KATHMANDU: The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a defect petition to review the emergency door release system in the Tesla Model 3 following reports of deaths and injuries.
The probe covers around 179,000 Model Year 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles. According to NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), the review focuses on whether the manual emergency door releases are difficult to locate and use during emergencies.
The petition states that the mechanical door release is “hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive,” which may delay occupants or first responders from opening doors after a crash. Tesla’s electronic door handles require power, and in severe accidents with power loss, the manual release is the only way to open the doors.
NHTSA confirmed the investigation is currently in the “Defect Petition” stage, where the agency will decide whether a full safety investigation is needed. One injury case is officially linked to the petition, while media reports have highlighted several fatal crashes where door access may have been an issue.
If NHTSA finds the design poses a safety risk, Tesla could be required to improve labeling or redesign the emergency release system through a recall.
