The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to incidents of sudden engine stalls that frequently prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the affected models include the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs. These vehicles are facing a sudden “loss of motive power caused by electrical issues that can result in engine shutdown and intermittent restart failures.”
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation received 80 complaints from consumers regarding engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles. The issues involve cars equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicated that the engines would shut down unexpectedly, particularly at low speeds, leading to the vehicles shifting into park mode and engaging the emergency brake.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported due to this issue, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the inquiry.
This investigation comes as a setback for Stellantis, which has already seen a decline in sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and 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.