The US Department of Transportation has announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reportedly facing issues with sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the models involved in the investigation include the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, which are experiencing unexpected “loss of motive power due to electrical issues, leading to engine shutdown with sporadic ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, particularly those equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints describe instances where the vehicle’s engine would turn off, often while moving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
To date, there have been no reported injuries linked to this issue, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation, which could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram declined during the second quarter. Earlier this month, a separate recall investigation was launched 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 raised the risk of crashes.