Recall Date: 8/6/2026
NHTSA ID: 26V510
Mfr. Campaign Number: 84D
Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Affected Components: Rear outboard seat belt retractor (belt assembly)
Potential Number of Units Affected: 48,777
Which Dodge and Alfa Romeo vehicles are affected?
The recall covers two model lines built on the same platform, with the Hornet accounting for the large majority of the population:
Hornet vehicles in the recall were built between August 31, 2022, when 2023 model year U.S. production began, and September 18, 2025. Tonale vehicles run from February 9, 2023 through November 26, 2025. Both end dates mark the same event, which is when new retractors entered production. Vehicles built after those dates use the updated part and are not included. FCA US estimates 1.6 percent of the population carries the defect, which is a small share of a large group and the reason this campaign will produce more inspections than replacements at the counter.
The suspect part is the rear outboard seat belt retractor supplied by Autoliv ASP, and the root cause is a weakness in the design rather than a build problem at a single plant. Under certain usage conditions the belt can twist as it feeds in and out of the retractor. A twisted belt binds. It may not spool back in when the occupant unbuckles, and more importantly it may not stay snug against the occupant while buckled. A belt that cannot maintain tension does not restrain the way it was engineered to, which raises the risk of injury to rear seat occupants in certain crashes.
What drivers need to know
FCA US is replacing the rear outboard seat belt retractors with a new retractor, free of charge, at an authorized dealer. This is a physical repair, not a software update, so every affected vehicle needs to come in. Owners who already paid to have this condition addressed can seek reimbursement under the general plan FCA US has on file.
The campaign does not carry a Do Not Drive or a Park Outside advisory. There is also no warning indicator tied to this condition, which puts the burden on the driver to notice it. Rear belts get used less often than front belts, and a twisted belt in the second row can go unnoticed for months in a vehicle where the back seat mostly carries groceries. Owners who find a rear belt that will not retract cleanly or that sits loose after buckling should book the repair rather than work the twist out by hand.
FCA US notifies dealers on or about August 13, 2026, and owner letters go out on or about September 24, 2026 on a phased schedule. VINs become searchable on August 13, 2026, so owners can confirm whether a specific vehicle is included by entering the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Chrysler recall background
This one traveled from Europe to the United States. In April 2026, FCA US notified Stellantis Europe of a potential rear seat belt retractor issue on the Hornet and the Tonale, both of which are built off the same European platform. Stellantis Europe opened an investigation on May 4, 2026, and spent May and June reviewing the claims alongside earlier topics already known in European markets. On July 1, 2026, engineering concluded the defect could occur under particular conditions because of a design weakness.
The data behind the decision is worth reading closely. As of July 30, 2026, FCA US had logged 484 warranty claims tied to this condition, with zero customer assistance records and zero field reports. That pattern says something specific about how the failure surfaces. Owners are not calling to complain about a safety concern. They are bringing the vehicle in for something that feels like a nuisance, and the belt gets fixed under warranty without anyone flagging it as a restraint problem. FCA US is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue in any market. Stellantis Europe made the safety defect determination through its Vehicle Regulations Committee on July 30, 2026.
For dealers, the Hornet and Tonale are lower-volume lines that share a service population, and 484 warranty claims already came through the drive before this became a recall. That is the useful signal here. The vehicles are reachable, the repair is defined, and a portion of the affected owners have already demonstrated they will come in when something feels off.
Read the latest BizzyCar Quarterly Recall Report
How BizzyCar can help
A 1.6 percent estimated defect rate creates a specific outreach problem. Every one of the 48,777 owners needs to be reached, but most of them will find nothing wrong when they check the rear seat, and a recall notice about a belt that seems fine is easy to set aside. Add a rear seat that many owners rarely use and a symptom with no warning light behind it, and completion rates on a campaign like this stall well before the fix runs out of relevance.
BizzyCar's Recall Outreach product identifies vehicles in a dealer's market with open recalls and books the service appointment automatically through two-way SMS, on the channel owners actually answer. That turns a scattered, two-brand campaign into scheduled service traffic, brings Hornet and Tonale owners back through the door, and opens the maintenance and declined-service conversations that come with every visit.
See how BizzyCar automates recall outreach and fills your service drive. Book a demo.