The US 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 that often leave the vehicles unable to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing issues related to a loss of motive power linked to electrical problems causing the engine to shut down with intermittent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 consumer complaints regarding engine stalls and power loss in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints detail instances where the vehicle’s engine shuts off, often while operating at low speeds, leading the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
No injuries have been reported due to these malfunctions, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that could result in a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This latest investigation adds to the challenges faced by Stellantis, as sales for its brands—Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram—declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also began a recall investigation into 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 posed a higher crash risk.