The US Department of Transportation has announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that may cause the engine to shut down, with inconsistent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 consumer complaints detailing engine stalls and power loss in vehicles produced by Stellantis, which uses the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. Reports note that many drivers experienced their engines shutting off while driving at low speeds, and the vehicles would unexpectedly shift into park and engage the emergency brake.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this issue. The NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation, which could lead to a recall of the affected vehicles. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to a series of challenges for Stellantis, as the brands Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all reported decreasing sales in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, a recall investigation was started for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that raised the likelihood of crashes.