The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is examining around 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs due to reports of sudden engine stalls that frequently prevent the vehicles from restarting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are facing an unexpected “loss of motive power due to electrical issues” that causes the engine to shut down with occasional difficulties in restarting.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 80 complaints from consumers related to engine stalls and loss of power in these Stellantis-manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group LLC (FCA) 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
According to the NHTSA, “Many complaints have reported that the vehicle’s engine would shut off, often while traveling at slow speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and initiate the emergency brake.”
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries linked to this malfunction, and the NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation that could potentially lead to a recall. Stellantis confirmed that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
This investigation comes as further bad news for Stellantis, which has faced declining sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter.
Earlier this month, the government initiated a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. In June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America due to a software bug that could raise the risk of a crash.