Nearly three million Chinese-made Tesla vehicles are being recalled in China over safety concerns surrounding their minimalistic hidden door handles, marking the country’s largest-ever car recall which affects more than four million vehicles in total.
The sweeping recall also impacts other major carmakers, including Chinese brands XPeng, Xiaomi, and Geely.
The minimalistic retractable handles, which became a signature feature of electric vehicles after being made popular by billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla, are designed to tuck seamlessly into the door panel and extend only when an owner approaches the vehicle, reports BBC.
However, the safety of these designs has come under intense scrutiny in China following two fatal crashes involving Xiaomi electric vehicles, in which suspected power failures reportedly prevented the doors from being opened.
In a statement, Tesla announced it is recalling Model 3, Y, S, and X vehicles because their door handles are “difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim”. The manufacturer warned that this could prevent occupants or rescuers from quickly opening the doors during an emergency, such as a “severe collision causing the vehicle’s low-voltage system to fail”.
To mitigate the issue, Tesla said it would place warning labels on the recalled cars and deploy a software update to automatically lower the windows after a crash.
However, Tu Le, founder of the consultancy Sino Auto Insights, described the warning labels and software update as a “band-aid” rather than a lasting solution. He noted that the popularity of the hidden door handle design has “snowballed” since 2014, with Chinese brands rushing to replicate the “sleek” look of Tesla’s Model S sedan.
The recall comes ahead of a strict regulatory crackdown, as Chinese authorities announced a ban on hidden door handles in February. Under new rules scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027, cars can only be sold in China if they feature a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of their doors.
The design is also facing regulatory pressure in the United States, where Tesla’s door handles are the subject of an investigation by safety regulators following reports that they failed suddenly, leaving children trapped inside the vehicles.
In July, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested introducing a new formal safety standard for all carmakers.
It remains unclear if the affected companies plan to implement similar recalls for vehicles in other global markets.
