Tesla Owner Complaints Rise in US Probe Over Inoperative Doors

(Bloomberg) — The US auto safety regulator investigating whether certain Tesla Inc. door handles are defective received more complaints within days of initiating its probe from consumers who were unable to get into or out of their vehicles after battery failures.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cited the additional complaints in an Oct. 27 letter to Tesla about the investigation the agency initiated in mid-September. Owners of the manufacturer’s best-selling Model Y described exterior door handles becoming inoperative due to issues with their vehicle’s low-voltage battery. In several cases, this locked children inside the vehicle.

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The letter provides a glimpse into how NHTSA is proceeding with an investigation launched days after Bloomberg News uncovered a series of incidents in which people were injured or died after they were unable to open the doors of Teslas following battery-power losses or crashes. Tesla’s longtime design chief later told Bloomberg that the company was working on changes to its door handles.

A Tesla representative didn’t immediately respond to request for comment on NHTSA’s information request.

NHTSA is seeking information from Tesla not only about the 2021 Model Ys that are subject to its investigation, but also about cars it refers to as “peer vehicles.” The agency says in its letter that this refers to 2017-2022 Model 3 sedans, as well as 2020 and 2022 Model Y sport utility vehicles.

The regulator asks Tesla to state the number of consumer complaints it has received that relate to the alleged defect, as well as reports involving a crash, fire, injury or fatality. NHTSA also seeks information about lawsuits and arbitration proceedings relating to door operability issues.

NHTSA opened the defect investigation on Sept. 15, citing nine complaints submitted as far back as July 2023. In several cases, parents told the agency they were unable to reopen the doors of their Tesla to retrieve a child from the back seat, or to place a child in the back seat.

The regulator received seven more complaints in the 10 days after opening the probe. One Model Y owner in Chula Vista, California, described being trapped along with their son strapped in his car seat for 30 “agonizing” minutes before a tow truck arrived and jump-started the battery.

Another Model Y owner in Coral Springs, Florida, told NHTSA they strapped their son into their car seat and then were unable to get into the car after the 12-volt battery died.

“My infant son was trapped,” the Tesla owner wrote of the December 2023 incident. “We live in Florida and this was an 80 degree day. With no other recourse I was forced to call 911 to have my son removed from the vehicle.”

The most recent complaint, submitted Sept. 26, recounts an incident involving an 8-month-old child who was trapped inside a Model Y for approximately 30 minutes.

“My infant was flushed, diaphoretic, and crying while stuck in his car seat with an indoor temperature exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit,” the Tesla owner wrote to NHTSA.

Police officers and firefighters arrived at the scene in Santa Barbara, California, and smashed the window to rescue the infant, according to the complaint.

“My baby was found screaming in a pool full of sweat and was carried to an ambulance, where the paramedic warned me of concerning vital signs and advised me to go to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to have his condition assessed and treated, if necessary,” the Model Y owner wrote.

Tesla must submit its response to NHTSA by Dec. 10, according to the agency’s letter.

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