Tesla Under Probe In South Korea For Supposed Issues With Autopilot, Other Braking, Steering Systems

South Korean authorities have launched a safety probe into Tesla Inc.'s TSLA vehicles, Reuters reported Wednesday.

What Happened: The country's transport ministry said the investigation is related to the automaker's braking and steering systems, including the Autopilot function, according to Reuters.

Local media reports suggest Tesla Model 3 is the primary focus of the probe, but officials didn't affirm the claim.

The South Korean government is expecting to conclude the investigation in six months to a year, as per Reuters.

Why It Matters: The probe comes at a time when Tesla is seeing rising interest in the country.

The Elon Musk-led company sold a record 2,827 units in South Korea in June, with Model 3 being the second most-imported vehicle after Daimler AG's DDAIF Mercedes E-Class.

The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in February this year determined limitations of the Autopilot features to be one of the causes of a 2018 Model S crash that killed Apple Inc. AAPL engineer Walter Huang.

The federal agency is also probing battery cooling systems in the same model line for vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2016.

Price Action: Tesla shares traded 1.3% higher at $1,495.53 in the pre-market session Wednesday.