VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Dodge Hornet20232026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

4
Years Analyzed
4
Total Recalls
52
Total Complaints
0
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Dodge Hornet Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2024

2 recalls · 34 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#2 WORST
2023

2 recalls · 18 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dodge Hornet — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202600
100
40
79
Excellent
202500
100
55
84
Excellent
2024234
60
68
63
Avoid
2023218
72
78
74
Caution

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Dodge Hornet Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
11
SERVICE BRAKES
6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
5
BACK OVER PREVENTION
4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
3
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the Hornet compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2025 (Buyer Score 84).

Best: 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Hornet to buy?+

See the Buyer Score table above for a full ranking of every Hornet model year.

Which Hornet years have the most problems?+

The 2024, 2023 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2024 Hornet leads with 2 recalls and 34 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common Hornet problems?+

The most frequently reported Dodge Hornet issues involve: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

Run a VIN Check →