The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues of sudden engine stalls, often resulting in the vehicles failing to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power” linked to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, with intermittent capabilities to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles. The affected models are powered by the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine would shut off while the vehicle was moving at low speeds, prompting the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
So far, there have been no reported injuries related to this malfunction, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation, which may lead to a recall. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This inquiry comes as more troubling news for Stellantis, where brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram experienced declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Furthermore, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software flaw that increased the risk of crashes.