The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is launching an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs facing sudden engine stalls, which often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs have been identified as having a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical concerns,” leading to engine shutdowns with the possibility of intermittent restarts.
The Office of Defects Investigation received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured models, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints suggested that the engines would shut off unexpectedly, often while the vehicles were moving at low speeds, causing them to shift into park and activate the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation, which 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 sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that raised the risk of crashes.