Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is facing a second investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over issues with door handles on its top-selling compact sedans and SUVs.
The NHTSA on Dec. 23 opened a probe to determine whether the door handles on nearly 180,000 Model 3 sedans made in 2022 were unlabeled, hidden, and too difficult to access during an emergency. The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a safety complaint in November that cited a head-on collision in 2023 in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
In that incident, driver Kevin Clouse said the vehicle’s electrical system lost power after the crash, and the electric door releases stopped working, trapping him inside. The vehicle’s interior burst into flames, and Clouse was unable to locate the hidden mechanical door releases because they weren’t properly labeled, the complaint said….