The US Department of Transportation has announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reported to be experiencing unexpected engine stalls, often failing to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, with intermittent restarting capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 consumer complaints concerning these engine stalls and power failures in vehicles produced by Stellantis, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints describe instances where the vehicle’s engine unexpectedly turns off, particularly at slow speeds, resulting in the car shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, as reported by the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been linked to this malfunction so far, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has communicated to Quartz that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This inquiry adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands have all declined in the second quarter.
Moreover, earlier this month, the government initiated a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software glitch that raised crash risk.