U.S. auto safety investigators said Tuesday they are opening an investigation into 346,000 Ford Escape sport utility vehicles because a weld in the door assembly may fail, potentially resulting in a door inadvertently open while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 118 questionnaires alleging a failure of

the spot welds in the check arm bracket for the front doors in 2020-21 Ford Escape vehicles.

NHTSA said it has 25 reports of minor injuries and one report of minor property damage tied to the issue that prevents a vehicle door from operating properly.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, editing by Ed Osmond)