Tesla’s door handles are under renewed examination in the United States following the initiation of an investigation by federal auto safety regulators into the emergency releases on specific Model 3 vehicles.
According to a posting on the agency’s website, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is assessing allegations that the mechanical door release “is concealed, lacks labeling, and is not intuitive to find in an emergency.” This action originates from a petition submitted by Kevin Clouse, a Tesla owner from Georgia who reports being trapped in his car in 2023 and subsequently requested an investigation into a potential defect. NHTSA stated that it has not yet reached a decision on whether to approve or reject the petition.
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The investigation encompasses an estimated 179,071 Model 3 sedans from the 2022 model year.
Neither Tesla nor NHTSA provided an immediate response to requests for comment.
This development broadens the federal scrutiny of issues with Tesla doors, which came after a Bloomberg investigation into the matter revealed a number of incidents where individuals were seriously injured or killed after being trapped inside their Teslas. In September, NHTSA launched a separate probe into potential door defects in certain Model Y SUVs following reports of children becoming stuck in vehicles when the 12-volt battery fails. The Model 3 and Model Y are Tesla’s best-selling models by a significant margin.
The automaker was an early adopter of electrically operated handles, which can cease to function without notice, especially following a collision. A recent Bloomberg analysis identified several instances over the last ten years where occupants or emergency responders could not open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and ignited.
In a separate report, Bloomberg indicated that possible safety concerns regarding the electric handles were presented to CEO Elon Musk during the Model 3’s development phase, and that he advocated for the futuristic design, which incorporated manual releases to address potential power failure issues.
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Clouse submitted his petition last month concerning a 2023 event where he claims he was forced to kick his way out of his burning Model 3 after the doors failed to open. Bloomberg had previously provided coverage of Clouse’s case.
“I was unaware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release because it is not visibly labeled, not explained upon delivery, and not intuitive in an emergency,” he stated in a document filed with NHTSA. “I was forced to climb to the back seat and break the rear passenger window with my legs to escape while the interior was burning.”
Tesla’s stock declined by 0.7% as of 11:41 a.m. on Wednesday in New York.