On December 25, numerous media sources reported that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally initiated a defect investigation concerning 179,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles from the 2022 model year. The crux of the investigation lies in determining whether the in-car mechanical unlocking mechanisms of this particular model are "hidden, unlabeled, and challenging to pinpoint" during emergency scenarios.

The impetus for this investigation came from a complaint filed by Kevin Krause, a Tesla owner based in Georgia. After experiencing an accident while driving his Model 3 in 2023, Krause found himself in a dire situation, unable to swiftly exit the vehicle due to the concealed and unmarked nature of the mechanical unlocking device.

The NHTSA will now evaluate the gravity of the issue to decide whether to proceed with a formal case filing. This investigation has ignited widespread concern within the automotive industry regarding the safety of emergency escape features in electric vehicles.