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 which often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs have been experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that cause the engines to shut down intermittently.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which utilize the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints mention that the engine would shut off, frequently while the vehicle was moving at low speeds, causing it to shift into park and apply the emergency brake.
While no injuries have been connected to this malfunction, the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This development marks another setback for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government started a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the automaker had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that heightened the risk of a crash.