The U.S. Department of Transportation has initiated an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, with intermittent restart capability.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in the affected Stellantis vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. Many complaints describe incidents where the engine would turn off, particularly at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake.
So far, no injuries have been reported related to this issue, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with this investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, which saw a decline in sales for brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram in the second quarter. Earlier in the month, the government also began a recall investigation for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, Stellantis recalled over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised crash risks.