The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a probe into roughly 174,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles from the 2021 model year after reports that electronic door handles can fail, making doors inoperable.
NHTSA said it received complaints from parents who were unable to open exterior doors, including situations where they had stepped out of the vehicle to place a child in the back seat or remove a child before starting a trip. In four cases, parents had to break a window to regain access, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
While Tesla vehicles feature manual door releases inside, children may be unable to operate them even if the driver is aware of their presence, the agency noted.
NHTSA’s preliminary review indicates the issue may occur when electronic door locks receive insufficient voltage from the vehicle’s low-voltage battery. Repair invoices indicate battery replacement after incidents, but no owners reported warnings prior to door handle failures.
Tesla has not immediately commented. If NHTSA determines the issue poses an unreasonable risk, the investigation could lead to a vehicle recall.
