The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is launching an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reported cases of sudden engine stalls, which frequently lead to the vehicles not restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that result in the engine shutting down and having intermittent restart capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation received around 80 complaints from consumers regarding engine stalls and power loss in vehicles manufactured by Stellantis. The models involved are equipped with 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines from Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA).
According to the NHTSA, many complaints included accounts of the engine shutting off, often while the vehicles were moving at low speeds, causing the vehicles to automatically shift into park and activate the emergency brake.
So far, no injuries related to this malfunction have been reported, and the NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This latest development comes as more troubling news for Stellantis, which has faced declining sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a separate recall investigation was initiated for 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that raised the likelihood of a crash.