Tesla just got hit with a sweeping federal records demand as safety regulators escalate their probe into the company's flush-mounted door handles that can trap people inside vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continued receiving complaints after launching its September investigation, including harrowing reports of children trapped in hot cars requiring emergency window breaks to escape.
Tesla is staring down federal regulators who just escalated their safety investigation into a design flaw that's turning the company's signature door handles into potential death traps. The NHTSA issued a formal records demand after complaints kept pouring in following their initial September probe - and the details are getting more disturbing by the day.
The agency's Office of Defects Investigations now has 16 confirmed reports of exterior door handles going completely dead due to low battery voltage in 2021 Model Y vehicles alone. But it's the human stories behind those numbers that reveal the true scope of this crisis. Parents are smashing car windows to rescue children trapped in overheating vehicles. First responders are being called to what should be routine situations. People can't get out of their own cars.
"Tesla has been ordered to provide records," the NHTSA stated in its letter to Elon Musk's company, expanding the investigation far beyond initial concerns. The probe now covers all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured between 2017 and 2022 - potentially millions of vehicles on the road today.
This isn't just another regulatory fishing expedition. The investigation kicked into high gear after a Bloomberg investigation exposed a pattern of injuries and deaths linked to Tesla's flush-mounted handles failing during emergencies. When battery power drops or crashes damage electrical systems, these sleek handles become inoperable, trapping occupants inside.
Tesla design chief Franz Von Holzhausen has already acknowledged the problem publicly, telling press that the company would redesign its door handles. But that admission might have come too late to avoid regulatory scrutiny. The NHTSA wants comprehensive records covering "door handles, door latches, 12VDC batteries, software" and related components - essentially demanding a full technical autopsy of Tesla's door systems.
The regulatory pressure is rippling across the entire EV industry. is reconsidering its own flush-mounted handle designs, while CEO Thomas Schäfer recently told reporters his customers actively reject electronic door handles. "VW has no plans to adopt them," , highlighting how Tesla's safety crisis is becoming a competitive liability.
