The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday an investigation into roughly 150,000 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs that are reportedly facing sudden engine stalls, often rendering them unable to restart.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that 2022 RAM 1500 pickup trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs are encountering a critical “loss of motive power” due to electrical issues that can cause the engine to shut down, sometimes with intermittent ability to restart.
The Office of Defects Investigation has logged 80 consumer complaints related to engine stalls and power loss in vehicles manufactured by Stellantis. The affected models are equipped with the FCA 5.7L Hemi eTorque hybrid engines.
Many complaints have reported that the vehicle’s engine would turn off unexpectedly, frequently while operating at low speeds, causing the vehicle to shift into park and engage the emergency brake, according to the NHTSA.
Fortunately, no injuries have been linked to this malfunction, and the NHTSA has initiated a preliminary investigation that may result in a recall. Stellantis confirmed that it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
This investigation comes as further unfavorable news for Stellantis, with declines in sales reported for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands in the second quarter. Earlier this month, the government also initiated a recall investigation involving 94,000 Jeep Wranglers. Additionally, in June, the company had to recall over 1 million vehicles in North America after a software issue was identified that could heighten the risk of a crash.