Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles

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Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles

Sean O'Kane

6:48 AM PDT · August 21, 2026

Tesla is recalling just shy of 3 million vehicles in China as part of a nationwide effort to alert vehicle owners to hidden emergency door releases, which can trap occupants in the event of a crash or a fire.

Reuters reported on Friday that 11 carmakers in China are issuing recalls related to the problem. Nine manufacturers, including Tesla, will install warning labels on their vehicles that help occupants identify the emergency door releases. Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Geely brands Zeekr and Lynk & Co. are also recalling EVs. All 11 companies will also push software updates as part of the recall.

Manual door releases have become a problem in recent years as automakers like Tesla made electronic door latches the standard way of getting in and out of a car.

Electronic latches make it easier for owners to use their smartphone or an NFC tap card to open doors. But they can fail in the event of a collision. Automakers that use electronic latches typically install a manual handle that can be used in the event of an emergency, but these are often tucked away in unexpected places or hidden behind door panels.

Following a two-year review, China in February said it would ban hidden, electronically actuated exterior door handles from 2027.

Late last year, the U.S.’s top automotive safety regulator opened an investigation into Tesla’s door-latching system after Bloomberg reporting put a spotlight on the issue . The agency is also looking at creating a new rule that could change the safety requirements for such systems. One lawmaker has even proposed legislation that would require manual releases to be “intuitive to use and readily accessible for the occupant.”

Tesla is not the only company that has leaned on hard-to-locate manual releases as a backup to electronic door latches. Rivian’s customers and employees raised concerns last year about the company’s own manual release on its R1 vehicles, which requires passengers to remove a panel and pull a cord . The company subsequently said it would move that release to a more accessible spot on the newer, cheaper R2, which launched this year.

In 2025, Ford briefly stopped sales of the Mustang Mach-E and issued a recall to reduce the chances of its electronic door latches malfunctioning if the vehicles lost power .

Tesla, which popularized the use of these flush exterior handles and electronic latches, has said it is working on redesigning its door handles moving forward.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission . This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Sean O'Kane

Sr. Reporter, Transportation

Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.

You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing sean.okane@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.

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