Stellantis probed in US over reports of Jeep engine fires

Stellantis NV said it’s cooperating with US authorities investigating reports of Jeep engines catching fire, in a potential setback for the company that’s trying to reverse a drop in market share in North America.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators built from 2021 through 2023 may be prone to engine fires, according to a document Monday on the regulator’s website. An estimated 781,459 vehicles could be affected.

“The majority of the reports describe a fire occurring while the ignition in the vehicle was in an ‘off’ state with a suspected origin at the passenger front side of the engine compartment," NHTSA said.

The carmaker is struggling with high levels of inventories, quality issues and declining market share in the US, the group’s biggest single profit pool, among a string of executive departures. It’s also facing recalls in Europe over problems with Takata airbags. Dwindling US sales contributed to a profit plunge at the group in the first half.

The probe adds to news over the weekend of the company recalling about 1.46 million Ram trucks, most of them in North America, because of a software problem that may disable their electronic stability control systems.

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Earlier this year, the NHTSA opened another probe, looking into complaints that some RAM 1500 pickup trucks and Jeep Wagoneer SUVs from 2022 were losing automotive power, causing engines to shut off while traveling at low speed.

Stellantis shares were little changed as of 4:57 pm in Milan. The stock is down around a third this year.

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