Stellantis has issued a recall for about 81,000 Jeep and Ram vehicles because their engines can repeatedly stall due to a metalwork defect. The problem affects two models, but only those equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines.
2014-2019 Ram 1500
2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The problem, the company says, is that magnetic material can delaminate from the surface of a tone wheel — a wheel with teeth mounted around the flywheel. The crank position sensor uses the tone wheel as a reference point to know when the engine control unit (ECU) starts the combustion process. Without a working tone wheel, the crankshaft position sensor can’t function, which makes the engine lose its timing.
That can make the engine stall repeatedly and even fail to restart.
The company says it knows of no accidents caused by the issue but has received at least 611 warranty claims that were related to it.
The solution does not involve a new tone wheel. Instead, Stellantis says, dealers will “update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal if crankshaft position signal is lost.”
Recall repairs are always free.
