Tesla Faces Probe By US Auto Safety Agency Over Door Handles

Tesla Inc. is being investigated by US auto safety regulators over issues with door handles on certain Model Y vehicles that could result in occupants becoming trapped inside.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that it’s opening a so-called preliminary evaluation over the issue in which the electronic handles can lose power and become inoperative. The probe covers certain Model Y vehicles from the 2021 model year.

The move comes days after a Bloomberg investigation uncovered a series of incidents in which people were injured or died after being unable to open doors when the power is lost, particularly after crashes.

“NHTSA’s investigation is focused on the operability of the electronic door locks from outside of the vehicle as that circumstance is the only one in which there is no manual way to open the door. The agency will continue to monitor any reports of entrapment involving opening doors from inside of the vehicle, and ODI will take further action as needed,” it said.