Aug 9 (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety regulators said on

Friday that it was opening a preliminary evaluation into

approximately 332,288 Hyundai SUVs in the United

States over a potentially faulty seat belt.

The investigation focuses on certain Hyundai Palisade SUVs

from model years 2020-2023.

Seat belts may inadvertently unlatch and without warning,

increasing the risk of injury due to full loss of seat belt

protection, The National Highway Safety Administration said.

Following the preliminary evaluation, the NHTSA must decide

whether to escalate the investigation to an engineering

analysis. Only after this step can the agency demand a recall if

deemed necessary.