The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into approximately 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are experiencing sudden engine stalls and difficulties restarting.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are experiencing a sudden loss of power due to electrical issues that cause the engines 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 vehicles, which come equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines. Many of the complaints indicate that the engine would shut off, particularly while the vehicle is traveling at slow speeds, leading to the vehicle shifting into park and activating the emergency brake.
So far, no injuries have been reported linked to this malfunction, prompting the NHTSA to open a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis has stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This situation adds to the challenges facing Stellantis, as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram demonstrated declining sales in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also initiated a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, more than 1 million vehicles in North America were recalled due to a software glitch that increased the risk of crashes.