The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reportedly experiencing sudden engine stalls and may not restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power” due to electrical issues that can cause the engine to shut down with an inconsistent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints detail instances where the engine shut off unexpectedly, often while the vehicle was traveling at low speeds, leading to the vehicle shifting into park and applying the emergency brake.
So far, no injuries have been reported due to this malfunction, but the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is cooperating fully with this investigation.
This development adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, following declines in sales across the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands during the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company issued a recall for over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that increased the risk of a crash.