US auto safety regulator probes 1.2 million Tesla vehicles over suspension failure risks

July 31 (Reuters) – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday it has opened a preliminary investigation into about 1.2 million Tesla vehicles over reports of suspension ​failures that could cause a loss of vehicle steering ‌control.

The regulator said its Office of Defects Investigation has received 156 complaints, alleging the front lower lateral link detached in certain 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles.

NHTSA said the suspension failure could leave the vehicle ‌undriveable ​and require it to be towed.

Tesla did ⁠not immediately respond to ⁠a Reuters request for comment.

NHTSA said most complaints indicated there was no advance warning before the failure, though some owners reported noises beforehand.

The agency said it was not aware of ​any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the reported defect.

NHTSA is currently conducting a preliminary evaluation, the first stage of ⁠its defect investigation process, which could ⁠lead to a recall if the agency finds a ​safety-related defect.

Tesla has previously recalled vehicles over lower lateral link detachments. ​A 2021 recall that covered about 2,800 Model 3 ‌vehicles was due to a production issue, while a 2023 recall involved 422 Model 3 vehicles that experienced similar failures.

NHTSA said the reported failures in the new investigation extend beyond the scope ⁠of those recalls and do not appear to be related to the production issue that prompted them. The preliminary evaluation will examine the ⁠underlying cause, scope ‌and severity of the potential defect.

Reuters reported in ⁠2023 that Tesla had internally tracked chronic failures ​of ‌suspension and steering components for years, even as ​it frequently ⁠blamed the damage on driver abuse in communications with customers and U.S. regulators.

Tesla, ranked seventh by recall volume in the second quarter, issued three recalls affecting about 234,000 vehicles, according to recall management firm BizzyCar.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman ​and Shinjini Ganguli)