Tesla is facing another safety investigation, this time over the very feature that lets you into the car. Regulators are looking into reports of faulty door handles on thousands of Model Ys, raising new concerns about reliability and safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary probe into 174,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles from the 2021 model year after reports of electronic door handles failing to open. In some cases, parents were forced to smash windows to rescue children stuck inside.
Tesla
The Problem: Electronic Handles Gone Dark
According to NHTSA, the Model Y’s electronic door handles can stop working when the car’s low-voltage battery falters. Unlike traditional mechanical latches, Tesla’s handles rely on an electrical signal to unlock from outside. Owners reported that no warning preceded the failure, just a handle that wouldn’t budge.
In at least four cases, parents had to break glass to reach their kids. It’s the kind of failure that undermines confidence in Tesla’s tech-heavy approach at a time when market share is already slipping from 80% to just 38% in America.
Why Safety Officials Are Alarmed
While Teslas do have manual interior releases, they aren’t always easy to reach, especially for children strapped into the rear seats. This raises concerns about how quickly passengers could exit in an emergency.
That raises what regulators call an “entrapment risk.” For a company that sells itself on safety innovation, the optics are rough. And it comes as Tesla has been making tough product decisions, such as quietly discontinuing the cheapest Cybertruck variant just months after launch.
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tesla’s Broader Headwinds
This probe is only the latest in a line of regulatory and legal headaches for the automaker. From Autopilot lawsuits to high-profile recalls, Tesla has been forced to respond to questions about quality and oversight.
Meanwhile, leadership speculation swirls after Tesla’s chair insisted Elon Musk is the only figure who can guide the company forward, even if he may eventually step away from the CEO role. With Musk juggling multiple ventures and Tesla fighting to regain momentum, every probe adds pressure.
What’s Next for Owners
For now, the investigation is just that, a probe, not yet a recall. But if NHTSA concludes the defect poses a safety risk, Tesla could be forced into a formal recall that affects nearly every Model Y sold in 2021.
For owners, the advice is simple but also a bit unnerving. Keep a close eye on the health of your 12-volt battery, since it plays a critical role in keeping key systems running. And don’t assume that a quiet, inactive system means everything is working as it should.
from Autoblog News https://ift.tt/yQlkEq0
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