The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation on Monday concerning approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reportedly experiencing unexpected engine stalls, with many units failing to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing issues related to a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical concerns,” which can cause the engine to shut down while intermittently being unable to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles. The affected models are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints indicate that the engine would shut off during slow-speed travel, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and applying the emergency brake.
No injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, over 1 million vehicles were recalled in North America due to a software bug that increased the likelihood of a crash.