Report focuses on deaths caused by Tesla doors that failed to open after crash

• A new report from Bloomberg news service shows that at least 15 people died in Teslas when the vehicle’s doors failed to open after a crash.
• According to the report, the doors of Tesla models have been known to trap occupants in potentially burning vehicles.
• Tesla recently unveiled a new website detailing how its power doors will automatically unlock after a crash, although the feature may not work on older models.

A new chapter in an ongoing investigation report from Bloomberg starts from the news that at least 15 people have died in Teslas where the electrically powered doors would not open after a crash. After years of complaints from owners, Bloomberg looked at crash data going back to 2012 in an attempt to quantify the number of fatalities involving non-functioning doors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provided Bloomberg with details of every fatal car crash in the United States involving fire between 2012 and 2023, with Bloomberg working independently to identify the 2024 and 2025 crashes. The process involved reviewing thousands of pages of police, fire and autopsy reports, the news service said. Where possible, the outlet also examined photos and audio from 911 calls and police body camera footage.

Tesla is far from the only automaker using electric door handles — as Bloomberg notes, about 70 models currently on sale in the U.S. feature them — but the EV company is responsible for the largest number of consumer complaints. The Bloomberg investigation revealed a dozen incidents in which occupants or emergency responders were unable to open the doors of Tesla models that crashed and caught fire.

A worsening trend

Although Bloomberg reports that the fifteen deaths represent only a small portion of the hundreds of fatal electric vehicle accidents that have occurred over the past decade, the list of deaths caused by electric door handles is growing. In fact, more than half of the deaths in Bloomberg’s new analysis have occurred since November 2024, indicating a worsening trend.

According to Bloomberg, there are no comprehensive, publicly available statistics from state or federal agencies that track the number of people trapped in car doors that won’t open. Part of the reason for this, the outlet reports, is that it can be difficult to know beyond a reasonable doubt what happens in the moments immediately following a crash.

The battery that makes the door handles work

After more than a dozen reports of exterior door handles malfunctioning, the NHTSA opened an investigation into the Tesla Model Y door handles on September 15, 2025. Tesla’s electronic door handles are powered by the 12-volt battery found in each car. In crash scenarios, the 12-volt battery may discharge or become inoperative, rendering the door handles useless.

According to a separate Bloomberg reportthe front doors of Tesla models are equipped with manually operated backup door releases, although some are not clearly marked. Teslas owner’s manual for Model Y 2020–2024 is an example of detailed instructions Tesla has published to help owners find and use releases. However, the Bloomberg report notes that some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are not equipped with manual rear seat releases. On Teslas equipped with manual rear-seat backups, the releases can be under carpets, behind speaker grilles, and under pieces of plastic, making them difficult to find, especially in an emergency scenario.

Tesla launched one safety page on its website addressing this concern. A section of the page labeled “Safer Aftermath: Emergency Response” says the vehicles’ doors will automatically unlock for emergency access in crash scenarios. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t clarify exactly which models will have access to that new feature, as a footnote on the page explains that the safety feature may not be available on every model depending on the build date.

In September, Tesla’s design chief told Bloomberg that the automaker was working on a new design that would combine the mechanical and electrical door handles into one unit.

Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his still unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealer group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford, and decided to pursue a career in automotive writing. By chasing down his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel across Wisconsin in search of stories about the automotive world before landing his dream job at Car and driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.