Last updated: 2026-10-10
Dodge Hornet vs Toyota RAV4: Reliability Compared
Dodge Hornet
Toyota RAV4
Toyota's RAV4 comes out well ahead of the Dodge Hornet on reliability. Hornet owners file complaints at roughly five times the RAV4 rate, mostly over electrical faults, door latches, and driver-assist shutoffs. The RAV4 holds a good standing.
How Do the Dodge Hornet and Toyota RAV4 Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Toyota RAV4 is more reliable than the Dodge Hornet, scoring 76/100 vs 59/100.
A large gap separates these two, and it favors the RAV4. Hornet owners file complaints at about five times the RAV4 rate per vehicle sold. Their reports center on failed door latches, drained batteries, total power loss, and driver-assist systems that shut off. Many say dealers could not find a fix or were waiting on back-ordered recall parts. RAV4 problems are real, but they are spread across a far larger fleet and a longer track record, and its standing is good.
Key Differences
- 1Dodge Hornet has 40 fewer total recalls
- 2Toyota RAV4 has 17.3 fewer complaints per 10k sold
- 3Toyota RAV4 scores 17 points higher in reliability
Category Scoreboard
Dodge Hornet vs Toyota RAV4: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Dodge Hornet | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 59/100 | 76/100 |
| Years Tracked | 3 | 8 |
| Total Recalls | 13 | 53 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 21.7 | 4.4 |
| Year Wins | 0 | 3 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Dodge Hornet and Toyota RAV4?
Electrical trouble defines the Hornet's profile. Door latches fail, the battery drains, and the car can lose all power with no restart. After a jump, the center screen can stay dark, and steering, stability, and collision warnings can light up together. RAV4 electrical complaints look different: a flood of dashboard warnings, sometimes followed by stalling. The RAV4 also has problems the Hornet does not list: fuel tanks that will not fill on Hybrid and Prime models, coolant bypass valve failure, and air bags that stayed folded in serious crashes. Air bags are the heaviest crash-linked area on either car.
| Component | Dodge Hornet | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6.8Average | 0.7Very Low |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2.5Low | 0.1Very Low |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1.8Low | 0.7Very Low |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2Low | —None |
| STEERING | 1.8Low | 0.2Very Low |
| ENGINE | 1.3Low | 0.5Very Low |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1.5Low | —None |
| POWER TRAIN | 0.5Very Low | 0.3Very Low |
| STRUCTURE | 0.5Very Low | 0.2Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | —None | 0.5Very Low |
| AIR BAGS | —None | 0.4Very Low |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | —None |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | —None | —None |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | —None | —None |
| TIRES | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
How Does Dodge Hornet vs Toyota RAV4 Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Dodge Hornet | Toyota RAV4 | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64/1002R / 1C | 84/1005R / 49C | Toyota RAV4 |
| 2024 | 54/1007R / 60C | 80/1006R / 150C | Toyota RAV4 |
| 2023 | 59/1004R / 25C | 80/1006R / 147C | Toyota RAV4 |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Dodge Hornet scored 59/100 and the 2024 Toyota RAV4 scored 80/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Dodge Hornet vs the Toyota RAV4?
Dodge Hornet vs Toyota RAV4: Common Questions
- Is the Dodge Hornet more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
- No. The RAV4 leads by a large gap. Hornet owners file 21.7 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 4.4 for the RAV4. Hornet reports include failed door latches, drained batteries, and total power loss, while the RAV4 holds a good standing overall.
- Which has more recalls, the Hornet or the RAV4?
- The RAV4 has more in total, with 53 recalls across 8 model years. The Hornet has 13 across 3 model years. The RAV4 is higher per model year too, though the Hornet's owners report long waits for recall parts.
- Which costs less to repair, the Hornet or the RAV4?
- Only the RAV4 has repair-cost data here. Independent data puts its yearly repair cost at $429, with 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year and a 10% chance a repair is major. No comparable figure exists for the Hornet, so a direct cost comparison is not possible.
- What are the most common Dodge Hornet problems?
- Electrical faults lead, with 27 complaints. Door latches fail, batteries drain, and the car can lose all power. Brake and back over prevention complaints are mostly about recall delays. Driver-assist sensors can also malfunction, and one report describes a crash after adaptive cruise switched off.
- Which Toyota RAV4 years should I avoid?
- Avoid 2019 and 2020 if you can, since they are the weakest years. The strongest are 2025 and 2022. Choose 2022 over 2025 if you want a car with more history, because newer cars have had less time to collect complaints.
Related Reliability Comparisons
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Decided between Dodge Hornet and Toyota RAV4? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Dodge Hornet and Toyota RAV4
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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