The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is looking into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reporting sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down with intermittent chances of restarting.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many of the complaints detail incidents where the engine would turn off, often while the vehicle was moving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and activating the emergency brake.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported related to this issue, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could lead to a recall. Stellantis, the company manufacturing these vehicles, stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This situation adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands all dropped in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also started a recall investigation for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, Stellantis was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software defect that raised the risk of crashes.