March 11 (Reuters) -

U.S. auto-safety regulators on Monday launched a preliminary

probe into emergency braking issues in certain Honda ( HMC ) vehicles

following complaints of crashes and fires.

The problem affects the 2019-2022 models of the Honda

Insight, a hybrid electric car, and the Honda Passport SUV, and

involves 250,712 vehicles, according to the U.S. National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA report also states that the Office of Defects

Investigation (ODI) received 46 complaints, which included

reports of three crashes or fires and two injuries.

Inadvertent activation of the automatic emergency

braking system can increase the risk of a collision, resulting

in injury and property damage, according to the NHTSA.

"Honda ( HMC ) has already been in communication with the agency on

this topic and will cooperate with the NHTSA through the

investigation process, while continuing our own internal review

of the available information," the company said in an email.

A preliminary evaluation, or the first phase of an NHTSA

investigation, involves a review of consumer complaints or

manufacturer service bulletins, which suggest a safety defect

may exist.

(Reporting by Ananta Agarwal and Shubhendu Deshmukh in

Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Editing by Anil D'Silva)