The U.S. auto safety regulator on Friday opened a preliminary probe into 6,813 Ocean SUVs made by Fisker in 2023 after complaints that the automatic emergency braking system used in the electric vehicles had activated inadvertently.

The regulator said its Office of Defects Investigation has received 8 complaints alleging the activation of the braking system without an apparent roadway obstruction in the vehicle’s forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration.

Three of the complaints alleged an injury, the regulator said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) preliminary evaluation will look into the scope and severity of the potential problem to assess its impact on safety.

The regulator could close the investigation into Fisker without taking any potential action.

Fisker is also under another preliminary probe from the NHTSA, which started last month after complaints that the doors of its EVs sometimes failed to open.

(Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)