The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating nearly 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues with sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing abrupt “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues, which can cause the engine to shut down with limited 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 of the complaints indicate that the engines would shut off while the vehicles were moving at slow speeds, leading to the vehicle shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation that could result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the recent challenges faced by Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was initiated for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that could heighten the risk of accidents.