A huge vehicle recall is underway in China after regulators raised concerns that some emergency door releases could be difficult to find when they are needed most.
Roughly 4.3 million vehicles from nine manufacturers are involved, with Tesla accounting for nearly three million of them (via Auto Express). Xiaomi, Leapmotor, XPeng, Geely, Chery and several other Chinese manufacturers are also affected.
The problem is not that the mechanical releases stop working. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation found that some are too similar in colour to the surrounding interior trim, making them harder to spot and use quickly. That could become a serious problem after a crash if the car’s low-voltage electrical system fails and the usual electronic door controls stop working.
Tesla has by far the most vehicles affected, with 2,975,910 Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X cars included. Most are China-built Model 3s and Model Ys, and the recall is due to begin on September 25.
Fixing them does not mean replacing the whole door system. Tesla will add warning labels to make the emergency releases easier to find, along with an over-the-air update that introduces a post-crash window-lowering function.
The shift is no coincidence, as China is already tightening regulations around car door handles. From January 1, 2027, new vehicles will face tougher requirements for mechanical door releases, putting more focus on making sure occupants can still get out if the electronics fail.
Flush and electronically operated handles have become especially common on EVs, helped by their sleek appearance and aerodynamic benefits. In fact, Tesla’s Model S was one of the cars that helped popularise the idea.
Those benefits are now getting much more scrutiny when emergency access is involved. And with one recall already affecting millions of cars, manufacturers have a strong reason to make their mechanical releases much easier to find.