Tesla is once again grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday revealed that it has started probing into the faulty door handles reported in Tesla Model Y from across the USA. As many as 1.74 lakh units of Model Y manufactured since 2021 are under scanner.
Tesla Model Y door handle failure
According to Reuters, NHTSA has reported receiving complaints about exterior doors failing to open, including incidents where parents were unable to re-enter the vehicle after stepping out to remove or secure a child in the rear seat before beginning a trip. Nine such incidents have been reported to the NHTSA. In four of these instances, parents resorted to breaking a window to regain entry into the vehicle.
At the time of filing this report, Tesla hadn’t officially commented on this development. It should be noted that NHTSA hasn’t sought a recall of the vehicles yet. This will occur after the agency completes its preliminary evaluation and determines that the findings present an unreasonable safety risk. The evaluation, designated PE25010, will assess the scope, frequency and safety implications of the failures.
The agency observed that while Tesla vehicles are equipped with manual door releases inside, these may be inaccessible or difficult for children to operate, even if the driver is aware of their presence. NHTSA’s preliminary assessment indicates that the issue appears to arise when the electronic door locks receive inadequate voltage from the vehicle.
The agency further noted that repair records often cite replacement of the low-voltage battery following such incidents; however, no owners reported receiving low-voltage battery warnings prior to the failure of the exterior door handles. If the preliminary evaluation brings out some fault then almost every Model Y sold in the US till date is likely to be recalled.Â
Tesla Model Y in India
This could also have some implications on all Model Y units shipped to other countries by Tesla, including India. However, most of the international markets of Tesla are catered by the company’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, Chennai. In India, Tesla launched the Model Y in July this year in two variants: Rear-Wheel Drive and Rear-Wheel Drive, priced at Rs 59.89 lakh and Rs 67.89 lakh (both ex-showroom), respectively.
