The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is launching an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected models include 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs. These vehicles are experiencing unexpected loss of power attributed to electrical issues that cause the engine to shut down, with intermittent problems restarting.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, all equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine would turn off while the vehicle was moving at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and activate the emergency brake, the NHTSA stated.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that could result in a recall. Stellantis has confirmed that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.
This latest issue adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all declined in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government began investigating a recall of 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company recalled over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that heightened the risk of accidents.