The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that often lead to difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing issues related to a sudden “loss of motive power” caused by electrical problems that result in engine shutdowns, with occasional ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 complaints from consumers about engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles, which are fitted with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. Many complaints indicate that the engine would turn off, sometimes while driving at low speeds, and the vehicle would subsequently shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
So far, there have been no reported injuries related to this malfunction, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could lead to a recall. Stellantis stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This development marks another challenge for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram has all reported declining sales in the second quarter. Additionally, earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, over 1 million vehicles in North America were recalled due to a software issue that increased the risk of accidents.