The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to incidents of sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified that 2022 RAM 1500 trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing unexpected “loss of motive power caused by electrical issues leading to engine shutdowns, with inconsistent ability to restart.”
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer reports detailing instances of engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles, specifically those equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many of the reports indicate that the engine could turn off, sometimes while driving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle automatically shifting into park mode and activating the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been linked to this malfunction, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary inquiry that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This latest issue adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands have declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation affecting 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised concerns about crash risks.