The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is investigating around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to issues related to sudden engine stalls, which often prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden loss of power caused by electrical problems that can lead to engine shutdown with inconsistent restart capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-made vehicles, particularly those equipped with the FCA 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine would turn off unexpectedly, typically while driving at slow speeds, with the vehicle automatically shifting into park and engaging the emergency brake.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this issue, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis has confirmed that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the automaker had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software flaw that raised crash risk.