The US Department of Transportation announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs over concerns of sudden engine stalls and difficulty restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted that certain models, including the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, are experiencing unexpected “loss of motive power” linked to electrical issues, causing the engine to shut down with intermittent starting issues.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis vehicles, which are powered by the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. According to the NHTSA, many complaints report engine shutdowns, often when the vehicle is moving slowly, leading to automatic shifting into park and activation of the emergency brake.
So far, there have been no reported injuries related to this engine malfunction. The NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation, which could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with this inquiry.
This investigation marks another setback for Stellantis, which has already experienced declines in sales across its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began probing a recall involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company recalled over 1 million North American vehicles due to a software issue that heightened crash risks.