June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration said on Monday it has opened a preliminary

evaluation into 91,856 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles over the risk

of faulty front steering knuckles.

The auto safety agency received reports that one or both of

the aluminum front steering knuckles, which connect the front

tires to crucial components such as the brake assembly, had

fractured in the potentially impacted vehicles.

The issue may increase the risk of a crash, it said, adding

that the probe would help determine its scope, severity, and

origin.

The evaluation focuses on the 2014-2017 models of the Range

Rover Sport manufactured by JLR's North America unit.

Jaguar Land Rover, which is based in the U.K., is a wholly

owned subsidiary of India's Tata Motors.