2019-2024 Ram 1500 eTorque stalling or AutoPark engaging in traffic? Recall 23V-265 and NHTSA investigation PE24018 may support a CA buyback. Free review.
The 2019-2024 Ram 1500 eTorque was sold as a smarter, more efficient half-ton: HEMI power with a 48-volt mild-hybrid boost that promised better fuel economy, smoother stop/start, and confident towing. What tens of thousands of owners got instead was a truck that could shut off without warning while driving, sometimes flinging itself into Park and slamming on the emergency brake in the middle of a turn or intersection. This is not a hypothetical risk. NHTSA issued a safety recall (campaign 23V-265) covering approximately 131,700 model-year 2021 Ram 1500 eTorque trucks after FCA documented 636 warranty claims, 206 customer records, 53 field reports, and at least one crash linked to the problem. The defect: PCM software causing an over-rich fuel condition that triggers an unexpected engine shutdown. FCA's fix was a 30-minute software flash. For many owners, the stalling continued. And it doesn't stop with 2021 trucks. NHTSA opened a separate preliminary evaluation (PE24018) in July 2024 targeting approximately 150,000 model-year 2022 Ram 1500 eTorque trucks and 2022 Jeep Wagoneers for a distinct electrical-shutdown issue that also causes the truck to autonomously shift into Park and engage the emergency brake. As of the date of this writing, no recall has been issued for the 2022 investigation. Eighty NHTSA complaints and counting. Then there is the Motor-Generator Unit itself. The MGU (the heart of the eTorque system) is prone to bearing failure across 2019-2024 model years, producing a whining or grinding noise before eventually failing and leaving the truck with 15-40 minutes of drive time before a stall. FCA has acknowledged this through multiple TSBs and a Customer Satisfaction Notification (CSN V87 for 2019 units). California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act was designed for exactly this situation. If your Ram 1500 eTorque has been back to the dealer for stalling, engine shutdowns, AutoPark engagements, MGU replacement, or 48V battery faults, you may qualify for a buyback or replacement. Every dealer visit matters.
The issues owners report most, ranked by severity — each one verified against a cited NHTSA source.
Engine shuts off unexpectedly while driving, especially during low-speed maneuvers such as turns, stops, or intersection crossings; vehicle may shift into Park and engage emergency brake automatically.
Engine suddenly shuts off at low speed (turns, intersections); truck automatically shifts into Park and engages the emergency brake, causing an abrupt stop in traffic; vehicle may or may not restart immediately.
High-pitched whining or grinding noise from the front of the engine that changes with engine speed; MIL illumination; eTorque system warning; vehicle may stall or lose propulsion with 15–40 minutes of driving time remaining before shutdown.
'Stop/Start Unavailable' or 'eTorque System Service Required' warning messages; intermittent stop/start disable; rough idle before hybrid assist activates; eventual no-start or inability to restart after stall.
Engine fails to restart during an Engine Stop/Start (ESS) event at a traffic stop; vehicle automatically shifts into Park and engages parking brake unexpectedly; MIL illumination with DTCs P1C64 and/or U0402.
No warning to the driver before a crash; a second-row seat belt buckle may be loose, twisted, or improperly seated at the anchor point.
A settled Margarian Law case on this exact model, published with the actual settlement math.
Open any defect for the symptoms and why it matters for a California lemon-law claim. Each is tied to a cited NHTSA source.
Engine shuts off unexpectedly while driving, especially during low-speed maneuvers such as turns, stops, or intersection crossings; vehicle may shift into Park and engage emergency brake automatically.
Unexpected engine stall with AutoPark engagement is a substantial safety defect. If the PCM reflash fails to resolve repeated stalls, each dealer visit is a repair attempt. 636 warranty claims and one crash documented by FCA before recall issuance support substantial-impairment argument.
PCM calibration software update via wiTECH scan tool (~30 min); free under recall.
Engine suddenly shuts off at low speed (turns, intersections); truck automatically shifts into Park and engages the emergency brake, causing an abrupt stop in traffic; vehicle may or may not restart immediately.
AutoPark engagement in moving traffic is a distinct secondary hazard beyond the stall itself. PE24018 with 80 NHTSA complaints across ~150,000 vehicles supports an owner's argument that the defect is known, not idiosyncratic, and the manufacturer has not yet provided a complete remedy.
No official remedy issued yet; investigation ongoing (PE24018).
High-pitched whining or grinding noise from the front of the engine that changes with engine speed; MIL illumination; eTorque system warning; vehicle may stall or lose propulsion with 15–40 minutes of driving time remaining before shutdown.
MGU replacement is a major hybrid component repair. Repeated MGU failures or failure after a single replacement within the warranty period can support a lemon-law claim; California's 8-year/80,000-mile emissions warranty covers the MGU.
MGU replacement; covered under federal emissions warranty (8 years/80,000 miles). CSN V87 (2019 units) and TSB 08-014-21 provide OEM-authorized repair procedures.
'Stop/Start Unavailable' or 'eTorque System Service Required' warning messages; intermittent stop/start disable; rough idle before hybrid assist activates; eventual no-start or inability to restart after stall.
If the dealer refuses warranty coverage claiming the 48V battery is not under the 8/80 emissions warranty on 2022+ units, this itself is a legal issue worth documenting. Repeated battery faults requiring multiple dealer visits strengthen a lemon-law claim.
BPCM software update (TSB 2024); battery pack replacement if degraded. Covered under federal emissions warranty (8 years/80,000 miles for 2019–2021 per warranty booklets; warranty coverage for 2022+ disputed by some dealers).
Engine fails to restart during an Engine Stop/Start (ESS) event at a traffic stop; vehicle automatically shifts into Park and engages parking brake unexpectedly; MIL illumination with DTCs P1C64 and/or U0402.
Unintended AutoPark engagement at an intersection is a distinct safety defect separate from the stalling issue. If HCP flash does not resolve repeated episodes, each occurrence and dealer visit is a repair attempt countable toward lemon-law thresholds.
HCP software flash (TSB 08-025-23); reimbursable under warranty.
No warning to the driver before a crash; a second-row seat belt buckle may be loose, twisted, or improperly seated at the anchor point.
An improperly installed occupant restraint anchor is a significant safety defect, in the same category as an airbag non-deployment issue. If a second-row occupant was involved in a crash, or the vehicle exhibited a loose, twisted, or improperly seated second-row buckle before this recall was announced and repeated dealer visits failed to resolve it, this may support a lemon-law claim. No remedy is yet accessible to owners: VIN search opens 2026-08-06 and owner letters begin mailing 2026-08-18.
Dealers inspect the second-row seat belt buckle anchors and reattach to the body structure as necessary, free of charge under NHTSA Recall 26V-495.
Center display shows a black or blank screen, or stays on the previous screen, instead of the rearview camera image when the truck is shifted into reverse; may be intermittent and clear on the next ignition cycle. No warning light.
A rearview camera that does not display is an FMVSS 111 safety noncompliance, and the fix is a software update that should take one visit (or none, if delivered over the air). By itself this rarely supports a claim; it becomes relevant when the camera failure persists after the update, when it recurs alongside the other Uconnect infotainment faults documented on this truck, or as one more entry in a multi-visit repair history. Document each backing event where the image failed and each software update performed.
Radio software update delivered over-the-air or by a dealer, free of charge, under NHTSA Recall 26V-560 (FCA 83D). Owner letters Sep 24 - Oct 2, 2026.
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A radio software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. The vehicles therefore fail to comply with FMVSS No. 111 (Rear Visibility), S6.2.6, which requires the rearview image to be visible at the beginning of each backing event.
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The second-row seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed, failing to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 210 (FMVSS 210).
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PCM software calibration error may cause an over-rich air-fuel mixture, resulting in an unexpected engine stall (engine shutdown) while driving.
Every item below comes from this vehicle's documented defects. The more you recognize, the more a free case review is worth your time.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act gives you specific rights when a manufacturer or its dealers cannot fix a defect within a reasonable number of attempts during the warranty period. For safety defects — and unintended engine shutdown with AutoPark engagement qualifies as a safety defect — California law presumes that two repair attempts may be sufficient to trigger the Act's protections. For other substantial defects, four attempts, or 30 or more cumulative days out of service, create a rebuttable presumption in your favor. If your vehicle qualifies, you may be entitled to: a full repurchase (the amount you paid, including taxes, fees, and finance charges, minus a mileage offset), a replacement vehicle of comparable value, or a negotiated cash settlement. Importantly, Stellantis — not you — must pay your attorney's fees if you prevail. That means most California lemon law cases cost the owner nothing out of pocket to pursue. The Ram 1500 eTorque's combination of a federal safety recall (23V-265), an open NHTSA investigation into the 2022 model year, a documented crash, and multiple TSBs covering the same stall-and-AutoPark symptom set is strong foundation for a lemon law claim if your dealer has not been able to resolve the problem. The above is general information only and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its specific facts, repair records, and dates.
“Could not duplicate” doesn't mean the defect isn't real. Here's exactly what to do to protect a potential California lemon-law claim.
Document the moment it happens. Photos, video, and screenshots of any warning lights — with the date and the mileage.
Get a repair order every visit — even “found nothing.” That paperwork is the foundation of a claim.
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Note any recall that has no available remedy yet.
Track your out-of-service days. California law counts the cumulative days your vehicle spends in the shop.
Keep loaner & rental records. Alternate-transport paperwork during long repairs matters.
Save everything in one place. Symptoms, dates, repair orders, and every repeat visit — the intermittent ones especially.
Dealers frequently close service orders marked 'unable to duplicate' (UTD) or 'no trouble found' (NTF) for intermittent stalling and AutoPark events — especially because the conditions that trigger the eTorque shutdown are specific and may not reproduce in a short dealer test drive. Here is what to do: 1. Write down the details immediately after each event: date, time, mileage, road conditions, vehicle speed, whether Stop/Start had recently activated, any warning lights or messages, and whether AutoPark engaged. The more precise, the stronger your paper trail. 2. Ask the dealer, in writing, to pull all stored and historical Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) — including freeze-frame data — from the PCM, HCP, and BPCM. Codes P1C64 (Hybrid Perf Engine Speed Below Target During Autostart) and U0402 (Implausible Data Received From TCM) are specifically documented in TSB 08-025-23 for the 2022 eTorque stall/AutoPark issue. 3. Ask the dealer which TSBs they checked against your complaint. The relevant service documents for this truck include: TSB 08-014-21 (MGU replacement), TSB 08-025-23 (HCP software flash), CSN V87 (2019 MGU flex-cable), and TSB BPCM-SW-2024 (48V battery BPCM update). A dealer that returns a UTD without referencing these TSBs may have missed the documented fix. 4. Confirm that recall 23V-265 (Ram 37A) has been performed on your VIN. Even if the recall is marked complete, stalling that continues post-reflash is a new repair attempt. 5. Keep every repair order, including UTD visits. Under California law, an unsuccessful repair attempt still counts toward the lemon law threshold — including visits where the dealer says they found nothing. 6. For PE24018 (2022 MY trucks): because no recall has been issued, the dealer is likely not aware of an official fix. Ask them to file a technical assistance case with Stellantis engineering and give you the case number. That creates a formal record that the defect was reported and unresolved.
FCA knew about the eTorque stalling problem. The recall documentation shows 636 warranty claims and one crash before the company issued the PCM reflash in April 2023 for 2021 trucks — and 80 NHTSA complaints are now driving an open investigation into 2022 trucks with a separate root cause. When a truck shifts itself into Park and slams on the emergency brake in the middle of an intersection, that is not a software glitch — it is a safety failure. If you have been back to the dealer more than once for stalling, MGU noise, or AutoPark episodes, pull your service records and have them reviewed. The clock on your new-car warranty is running.
— The Margarian Law team
Has your Ram 1500 eTorque stalled unexpectedly, shifted into Park on its own, or needed an MGU replacement? If your truck has been back to the dealer more than once for any of these issues — or if the PCM reflash under recall 23V-265 did not stop the problem — your repair records may already meet the threshold for a California lemon law buyback. The consultation is free. Find out where you stand.
If you own a 2021 Ram 1500 equipped with the 5.7L HEMI eTorque engine (Sales Code EZL), your truck is very likely covered by NHTSA recall 23V-265 (Ram internal campaign 37A), issued April 2023. The recall covers approximately 131,700 trucks built between June 3, 2020 and September 12, 2021. The defect is a PCM software calibration error that can cause an over-rich fuel condition and an unexpected engine shutdown while driving. FCA documented one crash and 636 warranty claims before the recall was issued. The remedy is a free PCM software update at any Ram dealership — approximately 30 minutes. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov to confirm recall status and whether the repair has been performed on your truck.
As of the date of this writing, there is no recall specifically covering the 2022 Ram 1500 eTorque stall-and-AutoPark issue — but NHTSA has opened a formal Preliminary Evaluation (PE24018) into approximately 150,000 model-year 2022 Ram 1500 and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer vehicles equipped with the 5.7L eTorque system. The investigation, opened July 2024, was triggered by 80 NHTSA complaints describing an electrical fault that causes the engine to shut down and the truck to automatically engage AutoPark — shifting into Park and applying the emergency brake — without driver input. This creates a violent, lurching stop in active traffic. FCA has acknowledged the 2022 root cause is likely electrical and distinct from the PCM over-rich issue in the 2021 recall. If your 2022 truck has experienced this, file a complaint at nhtsa.gov and document every dealer visit — each visit counts toward a potential lemon law claim even before a recall is issued.
A high-pitched whine or grinding from the front of the engine that changes with RPM is the classic symptom of a failing Motor-Generator Unit (MGU) — the core component of the eTorque mild-hybrid system. This failure is documented across 2019-2024 Ram 1500 eTorque trucks. FCA issued TSB 08-014-21 authorizing MGU replacement under warranty for 2019-2021 units with MIL-on DTC faults, and Customer Satisfaction Notification V87 specifically for 2019 units with a defective MGU flex cable. If the MGU fails completely, the truck may display an eTorque system warning and give you 15-40 minutes of driving time before a stall, per the TSB. The MGU is a covered hybrid component under the federal 8-year/80,000-mile emissions warranty. If a dealer tells you it is not covered, push back and document their response in writing.
These warnings indicate a fault in the 48V battery pack or the Battery Pack Control Module (BPCM) — the electronic brain that manages the eTorque system's power storage. In mild cases, a BPCM software update (covered in a 2024 TSB) resolves the warning. In more serious cases, the 48V lithium-ion battery pack itself has degraded or failed and requires replacement. If the system is fully disabled, you lose the eTorque's stop/start and torque-assist functions — and in some cases the truck will not restart after a stall event. The 48V Power Pack is explicitly listed as a covered component under the 8-year/80,000-mile federal emissions warranty in 2021 Ram 1500 warranty documentation; the 2022 booklet's coverage is disputed. If your dealer declines warranty coverage, document the refusal and the specific language they cite. Repeated battery fault visits — especially if the warning keeps returning after a software update — strengthen a lemon law claim.
A PCM reflash that does not resolve the stalling is not the end of the road — it is the beginning of your paper trail. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, each return visit for the same unresolved defect is a separate repair attempt. For a safety defect such as unexpected engine shutdown, California law presumes that two repair attempts may be enough to trigger lemon law protections. A post-recall stall — where the manufacturer's own remedy failed — can count as a second attempt. You should: (1) return to the dealer and demand a new repair order documenting the ongoing stall symptom; (2) ask the dealer to escalate to Stellantis technical assistance; (3) keep all repair orders, including the original recall visit. If the stalling continues after a second or third attempt, your situation may already meet the lemon law threshold. The consultation with a California lemon law attorney is free, and attorney fees are paid by Stellantis — not you — if you prevail.
It may — and the combination of defects on this truck makes it a strong candidate for evaluation. California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act presumes a vehicle is a lemon if: the manufacturer has made two or more repair attempts for a safety-related defect, or four or more attempts for any substantial defect, or the vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days during the warranty period. For the Ram 1500 eTorque, the safety argument is straightforward: sudden engine shutdown with automatic AutoPark engagement in traffic is a safety defect. A single post-recall stall visit, combined with the original recall repair, may already be two attempts on the same safety defect. Owners dealing with MGU failure, 48V battery faults, or HCP autostart issues alongside the stalling may accumulate repair attempts and out-of-service days more quickly than they realize. Pull your repair orders and count the visits and days. If the numbers are close — or over — it is worth a free consultation.
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