The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation on Monday into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls, which often result in the vehicles not being able to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing unexpected “loss of motive power” linked to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, sometimes with an intermittent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. According to NHTSA, many of the complaints indicate that the engines shut off while the vehicles were moving at low speeds, leading to automatic shifting into park and engagement of the emergency brake.
So far, no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that might result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation poses further challenges for Stellantis, as the company has experienced declining sales across its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government initiated a recall investigation for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the company recalled over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised the risk of crashes.