NHTSA Investigates Tesla After Door Handle Failures Reported
Washington: Tesla is once again under the scanner after a set of worrying complaints from parents. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla’s Model Y after families reported being unable to get their children out of the back seat because the electronic door handles failed.
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Four Families Forced to Break Windows
According to regulators, nine such complaints have been filed so far, with parents describing terrifying moments when the doors refused to open—possibly because of low battery voltage. While the company do come with manual releases inside the cabin, NHTSA pointed out a key issue: young children might not know how to use them or even reach them in an emergency.
In at least four of the cases, parents said they were left with no choice but to smash windows to get their kids out.
This isn’t the first time Tesla’s futuristic door systems have sparked safety concerns. Over the years, there have been multiple reports of people getting stuck inside their cars after accidents or power failures. In some incidents, drivers were trapped as their vehicles caught fire.
One such case made headlines in April, when Alijah Arenas, a college basketball recruit, said he was “fighting time” to escape his Tesla Cybertruck after crashing into a tree. The truck caught fire, and he later shared that he only survived by pouring water on himself while smoke filled the cabin.