The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has rejected a petition seeking a defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door-release system installed in certain Tesla Model 3 vehicles, saying the request failed to present evidence of a safety-related defect warranting regulatory action.
The petition covered 179,701 model-year 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles and alleged that the manual emergency door release could be difficult for occupants to locate after a crash if the vehicle lost electrical power, increasing the risk of people becoming trapped inside.
In its decision, the agency said the concerns raised would be more appropriately addressed through an ongoing federal rulemaking process rather than a formal defect investigation.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The electric vehicle maker has previously faced scrutiny over its electronically operated door handles following several crashes in which occupants were reportedly unable to exit their vehicles after losing power, prompting calls for stricter federal safety standards governing emergency door-release systems.
NHTSA said it identified one consumer complaint involving a 2022 Tesla Model 3, in which the owner alleged that the mechanical door release was concealed and unlabeled after the vehicle lost electrical power in a front-impact crash. The petition was based on the same incident.
The agency also noted that existing federal safety standards governing vehicle door locks and latches do not specify the location or labeling of emergency mechanical door releases.
NHTSA added that it has already begun a separate rulemaking process after approving another petition seeking updated federal safety standards for more visible and accessible emergency door-egress systems.
The regulator said developing broader safety standards, rather than launching a defect investigation into Tesla’s vehicles, is the most appropriate way to address the concerns raised.
By Goodness Anunobi
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