US regulator opens probe into more than 360,000 Ford SUVs over loss of braking

(Reuters) - A U.S. auto safety regulator said on Friday it was investigating 368,309 Ford crossover SUVs in the country over loss of braking caused by rear brake hose failure.

The preliminary evaluation covers some Ford Edge crossovers from model years 2015-2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

The complaints also allege that the loss of braking ability occurs without any prior warning and results in a higher stopping distance, the regulator said.

Ford said it was working with the NHTSA to support its investigation.

The automaker had recalled 488,000 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles in 2020 in the U.S. for brake hose failures.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)