The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is examining around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues with sudden engine stalls and difficulties restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing unexpected “loss of motive power” because of electrical problems that cause the engine to shut down intermittently.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which feature the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints indicated that the vehicle’s engine would turn off unexpectedly, primarily at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake.
Though no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has indicated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This development adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software glitch that could increase the risk of a crash.