The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday said it had opened a formal investigation into around 115,0000 Tesla vehicles over a front suspension safety issue.
The auto safety regulator said it was opening a preliminary evaluation into 2015-2017 Model S and 2016-2017 Model X vehicles after receiving 43 complaints alleging failure of the left or right front suspension fore links.
Tesla in February 2017 issued a service bulletin describing a manufacturing condition that may result in front suspension fore link failures, NHTSA said.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
The 2017 service bulletin said some vehicles have "front fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications. In the event of link failure, the driver can still maintain control of the vehicle but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner."
NHTSA said 32 complaints involved failures that occurred during low-speed parking maneuvers, while 11 occurred while driving. Another eight complaints may also involve the same issue, NHTSA added.