(Corrected the number in the title and first paragraph to 44,500, not 54,000, and in the third paragraph to 20,987, not 30,517)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Automaker Stellantis (NYSE:) said on Wednesday it was recalling 44,500 hybrid crossover SUVs worldwide because the brake pedal on the vehicles could come loose and stop working.
The recall, the company said, covers some 2024 to 2025 model year Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid SUVs and some 2024 model year Dodge Hornet plug-in SUVs based on the same platform.
The announcement was made in a filing with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a separate statement by Stellantis. The recall covers 21,069 vehicles in the United States, about 2,280 in Canada, 134 in Mexico and about 20,987 outside North America, Stellantis said.
The company says that some SUVs may have a brake pedal that can accidentally release while in use. Stellantis said it was aware of 15 incidents worldwide in which the brake pedal assembly was damaged during normal driving, including one accident, and there were no reports of injuries.
Dealers will strengthen the brake pedal by adding bolts and nuts, Stellantis said.
The company said owners of affected models can also use the electronic parking brake to control the vehicle’s slowing if they experience a loss of braking power. Stellantis said the automatic emergency braking system, unless disabled, will intervene without further action by the driver when it detects that a collision is imminent.
Stellantis said it had sold 15,566 Hornets and 2,737 Tonales in the United States this year through September 30.
(This story has been officially corrected to read 44,500, not 54,000, in the headline and paragraph 1, and 20,987, not 30,517, in paragraph 3)
