NewzMinimalistic door handles became a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), but the controversial designs are now at the centre of China’s biggest car recall, affecting more than 4 million vehicles. The recall, which includes 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas, follows safety concerns that the hidden door handles are difficult to locate and open in emergency situations. Other brands affected by the recall include Chinese carmakers XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely.
The recalled vehicles will have a warning label stuck on the interior door and receive a software update to automatically lower the windows in a crash. The designs have come under scrutiny after two fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs, in which power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from being opened. Tesla said in a statement on Friday that it was recalling some of its Model 3, Y, S and X vehicles due to door handles that are “difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim”.
“In extreme situations such as a severe collision causing the vehicle’s low-voltage system to fail, this could hinder occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape and impede rescue efforts by those outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard,” it said. Tesla said it would place warning labels on the recalled vehicles and issue a software update to automatically lower a vehicle’s windows after a collision. It is not clear if the affected firms plan to make a similar recall for the rest of the world.
The BBC has contacted Tesla, XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely for comment. The use of hidden handle designs has “snowballed” after Chinese brands were quick to copy the “sleek” look of Tesla’s Model S sedan since 2014, said Tu Le, the founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights. The use of warning labels and a software update is more of a “band-aid” than a lasting solution for the issue, he added.
In February, Chinese authorities announced a ban on hidden door handles. Under new rules due to take effect on 1 January 2027, cars will only be allowed to be sold in China if they have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of their doors. Tesla’s door handles were also involved in a probe by US safety regulators after reports that they suddenly stopped working, leaving children trapped in the cars.
In July, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested cr… The mass recall of Tesla vehicles is in line with China's plan to ban hidden door handles on cars from January 1, 2027. (EPA Images pic)BEIJING: Tesla is recalling nearly three million cars in China with interior door handles that could hamper a person's ability to exit their vehicle in an emergency, Beijing's national market watchdog said.Eight Chinese carmakers also filed recalls over similar safety risks, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on Friday.Some recalls were effective immediately, while others began over the weekend and on Monday.Tesla's recall involves 2.9 million domestically made units of its Model 3 and Model Y electric cars and begins on Sept 25.The US carmaker – which operates a huge factory in Shanghai – is also recalling around 46,000 imported units of its Model 3, Model X and Model S cars, the SAMR announcement said.The recalled cars have inner emergency mechanical handles "similar in colour to the interior, making them difficult to identify and operate" in emergencies, the watchdog said.In Tesla's Model 3, for example, passengers must reach into a compartment inside the door pocket and find a release cable to manually open the rear door, according to the company's website."In extreme situations such as severe collisions causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail, (the handles) may affect passengers' ability to quickly open car doors for escape and rescue operations outside the vehicle," the SAMR said.SAMR said Tesla was separately recalling 2.7 million domestically made Model 3 and Model Y EVs over issues with monitoring systems while a driver is using steering assist functions.It was not clear whether some Teslas were counted in both recalls.Chinese EV makers, including Xiaomi, XPeng, Geely, Chery and Leapmotor, are also recalling cars with handles that blend in with their interior.Xiaomi began recalling around 390,000 units of its 2024 SU7 series on Friday, and XPeng started recalling nearly 265,000 cars on Saturday.Beijing-based BAIC BluePark, a subsidiary of state-owned automaker BAIC, on Saturday began recalling around 46,000 Arcfox Kaola EVs over a "lack of dedicated text prompts" near the emergency mechanism on its right rear sliding door.Beginning on Monday, Geely is recalling around 92,000 cars from its luxury brand Zeekr.Companies offered to attach warning labels near the handles for fre…
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