09:09 AM EDT, 04/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US auto safety regulators have upgraded and expanded an investigation into Honda Motor ( HMC ) vehicles' automatic emergency braking systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in an April 15 notice that it has upgraded a two-year investigation into reports of the inadvertent activation of the braking system to an engineering analysis "to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety-related consequences" of the suspected defect.

An engineering analysis brings the probe one step closer to a recall order.

In addition, the scope of the investigation has been expanded to include 2020 to 2022 Honda CR-V and Accord models, with the preliminary evaluation covering 2017 to 2019 Honda CR-Vs and 2018 to 2019 Honda Accords.

Honda ( HMC ) has said they are aware of 1,991 reports related to the alleged defect, the NHTSA said. Honda ( HMC ) did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Shares of the company were down almost 1% in recent Wednesday premarket activity.