The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 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 unexpected “loss of motive power,” attributed to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, with sporadic ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in vehicles produced by Stellantis, specifically those equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many of these complaints describe instances where the vehicle’s engine would turn off, frequently while moving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and activating the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to launch a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all recorded declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was initiated for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that heightened the risk of a crash.