The federal agency responsible for vehicle safety has rejected a formal request to launch a defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release system found on approximately 180,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that the petition failed to provide adequate evidence of a safety-related defect that would justify opening an investigation. The agency added that the matter would be better handled through a separate rulemaking process already underway.
Those who filed the petition raised concerns about the manual door release design found in 2022 Model 3 models, arguing it was hidden and hard to find in situations where the car lost electrical power following a crash — potentially trapping people inside.
Tesla’s electronically controlled door handle design has come under increased scrutiny following multiple crash incidents in which occupants reportedly could not get out of their vehicles after power was lost. Those cases have fueled wider demands for tougher federal regulations around emergency door exit systems.
