Why Tesla has been caught up in a massive car recall in China

ByOsmond Chia Business reporter.

Key points

• Xiaomi, XPeng and Geely will additionally recall a total of more than 750, 000 vehicles.
• When suspected electrical failures allegedly trapped occupants, chinese carmaker Xiaomi faced intense scrutiny after two fatal crashes in 2025 involving its SU7 model.
• Tesla, which began selling the Model S sedan with hidden door handles in China in 2014, is recalling almost three million cars, according to the SAMR.
• Hidden door handles are widely applied in modern cars in China, with around 60% of the top 100 best-selling new energy vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, having them.
• Access to a car during an emergency should not depend on software, remarked Lim from the National University of Singapore.

Hidden car door handles – the sleek designs often discovered on electric vehicles (EVs) – have come under the spotlight over the past week.

That's after China confirmed its biggest ever recall of cars, with more than four million vehicles – mostly Teslas – affected.

For context, the recall comes ahead of new regulations in China, requiring cars to have a mechanical release both on the inside and outside of their doors.

Popularised by Elon Musk's electric vehicle giant, this type of handle has become commonplace worldwide.

But a number of incidents have triggered concern that this design may produce doors tough to open in an emergency. 'A real safety concern'.

Meanwhile, the minimalist design gives vehicles a "sleek look and reduces wind drag" but can be confusing to employ, car industry analyst Stephen Dyer from consultancy AlixPartners informed the BBC.

"Even I often find it difficult to locate the switch to open the door from the inside of an unfamiliar vehicle, " remarked Dyer, who is based in Shanghai.

But beyond their usability, the handles have been blamed for endangering the lives of drivers and passengers.

Electronically powered door handles became an industry trend, but raised "real safety concerns" when doors failed to open promptly, delaying rescue efforts after accidents, remarked Nanyang Technological University associate professor Lyu Chen.

"A door handle may seem simple, but it becomes safety-critical in the seconds after a crash, " Chen remarked.

One of the incidents took place on a highway in Tongling city, eastern China, killing three individuals, according to regional news coverage cited by state-controlled media Global Times.

Relatives of the victims remarked the passengers were stuck in the car as the vehicle's doors could not be unlocked after the collision, the outlet stated.

At the time, Xiaomi's representatives remarked the SU7 had mechanical emergency release handles that function even without power. It are located at the bottom of each door.

For context, the firm went on at the time that it was investigating the matter and cooperating with the police.

In practice, the latest models of the SU7 come with new door handles that can be opened without power. Xiaomi has not responded to BBC requests for comment.

Tesla has additionally faced lawsuits in the US over its door handle designs.

Meanwhile, the firm has been sued by the only survivor of a crash in 2024 involving a Cybertruck – Tesla's electric pickup – that killed three college students in California.

Survivor Jordan Miller alleged that the Cybertruck's design trapped passengers in the burning vehicle and blocked their rescue.

In practice, the car did not have door handles and the electronic buttons meant to open the doors failed to work, according to his lawyers from The Veen Firm.

"When you design a vehicle with no mechanical way to open the doors from the outside, you are betting the electronics will work in every scenario, including a high-speed crash followed by a fire, " remarked one of the lawyers in an official note.

In court filings, Tesla denied any wrongdoing and remarked the Cybertruck is compliant with US federal safety standards, the Guardian noted.

There have been other cases in the US of passengers, including children, allegedly being trapped in Tesla cars after the doors suddenly halted working. The BBC has contacted Tesla for comment. What is being done regarding hidden handles?

In February, China remarked it would ban hidden door handles, making it the first country to do so.

In practice, the new rules, which take effect on 1 January 2027, mean new car designs without physical release mechanisms on the inside and outside of their doors cannot be sold.

For context, the cars' interior must additionally carry signs to show how to open the door.

In practice, the measures in China come ahead of the US and European Union. It typically lead regulations around road safety and emissions, Dyer observed.

One reason is projected to be the sheer number of EVs in China, he went on.

On 21 August, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) confirmed that Tesla and some major Chinese car makers – including Xiaomi, XPeng and Geely – would recall more than four million vehicles.

For context, the manufacturers were ordered to add warning labels inside vehicle doors to show passengers how to open them. Some cars will additionally secure a software update that will lower their windows in the event of a crash.

Notably, the agency remarked the recalled cars have door handles that are "difficult to identify" as they are a similar colour to the vehicle's interior trim.

In the event of an electrical failure, the handles' design may additionally prevent passengers from swiftly opening the doors to escape or "hinder rescue efforts" by bystanders, the SAMR continued.

Some engineers say the measures may not go far enough to resolve safety reservations.

Engineering instructor Lim Hong Wee remarked the measures do not address the need for a mechanical way to open the doors.

In practice, the measures mainly address the matter of residents being able to obtain out of a vehicle, but do not provide a reliable way for rescuers to secure in, stated Gokul Krithivasan from risk management consultancy SecureSafe.

Taken together, the developments around why Tesla has been caught up in a massive car recall in point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.