The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues with sudden engine stalls that frequently prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing an unexpected “loss of motive power stemming from electrical issues that can cause the engine to shut down, with sporadic ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC’s (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the vehicle’s engine can shut off unexpectedly, sometimes while traveling at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and automatically engaging the emergency brake, the NHTSA explained.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported due to these malfunctions, and the NHTSA has begun a preliminary investigation that may result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully collaborating with the ongoing investigation.
This investigation adds to the recent troubles for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was initiated for 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 increased crash risk.