--- title: "China Recalls Nearly Three Million Teslas Over Unsafe Door Handles" description: "Chinese officials announced a recall involving almost three million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over unsafe door handles." date: "2026-08-25" modified: "2026-08-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/china-recalls-three-million-teslas-unsafe-door-handles" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Electric Vehicles" - "Tesla" --- # China Recalls Nearly Three Million Teslas Over Unsafe Door Handles ![A Tesla vehicle's door handle.]() *Picturesque Japan / Shutterstock* For many years now, Tesla's retracting door handles have proven disastrous in emergencies, [trapping occupants within the vehicles]() — especially in the event of a fire, when the design-forward handles can make it [difficult, if not impossible](), for first responders to rescue passengers caught inside. Despite [numerous]() [wrongful death lawsuits]() blaming the design feature over the years, US regulators have yet to take meaningful action. Even the mechanical latch on the interior can be nearly insurmountable in a crisis, unless you specifically know it's there. Now, the Chinese government has finally decided that enough is enough. Last week, [officials announced a recall]() of almost three million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. They argue that the interior emergency mechanical door handles are "difficult to identify" because they are "close to the color of the interior." "When a serious collision causes extreme situations such as the failure of the vehicle's low-voltage system, it may affect the driver and passenger's ability to quickly open the door to escape and rescue people outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard," China's State Administration for Market Regulation wrote in its announcement, as translated into English. The government will now require warning labels to be affixed to the vehicles, as well as an over-the-air update that will "add a post-accident window lowering strategy to reduce safety hazards." The regulator [issued a separate recall]() affecting almost 400,000 Xiamoi SU7 EVs, citing identical dangers. In February, China [became the first country to require]() car door handles to be operable from either side mechanically, such as by lifting a handle. The rules will go into effect next year and will more than likely force Tesla to implement design changes going forward. Other carmakers have already started manufacturing vehicles with doors that can be manually operated, changes that could potentially save lives. It's unclear when or if the US will follow suit. In July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [hinted at new safety standards for all carmakers]() to ensure that occupants can safely exit their vehicles in case of emergencies, but has yet to formally announce any concrete changes. According to a [regulatory filing]() at the time, the NHTSA said it was granting a petitioner's request to "mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles." While Center for Auto Safety executive director Michael Brooks welcomed the news, calling it "very significant" in an [interview with *Bloomberg*](), he said that he "wouldn’t expect to see a final compliance date for manufacturers before 2030 even if the rulemaking proceeds swiftly." **More on Tesla:** [*Tesla Robotaxi With No Driver Spotted Smashing Through Traffic Barriers*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()