(Reuters) – The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has upgraded its probe into Jaguar Land Rover vehicles to an engineering analysis, the agency said on Tuesday, following reports that the front aluminum steering knuckles could fracture.
The auto safety regulator said the investigation covers 331,559 vehicles, and includes Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models from the 2014 to 2022 model years.
NHTSA had opened a preliminary evaluation into Jaguar Land Rover vehicles last year after receiving reports that described fractures occurring at the joint where the steering knuckle attaches to the upper control arm ball joint.
Fracture of the front suspension knuckle can lead to detachment of the upper suspension arm, resulting in the driver’s inability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash, NHTSA said.
The regulator will investigate the component design, assess the potential safety risk, and evaluate the recall remedies as part of the probe.
Jaguar Land Rover, which is based in the U.K., is a wholly owned subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors.
Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair
