On the Dash:
- NHTSA denied a petition seeking a defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release on nearly 180,000 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles.
- Regulators said the petition did not provide enough evidence of a safety-related defect.
- The agency will instead address emergency door-release requirements through an ongoing federal rulemaking process.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has denied a petition concerning 179,031 Tesla Model 3 vehicles from the 2022 model year.
The petition claimed that occupants might have difficulty locating the manual door release after a crash if the vehicle loses power. However, the agency determined that the evidence presented did not warrant opening a formal defect investigation.
The NHTSA stated that current federal vehicle safety standards do not address the placement or labeling of emergency mechanical door releases. Instead, the agency has initiated a separate rulemaking process to assess new standards for emergency door-release systems, deeming this a more appropriate approach to address the issue.
Initially, Tesla’s electronic door handles drew attention after reports of occupants having difficulty exiting their vehicles following power failures. The NHTSA noted one consumer complaint about a 2022 Model 3, which was also mentioned in the petition.
While this ruling avoids a new defect investigation, it does not eliminate federal scrutiny regarding emergency door-release designs. Future regulatory changes may require automakers to revise their emergency egress systems across new vehicle lineups.
Dealers should stay informed about potential regulatory updates that may impact future Tesla models and overall industry safety standards.
