The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing unexpected “loss of motive power due to electrical issues causing the engine to shut down with intermittent ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which feature the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints indicate that the engine would turn off unexpectedly, often while driving slowly, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation affecting 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that heightened the risk of crashes.