The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues with sudden engine stalls, often accompanied by difficulty in restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs may be experiencing unexpected power loss driven by electrical problems, resulting in engine shutdowns with sporadic restart capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power related to these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with the 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines from Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA).
Many complaints indicate that the engines shut off unexpectedly, frequently while the vehicles are moving at slow speeds, and that the vehicles would switch into park and apply the emergency brake.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation, which could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This development adds to recent challenges faced by Stellantis, as the sales figures for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was launched for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company was required to recall over 1 million North American vehicles after discovering a software glitch that could raise the risk of accidents.