U.S. Regulators Probe 179,071 Tesla Model 3 Cars from 2022 Over Hidden Emergency Door Releases

Safety regulators are turning up the heat on one of the auto industry's most prominent innovators.

The Core Issue: A Door Release Mystery

The investigation centers on a critical safety component: the emergency door release mechanism. Authorities want to know if it's been obscured or made unintentionally difficult to access in a crisis—a potential violation of long-standing safety standards designed to prevent entrapment.

This isn't about a minor software glitch. It strikes at the heart of passive safety, the systems that protect occupants when everything else has gone wrong. For regulators, ensuring clear and immediate escape routes isn't negotiable.

Scale and Scrutiny

The sheer volume of vehicles under review—179,071 units—signals a broad, systemic concern. It transforms the query from a potential isolated fault into an examination of a design decision affecting nearly an entire model year's production run for one of Tesla's most popular vehicles.

For a company that trades on technological superiority and safety claims, the optics are challenging. It introduces a narrative friction between cutting-edge innovation and fundamental, analog safety protocols.

The Bigger Picture

Every major automotive probe carries financial vibrations. While safety is the stated priority, Wall Street watches for ripple effects—potential recall costs, brand impact, and the always-delicate balance sheet dance between engineering ambition and regulatory compliance. It's a stark reminder that in the auto business, sometimes the most important innovation is not hiding the exit. After all, what's the shareholder value of a door handle you can't find in an emergency?

NHTSA expands ongoing investigation into Tesla’s mountain of door issues

Just last September, the NHTSA opened a separate case into the Tesla Model Y after several reports of children getting stuck when the 12-volt battery died, since that makes the electric handles stop working.

The Model 3 and Model Y are the company’s best-selling cars, so these cases could impact a large group of drivers.

A Bloomberg investigation found that at least 15 people have died in the past decade in situations where Tesla doors didn’t open after a crash. Some of the deaths allegedly involved first responders unable to open the doors fast enough when the cars caught fire.

During the design phase for the Model 3, engineers flagged concerns about electric handles not working in an emergency. As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, those concerns were brought directly to Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who still chose to go with the same design, as long as a manual release was included.

Musk faced concerns years ago, but pushed ahead

The issue goes back to how Tesla builds its cars. The Model S, which launched in 2012, was the first model the company built from scratch. It came with flush door handles that slide out when touched. The design helped reduce wind drag and noise, but it also added complexity. If the power is cut, those electric handles don’t function.

Elon Musk admitted there were problems with these door sensors as early as 2013. “We’ve got quite a fancy door handle, and occasionally the sensor WOULD malfunction,” he told analysts during a quarterly earnings call. “So you’d pull on the door handle, and it wouldn’t open. Obviously, it’s quite vexing for a customer.”

In 2021, Elon told analysts that the issue had been resolved. “Essentially, the door-handle incidents have gone to virtually zero.” But that’s not what Clouse and others are reporting in 2025.

After Clouse filed his petition last month, NHTSA started reviewing whether to launch a full recall. The agency hasn’t made a final decision yet, but the investigation is live. Bloomberg also confirmed details of Clouse’s 2023 fire incident, including the fact that he had to kick through a window to get out while the cabin filled with smoke.

Tesla shares dropped 0.7% at the close of the market on Christmas Eve, following a shortened session. The company has not issued a public response to the investigation. Clouse, meanwhile, is still waiting for answers.

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