The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are facing sudden engine stalls that often prevent them from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues, causing the engine to shut down with 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 the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the vehicle’s engine would turn off, often while driving at low speeds, causing the vehicle to automatically shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction. The NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with this investigation.
This latest issue adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram experienced a decline in sales during the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that could raise the risk of a crash.