2024 Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV completely dead after 9-week trip — 12V battery overheated / sulfur smell. Anyone else experience this?
Hey everyone, looking for some advice or to see if anyone else with a 2024 Hornet PHEV (or Tonale) has run into this issue after letting the car sit.
The Situation:
I just got back from a 9-week trip, and my 2024 Dodge Hornet Hybrid was completely dead. The key fob wouldn't even unlock the doors, so the auxiliary 12V battery was clearly 100% drained.
What Happened:
I plugged it into the charger initially, but nothing happened because the 12V battery was too dead to wake up the car’s charging relays.
I jump-started the car to get the 12V system awake, then plugged in the EV charger. The charge port lit up green, showing 3 bars (~60%), and it looked like it was successfully taking a charge.
About an hour later, my garage started smelling strongly like rotten eggs / sulfur. It got so strong we ended up calling the gas company out of caution, only to find out it was the 12V car battery severely overheating and venting fumes.
I immediately unplugged the EV charger and disconnected everything.
Current Status:
The car is unplugged and sitting off in the garage. From what I understand, letting it sit for 9 weeks may have damaged the internal cells of the 12V battery, and charging it caused thermal runaway/boiling.
My Questions for the Sub:
- Has anyone else had their 12V battery cook like this or vent sulfur gas after trying to charge a dead Hornet?
- Did you have Dodge Roadside Assistance tow it, and did the dealership replace the 12V battery under factory warranty without giving you a hard time about "improper storage"?
- Once the 12V battery was replaced, did you have any lasting phantom electrical bugs or ECU/module issues?
Planning on getting it flatbed-towed to the dealer tomorrow, but would love to hear anyone's experience or tips with this platform!
Thanks in advance!