Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has recently taken action to address a potential problem that may affect certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 trucks and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The issue involves an unexpected engine stall, which could pose a safety risks to vehicle owners.
In May 2023, the FCA Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (TSRC) organization initiated an investigation into certain models manufactured between 2014 and 2019 for Ram 1500 trucks and between 2014 and 2020 for Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The focus of the investigation was on vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. It was discovered that these particular vehicles had a tone reluctor wheel with an insufficient bond between the magnetic coating and the tone wheel body. Upon analyzing the stall patterns and reviewing vehicle history, it was determined that the affected vehicles were those manufactured with Gen II 3.0L diesel engines, and the crankshaft tone wheel was identified as the source of the stalls.
According to the defect report, the magnetic material attached to the reluctor wheel provides a crucial signal to the crankshaft position sensor. When this signal is lost, the engine’s ability to synchronize injector pulses and cam timing is compromised. Consequently, the loss of the crankshaft position can lead to an engine stall, leaving the vehicle unable to restart.
To address this issue, FCA will be updating the powertrain control module software to ensure that vehicle propulsion is maintained even in the event of a lost crankshaft position signal. By reading the camshaft position signal, the updated software will mitigate the risk of engine stalls.
As part of the recall process, FCA has assigned the number 66A to this specific recall, while the NHTSA campaign number is 23V-411. It is important to note that this recall represents an expansion of a previous recall, namely recall 20V-475.
FCA US will be contacting vehicle owners to ensure that they are informed about the issue and the necessary steps to resolve it. The company is aware of 10 customer assistance records, 611 warranty claims, and three field reports that may be associated with this particular issue.
