by Federal Pressure on Tesla
Federal investigators are increasing pressure on Tesla regarding the electronic door handles of their vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent a letter to the manufacturer demanding access to internal documents that could reveal the scale of the problem. Parents report that this malfunction left them in horror, as they were unable to free their children from overheated cars.
Rising Number of Complaints
After announcing in September the start of an investigation into allegedly defective handles, the safety regulator received additional reports from owners. Initially, the Office of Defects Investigation had nine complaints, but by last week their number had increased to sixteen.
Complainants report being unable to open the rear doors of their Model Y SUVs due to a voltage drop in the 12-volt battery. This situation transforms from a mere inconvenience into a potentially fatal one when children are in the back of the vehicle.
Although Tesla installs mechanical emergency releases for the doors, accessible from inside the vehicle, this is not an effective solution when a ten-month-old child is secured in a car seat in the back.
Child Trapped in the Heat
“My baby was trapped,” recalls one Tesla owner, as reported by the LA Times. “We live in Florida, and that day the temperature reached 80 degrees (27°C). Having no other choice, I was forced to call emergency services to free my son from the car.”
Reportedly, emergency services in Santa Barbara were forced to break a window to retrieve and rescue the infant.
“My child was found screaming in a puddle of sweat, was transferred to an ambulance, where a paramedic warned me about alarming vital signs and advised going to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for evaluation and treatment if necessary,” wrote the Model Y owner.
Another owner recounts waiting 30 “painful” minutes for a tow truck to arrive to recharge the 12-volt battery and activate the door handles. Some owners could not wait that long.
In four reports available to the Office, owners report being forced to break a window to open the doors. Investigators suspect that a significantly larger number of owners may have had a similar experience. They are demanding that Tesla provide any data and reports that could show how widespread this problem is.
Documentation Demands
In a letter to Tesla dated October 27, the Office of Defects Investigation demands the provision of records of consumer complaints, field reports, including dealer reports, as well as reports of accidents, fires, injuries, fatalities, and property damage related to the handle problem.
They also demand that Tesla provide information about any related lawsuits – both pending and closed – as well as a large amount of other information about warranty claims, test results, internal investigations, design changes, etc.
Scope of the Investigation
At the core of this investigation is the MY21 Model Y, according to owner complaints. However, the investigation also covers “similar vehicles,” meaning Tesla must also provide records related to MY20 and MY22 Model Y, as well as MY17-22 Model 3.
If the Office of Defects Investigation determines that the handles pose a risk, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could force Tesla to recall millions of vehicles to fix the problem.
This situation points to a broader problem of modern cars’ dependence on electronic systems, where even a simple function like opening doors can become critical in case of failures. Incidents with trapped children particularly highlight concerns about the safety and reliability of technologies used in vehicles. Further actions by regulators and the manufacturer’s response could set an important precedent for the entire automotive industry regarding responsibility for innovations.
