US Regulators Investigate Tesla Door Handles After Complaints Of Entrapment

In what could be a gentle reminder to Elon Musk that President Trump is still the boss, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla’s electric door handles, focusing on 2021 Model Y vehicles, according to Bloomberg.

Regulators say they are examining whether doors become inoperative after low-voltage battery failures, leaving occupants unable to get in or out.

“This investigation will also assess the approach used by Tesla to supply power to the door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies,” NHTSA said. The agency noted that every Tesla sold in the US uses electrically powered doors.

Bloomberg recently reported more than 140 complaints since 2018 about Tesla doors getting stuck or failing, including cases where parents could not retrieve children from the back seat. NHTSA cited nine “failure reports,” seven of which matched Bloomberg’s findings. “Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations, such as when children are entrapped in a hot vehicle,” the agency said.

Bloomberg writes that owners told regulators they sometimes broke windows to reach trapped passengers. “No one should have to resort to breaking the windows to get into their own car when their child or pet is trapped inside because the door handles fail to work,” said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.

Tesla has not commented on the probe. Chair Robyn Denholm, asked last week about Bloomberg’s investigation, said only that the board “takes seriously” any safety incidents.

Safety advocates argue that Tesla’s manual release latches are difficult to find in emergencies. Michael Brooks of the Center for Auto Safety said: “The fact that manual release locations are noted in the owner’s manual is not sufficient to advise passengers or ride-share occupants, who do not have a chance to read the manual when a fire or other emergency circumstance is in progress.”

China and Europe have also increased scrutiny of electric and flush door-handle designs, warning they can complicate rescue efforts. NHTSA said it will “continue to monitor any reports of entrapment involving opening doors from inside of the vehicle” and will “take further action as needed.”

The door-handle probe adds to multiple US investigations into Tesla, including ongoing reviews of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving safety. There have been few, if any, updates on legacy probes of Musk’s company since President Trump has been in office.