For Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, a Tough Month

Tesla Motors Inc. and Chief Executive Elon Musk have encountered a rough road in June, capped by a regulators' disclosure late Thursday that the electric car maker's autopilot feature is linked to a death in Florida. The fatality has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open a preliminary investigation into the autonomous-driving feature. The development follows a series of issues in June that dented the company's winning streak with investors and much of the public. Earlier in June, NHTSA disclosed that it was looking into a separate suspension issue with the Model S electric sedan and chastised Tesla for having buyers sign nondisclosure agreements that could discourage them from reporting possible safety problems in exchange for covering some costs of repair. The Silicon Valley company revised the agreements but not before a swarm of publicity.