The U.S. Department of Transportation has initiated an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls, with affected vehicles often failing to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs that have experienced a sudden “loss of motive power,” attributed to electrical issues that lead to engine shutdowns and intermittent restarting difficulties.
To date, the Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which feature the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
The NHTSA noted that several complaints indicate that the engine would shut off unexpectedly, particularly at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park mode and engage the emergency brake automatically.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries related to this malfunction. The NHTSA’s preliminary investigation could potentially result in a recall. Stellantis confirmed that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This inquiry represents another setback for Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands reported declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began looking into a recall of 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software issue that raised crash risk.