Tesla faces NHTSA probe over Model 3 emergency door handles
Tesla Inc.’s door handles are facing. There is renewed scrutiny in the United States after federal auto safety regulators opened an investigation into emergency releases in some Model 3 vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is evaluating claims that the mechanical door release system is “hidden, unlabeled, and not easily located during an emergency,” according to the agency’s website. The move stems from a petition by Kevin Close, a Tesla owner in Georgia, who says he was trapped in his car in 2023 and has requested an investigation into the defect. NHTSA said it has not decided whether to approve or deny the petition.
Read more: Tesla doors could trap people desperate to escape
The probe covers an estimated 179,071 Model 3 sedans as of 2022.
Tesla and NHTSA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move expands on federal scrutiny of Tesla’s door problems following a months-long investigation into the issue by Bloomberg, which revealed a series of incidents in which people were seriously injured or died after becoming trapped in their Teslas. In September, NHTSA opened an investigation into whether doors were defective on some Model Y SUVs amid reports of children getting stuck in vehicles when their 12-volt battery died. The Model 3 and Model Y are Tesla’s best-selling vehicles.
The automaker pioneered electrically operated handles, which can stop working without warning, especially after an accident. A Bloomberg analysis this week found at least 15 deaths in dozens of crashes over the past decade in which passengers or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that crashed and caught fire.
Bloomberg separately reported that potential safety issues with power grips were raised with CEO Elon Musk during the Model 3’s development, and that he insisted on the future design, which would include manual versions to mitigate power loss issues.
Read more: Elon Musk demands Tesla electric doors despite safety concerns
Close filed a plea last month over a 2023 incident in which he said he had to get out of his burning Model 3 when the doors wouldn’t open. Bloomberg had previously reported the details of Close’s case.
“I was not aware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release because it was not clearly marked, not explained upon delivery, and is not intuitive in the event of an emergency,” he said in a complaint filed with NHTSA. “I had to climb into the back seat and break the rear passenger window with my legs to escape while the inside was burning.”
Tesla shares were down 0.7% as of 11:41 a.m. Wednesday in New York.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
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2025-12-24 19:37:00
