According to the U.S. Auto Safety Agency, more than 1.8 million Stellantis (STLA.MI), Ford Motor (F.N.), and General Motors vehicles have been stalling and accumulating other problems. The Agency announced Tuesday that it had opened five investigations into the cars in question.
The Agency opened a defect petition review in May into an alleged “valvetrain” defect on Ford Bronco SUVs powered by 2.7L Eco-boost engines. As a result, the Agency has also opened a preliminary investigation into 25,538 2021 Ford Bronco SUVs.
As the Agency leans into more investigations, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into 1.34 million Jeep Cherokee models from the 2014 to 2020 model years due to water leaks that may lead to the parking brake. The Group describes its fault as “inadvertently activating and stopping the vehicle while in motion.” According to NHTSA, the problem may lead to stalling, which may cause vehicles to come to a complete stop. 2016 saw the release of a company bulletin instructing dealers on how to swap out modules and check the electrical connector for rust.
After receiving 40 complaints about incidents of stalling or losing power that a transmission issue may have caused, the NHTSA is looking into 21,348 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid vehicles from the 2019 to 2021 model years.
Meanwhile, crankshaft or camshaft sensors could operate erratically in approximately 290,000 Dodge Journies, Jeep Compasses, and Jeep Patriot vehicles from 2016. Whether a 2016 recall should expand is still being examined by NHTSA.
The rear-view camera in 190,000 2020–2021 MY Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles may not work correctly due to the crimping of the coaxial cable connector, according to the NHTSA’s preliminary investigation.
According to the petitions, the vehicles lost motive power while traveling at highway speeds and did not restart.
At a meeting with Ford on June 7, NHTSA claimed to have learned that the alleged loss of motor power was caused by “catastrophic engine failures due to the engine valves failing.”
GM, the world’s largest car manufacturer, claims it was “cooperating with NHTSA in its investigation” and will continue its own investigations into these issues.
