The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power caused by electrical issues, resulting in engine shutdown with intermittent restarting capability.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 complaints from consumers concerning engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles, which reportedly feature the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many of the complaints detail instances where the engine abruptly shuts off while driving at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and automatically engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been linked to this issue so far, but the NHTSA’s preliminary investigation could ultimately lead to a vehicle recall. Stellantis has confirmed it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This incident adds to a series of challenges for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also initiated a recall investigation concerning 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company faced a recall affecting over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised crash risk.