Stellantis recalls 44,500 hybrid SUVs worldwide over brake pedal defect

(Corrects figures in the headline and first paragraph to 44,500, not 54,000, and in the third paragraph to 20,987, not 30,517)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Carmaker Stellantis (NYSE:) said on Wednesday it is recalling 44,500 hybrid crossover SUVs worldwide because the brake pedal in the vehicles could disengage and stop working.

The recall, the company said, includes some 2024 through 2025 model-year Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid SUVs and some 2024 model-year Dodge Hornet plug-in SUVs that are based on the same platform.

The announcement was made in a filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a separate statement by Stellantis. The recall includes 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 said that some SUVs may have a brake pedal that could inadvertently disengage while being applied. Stellantis said it was aware of 15 instances globally of the brake pedal assemblies collapsing during normal driving, including one crash, with no injuries reported.

Dealers will reinforce the brake pedal by adding a bolt and nut, Stellantis said.

The company said that owners of affected models could also use the electronic parking brake to slow the vehicle in a controlled manner if they encounter a loss of braking power. Stellantis said the automatic emergency braking system, unless deactivated, will intervene without further action by the driver when it detects that a collision is imminent.

Stellantis said it has sold 15,566 Hornets and 2,737 Tonales in the United States this year through Sept. 30.

(This story has been officially corrected to fix the figures to 44,500, not 54,000, in the headline and paragraph 1, and to 20,987, not 30,517, in paragraph 3)