It’s uncommon to start off The Morning Dump with recall news as, generally, recall news isn’t that interesting. This one’s a little different. Stellantis has to recall some of its Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale models over brake pedals that could completely stop functioning and the solution looks…simple.
Perhaps it’s because I was rudely cajoled out of my bed at 3:00 am by an errant fire alarm, but I have safety on my mind. Do you know who else has safety on their minds? The nice folks at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They’re now investigating Tesla’s Autopilot system over failures in low-visibility situations.
Thankfully, there was no actual danger at our hotel this morning, it was just another loud warning that resulted in nothing actually happening. This seems to be the theme of this year. A big event happens, we assume it’ll change the world, and then it doesn’t. This clearly extends to the car market as well.
And speaking of fire, Ford is hoping to light one under dealers to get them to use the company’s new distribution hubs by paying them as much as $1,500 every time they order a truck from one of them.
Dodge Hornet/Alfa Romeo Tonale Sold With Brake Pedals Built Like Stale Breadsticks
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is a fine, but pricy small crossover with a PHEV option. I have no beef with the Alfa Romeo Tonale. For some reason, however, the lazily rebadged Dodge Hornet version just seems like a cursed vehicle. When they first went on sale Dodge dealers wanted silly money for them. Those who did fork over money had to deal with too many quality issues. In an attempt to be more competitive and lower inventory, Stellantis dropped prices to an almost attractive level.
Now that Hornets seem to be selling, Stellantis has told dealers to stop selling them until they can resolve an issue. What’s the issue? Some PHEV 2024 Dodge Hornets and some PHEV 2024-2025 Afla Romeo Tonales were built with brake pedals that weren’t strong enough. From NHTSA’s safety report on the vehicle, the issue is “a brake pedal that collapses while driving prevents the driver from being able to activate the service brakes.”
You need brakes! Trust me. I sent the brakes smoking on the Pontiac Aztek last night trying to drive through the canyons.
Here’s NHTSA if you don’t believe me:
The inability to activate the service brakes while driving can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. In the event of brake pedal failure, the Electronic Park Brake, located on the center console, can be used while driving to slow the vehicle to a controlled stop. Also, the Automatic Emergency Braking system, when active, will intervene when it detects a collision is imminent.
It’s nice that the emergency braking system will still work and the electronic parking brake, which is something I now want to test. What’s the fix for this?
The remedy will be to reinforce the brake pedal arm by adding a bolt and nut.
Given that the recall report specifically says that only brake assemblies built during a specific period are faulty, I’d think you’d just want to swap out the whole brake assembly. Here’s what one on eBay looks like.
I’m curious where, exactly, on the arm this bolt goes as that might explain exactly where the brake pedal is failing.
[Ed Note: The arm shown in the NHTSA repair document looks a bit different than the one above, so it’s a bit hard to understand what exactly this bolt and nut are doing. I do think it’s funny that two different bolts are shown in this document — a countersunk allen screw and just a regular hex head:
Can anyone make out what exactly this bolt and screw are doing? Are they preventing the nylon bracket from separating, which could then release the pedal arm sandwiched in the middle, thus rendering it useless? The document says “Add an additional fastener at the location indicated to reinforce the pedal,” so that seems like an OK guess, but looking at the photo of the countersunk allen screw, and considering the instructions aren’t really calling for much torque on this bolt “Drive the nut until the nylon locking material is fully engaged (Figure 2). Tighten the nut to 1.5 N·m (13 in. lbs.)” I wonder if the bolt is acting as some kind of “stop” (i.e. it’s there to take hits so the plastic doesn’t have to). It’s hard to tell, here. I’ve reached out to Stellantis to learn more. -DT].
As far as recalls go this sounds more reasonable than the Jeep Liberty tow hitch solution at least, and it’s maybe a bit less janky-looking than that Tesla “rivet” fix for its accelerator pedal cover. But again, if it’s been tested by engineers, maybe it’s not janky at all. It just has to work.
NHTSA Looking Into Tesla Autopilot
Tesla’s Autopilot, while being a decent cruise control if used properly and an impressive piece of technology overall, is not a real driverless car system and people treating it like one is dangerous. One reason is that the system relies on cameras, and cameras, like humans, have trouble seeing through things like fog, dust, or roads with a lot of glare.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday said it was opening an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with the automaker’s Full Self-Driving software after four reported collisions, including a fatal crash.The U.S. auto safety regulator said it was opening the preliminary evaluation after four reports of crashes where FSD was engaged during reduced roadway visibility like sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. In one crash “the Tesla vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian. One additional crash in these conditions involved a reported injury,” NHTSA said.
Nothing Ever Happens
There’s a train of thought in the online political space (do not engage, trust me) that “nothing ever happens.” If you don’t follow politics, this might sound insane, but if you pay attention to the polls (do not engage, trust me) with the exception of swapping candidates these seemingly big shifts in the race don’t seem to ever translate into huge polling shifts.
It sort of feels like that with the automotive market. There are stop-sales, hurricanes, and cyberattacks and yet… inventory stays stubbornly flat no matter what happens as Cox Automotive noted this week:
Perhaps most surprising, despite all the blips, things look remarkably “normal” in the recent new-vehicle inventory and sales data. According to an analysis of vAuto Live Market View data, sales volume and days’ supply at the start of October look to be getting back on track with the last year we all recall as “normal,” 2019.
A new-vehicle days’ supply of 81 at the start of October is just one day more than the 80 days we saw back at the beginning of October 2019. Days’ supply continues to run below the average 83 days we saw in the first six months of the year and is up two days from last month. Considering the sales pace has declined 5.7% month over month and automakers continue to add MY25 vehicles to showroom floors, 81 days should warrant a feeling of steadiness.
Nothing ever happens.
Ford Is Giving Dealers $$$ To Order F-150 Lightnings
The Ford F-150 Lightning is selling well, up 86% year-over-year, due in large part to heavy discounting in order to get things out the door. Expect even more of that as Ford tries to get dealers to embrace its Rapid Replenishment Centers (RRCs) around the country by handing out cash for ordering an F-150 Lightning from one.
What gives? I’ll let Automotive News explain:
The incentive program, which runs Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 and is open to all retailers, is meant to “further test the logistics and efficiencies of [Rapid Replenishment Centers] and to increase RRC engagement,” the memo says.
The distribution centers are spread throughout the U.S., allowing dealers to reduce floorplanning costs by stocking fewer EVs and giving customers quicker access to a bigger selection of inventory. Similar to General Motors’ EV fulfillment centers, they were first detailed last year for dealers who were part of Ford’s now-defunct EV certification program, although the automaker continues to test their effectiveness.
This intermediary logistics center is a decent idea. Right now, dealers order cars from the factory/company and finance them (this is called “floorplanning”). In theory, floorplanning lowers risk and saves money, but the longer a vehicle sits the less money you earn for a sale. Being able to move cars in and out more rapidly without having to wait is a benefit for dealers, who can save that money, and for customers who don’t have to wait as long for specific vehicles to get stocked.
What I’m Listening To This Morning
In honor of that freakin’ 3 AM fire alarm for nothing, please enjoy “Danger! High Voltage” by Electric Six featuring a guy who sounds a lot like Jack White.
The Big Question
Does it bother you when your new car is recalled?
My Maverick has had 7 recalls. Do they bother me? At times. The stupid stuff that doesn’t affect much (i.e. backup camera, dash lights) is only an issue because I have to waste my time taking it in to get it fixed. The recall for the potential engine failure and the airbag recall were a bit disturbing because you’re really hosed if you have a problem with those things.
The failing brake pedal mentioned above is scary as hell. I would imagine that it would be more prone to failure in a full-on hard braking situation, so it could be really bad, not that it would ever be good.
Tesla’s driver assistance features are pretty much junk (just my opinion based on what I’ve read), so hopefully NHTSA bans the current configuration.
My car has had two recalls (2015 Fit). I was happy the problems were identified, and, in my case, no work was needed.
Because it is Jack White singing on that track.
I’ve now seen 3-4 Hornets in the real world and am I the only one who thinks they look like they have a poorly installed body lift on them? Like they look like they are too tall for the design and there is a lot of space in the wheel well. It looks cheap.
They are an unfortunate looking vehicle. I’ve seen one in the wild.
I’ve seen probably the same number of them, but I’ve been too surprised by simply seeing a Hornet to take any significant look at its styling.
I just think it looks like a generic small SUV. It’s like a car in traffic in San Andreas.
I’ve yet to see a single one of these. Same thing with the current Z. And I pay attention to the makes and models around me here in Tampa Bay.
I’ve officially seen more Hornets than new Z cars. I think I am up to 2 Z’s now. And I live in a major metro area with plenty of people with disposable income for a sports car. At this point I’d be mores surprised to see a $50k Nissan than a Ferrari or Lambo.
Same here. Lots of high end toys, and Tampa Bay Ferrari is about 15 minutes by car from our condo.
they’re all over the place here, but for me “here” is right down the road from Auburn Hills, MI. I doubt many were wholly voluntary acquisitions.
Probably due to criteria CUV’s have to meet in order to not be classified as a passenger car.
I’m not as engaged in the political space as Matt, who’s gotten into things up to the “drive to the nearest swing state to knock on doors” level but I consume/try to avoid enough to realize pundits are currently operating at the “Bumper Ham” level, where they’re just doing wild takes to fill airtime and column inches.
Meanwhile polling is so broken that neither party can claim a lot of momentum heading into the election based on it alone, so one is talking about things like small-dollar donations, volunteer numbers and early-voting results by party registrations, all imprecise but real indicators. Think of them as dashboard warning lights reassuringly going off after their startup test phases time out.
The other side is stuck talking up betting odds, which rightly belong downstream not only of polling but of the narrrative itself, so trying to drive the narrative off of them creats a godawful wet-belt ouroboros of stories and guesses.
Bumper hams are important science.
I always got nervous when the check engine light turned off in the Sentra. That meant that whatever was wrong – and there was definitely something wrong – the car didn’t have any idea what it was anymore.
This is how I feel about Toyota’s perpetual lack of inventory of certain vehicles. Namely, Highlander Hybrid AWD.
I’d rather get a recall notice than notice something critical isn’t working.
It is inconvenient making time to take it in for service, but it is worse when there won’t be any parts available for like 6mo to a year.
Huh, I had no idea that is where Professor Trelawney kept her crystal balls.
Re recalls: it only bothers me when the recall notice is sent but the dealer can’t schedule to work for months to over a year.
I think the top link of the part of the brake mechanism that actually pushes the plunger/piston was spreading or folding under forces not directly in line with the intended pedal motion. The way it’s designed it looks to me like the most force is transferred to the upper pin link of the piston lever by virtue of the piston being closer to the upper of the two links and thus higher leverage on that pin area. Adding a bit of angle to the pedal might just twist that pin area to the point of failure. Once that pin fails the pedal just rotates on the lower link while levering on the piston instead of pushing it. My guess is that reinforcing the area with a simple nut and bolt keeps things straight enough to maintain the required in-line strength.
It only bothers me if a cop or eye witness recalls seeing my car at the scene of a crime.
Interesting time for an emergency carburetor swap for the site…
Depends what the fix is. If the solution to “the engine may throw a rod through the block” is “drill a hole in the aero pan so the oil can drain safely away from sources of ignition”, then no, I’m not happy. If they actually fix the problem, then sure. Mistakes happen, the important thing is to fix them.
Am I crazy or is Ford basically taking the hit on inventory so the dealers don’t have to? Instead of a car sitting on the dealer lot, now it’s sitting on the Ford lot. Either way, it’s costing someone money to carry that inventory. I would expect dealers to be fans of this arrangement so it’s a little surprising they would need encouragement to use it.
One or two recalls doesn’t bother me. Things happen.
I’m on #7on my 4XE though. Thats too many recalls in one year.
Only Tesla could pull off being under NHTSA investigation on the same day they roll out a trial of the product that is the reason for the investigation to all owners.
Not sure if joke – the band has admitted it was actually Jack White, who they refer to as an acquaintance, both being contemporaries in Detroit. Maybe they were a bit coy about it for a while so the Big 3 didn’t try and kill their babies too.
Also, I haven’t had a recall on any of my own cars, but recall administration is part of my job for work, and a pretty significant number of them are relatively benign things like system reflashes, which isn’t bad for a machine with like 30,000 parts.
Best use of that song was in the otherwise meh second Charlie’s Angels movie, when Demi Moore’s character (the fallen angel) emerges out of the surf at the beach.
I am logged in as Nathan???
Whoever sold you on this site upgrade, did they run far far way?
Maybe he used to promote monorails to different townships.
I’ve sold websites to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbook and by gum, it put them on the map!
Are Ford’s “Rapid Replenishment Centers” a euphemism for “regional warehouses”?
As Matt mentioned, warehousing cars by regions is not a bad idea. Dealers don’t add a potentially slow-selling vehicle to their inventory and buyers get the vehicle they want without waiting months for the factory to build them.
What Matt didn’t mention is Ford keeps its assembly lines running at a consistent rate, which has the potential to lower the cost per vehicle. The risks to Ford is the cost of warehousing a fleet of dogs, which Ford will eventually push into the sales channel.
So far the recalls I’ve had on my Subie have been pretty painless. I take it in and they offer me snacks and drinks and free wifi and an hour later it comes out fixed and freshly washed.
Recalls? My car is nearly 30 years old… Not something I typically worry about.
The Hornet is the gift that just keeps on giving.
Don’t get stung!
On the contrary, I am if not happy, at least satisfied when my vehicles are recalled.
I’d much rather the inevitable problems that arise designing and assembling a complex machine be discovered and paid for by the manufacturer than by me.
Agree 100%.
So much better then one of those “advisories” or “notices” I’ve received.
Like the one were GM said my wife’s Vue had a potential transmission wave plate issue and that they would fix it when it breaks (and not in advance).
Then it finally breaks and leaves us on the side of the road… in a dangerous neighborhood… during rush hour… as it got dark.
But it was covered under warranty. Even if they did forget to bolt the steering rack back to the front subframe before I drove it home.
Oh great, now I’m KITT222. That’s not what I signed up for.
Plastic brake pedal. Enough said.
To go with your plastic cooling system, plastic intakes, plastic bumpers, plastic lights….
OK, yeah, those kinda suck but I can live with them.
BRAKES???!!!???
and probably plastic seat belt anchor.
Great potential for Linkin Park to jump in on a marketing blitz to help out Didge Hornet sales, they’ve got the perfect song in the bank…
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break
I need a little room to breathe
‘Cause I’m one step closer to the edge
I’m about to break
The best part is that long pause between “to” and “break.”
Wait a minute, DT understanding a pop culture reference???? (I kid of course)
That pause is the exact length of time between driving a new Hornet off the lot and having something break though.
Shut up when I’m talking to you!!!
This goes both ways, you can tell the car, “I’m about to brake!” And pray the brake doesn’t break, or the car can warn you, “I’m about to break!” before you hit the brakes. But I guess the car warning you is kinda obvious, Dodges are seemingly always about to break. I just haven’t previously heard of them breaking in a way that prevents braking.
And even more perfectly, people online seem to have lots of issues with phantom braking from the AEB system. So yeah, it is always about to break/brake, its just up to chance which spelling you’ll get!
What impresses me is how many cars on Craigslist have “new breaks”.
Haha yeah that one always irritates me but also makes me laugh
Thems the brakes.
…and undamaged grills…
Honesty (sort of) in advertising. They are telling you something has freshly broken so you know you will have a repair coming up after your purchase, you just get to guess what exactly it is.