China orders recall of 2.9 million Tesla Model 3 and Y vehicles over door handle risk
China's State Administration for Market Regulation has recalled nearly three million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, saying interior emergency door handles blend into cabin trim and are hard to find in a crash. Tesla must add warning labels and push an over-the-air update that lowers windows automatically after collisions. A separate recall was issued for almost 400,000 Xiaomi SU7 EVs over the same concern.
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Tesla's flush, motorized door handles have long drawn criticism in the US after wrongful-death lawsuits alleging occupants and rescuers couldn't open doors during fires or crashes, yet American regulators have not forced changes. China's action, paired with new rules requiring mechanically operable handles from both inside and outside starting next year, could pressure Tesla and other automakers worldwide to redesign a feature increasingly tied to safety failures.
- China recalled nearly 3 million Tesla Model 3/Y vehicles over hard-to-find emergency door handles.
- Xiaomi's SU7 EV faces a similar 400,000-vehicle recall for the same design flaw.
- New Chinese rules mandating mechanically operable door handles take effect next year, likely forcing design changes.
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Published there as: “China Recalls Nearly Three Million Teslas Over Unsafe Door Handles”
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