Adds details from the report throughout

July 21 (Reuters) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday that it is closing a preliminary evaluation into 454,840 Nissan 7201.T vehicles over engine failure after the Japanese automaker issued a recall in June.

The probe, which was opened in December 2023, alleged that engine failures in certain Nissan vehicles were leading to loss of motive power. Consumers also reported engine knocking noises.

An engine failure could result in a fire if internal components detached and damaged the engine block, creating a hole that allowed engine oil to reach hot surfaces, the U.S. auto safety authority said.

NHTSA said that a total of 1,878 incidents were reported, of which 12 resulted in either crash or a fire.

The probe included under its scope certain models of Nissan Rogue, Altima and luxury vehicles, Infiniti's QX50 and QX55, the NHTSA report said.

Nissan's June recall fix involves a dealer inspection for metal debris in the engine oil pan.

If no debris is found, dealers will change the oil and carry out minor repairs based on engine type; if debris is found, the engine may need major repairs or replacement.

The Yokohama-based company also agreed to extend the vehicle warranty of the impacted vehicles to 10 years and 120,000 miles after the inspection.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Shailesh Kuber)

((Aishwarya.Jain@thomsonreuters.com;))