The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into 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) identified issues with 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, attributing the problem to electrical concerns that result in a sudden “loss of motive power” causing the engine to shut down with inconsistent restart capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints about engine stalls and power failures in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are outfitted with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints describe incidents where the engine shut off, sometimes while driving at low speeds, and the vehicle would shift into park and engage the emergency brake, as stated by the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been linked to this malfunction. The NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has confirmed its full cooperation with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all seen declines in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, Stellantis had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised the risk of accidents.