The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often leave the vehicles unable to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the models under scrutiny include the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, which may suffer a sudden loss of power due to electrical issues causing engine shutdowns, with inconsistent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation received 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles, which are equipped with Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC’s (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints detail instances where the engine turns off while the vehicle is moving at slow speeds, resulting in the vehicle automatically shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries connected to this issue, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This latest development adds to the challenges for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands experienced declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was launched for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software glitch that raised the likelihood of crashes.