China has announced a recall of more than 4 million vehicles, including 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas, over safety concerns related to hidden door handles. The controversial design, a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), is at the centre of China's largest car recall.
The recall follows concerns that the hidden door handles are difficult to locate and operate in emergency situations. Tesla stated on Friday that it is recalling some Model 3, Y, S, and X vehicles because their door handles are "difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim." This could hinder occupants or rescuers from quickly opening doors in an emergency, such as a severe collision causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail.
Other carmakers affected by the recall include Chinese brands XPeng, Xiaomi, and Geely. The design came under scrutiny after two fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs, where power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from being opened.
Tesla plans to place warning labels on the recalled vehicles and issue a software update to automatically lower a vehicle's windows after a collision. Chinese authorities announced a ban on hidden door handles in February, with new rules taking effect on 1 January 2027, requiring cars sold in China to have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of their doors.