The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that have been reported to suddenly stall and often fail to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted that the affected vehicles include the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, which are experiencing what the NHTSA describes as a sudden “loss of motive power due to electrical issues causing the engine to shut down with intermittent ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, particularly those fitted with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine would shut off unexpectedly, often while driving at low speeds, with the vehicle automatically shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported connected to these malfunctions, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation, which could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as the company has reported declines in sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Earlier in the month, a recall investigation was initiated for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America after a software flaw surfaced, increasing the risk of crashes.