Bloomberg An investigation conducted by Tesla revealed that the retractable door handles used in vehicles caused the death of 15 people after accidents that were not considered fatal.
According to the news BloombergBy analyzing data on traffic accidents that resulted in fires in the United States since 2012, they estimated how many deaths were linked to doors that did not open.
Data for the period 2012–2023 is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while data for 2024 and 2025 Bloomberg Analyzed independently by.
BloombergAccording to , the process involved reviewing thousands of pages of police, fire and autopsy reports. Where possible, crime scene photographs, emergency call audio recordings, and police body camera footage were also evaluated.
TeslaAlthough it is not the only automobile manufacturer to use retractable door handles, it stands out as the brand with the most customer complaints regarding such problems.
Bloomberg investigation, which caught fire after the collision Tesla Their model identified nearly a dozen incidents in which passengers or rescue teams were unable to open doors.
BloombergAlthough he stated that the 15 deaths constituted only a small fraction of the hundreds of fatal electric vehicle-related accidents in the last decade, he emphasized that the number of deaths associated with electric door handles was increasing.
According to the analysis, more than half of the deaths have occurred since November 2024; This indicates a worsening trend.
The media outlet also emphasized that there are no comprehensive, publicly available statistics from state or federal agencies that track how many people are trapped inside vehicles due to car doors that don’t open. The reason for this was explained as it was difficult to determine exactly what happened immediately after the accident.
Tesla Following a series of fatal crashes involving vehicle doors, NHTSA announced on September 15 of this year that Model Y launched an investigation into retractable door handles on its vehicles.
Tesla The electric door handles of their vehicles work with a 12-volt battery. However, if the battery is disabled or completely discharged during a crash, the system becomes almost useless.
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Although vehicles are equipped with manual opening mechanisms for the front doors, these are not clearly marked and are only included in the vehicle owner’s manual.
BloombergAccording to , Model 3 and Model Y vehicles do not have the same release mechanism for the rear doors. Some vehicles with rear seat manual backup systems Tesla In some models, these mechanisms can be located under the floor mats, behind the speaker grills or under the plastic parts; This makes them difficult to find, especially in emergency situations.
To fix this problem TeslaIn an article published on its website, it announced that a system that allows the doors to open automatically after accidents will be added to the vehicles. However, the company did not specify which models would receive this security update.
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