The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that have been reported to experience unexpected engine stalls, often resulting in difficulties restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues causing the engine to shut down with intermittent ability to restart.”
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints concerning engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which utilize the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints noted that the engine would unexpectedly shut off, frequently when the vehicle was moving at low speeds. In these instances, the vehicle would shift into park and engage the emergency brake, as reported by the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This development marks another setback for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have all reported decreasing sales during the second quarter. Earlier this month, a separate recall investigation was launched concerning 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that heightened the risk of crashes.