Nearly three million Tesla vehicles manufactured in China are being recalled over concerns that their hidden door handles could make it difficult for occupants to escape in an emergency.
The recall affects about 2.98 million China-made Tesla vehicles, including the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X. It forms part of a wider recall involving more than four million vehicles from several automakers over concerns surrounding concealed door-handle designs.
Other manufacturers affected include Chinese electric vehicle makers XPeng and Xiaomi, as well as Geely.
The safety concerns centre on the difficulty of locating and operating some hidden door handles, particularly during a serious crash when a vehicle’s low-voltage electrical system may fail.
Tesla said the affected vehicles have door handles that can be difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the surrounding interior trim.
The company said such a situation could become dangerous in a severe collision because a failure of the low-voltage system could prevent occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape. It could also make it harder for rescuers outside the vehicle to gain access.
As part of the recall, Tesla will place warning labels inside affected vehicles and issue a software update designed to automatically lower the windows after a collision.
The move follows growing scrutiny of concealed door handles in China, particularly after two fatal crashes involving Xiaomi electric vehicles in which power failures were suspected of preventing the doors from being opened.
The sleek, minimalist door-handle design has become increasingly common among electric vehicle manufacturers. Tu Le, managing director of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, said the trend had “snowballed” after Chinese carmakers began adopting the style popularised by Tesla’s Model S from 2014.
However, he described the warning labels and software update as more of a temporary fix than a permanent solution to the underlying safety concern.
Chinese authorities have already moved to address the issue through regulation.
In February, regulators announced a ban on hidden door handles under new safety requirements. From January 1, 2027, new vehicles sold in China will be required to have mechanical door-release mechanisms both inside and outside the vehicle.
The latest recall adds to concerns about the safety of Tesla’s door-handle technology in other markets.
In the United States, Tesla’s door handles have previously been the subject of scrutiny by safety regulators following reports that they stopped functioning and left children trapped inside vehicles.
In July, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed developing a formal safety standard covering emergency door-exit systems.
The agency said it was reviewing whether automakers should be required to provide emergency mechanisms that allow vehicle occupants to escape when normal electrical systems fail.
The latest developments highlight a growing tension in the electric vehicle industry between sleek, technology-driven designs and basic emergency safety requirements.
While concealed handles have become a defining feature of many modern EVs, regulators are increasingly demanding that vehicles remain easy to open when technology fails and lives may depend on a quick escape.
