Investigation Commences on Tesla Model 3 Door Handles by NHTSA

U.S. traffic safety officials have initiated an inquiry into certain Tesla Model 3 vehicles concerning issues with their door handles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed on December 23 that it has received a petition from a Tesla owner, prompting them to look into the emergency door mechanisms. According to the complaint, the driver stated that the mechanical release for the door is discreetly positioned, lacks clear labeling, and is challenging to locate swiftly in urgent situations.

The complaintant described a terrifying escape through a rear window when his 2022 Model 3 erupted in flames, as detailed in a report by a local Atlanta news station.

This investigation pertains to approximately 179,000 Model 3 vehicles from the 2022 production year, as per the NHTSA's documentation.

Tesla has not yet provided a comment regarding this investigation.

This is not the initial incident involving the Model 3 being scrutinized. In 2023, an accident occurred in Tacoma, Washington, where a design issue reportedly led to unintended acceleration in a Model 3. When bystanders attempted to help, they couldn't access the vehicle due to another flaw related to the door handle design, as cited in legal documents. Tragically, the crash resulted in Wendy Dennis's death and severe injuries to her husband, Jeff Dennis.

Other instances have been reported where individuals were unable to escape from a Tesla following a collision that disabled the electric doors, rendering the manual release difficult to locate.

According to Bloomberg's recent findings, there have been at least 15 fatalities over the past decade where drivers or rescuers could not open the doors of a Tesla after a crash and subsequent fire.