Tesla Under Investigation After Electronic Door Handles Trap Child Riders Inside
This week, an Open Preliminary Evaluation was opened after NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received nine reports from consumers detailing instances where they were unable to open the exterior doors of their vehicles. The most concerning of these reports involved parents who had placed a child in the back seat but were then unable to re-enter the car or retrieve their child after exiting. In four of these cases, parents were forced to break a window to gain access to their children.
According to NHTSA, the issue appears to stem from insufficient voltage from the vehicle's 12-volt battery. This lack of power can prevent the door from popping the handles out and releasing the latch. While Tesla vehicles are equipped with manual door releases inside the cabin, the agency notes that a small child may not be able to reach or know how to operate them, rendering the feature moot. You can obviously see why this issue could balloon into a bigger deal: the risk of entrapment is no trivial matter, such as when a child is left in a hot vehicle.
Tesla's electronic door handles, which retract to sit flush with the car's body for improved aerodynamics, has been a trademark feature of the brand. Unfortunately, it also introduces a more complicated electro-mechanical system that, in these reported cases, appears to have failed unpredictably. Owners did not report any low-voltage battery warnings before the exterior door handles became inoperative either, which adds to the safety risk.
The company's minimalist and tech-drive design philosophy has come under frequent scrutiny for its potential safety implications in emergency situations. In past incidents, first responders have struggled to access occupants in Teslas after a crash due to the unconventional door designs. Similarly, the NHTSA has previously opened probes into other Tesla features, including its Autopilot driver-assistance system and its summon technology.
For now, NHTSA’s probe is concentrated on the operability of the external door handles, as this is the only circumstance in which there is no readily apparent manual way to open the door. The agency plans to assess the scope and severity of the condition, as well as the reliability of the power supply to the door locks. Of course, we wouldn't be surprised if the outcome of the investigation led to another recall.
