The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls followed by difficulties in restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the issue pertains to 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, which are facing a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues leading to the engine shutting down with intermittent restarting capability.”
The NHTSA’s 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 complaints describe instances where the engine would turn off unexpectedly, often while driving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation compounds recent challenges for Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also initiated a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software glitch that heightened the risk of accidents.