NHTSA Rejects Petition to Investigate Tesla Model 3 Emergency Door Release Defect

On July 24, 2024, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) denied a petition requesting a defect investigation into approximately 180,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles from the 2022 model year. The petition was filed by Georgia-based owner Kevin Kraus, who reported being trapped inside his vehicle after a power failure rendered the electronic door handles inoperative, ultimately escaping by kicking out a door. Kraus noted that the mechanical door release loops on the Model 3 are poorly marked and hidden—those for the front doors are located in a storage compartment ahead of the window switches, while those for the rear doors are concealed beneath the cover of the door’s storage pocket—making them difficult to locate and operate quickly in emergencies. He urged NHTSA to open an investigation and order a recall. In its response, NHTSA stated that the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS No. 206 does not specify requirements for labeling or placement of emergency mechanical door release mechanisms, and therefore Tesla’s design does not violate existing regulations, leaving insufficient grounds to initiate a defect investigation. However, NHTSA has approved another related petition and will begin a rulemaking process to evaluate whether vehicles should be required to feature standardized emergency door-opening systems to address the risk of occupants becoming trapped during power failures. Such new regulations typically take several years to develop and implement, and no recalls or remedies will be mandated for existing vehicles during this period. As of now, Tesla has not issued a public statement regarding the matter.