Tesla to recall almost three million vehicles over hidden door handles

Millions of Tesla vehicles are being recalled in China over the brand's hidden door handles, which regulators worry could present a danger in crashes. Minimalist door handles have long been a feature of Elon Musk's electric vehicles. However, Chinese regulators are less than impressed with the tech and demanded that Tesla, alongside other brands, update the vehicles to mitigate a perceived safety risk, in which occupants might not be able to escape a vehicle or rescuers be unable to gain access during an emergency. According to Chinese authorities, the affected vehicles "have emergency mechanical door handles that are difficult to identify and operate because their color is similar to the interior trim. "In extreme situations such as a severe collision, causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail, this could hinder occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape and impede rescue efforts by those outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard." The plan is to affix warning labels (some vehicles already have them) and apply an Over-The-Air (OTA) update "to add a post-accident window lowering strategy to reduce safety hazards." Tesla is not the only car maker affected. A recall of almost 400,000 Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicles was also ordered in connection with difficult-to-see emergency mechanical door handles. China announced a ban on hidden door handles earlier this year, citing safety concerns, and has required all new models from 2027 to have mechanical interior and exterior door handles. Advances in door handle tech have crept into other manufacturers' products in recent years. Doors can be opened with a key fob or mobile phone application, or manually released. Some manufacturers hide the internal and external mechanisms behind the push of a button, which appears to have attracted the particular ire of regulators. After all, in an emergency, there might be delays in evacuating vehicle occupants when mechanical release mechanisms are not immediately obvious. In 2025, Tesla was sued over allegations that a design flaw in the company's Model S prevented the vehicle's occupants from escaping after a crash. The company has also come under scrutiny following allegations that occupants of a Cybertruck were trapped after a crash due to the door handle design. (R)