Unintended Acceleration Claims on Teslas Under Review by NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is evaluating allegations that Tesla Inc. vehicles contain a defect that can cause sudden unintended acceleration, according to a notice posted on the agency’s website.

The review was prompted by a petition asking the agency to open a defect investigation of some 500,000 Tesla vehicles over the alleged flaw, the agency said. The petition cited 127 consumer complaints to the agency and claims of 110 crashes.

After a technical review, NHTSA can either deny the petition or grant it and open a formal probe of the alleged issue. Any member of the public ...