The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is looking into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues with sudden engine stalls that often prevent the vehicles from 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 power caused by electrical problems, leading to engine shutdowns and intermittent restart issues.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power associated with these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engines would shut off unexpectedly, frequently while the vehicles were moving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicles shifting into park and applying the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
So far, no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation that could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This latest inquiry adds to a series of challenges for Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all fell in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, Stellantis was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that increased the risk of accidents.