The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary evaluation of about 240,000 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport vehicles after consumer complaints alleging engine failure due to loss of oil pressure, the NHTSA said on its website.

The investigation was opened on September 20 by the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, it said.

(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely)