Nearly three million Teslas recalled in China over hidden door handles
China's SAMR has coordinated a mass recall of over 4 million vehicles, including 2.98 million Teslas, due to emergency exit vulnerabilities.
Announced by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the coordinated safety action covers 2.98 million domestically made and imported Teslas alongside millions of vehicles produced by domestic competitors including Xiaomi, XPeng, Geely, Leapmotor, Chery, and BAIC.
According to SAMR, Tesla’s affected vehicles—which include locally produced Model 3 and Model Y units alongside imported Model 3, Model X, and Model S cars—feature inner emergency mechanical handles “similar in colour to the interior, making them difficult to identify and operate” in emergencies. In a Model 3, for example, passengers must reach into a compartment inside the door pocket and find a release cable to manually open the rear door, according to the company’s website. Similar scrutiny has fallen on domestic manufacturers, such as BAIC BluePark recalling Arcfox Kaola EVs over a “lack of dedicated text prompts” near the emergency mechanism on its right rear sliding door.
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The safety risks vaulted to the forefront of public concern following fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs, in which power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from being opened (Gbcghanaonline). Those incidents compounded wider international worries. In the United States, Tesla’s door handles were also involved in a probe by US safety regulators after reports that they suddenly stopped working, leaving children trapped in the cars (BBC), prompting the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in July to suggest creating a new formal safety standard for all carmakers.
| Automaker | Affected Volume (Approximate Units) | Remedy Provided |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 2.98 million (domestically made and imported) | Interior warning labels, OTA window-lowering update |
| Xiaomi | 390,000 (2024 SU7 series) | Warning labels and software adjustments |
| Leapmotor | 370,000 | Warning labels |
| XPeng | 265,000 | Warning labels and software updates |
| Geely / Zeekr | 92,000 (Zeekr luxury brand) | Warning labels |
| BAIC (Arcfox) | 46,000 (Arcfox Kaola) | Text prompts near emergency sliding-door releases |
Automakers are attempting to mitigate the hazard using temporary remedial measures. Tesla said it would place warning labels on the recalled vehicles and issue a software update to automatically lower a vehicle’s windows after a collision (Malaymail). In addition to the door handle recall, SAMR said Tesla was separately recalling 2.7 million domestically-made Model 3 and Model Y EVs over issues with monitoring systems while a driver is using steering assist functions (Malaymail).
Industry observers remain skeptical about whether warning labels and window software patches resolve the underlying mechanical vulnerability. Tu Le, the founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, noted that the use of hidden handle designs has “snowballed” after Chinese brands were quick to copy the “sleek” look of Tesla’s Model S sedan since 2014, and he added that the use of warning labels and a software update is more of a “band-aid” than a lasting solution for the issue (Gbcghanaonline). According to Cui Dongshu, who is the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, the recall mission was the needed step for the growing market of electric vehicles in the nation since manufacturers are shifting their focus towards more reliable systems (Mashable).
The mass manufacturer actions directly anticipate stricter regulatory standards. In February, Chinese authorities announced a ban on hidden door handles (Gbcghanaonline). Under new rules due to take effect on 1 January 2027, cars will only be allowed to be sold in China if they have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of their doors (BBC).
Emergency Exit Failures and Regulatory Shifts
The safety hazard stems from a specific technical vulnerability during severe collisions. According to Tesla, if a crash causes the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail, the hidden handles may hinder occupants from escaping and impede rescuers attempting to enter the vehicle from the outside (BBC). This concern follows the 2012 introduction of electronic handles via the Tesla Model S, a design choice that provided a slight boost to efficiency by reducing drag and was subsequently adopted by Chinese brands prioritizing high-tech aesthetics (Malaymail).
While some recalls took effect immediately or over the weekend, the scale of the operation is unprecedented for the region. Mashable reports that this is the largest recall announced in China this year, totaling more than 4 million vehicles across various brands.
The transition toward mechanical reliability is now a legal mandate. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the ban on hidden handles in February, requiring all cars sold in China to feature mechanical releases on both the interior and exterior of every door (Malaymail).
Whether these measures will extend beyond the Chinese market remains unconfirmed, as it is not clear if the affected firms plan to implement similar recalls globally (Gbcghanaonline). For the domestic market, the next step is the full enforcement of the new mechanical release standards on 1 January 2027 (BBC).
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