The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that an investigation has been initiated into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls, which frequently leave the vehicles unable to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing a sudden “loss of motive power” attributed to electrical issues that lead to engine shutdowns and inconsistent restart capabilities.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 complaints from consumers regarding engine stalls and power failure in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are fitted with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints indicate that the engine shuts off unexpectedly, often while the vehicle is moving at a slow speed, causing it to shift into park and activate the emergency brake, as reported by the NHTSA.
So far, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, and the NHTSA has launched a preliminary investigation that may lead to a recall. Stellantis indicated its full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
This investigation adds to a series of challenges for Stellantis, as sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram experienced a decline in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government began a recall investigation concerning 94,000 Jeep Wranglers, and in June, the company was compelled to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that raised the likelihood of a crash.