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Tesla Inc.\u2019s door handles are facing renewed scrutiny in the US after federal auto safety regulators opened a probe into the emergency releases in certain Model 3 vehicles.<\/p>\n
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it\u2019s evaluating claims that the mechanical door release \u201cis hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency,\u201d according to a\u00a0filing\u00a0on the agency\u2019s website. The move stems from a petition filed by Kevin Clouse, a Tesla owner in Georgia who says he was trapped in his vehicle in 2023 and requested a defect investigation. NHTSA said it hasn\u2019t decided whether to grant or deny the petition.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Tesla Doors Can Trap People Desperate to Escape<\/p>\n
The probe covers an estimated 179,071 Model 3 sedans from the 2022 model year.<\/p>\n
Tesla and NHTSA didn\u2019t immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
The move expands on the federal examination of Tesla door problems following a\u00a0monthslong investigation\u00a0into the issue by Bloomberg, which uncovered a series of incidents in which people were severely injured or died after becoming trapped in their Teslas. In September, NHTSA\u00a0opened an investigation\u00a0into whether the doors are defective in certain Model Y SUVs amid reports of children stuck in vehicles when the 12-volt battery dies. The Model 3 and Model Y are by far Tesla\u2019s top-selling vehicles.<\/p>\n
The automaker was a pioneer of electrically powered handles, which can stop functioning without warning, particularly after a crash. A Bloomberg analysis this week found\u00a0at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents\u00a0over the past decade in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and caught fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bloomberg separately reported that potential safety issues with electric handles were raised with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk during the development of the Model 3, and that he insisted on the futuristic design, which would include manual releases to mitigate power-loss problems.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Elon Musk Demanded Tesla\u2019s Electric Doors Despite Safety Worries<\/p>\n
Clouse filed a petition last month over a 2023 incident in which he says he had to kick his way out of his burning Model 3 when the doors wouldn\u2019t open. Bloomberg previously\u00a0cited details\u00a0of Clouse\u2019s case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was unaware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release because it is not visibly labeled, not explained upon delivery, and not intuitive in an emergency,\u201d he said in a\u00a0complaint\u00a0filed with NHTSA. \u201cI was forced to climb to the back seat and break the rear passenger window with my legs to escape while the interior was burning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tesla shares fell 0.7% as of 11:41 a.m. Wednesday in New York.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Tesla #faces #NHTSA #probe #Model #emergency #door #handles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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