The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is launching an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reportedly facing sudden engine stalls with difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs may suffer from an unexpected “loss of motive power due to electrical issues that can cause the engine to shut down, with intermittent capability to restart.”
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in the affected Stellantis vehicles, which are powered by the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine can shut off unexpectedly, often while the vehicle is moving at low speeds, leading to the vehicle shifting into park mode and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported stemming from this issue, yet the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that may result in a recall. Stellantis has communicated to Quartz that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as sales for its brands Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all experienced a decline in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a separate recall investigation was announced for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software error that could elevate the risk of a crash.