Tesla has never been a brand to shy away from bold—and often divisive—design choices. While the company has its ardent supporters, even they would acknowledge a history of missteps. The Cybertruck, for instance, has become a magnet for criticism, from its hard-to-see tail lights and issues in snowy weather to reports of parts detaching while driving. It also fell short of Elon Musk’s ambitious claim that it could briefly function as a boat.
Typically, Tesla has brushed off such critiques. However, it appears the automaker is now taking action to address one of its most persistent and serious controversies: the door handles. This move comes after reports of emergency responders struggling to open doors to rescue people from burning vehicles.
What Makes Tesla’s Door Handles So Problematic?
Complaints about malfunctioning door handles, particularly on models like the Model S, are nothing new. While being locked out of your car is a major inconvenience—leading some owners to create DIY fixes—a far graver issue is the potential for passengers to become trapped inside during an emergency.
Similar to other modern EVs, many Tesla handles sit flush with the door panel and are electronically activated, lacking a traditional mechanical lever. The Model S and Model X feature handles that extend and retract, while the Model 3 and Y have handles that must be pressed to pivot out. If this electronic system fails, the only option is a manual release located inside the car. Yet, finding and operating this backup can be challenging for a child, a first-time passenger, or anyone in a state of panic.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there have been instances where parents were forced to break their car windows after placing a child inside and then being unable to re-enter the vehicle. A Bloomberg report cites approximately 140 incidents of people being trapped in Teslas, some of which resulted in serious burns or fatalities.
Now, there might be a solution on the horizon. In an interview on Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit! podcast, Tesla’s head of design, Franz von Holzhausen, indicated that the company is developing a new design. The goal is to merge the separate electronic and manual release mechanisms into a single, more intuitive button to simplify escape during a crisis.
“The idea of combining the electronic and manual functions into one button makes a lot of sense,” von Holzhausen stated. “It’s something we’re actively working on.”
