Not Just Tesla: Millions Of Cars Hit By Hidden Door Handle Recall

Tesla has made flush or hidden door handles commonplace, with many manufacturers ditching traditional door handles in favor of them. However, their design has proven problematic, prompting safety concerns. Some emergency responders and bystanders have been unable to free people trapped in their cars, and some occupants have been unable to free themselves. The problem is twofold: Some designs rely on an electronic latch release that doesn't work if the car loses power. Others are mostly mechanical, but require power to get the handle to pop out. In either case, the emergency release inside the car is often separate from the customary button or mechanism.

Consequently, China is banning retractable and hidden handles entirely on new cars starting January 1, 2027, and has prompted a recall of around four million existing vehicles with them. It's not just Tesla that's affected, although it's the hardest hit as the maker of nearly three million of the affected vehicles. Eight other brands are subject to the recall, including BAIC BluePark, Chery, Geely, Leapmotor, Xiaomi, and XPeng. Remediation measures vary, from improved markings and warning labels around handles and emergency release mechanisms to software updates.

The move affects Tesla's Model 3, Model S, Model Y, and Model X vehicles. In addition to adding warning labels that make the emergency door release handles easier to spot inside the vehicles, Tesla is pushing a software update that will open the windows if it detects a collision.

In July, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) denied a petition asking for it to investigate the mechanical door release on the 2022 Tesla Model 3, Reuters reported. However, it granted a separate one to consider issuing regulations about emergency mechanisms, saying it "[W]ill gather additional information and data, and solicit ‌public ⁠comments, to determine if a rulemaking for a new safety standard is appropriate." That said, the process could take years.

In the interim, if China, one of the world's largest car markets, continues to clamp down on hidden door handles, manufacturers might find its easier to not include them on future vehicles. Tesla, for its part, said last year its working on redesigning its door handles. The change would make it so that the electronic and manual door-release mechanisms are in the same spot, which solves the problem of trying to find an unfamiliar handle — which you may have never used before — in an emergency.