The US Department of Transportation announced an investigation into around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often lead to difficulties in restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickups and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues, which cause the engines to shut down with intermittent restart capabilities.
So far, the Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which utilize the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group’s (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints describe scenarios where the engine shuts off unexpectedly, often while driving at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been connected to this malfunction. The NHTSA’s preliminary investigation may result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This issue adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have trended downwards in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government initiated a recall investigation for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and back in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software flaw that raised safety concerns.