My Dodge Hornet lit up every warning light after a dead battery. What fixes it?

Short answer: When a Hornet comes back from a dead battery with every warning light on, owners say it's often the electric power steering needing a relearn: start it, turn the wheel fully right and hold 5 seconds, fully left and hold, back to center, shut it off and restart. If the lights stay, the 12-volt battery may need replacing. On an R/T that won't move, the dealer may need to check the high-voltage battery.

Symptom: After a dead or jumped battery: nearly every warning light on, heavy steering, or a car that powers up but won't move.

What to check first

1. Try the steering relearn owners describe: wheel fully right 5 seconds, fully left 5 seconds, center, off, restart.
2. Have the 12-volt battery tested; a battery that went fully flat may be damaged.
3. Close the trunk and doors fully when parked.
4. If it's an R/T plug-in that won't move, call the dealer; it may be the high-voltage battery.
5. Run your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Likely causes

1. Low or failing 12-volt battery. Almost every modern car, including EVs and hybrids, has a small 12-volt battery that powers the computers, locks and screens. When it's weak, the car can show a pile of unrelated warnings or refuse to go into gear, even with a full main battery.
2. Electric power steering needs a relearn. After a battery goes flat, the steering angle sensor can lose its calibration and set warnings. Owners turn the wheel lock to lock to relearn it.
3. High-voltage battery problem (R/T plug-in). The Hornet R/T is a plug-in hybrid. One owner said the dealer replaced cells in its main battery.

What it usually costs

Owners in these threads were under warranty and didn't post prices.

Is it safe to keep driving?

Don't drive it if the power steering is off; the wheel gets heavy and hard to turn quickly. If the lights clear after the relearn and it drives normally, get the battery tested soon.

DIY or shop?

The steering relearn, battery testing and replacement are DIY. High-voltage battery work on the R/T is dealer-only.

Recalls, bulletins and complaints in plain words

• Related recalls: NHTSA lists 23V623000 for some 2023-2024 Hornet plug-in hybrids (the R/T): the 12-volt battery positive cable and/or a high-voltage connector cable may not be tightened properly. If you have an R/T with electrical trouble, check your VIN for this one first. NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the Hornet in these years. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your car is part of a recall, the dealer fixes it for free.
• Plain words: The complaint count below shows how often owners reported problems that mention these words to NHTSA. A count is not proof of a defect.
• NHTSA complaints: 60 keyword-matched complaints for Dodge Hornet / Hornet R/T 2023–2025 (of 106 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-31; keywords: battery, dead, warning, won t start, electrical, stall, loss of power) (NHTSA returned no data for 4 model-year queries). This counts complaints that mention these words. It is not a defect finding.

What owners report

• In Dealership Issues on Reddit r/dodgehornet, a new 2024 Hornet GT killed its battery when the trunk was left cracked. After a jump, nearly every warning light came on, and the dealer said it needed a new battery. Another owner in the thread mentioned losing power steering.
• In Hornet RT is broken on Reddit r/dodgehornet, a Hornet R/T came on with every code. The A/C and screen worked, but it wouldn't move and charging the battery didn't help. Owners said the dash lights are often the electric power steering needing recalibration and described the fix: start the car, turn the wheel fully right and hold about 5 seconds, fully left and hold, back to center, shut it off and restart. Another owner said their R/T needed three cells swapped in the main battery.

Quick tip

Try the steering relearn before you tow it. It's free and it cleared the lights for owners.

Vehicle focus: Dodge Hornet GT and R/T, 2023-2025.

Safety / mechanic note

Loss of power steering is a safety item. Verify with a mechanic.