New safety issue for Tesla in the US: door handles in the spotlight

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla vehicle door handles.

Elon Musk's vehicle brand has faced a series of safety issues in the United States, most of which have come under scrutiny by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the past three years. The most significant problems have been related to its advanced driver-assistance systems, as well as software glitches that have led to recalls of these devices.

This time, the safety regulator has opened a preliminary review of Tesla's electric door handles, as they are rendered inoperable due to problems with the low-voltage batteries in certain Model Y vehicles, according to Bloomberg.

Currently, the investigation is said to focus on approximately 174,290 units, although it could be expanded to other models of the brand.

According to the NHTSA, this investigation is being launched after nine owners were unable to unlock the doors on 2021 Model Y vehicles. In the most common scenarios, some parents were unable to reopen their Tesla doors to retrieve a child from the back seat or to place them in the back seat.

"NHTSA's investigation focuses on the operability of electronic door locks from outside the vehicle, as this is the only circumstance in which there is no manual way to open the door," the agency states on its website.

"The agency will continue to monitor any reports of entrapment involving the opening of doors from inside the vehicle" and "will take additional action as necessary," they stressed.

Previously, NHTSA's main concern has focused on Tesla's driver-assist systems, for example, opening a formal investigation into more than a dozen accidents in which Tesla vehicles with Autopilot activated collided with emergency vehicles (police, fire, ambulances) parked on the road with their lights on. The investigation seeks to determine the system's effectiveness in detecting and reacting to these obstacles.

Other Tesla owners reported their vehicles braking abruptly and for no apparent reason when Autopilot was engaged, a phenomenon known as "phantom braking." The NHTSA investigated these complaints to determine whether there was a safety defect.

Tesla was also forced to recall more than 360,000 vehicles equipped with the FSD Beta software. The NHTSA argued that the system could allow vehicles to exceed speed limits or drive unsafely through intersections, increasing the risk of accidents. Tesla corrected the problem with a software update.

In addition, the car manufacturer has issued several notices to owners for other major issues, such as steering problems in models like the Model 3 and Model Y, which, due to a software glitch, could lose power steering assistance.

Several vehicles had to be recalled due to a problem that prevented the rearview camera from working properly when reversing. Trunk locks on some models were also malfunctioning, causing the trunks to open unexpectedly.

Also affecting several vehicles was a defect in which the audible and visual seatbelt warnings did not activate correctly, which could lead to the driver or passengers not fastening their seatbelts, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a collision.

In any case, most issues are resolved with an over-the-air (OTA) software update, allowing owners to fix problems without having to take their car to a repair shop.