Stellantis is probed in U.S. over alleged Jeep engine fires

Stellantis NV is working with U.S. authorities investigating reports of Jeep engines catching fire, a potential setback for the carmaker amid a push to reverse a drop in market share in North America.

Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators from model years 2021 through 2023 may be prone to engine fires with an estimated 781,500 vehicles that could be affected by the problem, according to a document Monday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.

“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.

Stellantis is cooperating with the investigation, according to a spokesman.

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.

Stellantis is struggling with high levels of inventories, quality issues and declining market share in the United States, 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 U.S. sales contributed to a profit plunge at the group in the first half.

Earlier this year, the NHTSA opened another probe into the company, looking at 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 a low speed.

Torsoli writes for Bloomberg.