t hold you in place like it should, upping the risk of injury. There’s no dashboard warning or obvious sign, so you probably wouldn’t know there’s a problem until it’s too late.
The problem first popped up when FCA US tipped off Stellantis Europe in April 2026 about a possible seat belt retractor glitch. After some digging and a few months of engineering detective work, they traced it back to a design weakness that can show up under certain conditions.
By the end of July, FCA US had logged 484 warranty claims, but no one had actually reported injuries or accidents tied to the issue. So far, it’s just a paperwork headache, not a safety disaster.
The Fix Is a New Seat Belt Retractor
The fix is simple: FCA US will swap out the faulty rear seat belt retractors for new ones. There is also a separate recall covering 1,458 MOPAR rear outboard seat belt assemblies that may have the same twisting issue. That campaign calls for affected assemblies to be inspected and, when installed on a vehicle, have the retractor replaced. Uninstalled assemblies are subject to repurchase.
Dealers should get the heads-up by August 13, 2026, and owners will start seeing notifications by late September. You’ll be able to check your VIN for recall status starting August 13.
If you drive a Hornet or Tonale, check your VIN as soon as the system goes live and follow FCA US’s instructions. Don’t assume your seat belt is fine just because it looks okay – better safe than sorry.
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