Tesla is preparing to redesign its door handles following a U.S. federal investigation into whether the company’s electrically powered doors pose safety risks.
Earlier this month, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a formal probe into Tesla’s flush, motorized door handles. The agency pointed to complaints dating back several years, noting that traditional emergency exits were not always obvious or easy to access.
Since 2018, the NHTSA has logged more than 140 complaints about Tesla doors becoming stuck, according to Bloomberg. While Tesla vehicles do include manual backup releases inside the cabin, their placement differs by model, and the mechanisms can be difficult to find or operate—particularly for backseat passengers and children.
As the NHTSA explained: “Although Tesla vehicles have manual door releases inside of the cabin, in these situations, a child may not be able to access or operate the releases even if the vehicle’s driver is aware of them.”
Tesla has acknowledged the issue and confirmed it is developing a redesign that integrates electronic and manual release functions into a single mechanism.
Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s design chief, told Bloomberg: “The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense. That’s something that we’re working on.”
Although he did not specify what triggered the redesign, von Holzhausen added that Tesla is already considering applying the change in China and is prepared to update its cars wherever needed.