The U.S. Department of Transportation has initiated an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that have reported sudden engine stalls and difficulties in restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the affected vehicles, specifically the 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs, are experiencing an unexpected “loss of motive power” due to electrical issues, which cause the engines to shut down with an intermittent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received around 80 complaints from consumers detailing incidents of engine stalls and loss of power in the vehicles produced by Stellantis, which are equipped with the 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines from the former Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC.
According to the NHTSA, many complaints describe instances where the engine shuts off, often while the vehicle is moving at low speeds, resulting in the vehicle shifting into park mode and applying the emergency brake.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction. The NHTSA’s preliminary investigation may potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has confirmed that it is fully cooperating with this inquiry.
This investigation comes amidst a challenging period for Stellantis, as sales for its brands—Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram—have declined in the second quarter. Earlier this month, a recall investigation was launched for 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 greater risk of accidents.