The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that frequently prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs face a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down with an intermittent ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 complaints from consumers regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are powered by the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints describe scenarios where the engine would shut off, particularly while driving at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Currently, there have been no reported injuries linked to this issue, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis stated it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all reported declining sales in the second quarter.
Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation concerning 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software glitch that raised the risk of accidents.