The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs for experiencing sudden engine stalls, which often result in the vehicles not restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “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. The affected models are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine shuts off unexpectedly, often while the vehicle is moving at low speeds, causing it to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
No injuries have been reported linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellanis has stated that it is cooperating fully with this investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellanis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government initiated a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that increased the risk of a crash.