
(PatriotWise.com) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Monday that it would investigate complaints that some SUVs and pickup trucks made by auto manufacturer Stellantis can lose power, shift into park, and engage the emergency brake while in operation.
According to a July 22 notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the investigation covers roughly 150,000 Jeep Wagoneer SUVs and Ram pickup trucks from the 2022 model year.
The vehicles all include Stellantis’ 5.7-liter Hemi e-Torque engine system, a mild hybrid system that allows the vehicle to power itself.
According to the safety regulator, the mild hybrid system converts energy captured from braking to power some of the engine’s electrical components. It includes a 48-volt battery pack and a motor generator capable of sending power during gear changes to the crankshaft.
However, the agency said it had received 80 complaints from vehicle owners that the engine can often shut down at low speeds and sometimes fails to restart.
Investigators will examine the issue in affected models to determine how often the shutdowns occur and what causes the engine to stall. Based on what the investigation turns up, the agency could seek a recall of the affected models.
Stellantis confirmed that it is cooperating with the investigation and urged vehicle owners to contact their local dealership if they experience the problem.
In April 2023, Stellantis recalled around 131,000 Jeep Wagoneers and Ram pickup trucks after reports that the vehicles lost power due to an excess of fuel in the air-gasoline mixture.
The resulting incorrect mixture caused the affected vehicles to stall which could have led to “unexpected loss of motive power while driving.” Such a stall could have caused the vehicles to crash.
At the time of the recall, Stallantis was not aware of any reported injuries due to the problem but said there had been one report of a vehicle crashing after a stall.
Stellantis told agency investigators that the most recent complaints about the loss of power were likely due to an electric problem and not the air-gasoline mixture.
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