On December 25th, Tesla's (TSLA.O) door handles found themselves in the regulatory spotlight once again in the United States. This time, the U.S. federal automotive safety regulatory body has initiated an investigation into the emergency door-opening mechanisms of select Model 3 vehicles.
Based on the official documents from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency is currently assessing complaints concerning the "inconspicuous, unmarked, and challenging-to-find locations of mechanical emergency door-opening devices during emergencies."
The impetus for this investigation came from a petition filed by Kevin Krauss, a Tesla owner hailing from Georgia. He alleged being trapped inside his vehicle in 2023 and urged the NHTSA to launch a defect investigation. The NHTSA clarified that it has not yet made a decision on whether to accept the petition.
Statistics reveal that the investigation encompasses approximately 179,000 Model 3 sedans from the 2022 model year. Earlier in September of this year, the NHTSA had already embarked on an investigation into potential door defects in certain Model Y SUVs. This move followed a series of incidents where children were left stranded inside vehicles due to the depletion of the 12-volt battery.