A U.S. auto-safety regulator has opened a preliminary investigation of reports that Tesla Model Y door handles might fail to open in certain conditions, potentially trapping occupants and adding to the challenge of extracting children from rear seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation said it had received nine complaints, including four cases in which owners smashed a window to gain re-entry.
What investigators are examining in the NHTSA probe
Preliminary analysis indicates that if the low-voltage electrical system in the vehicle has a fault and does not send power to the electric door locks, they can become inoperable, according to NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation. Owners who detailed their complaints also did not encounter a low-voltage warning, meaning it’s unclear whether these warnings come often enough or early enough to spur action before a lockout.
Tesla vehicles include internal manual releases, but they aren’t accessible from outside — and children have difficulty reaching them. The manufacturer’s owner manuals explain that there is a multi-step process to charge the locks with an external power source in order to regain locking capability, however, this can be less than ideal in emergency situations. Tesla did not reply to the requests for comment cited in the agency materials.
Electronic latches: convenience but at a cost
Many of today’s cars, including EVs from numerous automakers, now incorporate electronic “e-latches” that open the door catch with a button or hidden handle. They are all linked to a distinct low-voltage power network which also hosts body controllers, airbags and infotainment. When that network dips or fails, e-latches can cease operating, despite the high-voltage traction battery being perfectly healthy.
Doors are required to be openable from inside by federal standards, and that’s why they have these manual releases in Tesla vehicles. But following along does not guarantee intuitive use. Human-factors engineers have long warned that a secret or nonstandardized release can be missed during an emergency, especially by children or passengers unfamiliar with the vehicle. A Bloomberg investigation last month cited several cases in which Tesla drivers and passengers had difficulty getting out of their crashed vehicles, emphasizing the need for fail-safe egress design.
Context and scale: what do signals in complaint data suggest?
ODI’s nine complaints are a tiny fraction of the Model Y fleet, which independent industry estimates put in the low millions globally. Still, safety investigations often start with a small number of reports when the reported failure mode could hamper escape or delay access to children. Consumer Reports and owner forums previously have documented frustrations over older Tesla door-handle designs on other models, but those problems concerned different mechanisms.
Complaint narratives analyzed by ODI suggest three common scenarios: parents exiting the vehicle for a short period of time and returning to find that the rear doors will not open; vehicles that return from a trip with locked rear doors that have to be disengaged electronically; or exterior handles that do not actuate the latch. The lack of a low-voltage warning in those examples may suggest transient voltage droops, sensor or software thresholds, user information or an awareness gap—each being a very different engineering path to that real-world ending.
What could result from the safety probe?
A preliminary inquiry can be closed with no further action, upgraded to an engineering analysis or end in a recall if the defect is confirmed. Potential remedies for Tesla would include an over-the-air update at a minimum that modifies power-management and warning logic or hardware improvements, such as the addition of redundancy, revision of actuation thresholds and improved access to manual override releases. Tesla has changed alerts and behavior through software updates in the past for other systems in safety campaigns, but any problem related to physical latch components or power routing may require a service appointment.
Regulatory scrutiny is also expected to have a ripple effect in the wider EV industry. Other automakers use e-latches, and NHTSA has expressed interest in keeping emergency egress consistent regardless of a vehicle’s design. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has also highlighted clearly labeled and easy-to-access interior releases as best practice, particularly in second-row seating.
What owners can do now to reduce lockout risk
As that investigation continues, safety experts advise owners to make themselves aware of the physical location and operation of manually controlled door releases — on rear seats, too, if so equipped. Maintaining the good health of your low-voltage battery, as well as responding quickly to any electrical-system warnings, can help lessen the risk of experiencing a lockout. For families, a quick demonstration with kids old enough to understand how to use the interior release could prove valuable.
The fundamental question for regulators is simple: when power gets low, do the Model Y doors still make it easy to enter and exit?
The question ODI’s investigation—triggered by a tiny but troubling set of complaints about the locks—is trying to answer is whether the answer is an unequivocal yes, or whether another solution needs to be found in order to make it so.