Tesla recalls nearly 3M cars in China over hidden door handles

Tesla is recalling just shy of 3 million vehicles in China as part of a nationwide effort to alert owners to hidden emergency door releases, which can trap occupants in the event of a crash or a fire. Reuters reported that 11 carmakers in China are issuing related recalls. Nine of them, including Tesla, will install warning labels to help occupants identify the emergency releases; Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Geely brands Zeekr and Lynk & Co are also recalling EVs. All 11 companies will push software updates as part of the recalls.

Manual door releases have become a growing concern as automakers like Tesla made electronic door latches — opened with a smartphone or an NFC tap card — the standard way in and out of a car. Those latches can fail in a collision, so automakers typically install a manual backup handle, but these are often tucked away in unexpected places or hidden behind door panels. Following a two-year review, China said in February it would ban hidden, electronically actuated exterior door handles starting in 2027.

The issue isn’t confined to China. Late last year, the top U.S. automotive safety regulator opened an investigation into Tesla’s door-latching system after Bloomberg reporting spotlighted the issue, and the agency is also weighing a new rule that could change safety requirements for such systems; one lawmaker has proposed legislation requiring manual releases to be “intuitive to use and readily accessible for the occupant.” Rivian has faced similar concerns: customers and employees raised issues last year with the manual release on its R1, which requires removing a panel and pulling a cord, prompting the company to say it would move the release to a more accessible spot on the newer, cheaper R2, launched this year. In 2025, Ford briefly stopped sales of the Mustang Mach-E and issued a recall to reduce the chances of its electronic door latches malfunctioning if vehicles lost power. Tesla, which popularized flush exterior handles and electronic latches, has said it is working on redesigning its door handles going forward.

Why it matters

Tesla popularized the flush handle and the all-electronic latch; now regulators on two continents are moving to require the same failsafe automakers spent a decade designing around — a plain, findable manual handle.