– Tesla Model 3 emergency door releases could be investigated by the government if 2022 Model 3 owner Kevin Clouse gets his way.
The owner has filed a defect request with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, requesting an official investigation into the Model 3’s mechanical door releases and how they function without any power.
According to the petition for emergency door releasehis Model 3 was involved in a head-on collision in May 2023, which left the vehicle without power and disabled its electronic door handles.
He says the interior caught fire and he was trapped inside, “unaware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release as it is not visibly labelled, not explained upon delivery and is not intuitive in an emergency.”
He says he was forced to climb into the back seat and break the rear passenger window with his legs, suffering a “broken hip and arm and later requiring a full hip replacement.”
The owner complains that the mechanical emergency door release was hidden and unlabeled, causing him to become trapped in the burning Model 3.
He further complains that Tesla has failed to provide “warnings, recall guidance, labeling, or owner education on how to exit the vehicle during a power outage emergency.”
However, the petition does not state whether the Tesla owner has viewed the Model 3 owner’s manual.
Although the petition claims that the emergency door release is ‘hidden’ and ‘hidden’, the The 2022 Tesla Model 3 owner’s manual shows the mechanical release is located next to the window switches on the door.
NHTSA will investigate the allegations and decide whether to open a formal defect investigation into the Tesla Model 3 emergency door release mechanisms on 179,000 Model 3 vehicles.
CarComplaints.com will update our website as more details are announced.
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