Tesla's Electronic Door Handles Trigger Its Largest-Ever Recall in China
China has ordered the recall of more than 2.9 million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over electronic door handles that regulators say can hinder escape and rescue efforts after crashes.
China's State Administration for Market Regulation announced Friday the recall of more than 2.9 million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built in the country between 2019 and 2026, marking Tesla's largest recall ever and the biggest in China's history. The recall targets the cars' electronic, retractable door handles — a design feature widely copied by competitors — which regulators in both the US and China have linked to difficulties for passengers trying to exit vehicles quickly and for rescuers responding to crashes. Several families of crash victims have filed lawsuits against Tesla, claiming the handle design contributed to their relatives' deaths.
Some affected vehicles will receive an over-the-air software update that automatically lowers windows after a collision, making escape easier. Other cars will get free warning stickers to help occupants locate and operate mechanical backup door handles, which are currently hard to spot because they blend in with interior trim. These mechanical handles become critical when a vehicle's low-voltage battery — which powers onboard computers, displays and electronic door handles, though not the car itself — fails.
At the same time, China recalled more than a million vehicles from eight domestic automakers — Beijing Automotive, Chery, Dongfeng, First Auto Works, Geely, Leapmotor, Xiaomi and Xpeng — over similar flush-handle safety concerns. Separately, nearly 50,000 imported Tesla Model 3, X and S vehicles were recalled for inadequate driver monitoring during use of Tesla's assisted steering technology, which authorities said raised collision risk; fixes range from software updates to new in-cabin cameras.
China has taken a notably aggressive regulatory stance on emerging automotive technology, having introduced rules earlier this year that will soon ban fully retractable door handles outright. Tesla did not respond to WIRED's request for comment. In the US, the top road-safety regulator has reportedly begun examining whether new rules on door handle design are needed, Bloomberg reported last month.
